Chapter 7
Greystone City
My cousin had just touched down on the jet, and I swear I damn near flew through Grandma Glo’s house gettin’ myself together.
I had been up since six in the mornin’, and not ’cause I wanted to be either. I just couldn’t sleep no more. Soon as my eyes opened, that was it for me. I was too excited knowin’ Toni, Kay’Lo, and my baby ’Lo’Lo was finally on they way here.
Six days… that’s all it had been since I’d last seen them, but it felt way longer than that to me.
I missed Trill-Land real bad, and I missed my people even worse.
I missed wakin’ up and hearin’ Toni yell through the mansion.
I missed My’Love crawlin’ around tearin’ shit up, and I even missed Kay’Lo sittin’ around talkin’ crazy while he rolled up.
Hell, I even missed Pressure and Pluto, and I had been callin’ Pluto every damn day just to bother her.
One time I called Pluto while she was at the mansion, and soon as she answered, I said, “What my people doin’?”
Pluto laughed softly. “Nothin’. What you doing?”
“Missin’ Trill-Land.” I groaned dramatic as hell while layin’ across Grandma Glo’s couch. “Tell Pressure I miss him.”
From somewhere in the background, I heard Pressure voice say, “Tell ’Nelle it ain’t even been that long.”
That made me smile instantly.
“I miss you too!” I yelled loud enough for him to hear me through the phone.
Pluto started laughin’ again, and honestly, hearin’ they voices had been helpin’ me get through bein’ back home way more than I expected.
Hell, me and Kelli had been textin’ every single day too.
That man stayed in my phone, flirtin’ with me, askin’ me what I was doin’, and promisin’ me he was gon’ come see me soon. I ain’t gon’ lie… I missed him bad too.
But bein’ back home with Grandma Glo had changed my whole focus these last few days, especially after she scared the shit outta everybody with that mini stroke.
Thank God it wasn’t worse.
Grandma Glo could still talk and move around some, but she definitely wasn’t herself all the way yet. She got tired fast now, and sometimes her words came out slower than normal, which was enough to piss me off every time I noticed it. Of course, it wasn’t at her, but just at the situation.
I had been stayin’ on everybody’s ass since she got out the hospital too.
Wasn’t nobody just runnin’ in and out of Grandma Glo’s house no more, eatin’ up shit and stressin’ her out while she was tryna recover. I had turned into a whole security guard over here about my muthafuckin’ grandma.
The first day she got home, three different people tried walkin’ in without knockin’, and I cussed every last one of they asses out.
“Nah, y’all gotta get the fuck on,” I had told them. “This ain’t Candy Land no more. Grandma ain’t entertainin’ company right now.”
One of the neighborhood ladies gon’ tell me, “Girl, I was just checkin’ on her.”
“And you checked,” I replied. “Now, bye.”
I wasn’t playin’ about my grandma.
Everybody in the neighborhood knew Grandma Glo.
Folks had been comin’ to her house since me and Toni was lil’ girls.
She was one of them grandmas everybody claimed.
Kids used to run in and out of her house after school, and she kept candy in them big glass jars on the counter.
She always had somebody sittin’ at her kitchen table, gossipin’ and drinkin’ coffee.
But right now, she needed peace more than she needed company, and I made sure everybody understood that.
After I showered and got dressed, I stood in the mirror, fixin’ my lip gloss one last time before grabbin’ my purse off the dresser.
I looked good too.
I had on a cute lil’ fitted romper with my slides and my jewelry on, and my hair was laid exactly how I wanted it. I had been stuck in this city for almost a week, and I refused to look depressed when my people touched down.
Soon as I walked into the livin’ room, Grandma Glo looked over from her recliner.
“There go my pretty girl,” she said, her voice softer than usual.
I walked over and bent down to kiss her cheek carefully.
“You okay?” I asked.
“I’m fine,” she replied, even though I could tell she was still weak.
Grandma Glo hated lookin’ vulnerable. Even now she still had her robe tied neat with her earrings on like she was finna host Sunday dinner.
I smiled. “Well, guess what?”
“What?”
“They here.”
Her whole face lit up then.
“My babies?”
“Yes,” I laughed. “Toni and Lo’Lo finally touched down.”
“Oh Lord,” she breathed, gettin’ emotional already. “Bring my great baby to me.”
“I am,” I said, rubbin’ her shoulder. “I’m finna go get them now.”
She grabbed my hand before I could pull away completely.
“Drive safe.”
“A’ight, I’m gone.”
The resort they was stayin’ at was almost fifty minutes away from Grandma Glo’s neighborhood. The further I drove away from the hood, the nicer everything started lookin’.
I wasn’t surprised either. There wasn’t no way Kay’Lo was finna let Toni and My’Love stay anywhere regular. That man treated Toni and that baby like royalty, and honestly, I loved it so bad.
