“Why? I want both my grandbabies here . . . I don’t feel well.” She said that last part like it confused her. Sweetie immediatelyunderstood what her mother said about her mind not being all the way there.
“I know, Granny. I’m going to figure somethin’ out, okay? Can you hold on for me a little bit longer?”
Lucille nodded. “Don’t take too long.”
Her frail voice undid Sweetie, and as badly as she wanted to sit on the phone with her granny and soak in her voice and face, she knew she had to get off the phone.
“I won’t, Granny. I promise. Can you put Mama back on the phone?”
A moment later, her mother’s face was back in the screen. The smile Sweetie put on for her grandmother disappeared, and she sobbed. “Mama, I need to be there.”
“I know, baby. I’m going to go talk to your father, and I’ll call you back. Your granny isn’t the only one that wants you here . . . Me and Audra do too. We need to be together as a family.”
It warmed Sweetie’s heart that her mom and sister wanted her there. For so long, she felt like an outcast. It was sad that her granny dying had to be the thing that brought them closer together.
“He’s talking about breaking a treaty and war . . . Mama, he isn’t going to allow it. Not if I’m with Boogie.”
Valarie sighed. “I know. I know. Just let me talk to him. My mother is dying . . . I think we all deserve a little grace right now.” She paused. “Sweetie?”
“Yeah?”
“Are you happy? With Boogie, I mean?”
Sweetie paused. The topic of Boogie was always off the table. Mentioning a DeLuca in the Bishop house was as good as cursing out God. It was blasphemy.
“I’ve always loved Boogie. He’s the only person I’ve ever really connected with. Yes, I’m happy.”
She’d basically just told her mom that she never connected with anyone in her family, but she also assured her that she knew love through Boogie. Admitting that to her mother felt bittersweet.
Valarie was silent for a moment before she said, “Hold on to that love, Sweetie, no matter what. I’ll call you back shortly.”
The line disconnected, and Sweetie felt a swarm of emotions overtake her. Having her mother’s blessing felt like everything to her, but she didn’t feel like celebrating. Her only thought was of her granny.
It didn’t take long for Boogie to get home. When Chloe called and told him Sweetie needed him, he dropped everything to be there. It didn’t matter that he had some blocks getting hit because of Vernon Bishop’s ol’ bitter ass. Sweetie meant more to him.
When he stepped into their guest room and saw Sweetie’s head in Chloe’s lap and his baby crying, he saw red.
“What happened?” he asked as he walked over to the bed and grabbed Sweetie from Chloe. He held her to his chest as she cried. Boogie looked at Chloe, waiting for an answer. When she called, she only said that something was going on with Sweetie’s family. She didn’t say what.
“Her grandmother isn’t doing so well. Her father won’t let her go say goodbye.”
Boogie was so over this petty shit. “Fuck that. Both of you, come with me.”
He turned and walked out of the room and through the house in search of the rest of his family. They were in the living room.
“We need to talk,” he announced as he walked into the room with Chloe and Sweetie following behind him.
He pulled Sweetie into him and rubbed her back while she sniffled.
“What’s wrong?” Tandy asked as she eyed Sweetie with worry in her eyes.
“Pops, we need to call a meeting with the Bishops. This shit is out of hand, and I’m not gon’ keep entertaining any of this. It’s time for y’all to squash the beef.”
“Son, if you can get Vernon to agree to a meeting, then I’ll be there. He’s the one that’s been stuck on this shit.” Zander leaned back on the sofa and draped his arm on the back of the couch behind his wife.
“Did something happen?” Denzel asked for clarification. He was the type to get all the facts before getting on board with something.
Boogie squeezed Sweetie into his side. “This shit is just takin’ a toll on us. Sweetie wants to see her granny before she transitions, and he won’t allow it. I’m hoping if we can negotiate a truce that she will be able to say her goodbyes and have some damn peace. This shit is so stupid.”
