Toni looked between him and the baby, then nodded even though I could tell she was nervous about walkin’ inside without him. “Okay.”
Kay’Lo kissed My’Love’s cheek and walked back toward the truck with her while she laid against him, still snifflin’ like Richie had ruined her whole day.
Toni watched them for a second, then took a breath and walked inside with me.
Soon as we stepped into Grandma Glo’s house, that familiar smell hit me. It smelled like old carpet, fried food from earlier, peppermint, hair grease, and somebody’s perfume that had been sprayed too many times. The TV was on low in the livin’ room, and Grandma Glo was in her recliner with a blanket over her legs, lookin’ smaller than she used to but still neat as hell.
“Toni,” Grandma Glo said, and her voice cracked a lil’.
Toni walked straight to her, bendin’ down and wrappin’ her arms around her carefully. “Hey, Grandma Glo.”
Grandma Glo started cryin’ soon as Toni touched her, and that made Toni tear up too, even though she was tryna hold it in.
“My baby,” Grandma Glo said, holdin’ onto her. “Look at you. You don’t even look the same.”
“I missed you,” Toni whispered.
That moment made my own eyes burn a lil’, ’cause Toni hadn’t seen Grandma Glo in years, and it wasn’t just ’cause she ain’t care or ain’t want to. Life, distance, family beef, and all that mess with Kay’Lo had put a bigger gap between her and home than anybody wanted to admit. It was easy for people to sit around and talk about who don’t come around, but nobody ever wanted to talk about why people stopped feelin’ safe enough to show up.
Toni kissed Grandma Glo’s cheek again and sat beside her, holdin’ her hand.
A few minutes later, Kay’Lo came inside with My’Love. She had calmed down, but her lil’ face was still wet and tired, and she had one hand locked around Kay’Lo’s chain.
Kay’Lo stepped farther into the room and nodded toward Grandma Glo. “How you doin’?”
Grandma Glo looked at him for a second. “I’m alright.”
It wasn’t warm, but it wasn’t nasty either.
Kay’Lo nodded, polite but distant. “That’s good.”
Then, Grandma Glo’s eyes went straight to My’Love, and the whole look on her face changed. “Oh, my Lord. Let me see my great baby.”
My’Love looked at Grandma Glo, then looked back at Kay’Lo, already unsure.
Toni stood and reached for her. “Come here, baby. Let Grandma see you.”
Kay’Lo passed her to Toni, and Toni sat her close enough for Grandma Glo to touch her. Grandma Glo didn’t care that My’Love was actin’ funny. She reached right for her lil’ chunky self and pulled her close enough to kiss her cheek.
My’Love looked back at Kay’Lo, blinked twice, then started cryin’ again.
“Lord,” Grandma Glo said, still smilin’. “Y’all done spoiled this baby rotten.”
Toni laughed softly and pulled My’Love back into her arms. “She just sleepy.”
“Mmhm,” Grandma Glo said. “Spoiled.”
Toni sat back down beside Grandma Glo with My’Love in her lap, and after a few seconds, she leaned her head on Grandma Glo’s shoulder like she was a little girl again. Grandma Glo rubbed her arm, and for a lil’ while, things felt calm.
But in our family, calm don’t ever last too long…
People started comin’ in and out not long after that. Cousins, aunties, neighbors who called themselves family, people who heard Toni was in town and wanted to see the baby, and people who probably just wanted to be nosey. The livin’ room got louder, the kitchen got crowded, and somebody was already in the fridge lookin’ for a soda like they lived here.
I kept my eyes on everybody too, ’cause I wasn’t about to let nobody stress Grandma Glo out or try Toni in my face.
At some point, Kay’Lo kissed My’Love on her cheek, then leaned down and kissed Toni on the lips right in front of everybody. “I’m finna go to the truck, baby. Text me if you need me.”
Toni nodded. “Okay.”
