Chapter 1 Backtracking #3
Once she was done, Giselle shut the water off and hopped out the shower with one of Remi’s thick towels wrapped around her.
Suddenly her stomach rumbled, and she realized she hadn’t eaten since the bagel and beef bacon she had for breakfast that morning.
She quickly moisturized before slipping into her clothes.
Gathering her ensemble from earlier, she padded barefoot across the hall as the door at the end of the hall cracked open.
“Bitch, I’m leaving the house now. Just save me some,” her cousin, Lou, said into her phone with her back to Giselle as she closed her bedroom door.
Surprise crowded Lou’s pretty face when her eyes landed on her.
“What’s up, cuz? Tora, let me call you back.” She rushed her friend off the phone and smirked.
“What’s up, Lou?”
“Mama told me you were going to stay here for a while. How are you?” Lou narrowed her sharp, round greenish-hazel eyes.
She and Maisie favored a lot, but Lou was short compared to her sister’s five-foot nine frame.
Instead of short hair, she wouldn’t be caught dead outside without her wavy bundles sweeping to her ass.
The two shared the same petite figure, though, a trait Remi always said they got from her, despite how big she was now.
Both of her cousins had a love/hate relationship with food because of that.
Neither of them was particularly fond of the idea of getting fat, although their mother was still one of the most beautiful women in the world.
Remi wasn’t obese or anything like that; she’d just picked up a few pounds that were hard to lose as she got older.
“I’m sorry. You’re probably sick of people asking you that.” Lou strolled along as Giselle ducked into her room in search of a pair of socks and comfy shoes.
Already, she felt like she was suffocating and in need of some fresh air. Lingering in the doorway, Lou watched her sift through her belongings until she came across a pair of orange and white Nike trainers. Posted on the edge of the bed, she bent over to slip her feet in, one at a time.
“Kind of used to it at this point, but hoping I don’t have to hear it as much around here.”
“Of course.” Lou waved her off. “You good in here? Is there anything you need? I was heading out to hang with my girls, maybe hit the bar a little later. You’re welcome to tag along.”
“No thanks. I’m just going to sit here, unpack, and try to figure out my next play.”
“Okay. Get my number from Maisie and lock me in. Call me if you need anything.” With a wave, Lou sauntered away while Giselle brought herself to her feet.
Remi, Crew, and Maisie’s voices carried up the stairs on her way down.
With her auntie at the counter, and Maisie and Crew at opposite sides of the table, she paused when they all simultaneously went mute.
Remi was busy hand-whipping mashed potatoes in a bowl, while Maisie brought a homemade roll to her mouth and took a bite.
Gripping a turkey drum, Crew nibbled on it and lifted his brows curiously.
“Have a seat. I got your plate warm in the microwave.” Remi nodded to the empty chair at the table beside Maisie.
Remi moved around the kitchen as Giselle grabbed the back of one of the chairs and pulled it out so she could take a seat.
“There you go.” Her auntie placed her food in front of her, and she salivated.
Giselle had her cheat days, but for the most part, she opted to eat lean and healthy. The plate of lamb chops, mashed potatoes, and greens toyed with her nose, and she closed her eyes for a quick prayer.
“Thank you, Auntie.” She picked up a fork and dug into the greens first.
“Oh, I forgot to give you a piece of cornbread.” Remi came and dropped a square chunk on her plate beside her greens.
“Oh, my God. I forgot how much I love your food.” Giselle’s mouth was full, and she was already scooping baked beans up.
“Eat up. There’s plenty. I have to go do my volunteer work tomorrow, so I won’t have time to cook, which means you’ll be heating up leftovers.
I know right now with your finances in limbo, things are going to be tight for you, but that doesn’t matter.
We’re family, and I’m here for whatever you need.
Now… if you’re looking for a job, I have a few leads for you.
It’s nothing fancy, but it’ll keep some money in your pocket,” Remi noted, hovering at Giselle’s side with a hand on the back of her chair.
“Yeah, of course. Whatever it is will just be temporary.” She shrugged. “Not like I can be picky.”
“Now don’t come around here with this somber attitude, Giselle Pauline Knox. We don’t do all that loathing and self-pity around here or walk around with chips on our shoulders. You understand?” Remi hiked a brow.
