Page 5 of The Family Man

“I answer honestly.” Anise shrugs as she continues to eat. “At least I said the truth. I could have said fucking. I didn’t.”

Rosemary plays with her napkin, her gaze far away. “I want someone, who wants to talk to me, who sees me and wants me to be a part of their life.”

We all get silent because we know her pain, we witnessed it. We understood. Divorce is a bitch.

“With a side of well-veined dick! Don’t lie.” Anise breaks the somber mood.

“Yes, with a side of dick!” Rosemary gives up when it comes to Anise. We all burst out laughing.

What did I want? Hmm. “I want to just be in a solid relationship. I wanna lay on my man’s chest and listen to his heartbeat.”

The table gets silent again, all my sisters’ eyes are on me.

“What?” I ask, feeling a coy smile spread across my face.

They shake their heads simultaneously. “What?”

“You are just so, ugh! And boring,” Anise replies with a grimace on her face.

“Shut up brat! What about you Cassy?” I ask.

Cassia looks around at us. “I don’t know,” she says shyly as she pushes around the food on her plate.

“Lies, come on, Cassy. We won’t judge,” Anise prompts her as she gets up and starts pouring more drinks.

“Speak up and say it in your chest Cassy.” Rosemary; always the mom. Cassy can be shy, but she is not more reserved than Rosy or me.

She takes her locs and throws them over her shoulders, squeezing her eyes shut as she clenches her fists. “I want someone to blow my back out!”

Anise raises hand with the glass of wine and runs to the other end of the island to toast Cassy. “That a girl.”

“I want him to grab my locs and make me remember that they’re mine and not store bought.” Cassy raises from her barstool slowly.

Anise puts her glass down and starts jumping like a grandma in church, with her hand high in the air. “Don’t hate store bought locs, but… Yes, Lord!”

“I want to scream his name till I have no voice. Hell he can choke me too.” Cassy taps the marble island.

“Amen sis speak it,” Anise whispers as she rocks her head. “Let the universe hear you!”

Rosemary giggles, taking a sip of her drink. “Sounds like you wanna date a serial killer I swear.”

I can’t hold back my laughter; I lean forward and clutch my stomach.

Ani shakes her head. “Don’t take them on. They are a pair of Debbie downers. I see you, girl.”

Then we hear it. The heavy smack of something.

Rosemary rests her drink down. “What the hell is that noise?”

I roll my eyes because I know it’s my neighbor. “It’s next door.”

Cassia stands up straighter and runs to the open kitchen window. “I can’t see what he is doing.”

Ani rushes to her side. “Is he screwing someone? That’s some heavy grunting.”

“I think he is working out in the back,” I reply, still sitting on the stool.

“Have you seen him yet?” Rosemary asks.

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