Today would be no motherfucking different.
Three Days Later
The only thing keeping me from completely drowning in sadness was Him. He’d convinced me to stay at his home after the funeral, and I hadn’t been back to mine since.Some days, being in the house without my aunt and uncle was so sad it felt suffocating. Some days, it was the only thing helping me breathe. The day of the funeral, I felt like I was going to lose my mind until Draco arrived. I wouldn’t have been able to make it through the funeral without him. Since we met over a decade ago, he’d been the protector of my heart and buffer against anything or anyone that tried to harm me.
Today was the reading of Aunt Brenda’s will, and the only thing I wanted was her. I wasn’t expecting her to leave me any money or anything, but since her lawyer requested my presence, I showed up. Plus, Lily was leaving and going back to Atlanta right after, so this was my last chance to see her. She didn’t fuck with her siblings at all, so she planned to be here long enough to handle her mother’s affairs, which I understood. Hell, I didn’t fuck with them either, but they insisted on fucking with me, and had been since we were kids.
It was because of their taunting and bullying that I learned how to fight. Though the skill was useful because it allowed me to defend myself, I hated fighting and even arguing for that matter. They knew that, which was probably why they gave me so much hell when we were kids, because they knew they would be able to get away with it. The last time Megan and I fought, it was my eighteenth birthday. She’d ruined my birthday party by showing everyone pictures of me that she’d taken while I was in my underwear. Draco wanted me to press charges against her, but her parents begged me not to. He was so upset he beat both of her brothers up since he couldn’t touch her, and that was the day they stopped teasing me as much too.
Now, they either ignored me or gave me attitude. I was okay with that. It still hurt me that the people I loved could treat me so poorly, especially when I’d done nothing to deserve it, but that was my life. It didn’t help that they were all I had. My mom and aunt were the only children to their parents, who died beforeI was born. Whatever family they had, I knew nothing about, and after the way my cousins treated me, a part of me didn’t want to seek anyone else out. I told myself there was a reason the sisters left Mississippi and came to Memphis, never mentioning anyone from their family, and I couldn’t ignore that.
Some days I questioned why God would take my parents from me, and now my aunt and uncle, but sometimes bad things happened for no good reason. Sometimes you just had to go through shit to grow through shit. At this point, I wastiredof growing. I couldn’t take another loss. I would probably die of a broken heart.
My phone vibrated, and I didn’t have to look to know it was Him checking to see if I was okay. The only reason he wasn’t with me was because the lawyer said the reading was for family only. Otherwise, he’d be right by my side—as always. That truth had me pulling my phone out with a smile to see who’d texted me.
HIM: You good?
Yes. We’re about to start, so I should be out soon.
HIM: Cool. Wanna go to the arcade afterwards?
I’d love to. Definitely will need to have some fun and distract myself.
HIM: Got you boo.
He always had me. Always. I felt so alone after Aunt Brenda died, but the truth was, I wasn’t alone. I had Him. Draco had been glued to my side for the past thirteen years, and I prayed to God that never changed.
I put my phone back in my pocket when Megan walked in with the lawyer. Her eyes rolled, and she mugged me.
“Ew. Why isshehere?”
I could tell Cam was in a mood when he said, “Same reason we here. Mama wanted her here. Now sit down so we can get this over with.”
Her eyes rolled as she plopped down in her seat and crossed her arms over her chest. Lily’s hand grabbed mine, and she gave it a reassuring squeeze. This wasn’t the first time Megan tried to treat me like an outcast, but it was the first time Cam dismissed her efforts. While I wished it was because he was trying to protect me, I knew that wasn’t the case. He’d taken Aunt Brenda’s death hard and had been isolating since she transitioned. Honestly, I didn’t think any of us wanted to be here right now, which was why I was glad Attorney Hickens didn’t waste too much time.
He quickly yet thoroughly read a letter written by Aunt Brenda to all of us before going over her final wishes and what she’d bequeathed to her children. My shoulders sagged as soon as he readher children, and it made me question why she wanted me here. Still, I put my big girl panties on and dried my eyes before a tear could fall.
Aunt Brenda had left each of her four kids a quarter of a million dollars.
“And to my bonus baby and favorite niece,” Attorney Hickens continued, “I leave my home, my jewelry collection, and one hundred and fifty thousand dollars.”
“What!” Megan roared, jumping up from her seat.
“There has to be some kind of mistake,” Brandon said, sitting up in his seat.
“Why would Mama leave her the house?” Cam asked.
“It doesn’t matter why, she did, and that’s all that matters.” Lily rubbed my back as she added, “Congratulations, Cuz.” Hereyes went to Attorney Hickens. “If there’s nothing else, can I leave?”
He told her he’d need to get our addresses, IDs, and bank information for the deposits, while her siblings talked shit about Aunt Brenda leaving me money and the house. All I could do was sit there as tears fell from my eyes. I wasn’t expecting anything let alone something of this magnitude. Attorney Hickens handed me a personal letter, and my eyes were so blurry from tears, I couldn’t even read it immediately.
My sweet pea,
I love you so much Cordova. I hate to leave you. I promised my sister I’d take care of you when she left this Earth, and if I’m gone, I can say with all my heart that it has been my pleasure doing just that. The day you came into me and Joe’s home, I told you I was your mama now. I know initially you didn’t like the idea of anyone coming to take her place, but as you aged, you realized I wasn’t trying to replace her… I just wanted to give you a mother figure since you no longer had your own.
Being a second mother to my baby sister’s only child was an honor from God. You brightened every day of my life and helped me grieve losing my sister… my heart in human form. There was no way I could be on this Earth and let anyone else haveyou, sweet pea. You were mine to cherish, nurture, love, and keep safe.
Now that I’m gone, I want you to know you are not alone. You’ve got your cousins and four guardian angels guiding your path, speaking to your heart, and cheering you on from Heaven. We talking to God about you, sweet pea.
