23. Legacy
Legacy
ONE MONTH LATER
“ N igga, get off that grill and let me show you how a real G do it,” Courtland teased Legend.
We were having one final cookout before the cold weather set in. Legend’s siblings were in attendance, along with Zenobia and Bam, and our friends. I missed Mauri, despite her sheisty ass behavior. But lately, she had been moving in different circles from Josi and me.
Josi was understandably hurt when she learned who had betrayed her. I didn’t have to tell her, and Mauri hadn’t had a chance to either. Eliana made sure that she let her know everything when she called her and left a voicemail cursing her out again.
“Lissen, these folks out here are trying to eat tuhday. And they don’t want no burnt ass food either, nigga. So, move ya ass and let me finish what I’m doing,” Legend replied.
I walked up behind him and circled my arms around his waist. He leaned down, and I leaned sideways so that we could kiss.
“Hey, future baby mama. Wassup with ya?”
“Nothing. Just checking to see how long it’ll be before we can eat.”
“You want a hot dog?”
“Yeah. Give me one of the burnt ones like Kayson had.”
Kayson had run past me a few minutes earlier with some of the other children his age, and he had been super excited about his burnt hot dog.
“Ole nigga clowning on my cooking, and you can’t even grill hot dogs properly,” Courtland declared.
“Nigga, shut up. That’s the only thing that comes close to looking burnt on my grill,” Legend replied.
“Don’t front. Everybody knows that the burnt hot dogs are always the best on the grill,” Josi stated, reaching for the hot dog buns before she snatched a hot dog from the pan.
“Bestie ain’t lying.” I chimed in as she passed the buns to me.
“You just sticking up for that nigga ’cause he’s your man.”
“And did. But they’re still good,” I replied, taking my first bite, closing my eyes, and moaning.
“Aye! What I tell you ’bout that shit, Ace?” Legend warned.
“What did I do?” I asked, popping my eyes open.
He snatched me to him. “All these niggas up in here, and you making that sexy sound. Got niggas shit around here bricked up with you doing all that moaning.”
I waved my hand before I replied. “Courtland and Creighton are like brothers to me, just like Bam.” I waved my hand in Bam’s direction, where he was talking shit on the basketball court to some of Legend’s other friends.
Legend grabbed my ass and scowled into my face. “What I tell you?”
“You said save all that moaning for the bedroom.”
“That’s what I meant. At the end of the day, no matter if them niggas are like brothers or not, they’re still men. Single men.”
I spun around in his arms and sucked my teeth. “Okay.”
“Baby, don’t get ya li’l fast ass fucked up in front of company.”
I giggled, but it caught in my throat, and I choked on the last bit of my hot dog.
“That’s what ya get.” Legend teased me and patted me on my back.
“You good?” Josi asked.
I shook my head but kept coughing. Josi heard the voice of our newest visitor, whose appearance prolonged my cough attack. She pulled a mug before she even turned around.
“Aye, this is a peaceful cookout. Ain’t no hatin’ shit going on here,” Legend warned.
“Who invited her? We hadn’t even been speaking lately?” I asked.
“I did. Ran into her at the grocery store a week ago. That was some bullshit that she pulled, but it’s about time for all y’all to put that shit to rest. I’m not building this family circle on hating, negative energy, and beefs out there in these streets.
We ain’t got time for that shit. Y’all two li’l asses hear me? ” Legend asked.
I bobbed my head, but Josi kept her arms crossed over her chest.
“Fix ya face, ma,” Legend demanded of her.
She rolled her eyes and sighed before she dropped her arms. I giggled when she forced a fake smile to her lips. “Behave,” I warned.
“Hello.” Mauri greeted us when she arrived at our little group. It had taken her a few minutes because she stopped to speak with a few other people before she reached us.
“Hey, Mauri,” I greeted her softly.
“Hi, Legacy. Thanks for the invite, Legend.”
“You’re welcome, girl. This is my boy, Courtland. Courtland, this is Legacy and Josi’s friend, Mauri,” Legend introduced.
Josi made a scoffing sound and blew her breath through her teeth. I pinched her, and she frowned at me.
“What’s good, ma?” Courtland asked Mauri, checking her out.
I could tell that he was definitely interested in her, and she expressed the same.
I knew before the day was over, they would be exchanging digits with the way they were eye-fucking each other.
Obviously, my man detected the same based on his next comment.
“Yo, before y’all two get all hot and heavy, these three got some Dr. Phil shit to work out, big homie. So let these ladies do their thang, and you can chase tail later.”
“Nigga.” Courtland’s twisted lips and side-eye were dramatic.
Legend shrugged it off. “A’ight, Ace. Y’all gone somewhere and play now.”
“Nigga, what?” Josi remarked.
I mugged my baby and shook my head. “Oh, you’ve got jokes now? We’re not ya chirren, and you ain’t ma’dea.”
“Ya heard what I said. Now, if you don’t want to get a spanking later, I suggest you go somewhere. Tryna get this meat off this grill so I can feed all these folks.”
The tension immediately eased for the moment as all three of us broke out giggling at Legend’s silly self. “Boy, please,” I replied. “Ladies, let’s go sit over there by that tree and talk.”
I walked away from my man and his best friend so that I could chat with mine. I wasn’t sure how things would go down, but I prayed to the good Lord above that Josi was in a forgiving mood.
