𝐅𝐀𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐘
Sienna tossed her long hair over her shoulder. "Sienna, you attend a runway show every weekend," I said, shaking my head.
"True." Sawyor chimed in.
"Oh, I know, you guys have no idea how bad this is!" Sienna said, running her hands through her hair, clearly stressed.
"Sienna, it won't be that bad," Sawyor reassured her, but I could see the worry etched on her face.
"Sienna, I don't understand why you don't want to see your parents. I mean, it's been what? Two years?" I asked, genuinely confused.
With a heavy sigh, Sienna replied, "The last time I saw my mom and dad, they ridiculed me for starting my own clothing line. In their words, it would 'crumble before it even gets going' because I wasn't smart enough to know how to manage it."
I frowned at her words. It was heartbreaking how unsupportive Mr. and Mrs. McCoy had been of Sienna's dreams. She had been pursuing psychology in college, but when she transferred her sophomore year to study business at some high-tech university in Florida, it felt like her parents only compared her to Sawyor and his success.
It broke my heart seeing her feel like she was never good enough.
"Sienna, you're the CEO of one of the biggest clothing lines in Texas. I promise there's nothing they can say that should make you feel any less proud of yourself," I said, hoping to lift her spirits.
She looked at me, her eyes softening. "You think so?"
"Of course I do," I replied, smiling back at her.
"Oh, I love you," she pouted, as she was wrapping her arms around me in a tight hug.
"I love you too," I said, squeezing her back. We then heard truck engines revving outside, and Sienna and I exchanged a glance before saying, "They're here," in unison.
We rushed over to the window and saw everyone pulling up—my parents, the McCoys, Jonah, and both Akhilles and Wyatt's families all arriving at the same time.
"Why the fuck are they all arriving at the same time?" Sienna asked.
"I have no idea," I replied.
Sienna stood up, smoothing her dress. "Do I look good? Is this too inappropriate to be worn around my parents?"
I looked her up and down, then placed her perfect blonde hair over her shoulders. "Pretty as you'll ever be," I reassured her.
Just then, the doorbell rang. We exchanged nervous glances and walked over to open it, revealing my parents standing there first, holding a homemade dish in their hands.
"Hey, Mama, hey Dad!" I greeted them, stepping aside to let them in.
They embraced Sienna, Sawyor, and me before my parents walked deeper into the house. Next came Sienna's parents, Stefan and Jacqueline McCoy.
"Hi, Mr. and Mrs. McCoy, it's been a long time coming," I said as they entered.
They hugged me and Sawyor, then stopped in front of Sienna. "Hey, baby girl... it's been a while," her dad said, and she rolled her eyes.
"Right," she muttered, accepting their hugs before they moved on.
Then came Ms. Heidi and Wiley, with both Akhilles and Wyatt behind them. I leaned in to give Ms. Heidi a kiss on the cheek and hugged Wiley. "It's so nice to see you again."
"You have a lovely home, Milia, and I brought a pecan pie," Ms. Heidi replied with a warm smile.
I smiled at her gesture, then turned to Wyatt. "Hey, baby," I said softly.
"Hey, sweet pea," he said, leaning in to kiss me.
Akhilles stepped up, "Milia, this is my dad and sister, Alan and A'Zara. My mom couldn't make it."
I shook their hands enthusiastically. "It's so nice to meet you!"
A'Zara crossed her arms, eyeing Wyatt. "I never thought I'd live to see the day when Buckie dates a black girl."
Wyatt plucked her head gently. "Shut up," he replied.
A'Zara shoved him playfully, and then I heard someone clear their throat. I turned to see my mom and dad standing there, arms crossed, clearly trying to assess the situation.
I held Wyatt's hand tighter as I stepped closer to my parents. "Mama, Daddy... this is Wyatt Buckley, my boyfriend."
"Oh hello there, it is so nice to meet you, Wyatt," my mom said, her voice warm. She stepped forward and hugged him tightly before pulling away. I looked up seeing a terrified look on Wyatt's face, his eyes wide as he said, "H-hi Mr. Zorell, it's a pleasure to meet ya."
My dad stared at Wyatt for a moment, his expression serious as if he were trying to figure him out. "Do you love my daughter?" He then asked, sizing Wyatt up.
Wyatt nodded frantically. "Yes! Yes, I do!"
"Enough to never hurt her?" my dad pressed, his voice low but firm.
"I would never hurt her, sir, I swear it!" Wyatt exclaimed, his voice high pitched with fear.
I couldn't help but roll my eyes. "Alright, Dad, that's enough. You're scaring him."
My dad broke into a big smile and clapped Wyatt on the shoulder. "I'm just messin' with him, Milia! Welcome to the family, Wyatt."
Wyatt laughed nervously, relief washing over his face as he shook my father's hand. "Oh! Mr. and Mrs. Zorell, this is my grandmother and her husband, Heidi and Wiley," he said, gesturing toward them.
