She batted her eyelashes at me innocently, and I sighed as Raine giggled beside me. Everyone knew that Esmé was a huge flirt, and she leaned into it. It didn’t matter how you identified; if she thought you were attractive, she was going to let you know and also throw in some playful teasing. Of course, it was all ingood fun, and she knew how to respect people’s boundaries, but I couldn’t help but get a little protective of Raine. Even though Raine loved the attention and once stated that she loved seeing me get a bit possessive over her. I think it turned her on a little, but she’d never admit it.
“You know I’m just admiring the beauty before me,” she shrugged, reaching out to pull Raine into a hug. I watched as they embraced, but when Esmé moaned, I stepped in to break them up, causing both of them to laugh. “Damn, Dawn, always hogging her to yourself.”
“Well, she is my girlfriend, so…” I shrugged.
“I knew it!” Sammie exclaims. “You know, it’s been obvious as hell, but hearing you confirm it is like the icing on the cake.”
“It was obvious?”
She nods and dives into this spiel of how people on the other side of the world could see that there was more than just friendship between us. Esmé adds that there have been plenty of times when she has caught us stealing glances at each other when we thought no one was looking. I glanced at Raine, and her cheeks flushed. She was so beautiful, and honestly, I didn’t care that we were obvious. It’s not like we were hiding it…well, not technically.
“So, when are you finally going to admit to your aunt that you’re boo’ed up with your lead dancer?” Sammie asks as we head down the hall to meet the others. “You know she’s gonna pop a blood vessel if you keep this from her.”
“She’s gonna pop a blood vessel when Idotell her,” I reply, shaking my head. “But I will soon. She’s just gonna have to deal with it, because nothing she says is going to change how I feel about Raine.”
“Shit, respect,” she replies, holding her hands up, patting me on the shoulder. “Good luck, friend.”
I nod as we continue down the hall in silence. We make a quick stop by Raine’s studio to get her belongings, and then we head out the door. Yari greeted me as she and her group of friends walked over. They all played football with her, except for one woman named Zseyah. She was married to one of her friends named Jakayla. They were cool, and we’d hung out many times in the past.
We moved to our designated cars and then headed over to a nearby bar to get drinks and chill for a few hours. It was all laughs and good times, and of course, a few people stopped me for pictures every once in a while. I was used to this, but I never let it stop me from going out like everyone else. Just because I was pretty recognizable didn’t mean that I would hide away. If I wanted to party, I was going to party.
“I’ll be right back,” Raine tells me after glancing down at her phone. She sighs, shaking her head before answering it as she stands. “What’s up, Myra? Why are you calling me so late?”
I watch her for a while longer as she walks towards the restroom. I could already tell that her mood was about to be ruined after the call. That was always the case whenever her sister hit her up. I hated that they had such a terrible relationship, and after Raine finally opened up to me a few days ago about everything her sister put her through, I felt even more for her.
I couldn’t fathom treating my siblings the way that Myra treated her. There was nothing or no one in this world that could make me berate and verbally abuse them. I’d never tell them that their dreams were too far-fetched. I’d never criticize them for just trying to live their lives the best way they could. Maybe it was because we were raised so differently, but from what Raine has told me about her childhood, their mom was amazing. So, where did Myra get her ways from?
When fifteen minutes passed and Raine hadn’t made it back, I got up and made my way over to the restroom. Upon entering, I heard sniffling and found her bending over the sink, hyperventilating. I rushed over to her and placed a hand on her back. She jumped and turned to face me, but relaxed when she realized who I was.
“What’s wrong, Raine?” I asked as she wiped her tears. “Why are you crying?”
“Ugh, this is so embarrassing,” she huffed as the tears continued to fall. “I’m almost thirty, and the shit my sister says still makes me cry. I hate this this much.”
“What did she say this time?” I question, taking her face into my hands. I use my thumbs to swipe away the tears as they fall.
She took a deep breath, shaking her head as if trying to figure out if what she had heard was worth repeating, but I told her to take her time. After a full minute of her swiping at tears, she finally leaned against the wall and took a deep sigh before making eye contact with me once again.
“My wonderful sister just told me that she was no longer going to be paying for our mom to stay in the retirement home she’s in because it’s getting too expensive,” she tells me, and I can see the defeat in her eyes.
“Ain’t that some shit,” I reply, annoyed for her.
“Right? And then she tried to make me feel bad for not having a house of my own because now our mom would have to go live with her instead,” she huffed. “God, I swear, she works on my fucking nerves! None of this would have happened had she just let our mom stay in her own home and just hired an in-home caretaker instead. But nooo! That’s too much like right.”
“I’m sorry, love,” I say, pulling her in for a much-needed hug. I could feel her relax against me as she let out a sigh. “Which home is she at again?”
“North Oaks Retirement Home in Zachary. Why?”
“Just curious,” I tell her. “I know how much your mom means to you, so if you need anything, just let me know, okay?”
“You’re so sweet,” she replies, glancing up at me. “I appreciate it, but I’ll handle it. I would much rather have her stay in the retirement home she’s in rather than go stay with Myra because she seems to enjoy it. She has her friends, nurses, and staff she knows, and a schedule they can keep her to. I know for a fact that Myra is gonna disrupt all of that if she moves my mom into her place.Ididn’t even like staying with Myra when I had to.”
“Don’t worry, baby. I have a feeling that everything is going to work out,” I assure her.
She nods, but doesn’t reply as I stroke her back softly. We stayed there like that for a while longer before Esmé came to find us and drag us back out to where the others were. For the rest of the night, Raine was not as present as she was earlier, no doubt thinking about her mom and ways to solve the problem at hand. I hated how her sister was at the center of most of the shitty things that happened in Raine’s life. She didn’t deserve that, and if I ever met Myra in person, she’d better be ready for how I was going to tell her ass off.
Later, when everyone started to call it a night, I ushered Raine out of the bar and into my car. She’d thrown back quite a few drinks, so she was barely able to keep her eyes open. Luckily, she and I had started carpooling, and today was my day to drive. So, I got her buckled into the passenger seat, said goodnight to the others, and made my way over to her house.
As soon as I pulled up, the porch light turned on, and Ginger stepped out onto the porch in a robe, house slippers, and a bonnet. She reminded me of someone’s mom who had been waiting up for their rebellious teen to come home after breaking curfew. I couldn’t help but chuckle at the thought.
