Chapter 7 #2
We was still at the restaurant eatin’ good, and I ain’t even gon’ lie, this seafood had me sittin’ here rethinkin’ every bad thing I had ever said about rich people food.
At first, back when I had started stayin’ with Toni and Kay’Lo, I used to turn my nose up at half the stuff they ordered.
Toni would be sittin’ there eatin’ somethin’ with shells, claws, butter foam, sauces I couldn’t pronounce, and lil’ green shit oozin’ on top of it.
I used to look at her like, girl, where the fried fish and hot sauce at?
But after livin’ with them for over a year, they had done messed around and changed my taste buds.
I wasn’t all the way bougie, ’cause I still loved me a good shrimp basket from the hood with lemon pepper and extra tartar sauce, but I couldn’t even pretend that I ain’t learn how to enjoy the expensive shit too.
Toni had ordered this big seafood tower with crab claws, lobster tail, oysters, shrimp, and some scallops that was seared so perfect they damn near melted in your mouth.
Kay’Lo had grilled branzino, lobster mac, garlic butter king crab, and these crispy calamari rings that he kept puttin’ on Toni plate like she ain’t already had enough food in front of her.
I had some blackened red snapper with crawfish cream sauce, dirty rice, chargrilled oysters, and a side of crab fried rice that had no business bein’ this good.
My’Love sat in her lil’ high chair while Toni fed her creamy mashed potatoes with a tiny spoon. She was smackin’ her lil’ gums and lookin’ around like she was still tryna figure shit out.
“Lo’Lo greedy ass eatin’ them mashed potatoes like they steak,” I said, leanin’ over and wipin’ the corner of her mouth.
Toni laughed while she fixed her bib. “You know she love mashed potatoes.”
Kay’Lo looked over at her with his whole face softenin’. “She know what she like.”
After a while, we finally slowed down on eatin’. I was full, Toni was full, and My’Love had started rubbin’ her eyes while still tryna reach for anything on the table like she ain’t just ate enough mashed potatoes to put herself in a coma.
Kay’Lo grabbed the check before the waitress even got a chance to set it down good, and Toni didn’t even look at the bill.
We left the restaurant with the air hittin’ us as soon as we stepped outside.
I rode with them back to the resort first, so I could get my rental, and then we drove separately to Grandma Glo’s house.
Kay’Lo and Toni was in they luxury rental, with Toni in the passenger seat and My’Love knocked out in the back. I was right behind them in my lil’ rental, tryna mentally prepare myself for whatever energy was gon’ be sittin’ on Grandma Glo’s house.
Soon as we pulled up, I already saw Richie sittin’ outside in one of them plastic chairs, leaned back.
He had on a muscle shirt that was stretched out around the neck with a lil’ hole on the side, some basketball shorts, and slides with socks that looked like he had been walkin’ around in them all day.
I got out my car first and walked toward the porch, already side eyein’ him before I even made it up the walkway, ’cause I knew he ain’t really like Kay’Lo.
Keep in mind, ’Lo did kill our cousin, so to a degree, I understood it.
Hell, deep down inside, Richie knew it was self-defense, and it wasn’t nothin’ that could be done about the shit at this point.
Toni came up behind me holdin’ My’Love with Kay’Lo right beside her.
Richie stood up when he saw her.
“Toni,” he said, smilin’ a lil’. “Damn, you look good. I swear to God I ain’t even know it was you!”
Toni smiled and gave him a side hug with My’Love on her hip. “Hey, Richie. How you been?”
“Same ol’ same ol’,” he said. “It’s good seein’ you, though. You look real good.”
“Thank you,” Toni replied.
I glanced at Kay’Lo, and I almost shook my damn head ’cause his face was tellin’ on him bad.
He was lookin’ Richie up and down like he was tryna figure out how somebody could walk out the house lookin’ like that.
His expression wasn’t disrespectful enough to start nothin’, but I knew Kay’Lo well enough to know he was fightin’ his thoughts.
Richie looked at him and gave him a nod. “Wussup?”
Kay’Lo nodded back. “What’s happenin’?”
That was it, and honestly, that was enough.
Everybody knew what it was with Kay’Lo and our family.
It wasn’t no need to keep bringin’ up old shit when everybody already knew Deuce was gone, and Kay’Lo was the reason behind it.
Grandma Glo lost a grandson behind all this mess, Uncle Darnell was still missin’ with no proof of what happened to him, and even though a lot of people knew Deuce had been wrong for what he did, family grief was a muthafucka.
Some folks wasn’t ever gon’ rock with Kay’Lo, and Kay’Lo wasn’t ever gon’ lose sleep over it ’cause he ain’t rock with them either.
But Toni and My’Love was standin’ right here, so everybody was keepin’ it cool.
Richie reached his hand toward My’Love. “Come here, girl. You so pretty!”
My’Love just stared at him. She looked at Richie, then looked down at his hand, then looked back at his face like she was tryna figure out who the hell told him they was cool.
