Page 5 of So I Know it's Real

Before I picked up my kids, I called the person I spoke to at least three times a day.

“Beautiful!” I sang into the line. “What are you doing?”

“Minding my business with my man.” My mom snickered. “What do you want, little girl?”

“Hmm...A small favor.”

“We’re not babysitting your rugrats.”

I groaned, hearing my daddy’s voice in the background.

“Don’t listen to him, Clover. If that’s what you need, it’s no problem. Where are you and Karlie going tonight?”

“When did my life become reduced to going out with one friend?”

“Well, you’re always at work, and you can’t date a ghost. That should answer your question.”

“Just like you’ll never date Taraji P. Henson. Now, leave my baby alone,” my mom spat on my behalf.

A giggle rocked my throat, listening to them go back and forth. “Daddy, stop talking about me like I’m a lonely cat lady. I’m dating someone.”

“Yeah, you mentioned that, but I haven’t met him, so he doesn’t exist. I don’t have faith I will. Every time you say you’ve met someone, you cut the man off for blinking wrong. I’m not mad at you. These fools ain’t worth the quick nut.”

“Daddy!” I shrieked.

My daddy’s humor and my mom’s soft heart guided me through grief after I lost my kids’ father. People I had known for years became exhausted with my sadness, and my family’sjust checking on youcalls became non-existent about a month after Calvin’s funeral.

“Clover, you know your daddy doesn’t have any sense. Bring the boys over when you’re ready, and make sure they pack some church clothes. We’ll be at Three Oaks early Sunday morning.”

“Sounds good. I’m going to make Kya come over too. After the call I got from her school earlier this week, she is not staying home by herself.”

My mom freed a heavy exhale. “I swear, she finds anything to get into nowadays. I know growing up without her mama is hard, but I thought moving in with you would help. Truth is, she loves the streets just like Casey.”

“Mama, some people gravitate to darkness as easily as others drift to light. Right now, all we can do is remind Kya we’re in her corner. Speaking from experience, I know that’ll help her stay afloat.”

For the third time,I scrunched up my nose and growled at what I saw in my full-length mirror. Don’t get me wrong, I was proud of my curves and knew how to style clothes around my problem areas. Still, there were days it seemed like nothing fit right, which I think was a problem for women of all sizes.

“Mama! Are you all right? Why are you growling?”

I peered over my shoulder at Pierce. “I didn’t mean to scare you, baby. I’m just having a hard time finding something to wear.”

“I thought we were going to Papa and Granny’s house?” Tatum, the more forward twin, asked while stomping into the room. “I’m ready to go.”

“Don’t rush me, boy. I’m trying to find something cute but comfortable.”

“Nothing hoochie,” he replied before jumping onto my bed.

“Tatum, what do you know about something beinghoochie?”

“Granny said the ladies at church dress hoochie when they’re looking for a man.”

I pinned the fifth grader with a stern stare. “How about you stay out of grown folks’ business, and make sure you have all your stuff packed? You’re spending the night, and whatever you forget, you just won’t have.”

“That means we have to go to church!”

“Yep, so grab dress shoes, too. Pierce, you can go with him.”

My curly-haired kid could complain all he wanted, but hearing the word of God would be good for him. Despite people’s conflicting views on religion, I couldn’t dismiss the joy I received when the pastor delivered a soul-shaking sermon. Thanks to myschedule, I hadn’t attended an in-person service for months, but I watched the livestream faithfully.

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