12. Ghosts Leave Breadcrumbs #2
Breeze and Bijou splashed around in the kiddie pool, with the other kids. Toni enjoyed watching them have fun. Bull was on his third plate but swore up and down he’d only had one. Jewel slid into Eazy’s spot at the table as Rhema wandered over to join Toni and Lotus.
“You good?” Eazy reached down to palm Lotus’s belly and look into her eyes.
“I’m fine, Eazy. Stop worrying.” Her brows crowded above her big brown eyes.
“Aight, gimme a bite.” Eazy knelt, and Lotus held her brat up for him to indulge in. “I’m going to get me another beer. You want something?”
“Tell Ma to make me a plate. I want everything. Chicken, beans, potato salad, and deviled eggs.”
“I know how to make a plate, Lo.”
“I know. I just want her to do it,” Lotus told him.
“Spoiled ass.” Shaking his head, he prepared to walk away, but something stopped him mid-stride.
Essence walked through the back gate, holding a big pan with her famous caramel cake and Midas at her side.
Taci stepped out with a few of the other women when she spotted them and scanned the yard to gauge reactions.
Bull paused from chewing his chicken while the domino Jewel prepared to drop remained suspended between two fingers.
“Don’t start,” Taci warned.
All three grown ass men looked at her.
“Ain’t nobody did nothing,” Jewel muttered.
“And I’m telling y’all not to. That’s my granddaughter, that’s her husband, and this is my damn house.”
Bull slowly resumed chewing.
“Food good, Ms. Taci.”
“Boy, shut the hell up,” she quipped, making a few people chuckle.
Summit didn’t even bother turning from the grill to address anybody.
“I told you she invited that man.”
And he had filled every one of them in when they arrived since Taci made no plans to. He couldn’t have them reaching for their pistols when the nigga walked through the back door.
“And I told you to mind that grill before you burn my ribs,” Taci shot back.
“Yes, ma’am.” Summit flipped a slab and kept his mouth shut.
“Eazy, get over here. Essence, you and Midas too.” Taci waved everyone over to the table where the guys played dominoes.
She was so sick of everybody pretending.
Essence stayed on the defensive now because she knew everybody already hated her husband, and there was nothing she could do about it.
Midas remained controlled and respectful for the simple fact that he didn’t want his wife, Taci, or Summit to see his real face.
The one Bull, Eazy, and Jewel were all familiar with.
Each of them reflected something different in the moment.
Eazy was cold. Jewel was his usual sarcastic self, and Bull…
that nigga was almost too relaxed for Midas’ liking.
“Listen here, I don’t have to like everything y’all do.
You don’t have to like everything that each other does.
But this family has buried enough, lost enough, fought enough, and cried enough.
I’m tired,” she said, weariness resting in her eyes as they moved around the table on everyone.
“Essence chose that man. None of you have to understand it, but Eazy, that is still your sister. Bull, I know you two share history as well. She is still somebody we love, right?” Taci looked at Midas next.
“And you married into something bigger that that ring on your finger. You don’t have to like these men either, but you will respect what they mean to your wife. ”
Midas nodded. “I understand.” He said that shit like he was talking to his own mama or grandma, and Bull smiled.
“Do you?” he checked with him.
“Bull,” Taci warned.
Surrendering with both hands up, Bull leaned forward. “I’m eating this fried corn, Ms. Taci. Shit fire.”
“Yeah, mmm hmm. Are we clear on things?” she asked, one hand on her hip.
“Yes, ma’am.” She gained a lot of mutters before narrowing her eyes at all their faces.
“Bunch of stubborn ass muhfuckas,” she muttered, shaking her head and walking away.
“I’m going to take this cake inside,” Essence told Midas after glancing at her brother, then Bull. The minute she started in that direction, Bull hopped up. He didn’t want to make it obvious he was following her, so he picked up his plate like he was about to dump it and trailed her inside.
Essence arranged her pan on an empty space at the counter, and she turned to find Bull behind her.
“Don’t tell me you want to talk.”
“Look, I honestly don’t even know what to say to you, E.” Bull shrugged.
“How about you start with hello, Bull?” She folded her arms across her chest.
“Hello.” He smiled and rocked forward on his heels before his hands went into the pockets of his shorts.
“You’re such an asshole.” Essence tittered.
“See? Now we talking.”
“You here to give me a lecture on my marriage?”
“You think I’m mad you married somebody else? Cause that’s not what this is,” he objected.
