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“I’m looking for her.”
“Well, she is asleep. She went down a few hours ago. You can come back in the morning when visiting hours start. Be here at eight.”
“Nah. That ain’t gon’ work for me and I’m not interested in visiting. I was hoping you could get her shit packed up and help me get her to my car. She’s coming home for a few days.”
I smacked the counter with every dollar in my pocket.
“There’s been a family emergency of some sort, huh?” she responded, mouth damn near touching her chest.
“Yeah. Something like that.”
* * *
The pacing that had gone on for the last five hours had me drifting in and out of my sleep. I was resting with one eye open, making sure Glacier’s grandmother didn’t get into anything that would harm her or send her into a worse episode than the one she was experiencing.
Her routine had been interrupted. She’d been uprooted from her home and brought to a strange place. As the clock ticked, I was beginning to wonder if it was a good idea to bring her out of her habitat and into unfamiliar territory. The turning of the locks at 7:43 a.m. sharp quickly pushed those thoughts aside. As much as I wanted to get up from the couch and greet Glacier at the door, I was too fucking tired.
“Baby! Makai. Where are you?” she shrieked, coming through the door. “My truck!”
I watched as she removed her shoes at the door, hardly paying attention to her surroundings. She hadn’t noticed me on the couch and nothing else around her. My Kiwi. I peered in her direction, watching her change into a pair of slippers.
Because I was so invested in fulfilling the void missing her grandmother made, I’d completely forgotten about the task I’d completed before shooting her a text last night. Her whip had arrived in mint condition. Instead of having it delivered to Pops’, I’d had it dropped off at the shop so that I could give it a full inspection before signing the paperwork.
“Baby, you go—”
She finally turned around, finding me on the couch. Her grandmother’s pacing was halted as she noticed the familiar face.
“Icy? Is that you, my baby?”
“Granny?”
The two traveled the distance to erase the space between them, meeting in the middle of the living room. Loud, uncontrollable sobs emerged from the spot where they stood, fisting my heart and fucking up my head.
“Where’s that daddy of yours? He said he was on his way to see me. I haven’t heard from that boy since. He ain’t answering my calls. Can you see if you can reach him for me? I need my candy. He told me he would bring me that candy I like.”
Tearful and filled to the brim with emotions, Glacier took her grandmother by the hand. “He is away on business, Granny. He and my mother send you their love. Come here. He dropped this off with me before they left because he knew you’d be expecting it.”
She pulled open the first drawer of the island. Tears fell from her face, onto the floor. I watched her crumble as I watched her grandmother’s eyes glisten.
“Icy! All this for me?”
“No, old lady. You can’t have all of this. It’s not good for you. You’ll have your sugar way too high.”
“You’re right. Can I at least have one?”
“Yes. Of course. I’ll have one, too.”
I observed as they both grabbed a piece of the yellow butterscotch candy that Glacier kept floating around somewhere. It all made sense now. They were her granny’s favorite. Our eyes locked.
“I love you,” I mouthed.
“Thank you,” she mouthed, tilting her head to the side as more tears fell.
“You so ugly,” I whispered, bringing a smile to her face.
TEN
Glacier’s spot had become home for me. Over the last four months, I’d been at her condo more than I was at my house. I was in her bed more than I was my own. Wherever Mommas was, that was where I wanted to be. On at least two of her days off, we ventured to my crib but always ended up right back at hers.
