Page 9 of Curvy Girl Summer

“There you two are,” my mom said in a singsong tone. “I found them, Liz!” She turned back to us. “Glad to see you two getting along.”

“Mrs. James,” Marcus said politely. “You have an amazing daughter.” Looking and then signaling down the hall, he gave my mom another smile. “If you could let my mother know I’ll be waiting for her in the car, I would greatly appreciate it.”

My mother looked absolutely stunned. “Oh, what? You’re not staying? I thought… I think your mom thinks something different. Um, I’ll get her.”

She took off running down the hall.

Marcus turned to me. “It was nice to meet you, Aaliyah.”

“It was nice to meet you as well.”

“Maybe next time…” He let the sentence trail off.

I smirked. “Maybe.”

By the time my mom had returned with Liz, Marcus was already gone. Liz ran out the door to her son, and my mom gave me a look.

“What?” I replied in an exasperated whisper.

“Everyone, come quick!” one of my cousins yelled, causing a stampede into the backyard.

She shook her head before taking off toward the commotion. I made my way outside last.

Two hours later, I was fully stuffed from grilled meats and vegetables, delicious sides, and mouthwatering desserts. I’d come in to get away from the nosiness and constant nitpicking of my life. It never failed to happen at an event celebrating Aniyah. But I was genuinely surprised by how I always became the hot topic.

Staring at the beautiful picture of my older sister, I reflected over the last six months of my life. I knew what I wanted. I knew what I deserved. I knew the path I was on was the right one. But a few hours at my parents’ house with my dusty uncle and nosy aunts always managed to turn my life into a competition with my sister’s.

I was never going to be Aniyah. I never wanted to be Aniyah. And the only person in my family who ever fully encouraged that was Aniyah.

I missed her.

I missed our chats.

I missed our days on the water.

Seeing pictures of Aniyah always put me in a reflective mood, but seeing the picture of her on the yacht affected me differently.

“This one was always my favorite,” my grandmother said, startling me.

“Nana!” I gasped, putting my hand to my chest. “You scared me.”

She was catlike. Her petite frame made her light on her feet. I’d been in the living room alone for almost fifteen minutes and hadn’t heard her come in.

“What are you scared for, doll baby?” she teased, standing beside me. “You know that means you ain’t living right?”

I twisted my lips into a smile and lifted my shoulders. “I mean…”

She playfully swatted at my arm. “Aaliyah!”

“I’m kidding, I’m kidding.” With a sigh, I shifted my focus back to the large portrait I’d been staring at since I’d arrived. “This was my favorite, too.”

“She loved that boat. You both did. I don’t know how y’all could stand being in all that water.” She shook her head. “But ever since you were little, you loved it.”

My grandmother got seasick easily and never learned to swim. Needless to say, she was not a fan of boats. My mom didn’t swim, but she wanted her daughters to be comfortable with water. So, we had swim lessons, and we spent a lot of time on Uncle Al’s yacht.

“Remember when she wanted to get married on that thing?” Nana recalled, her eyes twinkling.

My lips spread into a smile. “You and Mom shut that down quickly.”

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