“I’m close,” he assured me.
“Good. I’ll let you know if the weather changes.”
“Bet.”
Big N hung up, and I shook my head. Living with twenty-four-hour security had its perks. However, Big N would take things overboard. If I hadn’t given him the right safe words, he would’ve riddled Synder’s mansion with bullets just to catch one rat.
Yakira’s loud shouting and continuous banging drew me back to the door. There was another muffled voice, much deeper, yet matching Yakira’s energy. Peeking out of the bay window, I saw Yakira standing in the driveway, barking into Kewan’s face. Anytime I saw him, he was silent and assessing. His voice was much deeper than I expected.
I cracked the window open to hear what was going on.
“Syn’s orders to escort you off the property,” Kewan stated.
“What? No! Call my brother, right now!” Yakira demanded.
“Naw, I’m not interrupting his day. Either leave, or I’ll have the authorities escort you to jail. It’s up to you.”
Yakira growled loudly, then stormed off.
Shaking my head, I let the window down and sighed. I wished she wouldn’t have been the way she was. Whimsy needed herauntie in her life, but not if she was bringing unnecessary drama her way.
As I decorated the dining room, I did so with love and cheer in my heart. I did so, praying that one day, Synder and all his family could gather there for holiday dinner. I did so while imagining all the many pictures they would take. Hopefully, one day, there would be tons of laughter and memories made inside this dining room.
Hours later, Synder arrived home. The look he wore on his face caused my jolly mood to sour a little bit.
“Hey,” he spoke to me.
“Hi,” I replied. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m cool. The gate code has been changed, and you don’t have to worry about my sister anymore. As of today, I’m cutting them the fuck off.”
Shocked, I said, “Wait, Synder. You said so yourself that your family completely relies on you. Boundaries, yes. Cutting off… That’s a bit harsh.”
“I warned Yakira to leave you alone. I’ve never allowed her to show up here and get Whims. Not ever. She was lookin’ for a problem, plain and simple.”
That was discouraging. Still, I said, “Well, I didn’t give the situation a chance to escalate. I called you.”
“Which was right to do, my baby. I’m tired of my family, and every time I think they’ll get the picture, they don’t. Yakira has been this way for years, and I’m done lettin’ her think that shit is cool.”
“Listen, Synder. I know you’re upset, but Yakira is your sister. While I don’t agree with her showing up out of nowhere today, she is your family. Is there some type of group counseling you all can do to find some common ground?”
Synder glanced at me. “Tried that a few years ago. Nobody showed up.”
Devastated on Synder’s behalf, my eyes clouded with tears. “I’m sorry.”
He shrugged. “It’s all good. What I wanna talk about is how nice the dining room looks. You did that by ya’self?”
Pleased, I nodded. I recognized his deflection as dropping the subject, so I did.
“It’s dope, baby,” he praised. “Which room is next?”
Giggling, I hunched my shoulders. “By the time I do the entire mansion, Christmas will have gone.”
“There’s nothin’ wrong with leaving the decorations up for a while,” he stated.
Excited as if I lived here, I clapped and squealed. “Really?”
He grinned. “Really, lil’ baby.”