The two families introduced themselves, and everything felt momentarily calm. But just then, the doorbell rang again, and I shot a questioning glance at my parents.
"Are we expecting someone else?" I asked.
"Oh yeah, I invited Sienna and Sawyor's older sister," Mr. McCoy replied casually.
Sienna, Sawyor, and I exchanged looks of dread. Sienna's half-sister, Sophia McCoy, was the one person I truly didn't want to see today. She had always made me feel uncomfortable with her racist jokes and homophobic remarks towards Sawyor, and I could tell they both felt the same way about her.
When Sophia opened the door, she strutted in with a smirk plastered across her face. "Hello everybody," she greeted, and the room fell silent except for the murmurs of my family trying to be polite.
Sienna clung onto Akhilles tightly, as Sophia made her way over, "Hey little sis," she said sweetly, but we all knew it was fake.
"Bitch, get out of my face," Sienna shot back, her voice low and irritated.
Sophia laughed mockingly. "Awe, I missed you too." Then her eyes landed on Akhilles. "Hm, I never took you as one to like the meat of a black."
Before I could even react, A'Zara stepped forward, fists clenched. "Who's she callin' a black?" she asked, glaring at Sophia.
Akhilles grabbed A'Zara's arm, pulling her back, trying to keep the peace. I couldn't help but jump in. "Sophia! What a lovely surprise for you to show your face somewhere you're not welcome."
Mr. McCoy attempted to intervene, "Okay everyone, be nice. Sophia is family."
"Yeah right," I scoffed, crossing my arms.
Sophia's gaze fell on Wyatt, and she smiled, "Are you a pretty thing."
I felt my jealousy kicking in, and I immediately grabbed onto Wyatt's arm. "He's mine, bitch," I shot back, my voice laced with possessiveness.
"How about we eat?" My mom chimed in, trying to keep the peace.
I rolled my eyes as we all moved over to the table, trying to put on our best faces. As we sat down, I could feel Sophia's eyes burning into the side of Wyatt's face and I could only hope that I wouldn't have to slap this bitch before the day is over.
??°
"So, Milia, what's it like working with Sawyor down at the hospital?" Mrs. McCoy asked turning to me.
I smiled back, thinking of the chaos that filled our days at the hospital. "Oh, working with Sawyor is pretty fun. There's never a dull day with him."
I glanced at Sawyor, and he grinned back at me. Mrs. McCoy caught the exchange and sighed softly, "Isn't that lovely?" Mrs. McCoy then turned her attention to Jonah and Akhilles, shifting the conversation. "Akhilles, Jonah, what is it that you two do for work?"
Jonah straightened up, placing his fork onto the table. "Well, I'm a firefighter."
Mrs. McCoy nodded, her eyes widening a little. "Wow, that seems rather adventurous... what made you decide to do that?"
Jonah's face softened as he spoke. "My father is a retired firefighter. I grew up watching him come home every day, talking about how he saved lives. I wanted to be just like him."
"Awe, that's so sweet," Mrs. McCoy said, her voice filled with admiration. Then she turned to Akhilles. "And you, Akhilles?"
Akhilles chuckled, leaning back in his chair. "Well, Miss, I'm a Criminal Defense Lawyer. I grew up likin' to argue, so that's why I picked that career path."
Mr. Diggs, let out a hearty laugh. "He's indeed not wrong."
We all laughed along, the atmosphere light and comfortable. Mrs. McCoy then clapped her hands together softly before turning to look at Sienna. "See, Sienna, these are good jobs! Jobs that are realistic to have."
Sienna laughed bitterly, leaning back in her chair. "Mom, there are plenty of people in this world who own their own clothing lines. For example, those jeans you're wearing are from Zara, aren't they?"
Mrs. McCoy looked down at her jeans, a bit caught off guard. "Yes, I believe they are."
Mrs. McCoy's smile grew wider. "Still, it doesn't seem like you will last long in the business industry. I mean, come on, Si, how much money do you make a year from this?"
Sienna's eyes narrowed slightly, her voice steady. "More than you and Dad make combined."
I choked on my wine, Sienna's comeback caught me off guard. I watched as Sophia smiled big and turned to Wyatt. "So, Wyatt, what is it that you do?"
Wyatt, sitting next to me, took a deep breath before answering, as if he was dreading to answer her question.
"Uh, well... I'm a farmer. I grow fruits and vegetables and sell them to local markets for profit.
I also work as a florist at my grandmother's shop, and I've recently become a retired bull rider. "
Sophia leaned in closer, her interest in Wyatt clear. "Wow, you are a man of many expertises."
I felt a twinge of jealousy flare up and clenched my fist under the table to keep my composure. Sophia wasn't done, though. "So, what h—"
I cut her off, my voice sharper than I intended. "Wow, Sophia, you ask an awful lot of questions. What is it that you do for work?"
Sophia raised an eyebrow, unbothered. "Well, I'm a flight attendant. I travel for work, obviously."
