Page 19 of Still Made For You

“Naw, Jett knows better. Cause whenever I open my wallet for you, I’m going to send him a request for reimbursement. He signed up to be with your crazy tail, so I’m no longer footing the bill. Now when y’all get married, that’s something different. Daddy already had money set aside for that.”

“Messiah, you can pump fake all you want to, but we all know the truth.

Didn’t you just buy me a new travel set for my business last week? I never even got the chance to ask my man because as soon as I mentioned to you, it was delivered to my door the next day. Don’t try to act all hard now.” Serenity revealed. Messiah grinned because he already knew what it was. We did not play with our sisters, no matter what it was.

“Damn right, I did. You said you needed it, so I made sure you had it. Don’t worry, though, because I’m still sending my homie the request for my bread. Think I’m playing. He wanted you so bad, so he’s going to have to come up off the money.”

“Lies. It’s okay, brother, I know you love me.” Serenity stuck her tongue out.

“Always and forever. I’ll always do whatever I can for your little bald-headed ass.”

“Ya, mama!”

“Hey! I’m your mama too, little girl!” Auntie Elantra shouted. She rarely came to family dinners over the years, but I was happy to see her make an appearance. Regardless of whether or not she’d moved on, she’d always be a Graham. Plus, Big Moe was a solid dude. He made her happy, but he also looked out for my cousin over the years as his bodyguard.

“My bad momma. I guess you have a little bit of hair.” Ren snickered while Auntie gave her the side eye. While everyone talked and laughed, I sat back, observing. These were the moments I’d cherish forever because who knew if we’d ever be able to do this again. Life had a way of throwing curveballs you never saw coming, so I didn’t want to miss a single moment with the people I loved most.

My father was laughing and enjoying himself. I watched him closely to see if he appeared to be in any pain, knowing he wouldn’t offer this information on his own. I had plans to talk to him later, but for now, I’d enjoy the blessings in front of me. This year has been rough on him physically, so to see him out and about meant the world to me. My father was far from perfect, but he was still a good man. He taught me how to be everything he wasn’t, and I’ll never forget his many lessons.

“What are you over here thinking deeply about?” River came over, resting her head on my shoulder. I kissed the top of her head before focusing back on the scene in front of me.

“I’m just grateful, that’s all. Our brother is finally free, and the family is together again. Everything is as it should be,” I replied.

“Yeah, I thought this day would never come, so I’m happy to see it come to fruition. Now, both of my brothers are home where they should be. Hopefully, y’all will give me some nieces and nephews soon.” River wore a big, goofy grin on her face.

“I’ll see what I can do.” Truthfully, I wasn’t sure when children would come into the picture for me, but I prayed it would happen before I turned forty.

“I can wait as long as it’s not with Sidra.” River rolled her eyes.

“Don’t you start with your mess. Sidra has done nothing to you. You dislike her for something she can’t control.”

“Naw, I dislike her because her butt doesn’t match her thighs. She lies for no reason, and my good sis, Saya, would never!” I groaned hearing her name, although I knew this was coming.

“Yeah, well, your good sis is no longer a factor in my life, so you might as well hang it up.”

“I don’t believe those lies for one second. Y’all had that forever type of love, and I know in my heart you’re going to find your way back to one another.” I still don’t understand where this undying loyalty came from, but I knew better than to argue with my sisters. They were convinced Saya, and I, were going to have this great love story, and there wasn’t a thing I could do to convince them otherwise.

“Yeah, whatever. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.”

“Are you going to go find her? I overheard you talking to the fellas about it a while back,” River probed, staring at me with hopeful eyes.

“Don’t get your hopes up. I’m not looking for her because I’m trying to reconnect or anything. There are some things I need to know, and she’s the only person who can give me the answers I need. Nothing more, nothing less.” My sister sucked her teeth, letting me know she was displeased with my answer.

“You can put on a front for everyone else, but I know you. I remember how happy you were when the two of you were together and how proud you were to have her on your arm. I don’t know why she left, but I feel it in my soul; this isn’t the end. The chapters to your love story are just beginning.” Her declaration caused chills to go up my arm, but I tried to remain unbothered.

“You just aren’t going to give up, are you?”

“No, I’m not. Sidra is nothing more than a placeholder until you get your woman back. I almost feel bad for her, but her face is so stiff I’m sure she can’t even form actual tears.” I accidentally chuckled at her last remark. Everybody always made fun of Sidra for getting Botox. Personally, I wasn’t the type to shame somebody for wanting to enhance their looks. Plastic surgery had been a popular trend for years. The way I saw it was, if it made you happy, who am I to judge? As long as the pussy still got wet, that was all I really needed.

Sidra was beautiful, and while I didn’t think she needed all of that extra shit, who was I to stop her? A lot of these women felt the need to try to keep up with the next one. Although I may not understand it, I never judged the next person. I had enough of my own issues to deal with to be worried about anyone else.

Sidra texted me a few times, but I told her I was spending time with my family. She wasn’t the type to nag a nigga, so I never felt pressured to explain too much to her. Once I responded, she told me to enjoy myself and to slide by her crib before I went home. I really wanted to go straight to the house, but I knew if I slid by, I’d at least end my night with my balls drained. After the day I’ve had I could use the release.

six

“Babygirl,I’mbeginningto think you have a problem. This is the third day this week, you’ve had me bring you these damn wings and fries.” Wisdom fussed playfully, handing the bag to me.

“Did you get my extra sauce on the side?” I asked, peeking into the back to see if the cups of sauce were in there.

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