By the time I pulled up to the resort, I already knew the room probably cost more per night than most people’s rent back home.
The place was beautiful too.
Palm trees lined the front entrance, waterfalls sat near the valet area, and rich people was walkin’ around in expensive resort clothes, mindin’ they business while I pulled up in my rental feelin’ hood but good as hell.
I parked, grabbed my purse, and headed inside where everything smelled expensive and cold.
The lady at the front desk smiled at me as soon as I walked up.
“Welcome.”
I smiled back politely. “I’m here for Kay’Lo Mensah’s suite.”
Her eyes flicked to the computer immediately.
“Can I get your name?”
“Sha’Nelle.”
She nodded once after typin’. “Perfect. They already cleared you.”
Of course they did, and that nigga probably had security clearin’ names before the jet even landed.
After she gave me directions, I hurried through the resort so fast I almost started sweatin’ out my damn silk press.
Soon as I stepped outside toward the villa area, I spotted Toni first. And that was it for me.
“TONI!” I yelled.
Toni turned around so fast, and her face instantly lit up.
“SHA’NELLE!”
We ran toward each other at the same damn time and crashed into a hug so hard we almost fell over.
“Oh, my God, bitch!” I cried, squeezin’ her tight. “I missed you!”
“I missed you too!” Toni yelled right back, holdin’ onto me just as hard.
I swear it felt like we hadn’t seen each other in months instead of days.
When we finally pulled apart, I looked her over, dramatic as hell.
“Okay, waist!”
Toni busted out laughin’. “Girl.”
Then I saw Kay’Lo walkin’ up holdin’ My’Love, and my whole heart melted instantly.
“There go my family,” I said, emotional as hell.
Kay’Lo grinned soon as he saw me. “Wussup, ’Nelle?”
I walked straight into him and hugged him around his neck while bein’ careful of the baby.
“You look good as hell,” he told me while wrappin’ his free arm around me.
“You do too.” I laughed before kissin’ his cheek.
Then My’Love saw me for real. Her whole face lit up, and she reached both her lil’ hands toward me immediately.
“Oh, my Goddddd!” I squealed. “Come here to me!”
I grabbed her out of Kay’Lo’s arms and kissed all over her fat cheeks.
“My Lo’Lo!” I cried. “I missed my baby so much!”
She grabbed my face with both hands, and I swear I could’ve cried right here.
Kay’Lo looked at me, smilin’. “You been good?”
“Yes.”
“You sure?” he asked. “Or I need to put a bullet in a nigga ass?”
I laughed loud as hell. “See! That’s what I’m talkin’ about. You always ready to kill somebody!”
Toni rolled her eyes. “Always.”
Kay’Lo shrugged casually. “I’m just askin’.”
We all laughed and started walkin’ back toward the villa while I held My’Love against my hip.
The place they was stayin’ in was beautiful too. It had big, open windows, a private pool outside, expensive furniture everywhere, and a whole pretty ass view sittin’ right behind it.
“Y’all ain’t never sufferin’ nowhere, huh?” I asked.
Kay’Lo smirked. “Hell nah.”
We sat around talkin’ for a while, catchin’ up and gossipin’ while My’Love kept crawlin’ all over me and Toni.
After a lil’ bit, Kay’Lo looked over at me. “You hungry?”
“HELL yeah,” I replied instantly. “I’m starvin’.”
Toni laughed. “Me too.”
They ended up takin’ me to this upscale seafood spot not too far from the resort, and even the damn rental Kay’Lo had was rich.
The truck was so nice I ain’t even wanna touch nothin’.
Toni sat up front while I sat in the back beside My’Love’s carseat, talkin’ to her the whole ride while me and Toni chopped it up about random shit.
By the time we got to the restaurant, I already knew the food was finna cost a ridiculous amount.
The place overlooked the water with lights everywhere and live music playin’ somewhere off in the distance.
Soon as we walked in, people started starin’ too. But hell… look at us.
Toni looked good as hell, Kay’Lo walked around with that dangerous rich nigga energy, and I was cute myself, so of course folks was lookin’.
The hostess sat us quickly, and soon as we settled in, a waitress came over with menus.
“Good evening,” she said. “What can I get you all to drink?”
Before anybody answered, Toni looked up.
“Y’all got a kids menu?”
“We do.” The waitress smiled.
While me and Kay’Lo started orderin’ drinks, Toni looked through the kids’ menu for My’Love, mumblin’ to herself about what the baby would actually eat without throwin’ it on the floor.
Kay’Lo leaned over and kissed Toni neck. “You want me to order yo’ drink too, baby?”
Toni nodded without even lookin’ up from the menu.
I smiled to myself watchin’ them while I bounced My’Love lightly on my knee.
I was so happy to see my people again that I already knew three days wasn’t finna be enough for me.