“Jahlil doesn’t tell me any of your secrets. He’s keeps the shit between men between men. But this is you and I, so be real with me.”
Carson shrugged slightly. “It’s the watching you turn all his shit into gold and a house into a home effortlessly. It makes me think about where I’m headed and how, as of right now, I have no one to share that shit with. Loneliness is real and for a long time I had you to fill it and now I’m looking at this transition and don’t get me wrong, I’m over the moon for both of you, but that means I got to look at myself now and fix this shit.”
Emani bumped him with her hip. “You know I know that feeling. And you know I know you need someone. But before you do that, check your heart and your mind and make sure you’re ready. The carrying of someone else’s emotions and spirit is a lot. Like you told me, be ready for the responsibility.”
“You’ll help me vet?”
“Thought you would never ask. You know how to get them up out of here,” Emani shared with a laugh, hearing a stampede of feet down the back stairs. “Merry Christmas!”
Andrew was the first to appear with a smile on his face. The Christmas basket she left in his room was the reason for it. He hugged her in thanks.
“I missed those baskets. Sanaa thinks it’s from Santa,” he muttered.
Emani laughed, softly kissing his cheek. “You did too, don’t ruin it for her. When she loses that, the innocence is gone. Already bad enough she’s got a little boyfriend.”
Andrew laughed. “I say we take her door.”
“You ain’t taking shit, ugly boy,” Sanaa huffed, pushing Andrew out the way to hug Emani.
“Um, little Miss Sanaa,” Emani started.
“Yes, miss mami,” Sanaa retorted.
“Just because you made it twenty four days without bad words and Santa came doesn’t mean I can’t send all that stuff back to sender,” Emani replied, squatting down to eye level with her. “No more colorful words.”
Sanaa huffed. “Fine.”
Emani rose a brow in silent correction.
“I meant, yes, mami.”
Emani laughed at the mami reference. “Thank you. Merry Christmas, beautiful girl.”
Sanaa blushed. “Merry Christmas, pretty lady. Can we open presents?”
“In a minute,” Jahlil called from the living room. “Dining room!”
“We can open presents after we eat,” Emani shared. “Deal?”
“Deal.”
Emani stood and went back to cooking with Carson. Once everything was almost done, Donnée came into the kitchen to take over.
“Jahlil wants you to go change for pictures,” Donnée directed, bumping her out of the way. “Go, go.”
“Of course you show up after all the hard work is done,” Emani said with a laugh, after giving her the towel. “I do all the cooking, you show up to take credit.”
“It’s been like that all of our lives, why would I change it up now? Go, go. We want to eat and can’t eat until you change.”
Emani walked out the kitchen and up the stairs to the bedroom. She took a quick shower and changed into a pair of white silk pajamas with red bows. The slippers matched the set. After sliding her feet into the plush red slippers, she walked out of the room and followed the rose petals scattered over the floor and Santa’s boot prints.
“What are y’all up to?” she mumbled to herself, walking down the back stairs. The lights that were previously on were turned off and the decorations she put up immediately after Thanksgiving illuminated the space. Everyone, including Derrick, was in a pair a red pajamas matching the red, white, and green theme of their Christmas décor.
“What’s all of this?” Emani asked, looking at Ashton standing on a chair to hang mistletoe over Jahlil’s head.
“Ashton trying to kiss your nigga, looks like,” Kyrie muttered his joke.
“Keep it up,” Ashton warned. “I’ll come kiss you next.”