We sat down on the picnic benches that Legend and his brother, Creighton, had set up for the day. I glanced around the yard and spotted Zenobia with Legend’s sister, Tabitha. She was holding Tabitha’s ten-month-old baby, Christian.
“Look at Nobi’s ass over there getting baby fever,” Josi mumbled.
“She needs to quit that shit before she ends up pregnant. I heard it was contagious,” I stated with a snicker.
“Shit, if she needs the number to a good abortion clinic, I got one on lock.”
My head jerked sideways at Josi’s comment.
“What? I’ve had to take a friend or two to a clinic before. Just because I know who they are and where they are doesn’t mean that I use them.”
“A’ight, Josephine Michelle Braxton. Let me find out yo’ ho ass don’ fucked around and got pregnant and aborted my little niece or nephew, I’m kicking ya ass.”
She laughed. “Girl, please. You’re not even a fighter.”
“I think they would be cute with a baby. As big as his ass is, Bam loves kids, and he’s good with them.” Mauri finally chimed in.
“You’re right. He is, but I don’t think my sister is ready for kids.”
“She needs to settle that temper of hers down before having kids. She’ll be fighting all the time behind those bad asses,” Josi mumbled.
“True,” Mauri agreed.
“Hold the hell up. We’re not about to sit here like the shit that went down a little over a month ago didn’t happen. Are we going to address the elephant in the room, or what?”
Both my girls sighed simultaneously. Mauri spoke first.
“I was dead-ass wrong for getting involved in your situation like that, Josi. There is no excuse acceptable enough for what I did. I couldn’t even be mad if you put hands on me over that shit because, in the end, it created serious beef between your sister and you.”
Josi rolled her eyes, and I could tell that she was battling tears. Twisting her lips, she addressed Mauri’s apology. “Man, I wanna say fuck yo’ apology. That shit wasn’t cool, Mauri.”
“I know.” Mauri sobbed.
“I mean, don’t get me wrong. My shit wasn’t all cool either, but still, you were supposed to be my girl. My sister and I needed to work that out, but not with your interference.”
“Were you ever going to tell her, though, Josi? Every time we talked, you were stressing about her finding out. You kept saying that you wanted all that shit behind you, and you wished she already knew and y’all could be on the other side of it.”
“So, what? You decided to be a genie in a muthafuckin’ bottle?” Josi snapped.
“I don’t know. When I first called Eliana, I told myself that I was trying to help.
I convinced myself that maybe her response wouldn’t be as bad as we thought it would be.
Then I was angry because I felt like you shouldn’t have put anyone in that situation.
It was selfish. You needed to tell someone so that you could get it off your chest, and I became that someone.
I didn’t ask you for that shit, Josi, and it was hard carrying around. ”
“Why didn’t you come to me, Jo?” I asked softly, grabbing her hand.
“Because you’re always the good one of the three of us. You’re always the one talking about morals and values.”
“In my job, boo. You don’t see me always living that shit in real life. Hell, I went to a hotel with a stranger. Who am I to judge?” I cried out.
“You just don’t know. Mauri and I always compare ourselves to you. When we’re trying to determine if we should do something or not, we ask ourselves and each other, what would Legacy do?”
“That’s not fair.”
“You’re a good girl, Lacy,” Mauri countered.
“I just do what God places in my heart to do, but I’m no better than anyone else, especially not you two. I fail all the time.”
“Do you remember how angry you were at me when you realized that it was me who told on Josi?”
“Mauri, you would have been just as angry if I had done the same thing,” I rebutted.
“Not necessarily. I would have understood where you were coming from and been angry that Josi put you in that situation,” Mauri explained.
I sighed and covered my face with my hands before I glanced at Josi. “Baby, why did you put any of us in that situation?”
She dropped her head into her hands. “You don’t understand how things are with Khalan and me. It’s not that simple with us. I love that man, and I always have. Long before my sister met him, I loved him.”
“What? How is that?” I asked.
“I met him years before she did. We lost contact over the years. She dated him for seven months before they moved back here. I knew she was dating a guy, but not him.”
“Didn’t the name ring a bell?” Mauri asked.
“She calls him by his first name: Daniel.”
“Oh, shit,” Mauri and I declared at the same time.
“Right.”
“So, what’s with you two now?” I asked.
“We’re trying to figure some things out. That’s another story for another day,” Josi replied softly.
“We’re here for you if you need us,” I professed and grabbed her hand.
Mauri grabbed her other hand and squeezed it. “Me too, sis, if you can forgive me.”
Josi pulled her hands from ours, leaned over, and grabbed Mauri in a hug. “I’ll forgive your treacherous ass, bitch.”
I laughed, and so did Mauri. When they pulled away from each other, Mauri looked at me. “Will you forgive me, too, friend?”
“I already did. I just needed space to get my mind and life together.”
“Yeah, seems like you pulled it all the way together. Got yourself a ready-made family,” Mauri stated and giggled.
“Girl, get ya ass over there and get started on your own family. That man’s been eye-fucking you since you walked in.” I pointed to Courtland.
Mauri stood and giggled as she walked in his direction.
“Put it on ’im and make him wanna marry you!” Josi shouted.
“Are you good, baby?” I asked her.
She leaned into me, and I wrapped my arm around her.
“I will be . . . in time.”