“That’s Aunty for you. She don’t play about her patients. I wonder if your dad was the reason she never got married.”I thought about my aunt being with my Uncle Rodney for years before he died but never marrying him. I never asked, and on the outside looking in, they were happy with their relationship as it was. Now to hear about how she reacted to seeing Thyri’s father, maybe he was the reason why.
“I don’t know. I’ma try to get the tea from Daddy, and I’ll get back to you on that.”She snickered.
“Mannn, I don’t be doing that gossipin’ shit. You talkin’ bout ‘gettin’ the tea’.”I shook my head, and she laughed.
“Oh, please. You know you wanna know what happened. But on another note. Thank you again for making this happen though.”
“No thanks needed. I’m a fixer. It’s what I do.”I thought about the body that I’d just left in Queens that made my statement ring true.
“Well, Mr. Fixer, help me with this. I’m out shopping for some last minute gifts for KJ. Any suggestions for male cologne similar to what you had on during the interview at your office?”
“So, you was sniffing a nigga?”
“Enzo, please.”She laughed.“I was not sniffing you, but I do have a nose.”
“I had on YSL Myself. The good shit.”
“Okay. I’ll pick that up.”
I pulled up in front of my house as the call was still going, and a text message popped up on the dashboard. It was my cousin, Kyiris, reminding me that the Christmas party was tonight, and she didn’t wanna hear anything about me not coming.
“Damn,”I said out loud.
“What happened?”
“Nothing serious. I purposely forgot about my family’s annual Secret Santa Christmas party tonight and thought I’d be able to get away with it, but my cousin just reminded me about it. I pulled her name for Secret Santa, and I ain’t even make it to the mall.”
“Oh. I can pick something up and bring it to you if you want.”
“Nah. You’re out doing your thing. I don’t wanna take you from that.”
“Enzo, I can do it.”Something in the way she offered her help made me wanna do it to her.“It’s the least I can do. Tell me what she likes.”
“Perfume for sure. That’s her shit. I have her buy all my colognes.”
“Okay. I got you. I’ll call you when I’m on the way.”
Before I could end the call, a thought popped in my head.“Aye, Thyri, you and KJ doing anything later?”
“Ummm, I’ll be wrapping gifts, and KJ will be avoiding me like the Black Plague. Why? Wassup? You need me for EJ?”
I started to say,No, I need you for me,but it came out as an invitation instead.“Come out to the Christmas party. I know it’s late notice, but I’d like for you and KJ to join us. I got a few lil’ cousins his age, so he don’t have to be under you either. He can vibe out with his age group.”
“Okay,”she said without pause or hesitation.
“Cool,”I replied.“You can dress casual.”
“Sounds good. Talk later.”
“Aight.”
The line went dead, but I sat in the driveway a few seconds longer.
CHAPTER 9
A Party With The Sullivans
By the time I left the mall, my arms were burning, and I’d decided that my last minute shopping days were over. Between the long lines and the fighting over sales, celebrating Kwanzaa didn’t sound too bad. My trunk was packed with a little bit of something for everyone. I’d picked up a few body care products to send to my mother and sister, a skincare set that Danae kept hinting at, a robe, slippers, and shaving kit for my dad, and a car set for EJ that I couldn’t pass up. I even walked out with something for Enzo because it just felt like the right thing to do.
