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Though this night hadn’t led to much more than a pleasant time, I didn’t regret a minute of it. I’d turned her frown upside down and it was the least I could do after all she’d gone through on my account. Her shell had softened. That was a start for me. For us. When the opportunity to be more than a listening ear presented itself, I’d gladly take it.
Jeremiah, the valet attendant, stood beside Nature’s door, allowing me to open it in order for her to get inside. Once she was settled, without haste, I circled the car and slid into the driver’s seat. The door was ajar, making the transition smooth.
“See you, Monday,” he shouted as I closed the door.
With the wind, we were gone, cruising the Berkeley streets with full bellies and jaws that ached from laughter. Every few seconds, I could feel Nature’s eyes on me.
“Clear your mind, Nay,” I advised, lowering the volume on the music right after.
“Nothing is there, really. Just thinking about how we’ve both grown into the people we once dreamed we could be.”
“And making this shit look easy when—”
“It isn’t.”
“Not at all.”
“How is everyone?” She changed the subject.
“Pops, I don’t have to tell you how that nigga is doing. You probably hear from him more than I do.”
“Stop it.”
“He still on my ass about fucking up with you,” I shared.
“Tell him it’s fine. Life goes on.”
Her words were like little daggers, piercing my heart. Finding it hard to recover quickly, I cracked my neck to release some of the tension that was building.
“How’s Malachi?” She continued in a somber tone that expressed her genuine concern for my brother’s well-being. Though distant, she wasn’t a stranger to his circumstances. It was her phone that I found myself texting when I needed a few words of reasoning as it related to the strain on the relationship my brother and I had.
“Malachi is better. Much better. Remarried. Just had a son. Back in the city.”
“Good. And Mercer was released. That reunion must’ve been precious.”
“Yeah. He’s home. Adjusting for him hasn’t been the easiest, but he’s home, nevertheless.”
“Makai?”
“Still foolish.”
Chuckling, she tossed her head back and exposed those perfect white teeth between her lips.
“He’s truly a wild card.”
“You never know what to expect with that nigga. Every time you think you know him, he shows you that nobody truly knows him. Not even him.”
“He wakes up and unboxes a new version of himself each day.”
“Every fucking day.” I laughed, realizing how true that was.
Our time together crept to an end as I pulled into her parents’ driveway. Before the wheels came to a halt, she was already saying her goodbyes.
“It’s been great, Milo. I promise not to let so much time pass before we do this again.”
“Happy birthday, Nature.”
“Thank you for dinner and thank you for the watch.”
