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I chuckled. “Okay. Talk to you later.”
I ended the call, and just as I was about to set my phone down, I received a text from Joel. Thanks, Kee. You don’t owe me an apology. I deserved that shit. I’m glad you’re doing okay physically. I’m understanding that depression shit a lot more these days. You looked beautiful as always, baby. I miss you so fucking much.
A slight smile graced my lips. That nigga was in love for sure. My hair was all over the place, and I had on leggings, fuzzy socks, and a shirt that was way too big… his T-shirt. I looked back at my phone, debating if I would respond. I didn’t want to give him hope. I would much rather talk to him in person. I simply responded, thank you, Joel.
I wanted to lie in his arms and be enveloped by his love for me. I missed him so much, but I would wait until Thursday to reveal that. As I searched for flights, Sasha sent a text. I opened it to see a copy of Joel’s itinerary. I had to assume that he’d sent it to Jungle because he would probably be dropping him off and picking him up. I thanked her then purchased a ticket that would have me landing in Tallahassee by five Thursday morning.
I would arrive before him and leave at the same time as he did… same flight. The nigga was flying first class, and the seat next to him was empty, thank God. I didn’t want to pay for that fucking ticket though. Shit! I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. My soul felt good. I knew I was doing the right thing, and that was refreshing.
“Keke! Hey!”
My mama hugged me tightly, and, surprisingly, I hugged her back. I missed her more than I even realized. When she released me, she invited Sasha, Corben, and me inside. “Are y’all hungry? I just finished cooking.”
“What’s up, y’all?”
I looked up to see my mom’s husband, Ghost. I gave him a slight smile and said, “Hey.”
He kissed her head and said, “I’ll be back. I gotta meet with them niggas about that shit I told you about.”
“Okay.”
When he left, she smiled and led us to the kitchen. “I cooked a pork roast.”
“It smells good,” I said softly.
“So umm… do you wanna talk now or after we eat?”
“After,” Sasha and I said simultaneously.
We chuckled as Corben ran to the back room. He had his own room here, so I was pretty sure he was going to get a toy or play his video game. My mama set a plate of rice and gravy, roast, potato salad, and green beans in front of me. At that point, I damn near lost my hearing. My mind was totally focused on that food. I wouldn’t hear a band if they marched right through here.
My mama chuckled as she set Sasha’s plate down. “The more y’all change, the more you stay the same. Mesmerized by food.”
Sasha waved dismissively and said, “Correction… good food. Now come on here so we can eat.”
My phone chimed as we waited for my mama, and I saw a text from Joel. Hey, Kee. I hope you feeling okay today. I love you.
I closed my eyes as I breathed deeply. I responded before my mama could join us at the table. Hey. I’m good. Thanks.
He was trying, and I could appreciate that. That three o’clock flight was going to come early, so we definitely needed to get this conversation popping. I was already packed, but it was already five, and I had to be at the airport by one for the two-hour flight. The good thing about the time would be that the airport wouldn’t be as crowded. It was convenient for Sasha and Yunique as well.
Sasha didn’t usually go to bed until around one or two in the morning since she didn’t typically go into the office until ten. She said she couldn’t wait until everything was in full operation with Patterson Realty. She would be leaving Corben with Mama tonight. Yunique had to be to work by nine. That left more than enough time to pick me up and get back to her place before she even had to begin getting dressed.
Mama called Corben to the kitchen then sat across from us with her food. The meal was somewhat quiet. Mama made conversation with Corben mostly. I knew she could feel the tension in the room, and the closer we got to finishing our meals, the more tense it became. I was afraid that this talk would only piss me off more than the lie had.
When we were done and Corben had retreated to the back room, Mama stared at the two of us. I called Yunique, and she answered on the first ring. “Hey, y’all.”
“Hey, Nique,” we all said.
Things became quiet once again as my mama fidgeted with her nails. “I owe the three of you the truth.” She took a deep breath as tears fell down her face. “I knew what Mo was doing.”
That admission didn’t surprise me because I felt like she did all along. I wanted to know why she didn’t say anything. I began bouncing my leg, anxious for her to just get to what I needed to know. Sasha brought her hand to her mouth, covering it in shock.
“I walked in on him and asked what the fuck he was doing to my baby. He gave me a cynical stare and pulled out his gun. Told me if I said a word, he would take out the entire family. His cousin lived next door and would alert him if something was going on. My attention stayed on you. You were crying… screaming. I begged him to see to you. He allowed me to, but his gun stayed trained on me. Your dad had gone to the store, and I was wishing that he would see just how dirty Mo was. I was terrified. I couldn’t risk all of us getting killed. Had he only threatened to kill me, I would have sung like a canary.”
She took a deep breath before continuing. The tears were falling down my cheeks, and I could hear Yunique sniffling. Sasha’s eyes were closed, and she had her head lowered. “It went on for a couple of months before Yunique walked in on it. I’m so sorry, Kee. God, I’m sorry.”
No one said a word. The only consolation I had in this moment was that Mo was dead. Vegas had taken him right out of here without an ounce of hesitation, simply because I wanted it to happen. “Why did Daddy and Mo fall out?”
