There hasn’t been four of us in a long time.
“He’s Jamie,” I begrudgingly admit. “Have you ever met a woman he can’t charm?”
“Oh, sweetheart?—”
The waitress places my soup and Sabrina’s salad in front of us and offers me a lucky reprieve. We spend the rest of the afternoon catching up on much easier topics, and once Kyrie wakes up and Sabrina finally gets to hold my sister, I’m not sure she’s ever going to put her down.
That’s what she deserves.
That kind of mother.
The kind I want to be for her... But I’m not her mother.
A small voice somewhere in the deep recesses of my mind reminds me if my mother signs her rights away, that’s exactly what I’ll be. A mother. Kyrie’s mother.
I wasn’t sure that was what I wanted the first time the CPS social worker mentioned the possibility to me. But over the past few weeks, I’ve realized it’s exactly what I want. For her and for me. Something about this,today... it cements that fact.
I guess I better save enough money for a lawyer and a therapist because I’m pretty sure Kyrie and I will both need help working through this eventually. And that’s the first time I’ve smiled thinking about the future. Our future. Because we can get through this. We might need help doing it, but there’s no shame in that. Not when I’m finally looking at the future I want for us. Because therewillbe an us.
The Carmichael girls against the world.
I can do this.
I will do this.
“Sabrina...” I straighten my shoulders and swallow my pride. “Do you think one of your family law attorney friends would be able to help me?” I finally ask, and the brilliant smile she gives me answers me in about a million ways before she ever says a word.
JAMIE
Hey man – Sucks that your season ended so damn early,
but I heard Chicago’s loss could be Philly’s gain.
It is what it is.
We didn’t have the heart for it this year.
And nothing’s official yet.
That’s all you’re gonna say?
You gossip more than my mom, Murphy.
For now, that’s all there is to say.
As someone who was traded to Philly,
I’m here to tell you take the damn trade if it’s offered.
You’ve been gone for a long time, cousin.
Being home is pretty fucking great.
The family’s insane, but that’s never going to change.
Yeah . . . we’ll see.
—Text from Jamie to Hendrix
