Chapter 24
Alannah flew in early Saturday morning with Oisin. I wanted to pick her up from the airport, but she insisted they get an Uber to their hotel instead.
I was willing to take the day off to cater to Ali and Oisin, but my sister wasn’t having it.
“You don’t gotta uproot your whole routine for me,” Alannah was saying as she stood in Shéc that afternoon.
She’d stopped by after getting settled at her hotel, and I couldn’t take my eyes off her live in person.
She was glowing in her Silk Sonic tee and jeans.
A single braid framed her face on one side as the rest of her hair lay in its usual curly state.
Her brown skin was radiating and flawless as she was also makeup free.
Alannah was happy.
“I haven’t seen you in forever,” I said. “You literally leave tomorrow night.”
Alannah frowned, but not for long, she was too jubilant. “I know. I promise my next break I’m coming down here and I’m spending the entire time catching up, no excuses.”
Shéc wasn’t busy, but Paisley and I were shutting down early so I could go and have dinner with my family. Oisin hadn’t come by the shop with Alannah, and I was grateful, because I needed alone time with my sister.
We left Paisley to watch the store while I took Alannah outside for a walk down the strip. The sun was out, shining down on us all and I was thankful for the shade the roof provided.
“I wanted to say that I’m sorry,” I began as I looked her way. “I know our relationship is strained, and it’s not your fault, it’s all on me.”
Alannah made a face. “I know it has a lot to do with Mom and Dad, but I do wish you’d talk to me.”
“It’s just complicated, Al. I’m the older sister and I used to hear ‘Why can’t you be more like Alannah?’ and it would eat at me. I don’t hate you on purpose, but it has been hard on me feeling inadequate,” I admitted. “You’re going to be a doctor for God’s sake and I’m…”
“Running a successful business,” Alannah chirped up. “You don’t give yourself enough credit, Nas.”
Maybe I didn’t. “Yeah?”
Alannah threw her head back and groaned.
“You’re like the strongest woman I know.
I wasn’t there, but I know Dad gave you shit about dropping out, I know Corey put you through hell, but you didn’t just wallow, you bounced back and you really took a risk with Shéc.
When the world kept throwing punches, you fought back and conquered. I admire that.”
A smile washed across my face hearing my feats from Alannah.
Yeah. I had been dealt some challenges that I overcame, no matter how much I wanted to fall.
Rain, sleet, hail, or snow, I showed up to Shéc.
No matter how many nos I heard in my life, how many rejections, I made it through.
Broken heart or not, I forged forward and learned to live for myself and love myself. Yeah. I was strong.
“Thank you, Alannah.” I stopped walking, pausing in front of the novelty shop as I faced my sister. “I do want to move forward and be closer. I wanna hear about Oisin and anything else going on in your life. I want us to be sisters.”
“Promise?” Alannah asked, her true vulnerability reading loudly in her gaze.
I blinked back tears, feeling terrible for not extending this olive branch sooner. “Of course!”
Alannah poked her bottom lip out and came for a hug, which I wholly obliged, going and wrapping her in a tight embrace.
Soon, Alannah pulled back. “I’ll forgive you on one condition.”
“Name it,” I said.
“Double scoop vanilla on you,” she said as she nodded off to the parlor behind us.
“Done.” I burst into a joyous laughter and soon, so did Ali. It felt good to be so silly and carefree with my sister.
At exactly five p.m. Ezekiel and I sat in his Acura in my parents’ driveway. I was staring up at the familiar colonial house, contemplating getting out and going through with this. Things with Alannah were in a better place, but the same couldn’t be said for my parents and me.
Ezekiel’s hand was on my knee, and just having him beside me was enough to keep me from bolting.
“If the energy is bad, we can leave,” Ezekiel said. “We’re not letting anyone make you feel small, okay?”
“Okay,” I said.
“We’re here for your sister. No drama. Nothing else,” he said.
Gallant was playing on the radio. Hearing his calming melody infused with Ezekiel’s support was enough to get me to unbuckle my seat belt.
I did so just in time. In my peripheral vision, I caught a vehicle pulling up to the curb to park. A rental Ford Fusion. It was Alannah and Oisin.
We got out of Ezekiel’s Acura at the same time as they got out of their car.
It had been a little over a month, but I had only mentioned Ezekiel’s existence to Alannah this morning.
By the deer-in-the-headlights look on her face, I could tell I had really dropped the ball in not bringing him up earlier.
“Hey,” I said as I greeted the duo coming our way on the front walk with a wave. “Alannah, this is my boyfriend, Ezekiel. Ezekiel, this is my younger sister, Alannah.”
