Page 73 of Butterfly 6, Phase 1

Aria lowered the music slightly. “Why do you say that?” Aria asked, frowning.

“You’re just like stronger than most women. I worry about Mo all the time. I worried about Alani a lot, too, when I first met her. I don’t ever look at you and see weakness. It’s like you give zero fucks. You hold your own, and nothing beats you. Your life isn’t over because Isa isn’t around. That man-centered thing is a real thing. Morgan almost killed herself over a man. I remember when Alani could barely function because of my daddy. Their worlds stop. You’re just different than them. You’re tea A-F.” She didn’t say the words “as fuck,” but instead called out each letter. Bella was young and in her teen era. She was developing a style all her own.

“You’re still a baby, Bella, and I know being tough looks cool to you, but it’s so not. I’ve been hurt, and I have scars. I low-key just don’t fuck with situations that make me soft. The coolest thing about Mo, and Alani too, is the way they love. It’s second nature for them to love people. They love after pain. They love for free. They give second and third chances. They don’t hold mistakes against their people. Sometimes, even when it’s not a mistake, they forgive people who violate their boundaries by choice. ‘I’m sorry’ is a get out of jail free card with them, especially Mo. They’re vulnerable. Do you know how brave you got to be to love niggas out here? To trust in them after they’ve shown you what they’re capable of? It takes a kind heart to have that type of faith in love. That isn’t weak. They just haven’t let the world change them. It takes a good-ass person to love the person who caused your pain, to love someone before you love yourself. They care for other people hella deep, Bella. I don’t know how to do that. I don’t love nobody more than I love me. You can call them weak, but I think that takes strength. I don’t know, maybe it comes with being a mom. I just know it ain’t my ministry to sacrifice myself the way they sacrifice for their people.”

Aria’s perspective enlightened Bella in a new way. “I guess I never thought of it like that.”

“I’m not saying the way you think is wrong, just giving you a different viewpoint,” Aria stated.

“Thanks, Aria,” Bella said.

“Thanks for what?” Aria asked.

“For not treating me like a kid,” Bella stated. “Sometimes they just don’t hear me. I’m not a little girl anymore.”

Aria took in Bella’s appearance out of the side of her eye. She was a melanin princess, literally a sun-kissed goddess, pretty enough to put in print, and at the age where the chase of adulthood was more appealing than the innocence of childhood. How quickly the transition from pre-teen to young womanhood was happening. She seemed to be blossoming overnight. Bella was a true flower, planted in rich soil, requiring both sun and rain. Ethic’s baby girl was in full bloom.

“When you feel like people aren’t hearing you, shout; nobody misses the message when a well-kept woman gets loud. I know your daddy paid big money to bring you up all proper and demure, but sometimes people only respect you when you roar. You start asserting your voice, and watch how everyone take pause.”

Chapter 20

“Love Me When It’s Hard” by Inga Rose

Mommy, is La La okay?” Messari asked.

“She’s not the same, Ssari,” Eazy answered as he watched Morgan pack an overnight bag.

She paused, recognizing the sadness in Eazy. It reminded her of the sadness she felt when she had lost her mother. She focused on Eazy. “She’s just trying to find herself, Eazy. We got to give her time and love. Alani has lost a lot. It takes some time to find yourself again after going through so much.”

“What if she leaves? What if she divorces Daddy?” Eazy asked.

Morgan scoffed. “One thing that you don’t have to worry about is Alani ever falling out of love with Ethic. People who fight like that love one another, Eazy. There are no slamming doors, no pushing, or hands laid. No name-calling. If you notice, Ethic never even raises his voice. Alani is an emotional woman who is hurting, and she has no way to let it out besides her tears. Ethic listens. He doesn’t match her fear or get frustrated. He doesn’t even tell her to calm down. He lets her feel whatever she needs to, and then he loves her through it. That is two people who will make it no matter what. They love each other. They always have. They always will. And even when Ethic is on her shit list, she has always chosen you and Bella. You don’t have to worry. Okay?”

“Yeah, I guess,” Eazy replied, unsurely.

“Hey! What about me? La La loves me too!” Messari butted in.

“Of course, she does, baby,” Morgan said, picking him up from his chair. “How could she not? Hmm?” Morgan blew raspberries against Messari’s neck and tickled him gently as he wiggled and screamed bloody murder in her arms. Morgan reveled in the sound of his glee. His laughs were so little, and Morgan wished she could bottle them up and take them with her. She carried Messari over to Eazy and poked at Eazy’s ribs. “You not too old to get it too,” she teased. Eazy tried to keep his cool, but eventually he laughed too, wiggling out of his chair.

“You play too much, Mo!” Eazy said, but her mission was accomplished. He was a little annoyed, but the smile that she had always loved appeared. Messari started to tickle Morgan’s neck.

“Let’s get her, Eazy! Come on! Tickle, tickle, tickle!” Messari was gleeful, and Morgan squirmed playfully as Eazy joined in.

She put Messari down and took off running through Ethic’s mansion, landing in the living room. She leaped over the couch and grabbed one of the pillows.

“Pillow fight!” Eazy declared war as he grabbed a pillow and went to town on Morgan. Morgan hadn’t done this in years. She remembered Ethic used to wake them up on Saturday mornings, declaring pillow wars, and they would run around for an hour as a family, just goofing off.

No matter how heavy or hard their week would be, Morgan, Eazy, and Bella knew that Saturday mornings would be light.

Messari got serious when Eazy hit him with a pillow, surprising him with the blow.

“Hey! No fair! You is on my team!”

“Boy, shut up!” Morgan teased as she hit Messari, too. “Hey!”

Morgan saw his eyes go heavy, and she laughed as she shook her head. “Messari, quit crying, boy, and fight back!”

“No, because you’re cheating!”