Chapter 15 #3
“I got this, baby, go back in the house.”
The girlfriend sucked her teeth, but she turned and walked back in the house.
“Don’t let your ego ruin your relationship with your daughter.
You want her to want to come visit you, negro, and at the very least, be home when she’s here.
Take the time off work so your daughter can get reacquainted with you —outside of the toxic bullshit you got going on with Ellie.
You did her wrong. You got some repairing to do.
Don’t just pick her up and think spending the night under your roof is enough! ” Sloan fussed.
Cairo’s nostrils flared, and he sighed as he glanced behind Sloan, avoiding her convicting stare.
“Brooklyn!” His voice boomed so loudly that Sloan felt her heart jump.
“Yeah, Daddy?” Brooklyn shouted back.
“Come here for a minute!” Cairo yelled.
Brooklyn appeared at the door moments later, and Sloan could see the instant relief fill her Goddaughter’s eyes when Brooklyn saw that she had come.
“You want to go back to your grandpa, Bishop’s, house and bring Christmas in with your mama? Or you want to stay here?”
“I want to go to Papa’s, please,” Brooklyn stated, eyes watering.
“Go get your things then,” Cairo stated.
Brooklyn practically ran for her bag, and Sloan sighed in relief. It had been easier than she expected it to be. She could see the hurt on Cairo.
“What are you thinking? With all this? The way you’ve handled Ellie?
And Tessa,” she whispered, lowering her tone.
“Cairo, I don’t like your ass, but come on.
Those girls don’t deserve this. Can you imagine how guilty Brooklyn feels even being here with you, knowing how her sister feels at home?
How her mom feels? You’re going to lose her too if you don’t get your shit together,” Sloan stated.
Brooklyn came back to the door, and Cairo moved aside so that his daughter could exit.
He pulled her phone from his jacket pocket.
He handed it to Brooklyn. “I’m sorry you couldn’t stay longer and that I had to work,” Cairo said, clearing his throat. “Call me on Christmas, okay?” There were tears trying to form in his eyes. He cleared his throat and avoided eye contact with Brooklyn.
“Okay, Daddy,” Brooklyn replied with a disappointed tone. She truly was a daddy’s girl, but she was beginning to see him through the lens of a teenage girl, not the little girl he remembered.
Brooklyn headed down the walkway, and Sloan gave Cairo one final piece of advice. “She’s the kid. You call her on Christmas. You come to her on Christmas and don’t come with gifts for one. Get your shit together.” And with that, she was gone.
When she got to the car, Brooklyn practically jumped over the passenger seat to hug her neck.
“Thank you, Auntie,” Brooklyn whispered.
“Did that bitch or her brother touch you?” Sloan asked.
Brooklyn shook her head. “No, ma’am.”
Sloan grabbed her niece’s chin and looked her in the eye. “Did he touch you?”
Brooklyn shook her head, and Sloan sighed. “Okay,”
She reversed out of the driveway, and then put the car in drive, and sped away from the house.
By the time Ellie returned her call, she was pulling onto Bishop’s street.
“Hey, girl, sorry. My phone was on Do Not Disturb,” Ellie explained. “I’m just now getting home, and bitch, I have to catch you up! You good?”
“I’m almost at your papa’s house; open the door,” Sloan said, answering the question.
“Oh!” Ellie exclaimed. “Okay, cool.”
Sloan’s heart stopped when she noticed Cassidy’s car sitting on the curb. “Fuck,” she whispered as a sudden nervousness crept into her chest.
She pulled into the driveway and turned off her car.
Before she and Brooklyn got out, she said, “I need you to take it a lot easier on your mom, Brook. I know you’re going through your own thing with your dad being gone, but so is she.
She loves you. Stop making all these bad decisions.
The smoking, the grades,” Sloan stated. “Now, I understand the boys because, baby, Auntie Sloan had them niggas lined up when I was your age,” Sloan gloated, snickering.
Brooklyn blushed and smiled widely. “But she can’t trust you with no little boy if you can’t show her that you make good decisions with other things.
You’re smarter than the choices you’ve been making,” Sloan said gently.
“And if you need help with something, or you feeling a way and you can’t talk to her, you know you can talk to me.
Or your auntie, Shy, or your auntie, Court.
We are your village. We will keep your secrets and help you through anything you feel like your mom won’t understand, baby girl.
We’ve been in your life since before you were thought of.
You were a name in a notebook when Ellie thought she would marry Greg Dawson in 8th grade,” Sloan laughed at the thought. “We are here for you.”
Brooklyn nodded and dropped a tear. “Can we maybe talk before we leave town, Auntie? Can I spend a night with you one of these days? You’re just always so busy.”
