I hesitate for a moment because I don’t want to piss off Aunt Jade or Uncle Cam any more than they are, but if I don’t stand up for myself right now, I’m going to be stuck taking care of Gigi King until I’m a senior citizen.
“I’m doing actual work in the business and you want me to be a babysitter again?”
“Actual work?” Uncle Cutter snickers. “You mean that long ass vacation you took in Miami over the last few years? Looks like the only thing you worked on was your tan, nephew.”
Everyone here knows that it was never the plan for me to live in Miami for the last few years, unfortunately it was my only choice. I used to feel embarrassed about it because kids my age were in college making their parents proud, but I was lying low down south because of a few poor decisions I made.
Now I’ve come to terms with my choices and realize that everything happens for a reason. I was supposed to be in Florida learning from Aunt Kat and maturing all this time, just like today I’m supposed to be back home for however long I’m supposed to be. I believe in destiny. I'm starting to believe that I'm always where I'm supposed to be on any given day.
“Part of working in the business is taking the minor jobs to build a foundation for the larger work,” Dad says to me.
“Put in the hours first,” Uncle Stone agrees.
“But this feels like I'm going backwards. I spent years in Miami with Aunt Kat doing work that matters and this is what you want me to do?”
Uncle Cam leans his massive body into the table towards me and says four words in a menacing tone, “Gigi does fucking matter.”
“I’ll do it!” Bronx wisecracks again, but everyone ignores him.
“Jade, you’re her mother and since Gigi’s not here to speak for herself, what do you think?” Mom asks.
Before Aunt Jade can respond, Uncle Cutter says his two cents. “Knox, this is not only what your family is asking from you but it should be something that you want to do. Gigi is damn near like your little sister. I don’t see what the problem is.”
“Only if you want to, Knox,” Aunt Jade says in an uncharacteristically defeated tone. “Otherwise, she comes home even if I have to go downtown and drag her ass out of there myself.”
I haven’t talked to Gigi that much over the last few years (on purpose), but there are still some things about her that I know for sure. I know that she desperately wants to be independent from her parents and especially from this life. I know that moving back to the suburbs would just about kill her. I know that me being sent to her apartment to keep an eye on her would piss her royally off. Yet I also know that a part of me would thoroughly enjoy that.
Fuck it, I’m in.
“I’ll do it.”
“You sure?” Uncle Camden asks and I know that there’s only one word which will be the right answer. He wasn’t really asking.
“Yes.”
“Good, we’re in agreement,” Dad says. “You just stay out of Gigi’s way and don’t be a nuisance. Shadow her just like I taught you.”
“I will, but can I ask how long you think I’ll need to do this?”
“If I taught your father anything, he should have this whole mess handled within the month,” Grandpa says to the room.
My Dad nods in agreement. “Definitely no longer than thirty days.”
“I’d call to tell the little brat that you’re coming, but she probably won’t pick up the phone,” Aunt Jade says.
“Not a problem,” I assure everyone. “I’ll handle it.”
“Look at our boy all grown up,” Uncle Cutter says mockingly to the room. “You’ll handle it, eh? When’s the last time you’ve seen, much less dealt with our Gigi? She’s got a bit of her stubborn mama and her daddy in her.”
“More than a little,” Aunt Sloan mutters under her breath and my mom taps her foot in disapproval under the table.
“Are we good, Cam? Jade?” Dad asks, clearly wanting to be finished with this conversation.
They both offer a terse head nod. “We’re good with this plan for the time being,” Aunt Jade agrees.
“Remember, it’s just a precaution. If they come at us at all, it will most likely be after our assets, not our kids.”
“Right.”
