Chapter 3
3
A few days later, I arrived at my father’s house with a bucket of fried chicken in tow, still wondering about the purpose of this little shindig. My answer came in the form of the lovely lady who answered the door.
“Candy?” I breathed, quickly mirroring her smile.
“Yes! It’s me!” she gushed. “Come in!”
My stepmother’s sister-wife had returned.
Wow .
Following her to the kitchen—the usual location for these gatherings—I saw that my sister, Lilith, wore an identical expression to mine. Surprised wasn’t the word.
“Chicken?” Lilith asked.
I nodded. “Yup.”
“Thank God. You know Denita only cooks healthy shit. She done made some turkey cutlets and asparagus,” Lilith said, scrunching up her nose.
Just as I was wondering where my nieces were, my stepmom, Denita, sauntered into the kitchen with the youngest—Katana—on her hip.
“Don’t y’all start. You know I’m tryna keep my Frankie alive and well,” Denita reminded us.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Lilith said, then to Katana she directed, “Look, Katana, it’s Auntie Memphis!”
As per usual, the sweet little girl gave me a shy wave and hid her face in Denita’s neck.
“Girl, you still acting shy with me?” I cooed.
“She knows evil when she sees it,” Lilith’s stupid ass husband, Ray, offered as he stepped into the kitchen with Blaze, their oldest daughter. I couldn’t stand his ass.
The feeling was mutual.
“Then I know she stay hiding from you,” I shot back. “Shiddd, she probably already tryna move out.”
“She’s one, Memphis,” Lilith reminded me.
“Exactly,” I replied. “Anyway, what did you and Beelzebub bring, Lilith?”
Ray scowled at me. So did Blaze, as always. That girl scowled at everyone. You know, apple…tree.
“We brought a lemon blueberry cheesecake and some barbecue meatballs,” Lilith stated.
“Oh, really? You cooked?” Candy chirped. Shit, I’d almost forgotten she was there.
“Girl, no. They got a cook,” I shared. “Wait, where’s Umber?”
The doorbell rang, and Candy said, “I bet that’s her! Let me get the door,” and flew out of the kitchen.
“I like how you just assumed I didn’t cook the food,” Lilith mumbled.
With lifted eyebrows, I asked, “Did I lie, though?”
“Girl, fuck you,” Lilith muttered, making me laugh.
“Um, Umber is here, and so is your friend, Memphis!” Candy trilled.
Frowning, I looked up to see my baby sister entering the spacious kitchen carrying a crockpot, and behind her was the asshole, Bo.