“Yeah. What you do when you’re not saving lives or dodging my brother’s dramatic ass.”
Despite myself, a laugh bubbled up.
“Dramatic, huh?”
“Yes, dramatic. That man sent you how many gifts?” She shook her head. “That’s textbook extra. But that’s DaVinci. He doesn’t do anything halfway. Gift and a curse, I guess.”
My composure felt under attack, but I pushed through.
“Honestly, not much. When I’m not working, I’m usually watching movies and reading with Brixxi. The most interesting thing is my love and enjoyment of roller derby.”
“Roller derby?” Omni’s eyes lit up. “Wait, you skate? Halo, you’re so small. I would’ve never guessed that.”
“I’ve been skating since I was a kid, but roller derby’s been my therapy since I moved here about five years ago.”
“Okay, I fuck with that.” She leaned back as the server brought our wine. “Y’all need someone else? I’ve been needing a stress reliever that ain’t dick for a minute.”
“You sound like me. What are you into?”
“I’m a chef.” She gestured around the private room. “This is my baby. Chy Bella.”
“Wait, you own this?” I looked around with new appreciation. “Girl, this is beautiful and so dope.”
“Thank you. It took me two years to get it right, but she finally became what I wanted her to be.” Pride was evident on her face. I loved seeing a Black woman succeed. “Between this and Ignite, I stay busy. But I love it. Food is my therapy.”
“I respect that. I wish I cooked more. My grandmother left me her recipes, but I hardly ever use them.”
“That’s a crime,” Omni said, shaking her head. “But we can fix that. You, me, and a cooking lesson. I’ll teach you some shit that’ll change your life. Or my brother could teach you.”
“I might takeyouup on that.” I put extra emphasis onthe youbecause her brother was still on my shit list.
The server brought our appetizers, and we both dug in. The food was incredible, and the table was full of little plates we picked from between sips of wine.
Somewhere between bites and refills, her tone shifted.
“He’s lighter,” she said, swirling her glass. “Like, for the first time in years, his eyes actually got life in ’em. He’s not just going through the motions. I can see him moving forward. So, Halo, even if you never give him a real shot, you already gave him something. Hope that one day he can have love again.”
“I’ve been waiting on you to bring him up,” I said, scoffing, but I didn’t really mind. Low-key, I was waiting on his ass to pop up. That was literally his M.O. A quick flicker of jealousy slid through me at the idea of him giving this much energy to somebody else, and I didn’t like that one bit. My body didn’t either. Heat crept up my neck, and my shoulders went tight.
“Sorry. I tried not to bring him up, but what kinda sister would I be if I didn’t have my brother’s back?” she asked, throwing me a wink.
“I couldn’t answer that, girl. I’m an only child.”
“Oh, that makes sense. Anyway, where’s home?”
“Coupeville, so Tennessee,” I confirmed. “It’s a small town. My dad’s still there. My mom passed when I was younger in a house fire.”
Omni’s face fell.
“Halo…”
“It’s why I became a firefighter,” I said quickly, not wanting the pity to sit too long. “It felt like the only way to make sense of it. Like if I could save other people, maybe it wouldn’t hurt as much.”
“Did it work?”
“Sometimes.” I picked at my food. “Other times it just reminds me I couldn’t save her.”
Omni reached across the table and squeezed my hand. Normally, I would’ve pulled back. I didn’t.
