“Her brother? How old is this brother?” Sloan snapped. She grabbed her laptop, some thick medical books she needed for research, her bag, and her keys before storming out the door and to her car.
“I don’t know. He’s like 30 or something,” Brooklyn said.“I got to go, Auntie. Somebody’s coming.” Brooklyn rushed out the words so frantically that Sloan didn’t even have time to respond.
Click.
“Oh, Cairo has lost his mind,” Sloan mumbled as she threw her things in the car. She immediately called Ellie. Voicemail.“Girlll,” Sloan sang.“Answer your phone.” She tried Ellie again, to no avail, before sending a text.
Sloan
Call me as soon as you get this. It’simportant.
Sloan didn’t wait to get the return call from Ellie. She headed over to Cairo’s house. She was almost positive that Ellie would be going to get her child if she knew what was going on. She cleared the expressway, pushing 95mph the entire way. The day was as dreary as her mood. Michigan winters came with gray skies, and the dusting of snow that was falling from the sky forced Sloan to turn on her wipers to get a clear view. She wasgrateful that she and Shy had done a stakeout for Ellie a few years back. They had done some things for each other over the years. When Cairo had first abandoned Ellie, her friend had desperately wanted to know if Cairo was living with another woman. She couldn’t make the trip to Michigan to go on the opps mission herself, so Sloan and Shy had done it for her. They had stalked that man all night until some heffa had done the walk of shame the next morning. They slut-shamed the poor lady all the way to her car, hooting and hollering out the window and shouting,“He’sa married, cheating-ass man!” at the top of their lungs. Cairo had always despised their friend group, but he absolutely hated them after that. She hadn’t been back to his house since, but instant directions popped up in her memory now that she needed to get to her Goddaughter.
She arrived and called Ellie one more time. When she Didn’t answer, Sloan made the executive decision to go get Brooklyn out of that house. She prayed she didn’t have to snap on Cairo or his girlfriend. She was in no position to fight. She wore closed-toe Pigalle’s and her doctor’scoat. She’d look a fool trying to pop off on anybody, but she wasn’t against it if somebody got stupid. She rang the doorbell, and when Cairo opened it, a look of disgust crossed his face.
“What the hell are you doing here?” he asked.
“I’m here to pick Brooklyn up. She called. She’s ready to go back to her mom,” Sloan said sternly.
His girlfriend stepped up behind him.“Baby, is everything okay?”
“Brook is fine. She’s being a brat because I’m putting down some rules in my house. This don’t concern you, Sloan. I’d appreciate it if you leave my house,” Cairo stated. He was acting like he had some sense, so Sloan wasn’t completely thrown off, but she wasn’t backing down.
“Look, Cairo, you and Ellie chose me because you trusted me to love your daughter like she’s my own. She doesn’t want to be here right now, and I don’t know what that’s about. Four years is a lot of time to let go by without seeing your daughter. There are some things that need to be worked out, it sounds like…”
“This is not her place,Cairo,” the girlfriend piped up.
Sloan deadpanned on Cairo and gave him a warning look.“You better get your fucking girlfriend, nigga, because you know how I get down. If anybody is out of place, it’s her and her fucking thirty-year-old brother that’s sleeping in this house while my niece is here. Why is Brook on the couch while that grown-ass man is sleeping comfortably in a bed? Why is he in there with her at all while you at work? Come on, Cairo! You got more sense than this,” Sloan hissed.“But if you don’t, and you want to make this a thing, I can call Cassidy to come settle this. It’s easier to deal with me than him or even Ellie. You and Ellie can work out the details later, but my Goddaughter called me, so let me take her.”
Cairo was steaming mad. She could see it, but she could also see that he understood the reason.
“I got this, baby, go back in the house.”
The girlfriend sucked her teeth, but she turned and walked back in the house.
“Don’t let your ego ruin your relationship with your daughter. You want her to want to come visit you, negro, and at the very least, be home when she’s here. Take the time off work so your daughter can get reacquainted with you —outside of the toxic bullshit you got going on with Ellie. You did her wrong. You got some repairing to do. Don’t just pick her up and think spending the night under your roof is enough!” Sloan fussed.
Cairo’s nostrils flared, and he sighed as he glanced behind Sloan, avoiding her convicting stare.
“Brooklyn!” His voice boomed so loudly that Sloan felt her heart jump.
“Yeah, Daddy?” Brooklyn shouted back.
“Come here for a minute!” Cairo yelled.
Brooklyn appeared at the door moments later, and Sloan could see the instant relief fill her Goddaughter’s eyes when Brooklyn saw that she had come.
“You want to go back to your grandpa,Bishop’s, house and bring Christmas in with your mama? Or you want to stay here?”
“I want to go to Papa’s, please,” Brooklyn stated, eyes watering.
“Go get your things then,” Cairo stated.
Brooklyn practically ran for her bag, and Sloan sighed in relief. It had been easier than she expected it to be. She could see the hurt on Cairo.
“What are you thinking? With all this? The way you’ve handled Ellie? And Tessa,” she whispered, lowering her tone.“Cairo, I don’t like your ass, but come on. Those girls don’t deserve this. Can you imagine how guilty Brooklyn feels even being here with you, knowing how her sister feels at home? How her mom feels? You’re going to lose her too if you don’t get your shit together,” Sloan stated. Brooklyn came back to the door, and Cairo moved aside so that his daughter could exit. He pulled her phone from his jacket pocket.
He handed it to Brooklyn.“I’m sorry you couldn’t stay longer and that I had to work,” Cairo said, clearing his throat.“Call me on Christmas, okay?” There were tears trying to form in his eyes. He cleared his throat and avoided eye contact with Brooklyn.
