“It is.”
cole
eighteen
"Hey, everybody! We're here."I kicked my parents’ door closed with my foot and kicked off my shoes in the foyer.
“There’s my little stink-a-butt baby.” Mom grabbed CJ and started planting kisses all over his face.
"Oh my God! He looks just like Cole as a baby!" Aunt Patrice had joined my mother, and they crowded CJ, making him giggle.
“Didn’t I tell you?” my mom said.
"Is CJ here?" Kimberly emerged from the kitchen, holding her phone to her ear. "Babe, they just got here, so we're voting now. I'll call you later. I love you." She took CJ from my mom, and he began squeezing her cheeks.
"Hey, son." Dad clapped me on the shoulder, chuckling.
“Dad?” I said in feigned shock. “You can see me?”
“You better get used to it.” He chuckled again.
“Hey, handsome,” Aunt Patrice wrapped her arms around my shoulder and gave me a kiss on the cheek. “How are you?”
“I’m good, Auntie,” I replied. “Tired, but good.” I smiled. “I see you’re growing your hair out.” My aunt was usually bald making her look like a Dora Milaje warrior fromBlack Panther, but today she had a short afro.
“I’m trying something new.” She shrugged as we made our way to the couch.
Kimberly and pint-sized Usain Bolt were engaged in a low-speed chase around the sitting room when Dad clapped his hands.
"All right, gang. Let's get this party started," he bellowed, and we all took seats around the room. Kimberly sat and Aunt Patrice took the opportunity to pull CJ into her lap, where he promptly began to play with one of her large hoop earrings. He loved all of this attention.
"RJ is working on some big important project at school so he couldn't video chat, but his suggestion is…" My mom paused for dramatic effect. "Who wants to guess?"
“Japan?” Kimmy and I said in unison.
“No!” Mom grinned. “China.”
“Isn’t his new research partner Chinese?” Kimmy asked. “What’s her name?”
“Claudia.”
“That would explain why he hardly comes home anymore.” Kimmy shrugged. “Well, I don’t want to go to China. I was actually hoping we could go to Barbados this year.”
"We've never been to Barbados." Mom looked at Dad, and he nodded.
“I’ve been,” Aunt Patrice said. “It’s beautiful.”
“Cole,” Mom said. “Where do you want to go?”
I shot a glance at Kimmy. She stared at me, silently willing me to honor our agreement and say Barbados, but I couldn’t. I turned to Mom, who I knew would be my best ally.
“We haven’t been to Puerto Rico.”
“Puerto Rico?” Kimmy said, giving me a pointed glare. “Really, Cole? Are you sure you don’t want to go to Barbados?”
“Didn’t they just have a hurricane?” Aunt Patrice asked.
“Almost two years ago,” I chimed in.