I pressed my lips together so I wouldn’t laugh.
Toni bounced her a lil’. “It’s okay, baby. That’s cousin Richie.”
Richie smiled wider and reached for her again. “Come here, pretty girl.”
Toni let him take her, and the second My’Love got in his arms, I saw her whole lil’ body stiffen up. She ain’t scream yet, but she was thinkin’ about it. Them hazel eyes got big, her mouth tightened, and then she turned her head slow until she found Kay’Lo.
Kay’Lo was already lookin’ at her…
And the way he was lookin’ at his baby had me ready to fold over on the porch, ’cause his face was damn near sayin’ the same thing hers was.
Richie tried to bounce her. “Aww, you alright.”
My’Love’s bottom lip folded down so hard it looked painful.
Toni reached a hand toward her. “My’Love, you okay. Girl, he not gon’ hurt you.”
My’Love opened her mouth and screamed so loud the whole porch paused.
I turned my face away ’cause I knew if I looked at Kay’Lo, I was gon’ bust out laughin’. My’Love wasn’t cryin’ regular either. She was cryin’ offended, like Richie had personally disrespected her by pickin’ her up.
Toni tried to calm her. “Baby, it’s okay. You gotta get used to yo’ other family.”
Kay’Lo wasn’t goin’ for none of that. Before Toni could even finish, he stepped forward and took My’Love out Richie’s arms so fast it looked like he had been waitin’ on permission from nobody but himself.
“Come on, baby,” he said, already cradlin’ her to his chest.
Richie held his hands up. “Damn, I ain’t do nothin’.”
Kay’Lo ain’t even look at him again. His whole focus was on My’Love while she huffed and puffed against his chest, her lil’ hands grabbin’ at his shirt like she had just survived somethin’ terrible.
“You good, mama,” he said, kissin’ under her neck while he rubbed her back. “Daddy got you. You good.”
Kay’Lo looked at Toni. “I’m finna take her to the truck so she can calm down.”
Toni looked between him and the baby, then nodded even though I could tell she was nervous about walkin’ inside without him. “Okay.”
Kay’Lo kissed My’Love’s cheek and walked back toward the truck with her while she laid against him, still snifflin’ like Richie had ruined her whole day.
Toni watched them for a second, then took a breath and walked inside with me.
Soon as we stepped into Grandma Glo’s house, that familiar smell hit me.
It smelled like old carpet, fried food from earlier, peppermint, hair grease, and somebody’s perfume that had been sprayed too many times.
The TV was on low in the livin’ room, and Grandma Glo was in her recliner with a blanket over her legs, lookin’ smaller than she used to but still neat as hell.
“Toni,” Grandma Glo said, and her voice cracked a lil’.
Toni walked straight to her, bendin’ down and wrappin’ her arms around her carefully. “Hey, Grandma Glo.”
Grandma Glo started cryin’ soon as Toni touched her, and that made Toni tear up too, even though she was tryna hold it in.
“My baby,” Grandma Glo said, holdin’ onto her. “Look at you. You don’t even look the same.”
“I missed you,” Toni whispered.
That moment made my own eyes burn a lil’, ’cause Toni hadn’t seen Grandma Glo in years, and it wasn’t just ’cause she ain’t care or ain’t want to.
Life, distance, family beef, and all that mess with Kay’Lo had put a bigger gap between her and home than anybody wanted to admit.
It was easy for people to sit around and talk about who don’t come around, but nobody ever wanted to talk about why people stopped feelin’ safe enough to show up.
Toni kissed Grandma Glo’s cheek again and sat beside her, holdin’ her hand.
A few minutes later, Kay’Lo came inside with My’Love. She had calmed down, but her lil’ face was still wet and tired, and she had one hand locked around Kay’Lo’s chain.
Kay’Lo stepped farther into the room and nodded toward Grandma Glo. “How you doin’?”
Grandma Glo looked at him for a second. “I’m alright.”
It wasn’t warm, but it wasn’t nasty either.
Kay’Lo nodded, polite but distant. “That’s good.”
Then, Grandma Glo’s eyes went straight to My’Love, and the whole look on her face changed. “Oh, my Lord. Let me see my great baby.”
My’Love looked at Grandma Glo, then looked back at Kay’Lo, already unsure.
Toni stood and reached for her. “Come here, baby. Let Grandma see you.”
Kay’Lo passed her to Toni, and Toni sat her close enough for Grandma Glo to touch her. Grandma Glo didn’t care that My’Love was actin’ funny. She reached right for her lil’ chunky self and pulled her close enough to kiss her cheek.
My’Love looked back at Kay’Lo, blinked twice, then started cryin’ again.
“Lord,” Grandma Glo said, still smilin’. “Y’all done spoiled this baby rotten.”
Toni laughed softly and pulled My’Love back into her arms. “She just sleepy.”
“Mmhm,” Grandma Glo said. “Spoiled.”