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“I like this spot, and I don't want to move because there are too many people in my damn house. They have only stopped coming over here in the last ten minutes.
I don’t get it Corey, these same relatives and family friends have already paid their condolences at the wake, before and after the church service, at the gravesite, and now again at the repass.
I am sick to death of hearing it all.
I get it, it's tragic, and everyone is sorry for my loss. Now go home.”
“They are just paying their respects to you, Azul.” Corey barely concealed his amused smile.
“Then you tell me why, the bigger the ‘respect’ and ‘condolences,’ the higher the plates are piled.
Aunt Laura keeps sneaking food into a container like she is some kind of drug smuggler. I don’t want these people here.”
“Trust me man, it shows. I also have a mission. I came to warn you.”
“Warn me?”
“Yea, the moms, all three of them are planning to spend the night.”
“Hell no!” Azul exclaimed a tad too loudly.
“Look over there, you see them plotting?” Jerking his head in their direction.
“Tell me what I need to do to stop that from happening? You got a plan, Corey?”
“Yeah, I got you.
One. Eat something.
Two. Leave this spot, do a tour of this room.
Three. Greet people and thank them for coming without rolling your eyes. That should do it.”
“On it, give me ten minutes.”
“Aight, Bro,” Corey said before slowly getting out of his seat and walking away.
As soon as Azul left his spot, he caught a glimpse of Amber’s auburn hair out of the corner of his eye. Taking steps towards her with the intent to kick her out, Azul stopped cold in his tracks when he felt the hand of his father-in-law, Fred, clamp down on his shoulder. Fred had rightly sensed he was about to cause a scene and stopped him firmly, stating, “This isn’t the time, son.”
Azul followed Corey’s plan to a tee and caught the relieved glances of the three moms. Time crawled by, but eventually, people started to leave and only his family, the Caldwells, and the Burtons remained.
With all the sincerity he could muster, Azul promised, “I will take better care of myself. I will make sure to eat and get some sleep.”
After everyone was finally out the door, Azul headed up the stairs, every step weighing him down like lead. His limbs wouldn’t allow him to proceed to the bedroom he shared with Crystal. Turning, he headed to the spare room.
On the bed curled into a ball fast asleep, there was Amber.Her folded jacket cradled and supported her head.
Rage built up, taking over his body. Why was Amber here? In the home that he built with Crystal. What gave her the right to sleep peacefully in his home?
In the end, he didn’t lash out. He calmly sat beside her on the bed. He shook her by the shoulders until she sat up.
This morning, Amber couldn’t find a black tank top, so she wore a sheer lace camisole, not meant to be worn outside the bedroom. Amber had settled on it because no one would see it. Except someone was seeing it. Her full mounds captured Azul’s gaze.
Amber had changed her hair from the bun she wore earlier to her signature ponytail to make herself more comfortable. She shook her head, and a few straightened strands came loose from her ponytail. He reached out and ran them through his fingertips, disappointed it wasn’t her natural texture of tight corkscrew curls. Azul focused on the colour of her hair instead.
“Even when you were little, it was this colour.” It was the first decent thing he had said to her since Crystal had called Amber back home to support her.
In the blink of an eye, he went from tenderly stroking the strands of her hair to grabbing her ponytail in a vice grip, wrapping her mane tightly around his hand.