“Yes, Auntie.” Giselle huffed, wanting to roll her eyes so bad as Maisie snickered into her glass beside her.
She knew better than anybody how her mama could be. All that pouting and whining was not something that Remi tolerated from anyone.
“As long as we on the same page.” Remi slung her dish towel over her shoulder and walked back to the counter. “Now, I know your father was a complicated man. I loved my little brother, but he was far from perfect. Which leads me to my next statement.”
Giselle took a bite of her lamb.
“There’s something that you need to know, and I need you to have an open mind and heart when I say this.”
Maisie picked up her glass of lemonade once again and slowly brought it to her lips. Giselle caught the side eye from her as she cut her gaze in her mother’s direction. Something was damn sure up.
“An open mind and heart about what?” Giselle set her rib down and half turned in her chair to face her auntie.
“Your father had another child,” Remi revealed, sending an echo of bells off in Giselle’s head.
Confusion marred her features before her brows cinched together, and she shook her head.
She’d heard her, but her comprehension was shot in that moment as she forked some mac and cheese and stuffed her mouth.
It’s not like it wasn’t plausible, Giselle just didn’t have the bandwidth to deal with the news in that moment.
“Right, Auntie. And where is this hidden child?”
“She’s over at Maisie’s place,” Remi responded. “She’s always known about you, but I told her to go over there until I was able to tell you.”
“Are you fucking serious right now?” Giselle sneered, dropping her fork against her plate and pushing her chair away from the table to stand.
“First of all, watch your mouth. Secondly, yes. I’m serious. Her name is Gem, and she’s seventeen years old.”
“And why the hell am I just now hearing about her? Did Mommy know?”
“Grace knew, yes. Gem’s mother, Daphne, she took her away when she was a baby and kept her from not only Greg but the rest of the family.
Some sort of punishment for him not picking her over your mama.
Now, she took off and left the poor girl all by herself while she chases behind some man,” Remi vented.
“I’m too old for all this shit. Damn your father for leaving me with the clean-up. ”
Pinching the bridge of her nose, Giselle took a breath and ended up laughing to herself.
It was all she could do to keep from completely spazzing out.
In the last two weeks, she’d lost both parents, her home, and any semblance of her normal life.
Now, there she was, in this bullshit ass town, and her auntie was really blowing her with this information dump.
“I just... I can’t believe this.” Giselle tossed a hand up. “What am I supposed to do with that?”
“Well, she is your sister,” Remi emphasized.
Twenty-six years. She’d been an only child. The apple of her father’s eye, and now everything seemed like a lie. Not only was she burdened with this side baby, but she had no way to confront her father for keeping it from her all this time.
“No, she’s his bastard child.” Giselle scoffed, shaking her head. “I can’t believe this shit.”
“Now you wait one damn minute!” Remi held up a perfectly manicured finger to silence her with her neatly arched brows drawing together contemptuously. “That is still your father, and that is his child, whether your little spoiled ass likes it or not!”
“Why the fuck should I care about respecting a dead man who had no problem lying to me most of my life, Auntie? Hmm? Give me one good reason why I should accept this girl?”
“Because she is your blood,” she answered simply.
For Remi, it was always that easy. She never agreed with her brother’s choices, but Gregory was ambitious and driven if nothing else.
In the end, she wound up proud of him and his accomplishments because she knew how many pieces of himself he had to sacrifice to make that happen.
He never forgot about her. Remi practically raised Gregory since their parents were both working two jobs to provide for their family.
She wasn’t just his sister, she was his protector, the person who cooked his meals and washed his clothes, and made sure he had a hot meal before and after school.
Although he didn’t come home often, he allowed her to have a relationship with Giselle because he couldn’t deprive her of the strong woman his sister was.
“Now… I know you wasn’t raised here, and your mama and daddy compensated you with money instead of time, but around these parts, family means everything.
Whether you like ’em or not! That little girl needs us right now, and she got some attitude on her, too, but she’s young and can change. What about you, Giselle?”
“What about me what?” she clapped back. “You’re not about to compare me and this girl just because we share the same sperm donor.”