Page 34 of The Price of My Sins

After a long moment, I leaned back and looked her up and down. “We gon’ talk about this outfit later,” I said, my face holding a frown.

She laughed through her tears, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. “Well, my daughter-in-law said I needed to make a statement.” She pursed her lips, and I chuckled because I could hear Olivia saying some shit like that.

“Yeah? Well, I’ll definitely be having a conversation with O. My mama ain’t going to be out here looking like a hoochie mama.”

“Hoochie mama? Boy, your mama is still fine as wine.” She smacked my chest lightly and smiled a real smile which I hadn’t seen in a few years.

“Come on, woman,” I said after a moment, my voice thick. “Let’s get you outta here.”

We walked to the back lot in silence, her steps slow, like she didn’t want to believe the ground under her feet was not the concrete behind the gate and within the walls she called home over the last twenty years. I popped the locks on the sleek and clean white Benz parked by the curb, shining in the morning sun like it knew it had a job to do today.

Her eyes widened a little before she stopped. “Okay, son! I see you. I love it! Mama is about to ride out in style!”

I opened the passenger door for her, giving her a soft smile. “I’m glad you like it. This one’s yours.”

She blinked at me like she didn’t hear right. “Stop playing!”

“Nope. I know you can’t drive until you get your license, but this is your “welcome home” gift.”

“Aww! Boris, thank you, baby.” She gave me a hug. “I can’t wait to drive this baby! I would drive it now, but I ain’t trying to get caught riding dirty on the same day I get out,” she said in a cackle, climbing into the passenger seat and running her hand over the leather as if she was touching something sacred.

I closed the door gently behind her and walked around to the driver’s side. When I got in, she was still looking around at the dashboard and trim, the fresh scent filling the cabin.

“I don’t even know how to act,” she said softly, a small laugh breaking through.

“You ain’t gotta act,” I told her, starting the engine. “Just breathe.”

She exhaled deep and shaky. I know it’s going to be a huge adjustment for my mother, but I will be here every step of the way to help her.

As I pulled off from the cold prison behind us, her hand reached across the console and rested lightly on my arm. “Thankyou, son. I don’t know how you did it, but thank you for getting me out of there.” Her voice croaked.

“You don’t gotta thank me,” I said, eyes on the road. “We are just getting started.”

She looked out the window as we drove the lone road, her eyes moving over the passing streets like she was trying to memorize the world again.

“Are you nervous?” I asked, keeping my tone light.

She nodded but didn’t look at me. “A little. I don’t know who I am out here anymore. I’m not the woman I was when I went in… and I’m not sure who people expect me to be now.”

I thought about that, then said, “They don’t get to decide—you do. It’s going to take some time, but just take your time. Move on your own pace.”

She looked over at me, quiet for a beat. Then, she smiled. “You sound like your grandmother.”

“Yeah, well… that woman raised a tribe,” I said. “Including me. We are pulling up on her now.”

Her eyes widened. “Wait, what? Boris? Who’s house is this? And who do all these cars belong to?” she questioned, looking a bit uneasy.

I smirked. “It’s your welcome home party. Nothing big. Just family. You know Grandma… as soon as I told her about you getting released early, she pulled out the grill.”

Her hand covered her mouth. “Boris… I don’t think I’m ready?—”

“Yes, you are. It’s just immediate family. If you start feeling overwhelmed, just let me know, and I’ll get you outta there.”

“Okay,” she whispered.

As I parked, Grandma came waddling out the front door with her hands on her hips and a dish towel slung over her shoulder. I got out first and came around to her side, opening the door.My mother stepped out slowly, heels clicking on the pavement again, but this time with a little more pride in each step.

The second Grandma saw her, she froze. Then she moved fast for a seventy-something-year-old woman and wrapped my mother in a hug so tight it looked like she was trying to fold twenty years into one moment.

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