Sloan knew that her job got in the way of a lot. Brooklyn wasn’t lying. Maybe Sloan needed to be more available to her niece. “How about this? When you guys leave to go back home, I’ll come with you and stay through the New Year. I have more vacation time. I’ll spend New Year’s Eve with you guys.”
“Really?” Brooklyn perked up.
“Yeah, really. You can introduce me to your friends and show me around, and I’ll even show you how to check your vape and weed to make sure it ain’t laced,” Sloan said.
Brooklyn’s eyes widened as if she wanted to deny that she smoked at all.
“I’m not your mama. Can’t lie to me. I can see that you’re high just by looking at you.
I’m a doctor, Brook. But this shit is killing people out here.
It’s not the same as it used to be when me and your mom were experimenting.
You’re being stupid,” Sloan said. “And I want you alive. Of course, I’d prefer if you didn’t smoke at all, but I’m not naive enough to think you never will again.
So, yeah, I’m coming to town to get you together before something bad happens to you. ”
“I wish my mom was more like you. I can talk to you,” Brooklyn said.
“Your mom is so much better than me. Your mom is the best woman I know. So, respect my friend. If you give her a chance, she will be your very best friend, but you’re her daughter.
You’re her cub. You grew inside her body, Brooklyn.
That’s hard work. That’s the hardest work a woman ever has to do, and a mother is going to protect that work.
If you make her feel like she got to protect you from yourself, then you will never get the side of your mother that doesn’t have to worry.
You taking it easy on her makes her take it easier on you,” Sloan preached.
“I understand,” Brooklyn nodded.
“Okay, now let’s get in here,” Sloan said.
Sloan climbed from the car and walked behind her niece. They didn’t knock. They walked in because Sloan had been walking in unannounced her entire life. She was a fixture in the Whitlock home, so their doors were always open to her.
“Brook!” Tessa screamed at the top of her lungs as soon as she saw Brooklyn.
Brooklyn laughed as Tessa ran into her at full speed.
Ellie shot Sloan a confused look but opened her arms wide for her daughter. “Oh my god, baby, I didn’t know you were coming home. I’m so glad you’re back!” Ellie exclaimed.
Brooklyn hadn’t been too keen on hugging Ellie lately, so Ellie was shocked when Brooklyn wrapped her arms around her tightly.
“I’m glad I’m back too, Mommy,” Brooklyn said. “I’m sorry.” Brooklyn broke down on her apology, and Ellie’s eyes watered. She held her daughter, her own eyes misting as she looked over Brooklyn’s shoulders at Sloan.
“Thank you,” Ellie mouthed. She was unsure of what had occurred, but she recognized Sloan’s magic when she saw it. She felt it all in Brooklyn’s hug.
Papa was in the kitchen, and he stepped out to greet Sloan. “Hey, beautiful,” Papa greeted.
“Hey, Papa,” Sloan said, moving around Ellie to hug the old man.
“Are you okay?” Ellie asked Brooklyn. Brooklyn nodded.
Ellie looked to Sloan, who nodded in confirmation.
“She’s fine,” Sloan said. “We’ll talk later.”
Ellie nodded and released Brooklyn.
“Okay, get settled in, I guess,” Ellie said, grabbing her belt loops with her thumbs and then shrugging.
Brooklyn headed for the stairs, and Ellie called her name.
“Brook?”
“Yeah, Ma?” Brooklyn turned back.
“I love you,” Ellie said.
“I love you, too, Ma,” Brooklyn stated.
“Come on, Brook! Let me tell you about OG! You missed the Christmas Tree Farm!” Tessa exclaimed as she pulled her big sister up the stairs. Papa hugged Brooklyn and then made his exit.
“I’ma be in the back with Cass; give this boy a hand. There are homemade catfish Po Boys in the oven for everybody when y’all ready to eat,” Papa said. “There’s more than enough for you, daughter,” he said, talking to Sloan. “You know I always cook more than enough.”
“Thanks, Papa,” Sloan smiled, kissing his cheek. Sloan was relieved that Cassidy was too tied up to notice her presence.
Ellie turned back to Sloan. “Am I going to need a drink for this conversation?” Ellie asked.
“Probably,” Sloan said. “You want to step out for a minute to grab one? I’ll fill you in.” Sloan was looking for an excuse to duck out of there before she ran into Cassidy.
“Nah, you know it’s some liquor here, and Papa just cooked. Come on. Take that coat off,” Ellie led her to the kitchen table, and Sloan pulled off her coat, revealing her doctor’s jacket and work outfit underneath.
“Are you coming from work? I thought you were off for the week?” Ellie asked.
“I went in to catch up. Brook called me while I was at the office. Said she wanted to come home. That nigga took her phone, Ellie. Had her sleeping on the couch, and his girlfriend’s brother is living there,” Sloan informed.