He talked shit with Heavy and Crew all the way to the door. Giselle’s heart was full, listening to their banter on the way out before turning and scoping out the women in the room with her. Giselle and Lou giggled with their heads together, and Maisie tossed a pillow on the floor so she could join them around the coffee.
“You want to be dealt in, G?” Maisie turned to her.
“Yeah,” she agreed.
For the first time in years, she felt like she wasn’t just back in Southwick, she was part of it. The kids ran from the basement upstairs and chased each other all through the house, eventually wearing themselves out. The following morning, it was Remi’s voice dragging everyone back to reality when she came barging into her living room. Sunlight sliced through the windows like it had a personal vendetta. The twins and Pierre were already wide awake, lined up in front of the TV with Nickelodeon blaring as they munched on bowls of cereal.
“Wake up, heathens! I can smell the regret from the doorway!’
Giselle groaned into a pillow, and behind her on the couch, Heavy pulled a blanket over his head to shield the sun. Henna shielded her eyes from the floor, and Prischa rolled off the love seat when Viggo shifted to roll over. She hit the floor with a thud, and Remi shook her head when she set the tray of Gatorade bottles and breakfast burritos on the table for them.
“Oh, my God, why is the sun yelling?” Prischa whined, rolling onto her side and snatching the covers off Viggo for herself.
Half empty bottles of liquor and empty daiquiri glasses sat on the table right alongside an ashtray filled with blunt roaches.
“You three come back to the kitchen and finish that cereal. Then, you’re coming outside with me to tend to the garden,” Remi instructed the kids.
With their bowls in hand, Harlee, Heir, and Pierre stood and padded out of the room.
“Here’s some breakfast for you all. I expect my living room to be clean before you leave.”
Crew and Maisie managed to stumble home, while Gem and Lou retired upstairs in the bedrooms they slept in when they came home from school.
“Yo, who she talking to?” Viggo grumbled, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.
Heavy picked his head up, searching the room. His eyes traveled from his sister on the floor, wrapped in a blanket, to the alcohol bottles on the table, and Giselle with her hair wild all over her head beside him. His girl looked like she had fought the night and lost.
“I’m talking to you, Viggo!” Remi yelled, hands on her hips.
“Damn, should I call somebody? Looks like a disaster zone up in this bitch,” Heavy remarked.
“No. Just a little bonding with our girls here.” Remi smiled.
“We didn’t bond. We trauma-conferenced, with alcohol,” Henna corrected from under the covers on the floor.
“Giselle cried.” Prischa picked her head up off the pillow on the floor.
“Bitch, so did you.” Henna sucked her teeth. “And I may have, too, but I’ll deny it in public.”
Groaning, Giselle shifted and turned to bury her face in Heavy’s chest. He cocked a brow and wrapped an arm around her.
“Y’all crying together now?”
“It’s progress,” Remi declared, picking up a bottle of Gatorade and handing it to him. “Make sure you all eat something. I’ll be in the yard with the kids.”
Heavy twisted the cap off the Gatorade and took a few gulps before handing it to Giselle. She sat up to take a few swigs. When he got back with Crew and Viggo last night the women in their lives were all drunk, singing, and talking shit. He vaguely remembered a game of drunk UNO, and a few blunts before passing out with his girl on the couch. He handed the bottle to her, and she sat up to take a few swigs. Henna scooted closer to the table and reached for one of the burritos wrapped in foil.
“You good?” Heavy checked with Giselle in a soft tone.
“No,” she pouted, looking him in the eye after a few sips. “Maybe. I need coffee.”
“Fill up on that first.” He nodded to the bottle in her hand, and his eyes landed on Prischa as she sat up in front of the sofa near Viggo.
“We good?”
“Yeah, yeah.” She waved him off. “I’m over it. Besides, you and Giselle are disgustingly cute, and I’m okay with admitting that.” She shrugged.
Heavy blinked a few times as Giselle sat up in front of him.