My words had gone in one ear and out the other as Alannah paid no attention to me. She gaped up at Ezekiel with her mouth open. Having no shame, she looked him up and down—twice. “Wow. Hi.” She studied his entire person and looked at me before going back to stare some more. “Oh wow. Hi.”
Ezekiel grinned as he gave my sister a hug. “Hey, nice to meet you.”
“Wow,” Alannah said again as she stood back next to Oisin. “This is my boyfriend, Oisin.”
Oisin stepped forward and shook hands with me and when he came to Ezekiel he smirked just a little. “We’re off to a bad start already.”
Oisin’s comment eased any tension as we all managed to laugh and loosen up.
He was handsome with his square jaw, five-o’clock shadow, dark eyes, and fade.
He had a face that said he would only age like wine with how good-looking he was with his brown complexion.
He was only an inch or so shorter than Ezekiel, but he held the same confident posture and stance.
I just hoped he wouldn’t cave under my father’s questioning.
Oisin held his hand out and shook with Ezekiel. “Oisin, nice to meet you, man.”
“Likewise,” Ezekiel responded.
I looked to my sister and her boyfriend, feeling a wave of butterflies in my gut. “You ready?”
Alannah opened her mouth, but her words never came out as the echo of the front door opening behind us caught all of our attention.
Standing on the front porch was my mother, and her eyes were glued down at us. She looked between Alannah and me before focusing on Ezekiel and Oisin.
“What is this?” she asked as she came to my sister for an explanation.
Nervously, Alannah went forward up the path and we all followed. “I brought my boyfriend down with me, and Nas brought hers over, too.”
My mother looked between Alannah and Oisin and Ezekiel and me once more. Startled, she stepped back, issuing out a smile. “When you said you had a surprise, I didn’t think you meant a whole person.”
My mother had always been a stickler for making sure our house was together before having company. I knew the house was spotless regardless, but that never stopped her from fussing before.
“Momma, relax,” I insisted as she let us all pass her by into the house.
My father was just entering the foyer as we filed in and my stomach settled uneasily as I laid eyes on him.
“Well, who’s all this?” my father asked, paying attention to Alannah and Oisin solely.
Alannah shrank a little. She stepped closer to Oisin and gestured toward him. “This is my boyfriend, Oisin. This is my surprise.” When neither of our parents broke out into cheer, she gave a timid smile. “Surprise.”
“This is some surprise,” my father remarked.
“Daddy,” I warned. “Be nice. You know how you get.”
“And how do I get, Nastasia?”
I shot him a look. “You know.”
“What are you, her bodyguard?” my father challenged.
As Ezekiel snaked an arm around my waist, I stood strong. “Yes.”
“And who are you, her bodyguard?” my father questioned Ezekiel as he sized him up.
Ezekiel didn’t let me go. “I know you family, Mr. Graham, but always.”
My father nodded. “Good answer.” All too quickly he lightened up and smiled at each of us. He tipped his head at Oisin and extended his hand. “David, nice to meet you. You have to forgive us, because Ali never brings anyone home.”
Oisin wasn’t bothered in the least as he shook with my father and mother. “Trust me, I get it.”
“Ezekiel,” Ezekiel said next as my father came to him.
“Well, let’s eat!” my mother announced, showing a hand down the hall toward the kitchen.
One step into the kitchen and the smell of fresh fried catfish hit us and a wave of ohs chorused out. My mother fried the best fish. I knew she’d done it for Ali because it was her favorite dish growing up.
At home, I simply baked fish, so it wasn’t often I got to eat it fried. This would be a treat.
Spread out in various pans across the stove and countertops, were collard greens, mashed potatoes, candied yams, green beans, macaroni and cheese, cornbread, and golden-fried catfish fillets. Awkward meal or not, I was definitely taking a to-go plate home.
“Oh snap,” Ezekiel said from behind me as he spotted the array of food.
I got a good look up at him. “We’re not sharing.”
He wasn’t fazed.
“Every time I get around yo’ ass I’m eatin’ something good.” Ezekiel buried his face in my neck and kissed me three times, making me squirm and laugh.
There was so much delicious food, I greedily made two plates because I was weird about my food touching each other. As soon as we settled into the dining room, Ezekiel made a show to stick his fork in one of my plates and help himself to my macaroni without asking.
I narrowed my eyes, watching his magical mouth chew my food. Even if I wanted to be upset, I couldn’t be.
We sat around the dining room table digging into my mother’s cooking. Ezekiel and I were on one side of the table, while Alannah and Oisin occupied the other, with my parents on each end.
“This food is amazing, Mrs. Graham,” Ezekiel spoke up to tell my mother.