“Then what is it?”
“I’m mad because you know us. Your family.
Good or bad.” He leaned against the counter, and she frowned.
“You know me. You know Jewel. You know your brother. We would all do for you without you even fucking asking, E. And you put a muhfucka you barely know between you and everybody who’s been standing beside you all these years. ”
“I know my husband,” she said, sounding more like she was trying to convince herself than anyone else. Bull’s expression barely changed.
“For your sake, I hope you do.” He left her with that last line lingering before grabbing two beers from the fridge and strolling back outside.
For the next few hours, everyone seemed to be making the most of their time together.
The kids eventually got dressed, and a game of hide n seek began while Jewel and Rhema also filled ballons with water for them.
It was still a hot day, so they wanted to keep them cool because Taci had screamed at them enough about running in and out of her house, letting her air out.
Midas was treated like another member of the family. Taci even offered to make him a plate after Summit suggested he grab some ribs fresh off the grill.
“Uh-uh, Summit. How you offering ribs to everyone but your great grandson first?” Lotus waddled over with her plate ready and Eazy behind her.
“You see how big his daddy is, right?” Summit teased, looking Eazy’s linebacker looking ass up and down.
“Took a whole village to feed him growing up,” Taci chimed in, handing Midas his plate as Essence sat on his lap with one arm draped across his shoulders.
“I can’t believe you’re having a baby, Eazy,” Essence spoke up with a soft smile. “Lotus, you are glowing. Also, I wanted to talk to you about Niva and the other day at the mall.”
“Don’t even worry about it.” Lotus threw a hand up. “She’s your friend, and I don’t want to come between that.”
“She was my friend, but I told her how she came at you wasn’t right.
I don’t want to make problems with you because I am hoping to still be a part of my nephew’s life.
” Her gaze drifted to Eazy, and so did Lotus’s.
“Anyway, we haven’t talked in days. I don’t know what’s going on with her.
Ever since the whole shit with Oracle, she’s been kind of…
off. Kept saying things like he ruined her life.
Or if it wasn’t for him, she and Eazy might still be together.
I couldn’t entertain it anymore, and I told her she might want to consider getting some therapy. She’s been through a lot.”
“Maybe she’ll take your advice. I can’t imagine what she’s been through,” Lotus whispered, watching Eazy’s jaw lock as Midas quietly indulged in his meal.
Bull, Toni, and the kids ate nearby at a table.
Bijou ate from Bull’s plate, and her little mouth was covered in Taci’s potato salad.
Swinging his little legs off the bench he sat on, Breeze held a chicken drum in both hands and went to town.
Midas peeped it all. Jewel with his girl and their kids laughing together.
Eazy and Lotus on their lovey dovey shit, and Bull the family man.
He was irrelevant to any of their happiness. Life had in fact gone on.
“Okay, which one of you little heathens tracked water into my house!” Taci yelled from the back porch.
“Line ’em up and beat all of ’em, Ms. Taci!” Jewel yelled.
Eventually, Eazy and Lotus went to join Bull, Toni, and their kids at the table.
Essence hopped up so she could go mingle with a few faces too.
She even danced with a few older ladies and Kissa, who he found out was Lotus’ mom.
Everyone loved his wife. She had roots. Regardless of her relationship with him, Essence had people who gave a damn about her.
Midas remembered a time when he used to be a part of shit like this.
It would have been nothing for Eazy to invite him to a cookout with his people because he was considered that too.
There was once loyalty, respect. If shit popped off at three in the morning, he could call any one of them, and they would come.
After a while, Essence came back around to check on him, standing at his side with an arm across his shoulders.
“You good?”
Midas looked across the yard. Bull had his head thrown back, laughing at something Jewel said.
Eazy was shaking his head, grinning while Lotus stole food from his plate.
Nobody was watching him. That bothered him more than if all three of them had been clocking him.
Instead they were natural, relaxed, and enjoying their environment.
“I’m straight.”
Essence followed his gaze. “They ain’t thinking about you, Midas.”
His jaw tightened. “I ain’t thinking about them.”
“Mm-hmm.”
She got up before he could respond, and somehow that bothered him too.
She was supposed to be on his side, but slowly he was sensing her begin to pull away from him.
Midas decided to move around. Everybody here didn’t know his history.
A couple of teenage boys hung out by the cooler together, laughing and staring at the table where Eazy, Bull, Jewel, and Javon all sat with their fine ass women.