I couldn't help the sarcasm in my voice. "Isn't that adventurous?"
Sophia ignored me, turning back to Wyatt. "Yeah. Wyatt, do you like to travel?"
Wyatt glanced at me again before answering her, his voice careful. "Sure, I do."
Sophia leaned in even more, her smile coy. "I mean, if you ever want to travel, I could get you free tickets to wherever you want."
"I-"
Before I could say anything, Sienna jumped in, "Sophia, are you fucking dumb? You do know that Wyatt and Milia are dating, right?"
Sophia laughed bitterly, placing her wine glass back on the table. "Oh, please. He knows he could do better than that." Sophia replied, staring at me as if she was disgusted.
Was this bitch serious?
Her words hit me like a slap, but before I could respond, my mom, spoke up, her voice firm. "Hold on now, what you're not going to do is disrespect my baby girl like that."
Sophia raised her hands in surrender. "I mean no disrespect, Mrs. Zorell. I just believe that white people should date white people and black people should date black people."
The room fell silent, the tension growing. "Wait a minute now. We love Milia. We couldn't care less what color she is. If she makes our boy happy, then we're happy." Wiley chimed in, making me feel a bit better. "Thank you, Wiley." I thanked him, a warm smile on my face.
Sienna stood up so fast her chair screeched against the floor. "Sophia, I think it's time for you to leave."
Sophia laughed, leaning back in her chair. "Oh, honey, I'm not going anywhere. If you want me gone, you'll have to remove me."
Sienna stood there for a moment, the room so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Then she looked at me, and I knew that look anywhere. It was the look she got when she was ready to beat a bitch's ass.
I couldn't help but smile. "Get her, Si."
In a flash, Sienna jumped across the table, tackling Sophia out of her chair, knocking plates and drinks off the table. They fell to the ground as Sienna's fists went flying."Get off of me, you bitch!" Sophia yelled.
Sienna stood, grabbing a handful of Sophia's hair. "Come here, bitch."
She started dragging her toward the door, Mr. McCoy shouting, "Sienna, let go of your sister right now!"
But Sienna wasn't listening. She kicked Sophia in the face, her voice low and dangerous. "If you ever disrespect my boyfriend or my best friend's family again, I will do much worse than this. Someone get the door!" Sienna shouted.
"I'll get it!" A'Zara jumped up, rushing to open it.
Sienna threw Sophia out and slammed the door shut. A'Zara turned to Sienna, smiling. "Akhilles, I think you picked the perfect girl to be your girlfriend."
??°
I was standing at the sink, scrubbing away the last few dishes from dinner, my mind wandering back over the day's events.
Everyone had left, and the house had grown quiet, except for the sound of running water.
I sighed, wiping my hands on the towel draped over my shoulder.
Just as I reached for the last plate, I felt a pair of strong arms wrap around my waist from behind.
"Hey, Miss Milia."
I couldn't help but smile, my heart doing a little flip. I turned to see Wyatt standing there, his grin as wide as ever. "Hey, baby," I replied softly, leaning into him.
"How're you feelin'?" he asked, his eyes searching mine with that gentle concern he always had.
I shrugged, letting out a breath. "I mean... I'm okay. Sienna? Not so much. She's been on a rampage since her family left."
Wyatt shook his head, frowning slightly. "Yeah, Sophia seems like she's a handful."
I rolled my eyes, feeling a familiar irritation bubble up. "Yeah, that bitch has always been a handful. I never liked her."
He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm really sorry for talkin' back to her. I just didn't wanna come off as rude."
I reached out, resting a hand on his arm and offering him a small smile. "It's fine, Wyatt. No bitch could ever take my man, and I know that."
He chuckled, the sound warm and comforting. "So I'm stamped, huh?"
"Yep," I nodded firmly. "Maybe I should get my name tattooed on your forehead so these girls will know you're spoken for."
Wyatt laughed, his eyes twinkling. "Don't tempt me, Milia Amara Zorell."
I gasped, genuinely surprised. "No way, who told you my middle name?"
"Your mama," he said, grinning mischievously.
I smacked my lips, "What's yours?"
His face scrunched up in that way that always made me laugh, shaking his head. "Oh no, I'm not tellin' you that."
I pouted, giving him my best puppy dog eyes. "Please? It's only fair that I know yours!"
He stared at me for a moment before rolling his eyes dramatically. "Sterling."
I burst out laughing. "Wyatt Sterling Buckley?"
"Shut up," he muttered, but the corners of his mouth twitched.
"Okay, Sterling," I teased, grinning up at him.
"You wanna play?" He gave me a look, raising an eyebrow, and I threw my hands up in surrender.
"All right, all right, I'm sorry," I giggled.
He smiled, pulling me close again. "You wanna watch a movie?"
I nodded, my head resting on his chest. "Your pick?"
He nodded back, and I laced my fingers with his. "Let's go."