Zaria
Yana decided to wake me up early to help her gather everything she needed for Love’s party.
I wanted to scream I’m tired, but her excitement was something I couldn’t shut down.
I still hadn’t gotten over the fact that we got arrested.
The idea of someone going to that great of lengths to see that everyone around June was miserable was mindblowing.
It was the pure definition of “misery loves company.” Since things seemed to have calmed down and it was just her and me today, I wanted to ask if she had talked to Navi.
This was the longest period I’d gone without talking to my baby sister.
Rayana was putting the gas pedal to the floor as she sped down the highway, the music blasting, singing her heart out.
I had never seen her so happy in my life, and I knew it was because she was married now, and who was I to say a fucking word?
While her head swung side to side, I leaned forward and turned the music down.
“Damn, bitch, that was my part!” she yelled.
“Okay. You can just hit replay. Not like your ass got vocals anyway.”
“Hater,” she snapped.
“When was the last time you talked to Navi?”
I could tell she was trying to calculate in her head, which told me it had been a while since she had spoken with Navi herself. “You know, now that you mention it, it has been a while. As a matter of fact, when I went home, I thought she was going to be at Ma’s, but she wasn’t.”
I sat back in the seat as I tried to understand what the hell was going on. We didn’t know if she was okay, if she was depressed, or if she was simply ignoring us. It went back to the idea of me calling my mother, because if no one else knew where she was, my mother would.
Yan stopped at a few stores to pick up party favors and other items for her carnival-inspired party.
We ended up at Monfua’s restaurant to have lunch before heading back.
The place held a few people, but not so many that the server had to take forever.
Once we were seated, we ordered a few mimosa flights and our food.
“You think Navi is still here?” Yana asked.
I sipped on my drink as I thought about it. “I don’t know, but something feels off. There is so much going on, I can barely focus.”
She paused as she reached out and touched my hand. “Hold on a little longer, Zari. I’m sure this will be over soon. There is no way Chevy is not going to work it all out. He gets on my last nerve, but he’s going to always take care of home.”
That was the thing I knew he would take care of.
Home. It had never been a worry. June’s need for family was his constant reminder to do what needed to be done.
It was more of a question of what lengths he would go.
My man needed to be home with me every night, and the thought of him walking out one day and never coming back was what scared me.
There was no love like the Calloway love, and even if we parted somehow, I knew I would never find another because he was all the man I needed.
Monfua’s mother came out to greet us, saying a few words before he came waltzing through the door in his fireman’s bunker pants and a black t-shirt that gripped his chest.
“Talofa, ladies.” He smiled.
Yana leaned forward. “I love Diamond, God knows I do, but Monfua is fine as hell,” she whispered.
“Touche, bitch.” I laughed.
He pulled a chair up to the table and sat. “Zaria, I wanted to thank you for extending that job to Lakia. She loves it, and I want you to know I appreciate it.”
I smiled. “You don’t have to thank me. We’re family.”
He ran his hand over his head. “Yeah, well, I wish everyone thought like that. She and Foe are still barely talking.”
Yana looked him up and down. “They’ll talk again, but you’ve got to let it happen. Every family is different.”
He gave a weak smile. “I know. Oh, I thought I saw y’all’s sister the other day, but I may have been tripping. We got a call out on the east side of the Cove. We were going so fast I could have been tripping.”
That was odd. “You sure it was her?” I asked.
He shrugged. “I don’t know. Anyway, let me grab food and get out of here. You ladies be easy, and I’ll see you all at bike weekend.”
“Bike weekend?” I blurted out.
He looked at me like I was crazy. Then Yana sipped on her drink. “I forgot to tell you. It was Dio’s idea. They’re planning a Zoo Day. It’s really for Chevy, but more of a surprise, so don’t go jumping on the dick and running your mouth, Zari.”
“Well, excuse me.”
A surprise for June sounded nice. Whether he would be receptive was really the question.