I won’t be taking calls.
I probably won’t speak to you guys until after Christmas, but my heart is there.
Your gifts will be under my tree.
You are my best friends, and I love y’all so much.
I don’t want you to worry. I’llbe fine eventually.
But I need a few days away from everybody and everything.
Merry Friendsmas, ladies.
-xoxo-
Chapter 21
December 24th
Christmas Eve
Ellie read the message, and tears came to her eyes. This was her first time coming home for Christmas in years, and a huge piece of her heart would be missing. Nobody ever discussed the ways friends broke your heart. They could be worse than the destruction of a romantic relationship. Every woman expected men to fuck up eventually. Even the best man didn’t get the complete benefit of the doubt. Women just braced themselves for men to mess up, so when it hit, it didn’t come from out of nowhere. When a friendship failed, you realized how much you relied on other women. Friends were your secret keepers, your hitters, your moral advisors, your spirit lifters, your insecurity destroyer, your worry mitigator, and your intuition confirmer. Friends were there at rock bottom, wiping your tears. Friends were there when you lost your virginity. Friends were there without judgment, holding your hair out of the way when you overindulged. Friends were there when you were on some crazy shit, riding past a nigga crib to see if he was cheating. Friends were there when you gave birth to your first baby. Friends were there when your parents left this earth. Through every single phase of life, your day-one friends were imprinted on every memory that mattered. Ellie felt incomplete, knowing that Sloan wouldn’t be with her today. She knew calling her wouldn’t change anything. When Sloan said she didn’t want to be reached, it was a firm boundary. She would be surprised if her friend’s phone was even powered on. Ellie wanted to try, but she was still so angry at Sloan. A conversation needed to take place, but today wasn’t the day. She climbed out of bed and went to wake her girls, but their beds were already empty. She heard their infectious laughter, and she descended the steps of her parents’home to find her girls in the kitchen with her father, preparing for Christmas. Papa didn’t play when it came to his holiday meals, so they were starting on Christmas Eve. Brooklyn was being taught how to clean greens, and Tessa was cracking eggs into the cornmeal. Ellie entered the room and placed her hands on Tessa’s shoulders, leaning down to blow kisses on her cheeks.
“Good morning, my love,” Ellie greeted. She reached down into the cornmeal and picked the shells out that Tessa was leaving behind.
“Morning, Mommy!” Tessa shouted.
“Hey, Ma, morning,” Brooklyn added.
Ellie walked behind her daughter and hugged her from behind as she rested her head over Brooklyn’s shoulder.“I love you, baby girl.”
“Love you too.”
“Hey, Papa,” Ellie greeted her dad last as she bent down to kiss his cheek. He sat at the table, peeling sweet potatoes.
“Grab a seat; you can shred some cheese,” Papa said, motioning for her.
Ellie smiled. She didn’t mind helping. Some of her best memories were of her with her dad in this very kitchen. He was the reason why she could cook so well.
Cass walked into the house, carrying his father’s fryer.
“Papa, let this be the last year you forget something and send me out to get it on Christmas Eve,” Cassidy joked.
“Good luck with that. Daddygon’forget something every year,” Ellie stated.
“I went to three stores to find this,” Cass shot back.“That’s what took me so long.”
“You’re a good son, Cass. You won’t be talking all that shit when I drop my famous turkey in that there,”Bishop bragged.
Cassidy and Ellie laughed at the pride in Bishop’s voice. He fried turkeys for the whole neighborhood— it seemed like. Every Christmas, their neighbors would drop off their coolers and get in line, starting two days before the holiday, to pay him to season and fry their big bird. He had taught Cassidy the recipe when he was a teenager, and while Cassidy’s skill was a close second, Bishop was the undeniable king. This was Cassidy’s first Christmas home in years, and Ellie felt a sense of completion being able to spend the holiday with her entire family. The only person missing was Sloan.
“I’ma get you set up in the backyard,” Cassidy stated.
“I’llhelp you,” Ellie said.
She grabbed the peanut oil from the pantry and followed Cassidy out of the sliding glass door that led to the deck.
She watched him unbox the new turkey fryer as he set it up next to the other three Papa planned to use.
