There was something familiar about her.
“Y’all should sit down and try this.” Audiemar aimed a fork at his plate and nodded.
“Try what?” Mozzi slid inside, rubbing his hands together.
Ayla had to remind herself that unexpected guests seemed to be a thing around there. He’d snuck in through the side door since he pulled up the same time Phoebe and Nay did. If avoiding at all costs was a person, it would be Mozzi. He didn’t even like speaking to them hoes if it wasn’t necessary. Kong and his pops might have been cool with them being around, but Mozzi smelled their clout chasing ass from a mile away. The minute Jane was buried and in the ground, Phoebe couldn’t wait to start popping up for anything and everything.
“Cornbread pancakes with chicken and some spicy syrup,” his father informed him.
“Word? That sounds heat!”
Nayelli rolled her eyes. Mozzi never wanted to eat her food when she cooked.
Kong swallowed his current bite, grabbed a napkin, and wiped his mouth.
“Ayla, this is my brother, Mozzi.”
“Sup!” He chucked his chin at her and moseyed over to the table with his family.
“Sounds a little ‘hood’ to me.” Phoebe turned up her nose.
Ayla smiled, ignoring the dig when she really wanted to snatch the hag up by her blunt cut bob wig. She picked up two trays, one with the remaining chicken and pancakes and the other with the egg bites. Moving past Nayelli and Phoebe, she took everything to the table as Mozzi settled in a chair.
“What you doing here? I thought you was rolling with Moose today,” Kong questioned him.
“Nigga blew me off. You know he get in his feelings on Sundays. Was probably on a binge.” Mozzi picked up two pancakes and some chicken off the tray when Ayla came around to his side of the table.
“What’s those?” he asked, not bothering with a fork when he took a bite of the pancake. His eyes expanded. “Oh, shit, these muhfuckas is legit!”
“I told you,” Audiemar agreed, looking very content.
It was amazing how much a good meal could put you in a better mood. Ayla loved that part about cooking.
“These are ham and spinach egg bites. Try one,” she encouraged.
“I don’t really like spinach.” Mozzi brushed her off but grabbed another pancake.
“You won’t care when you taste one!” Kyro co-signed.
“Word? It’s like that, nephew?” Mozzi hiked both brows. “Aight, if you say they all dat, I’ll try one.” He picked one off a plate.
“Now that you’ve tried everything, what do you rate my first dish?” Ayla posed with a hand on her hip and a damn near empty tray in her hand.
Kyro scrambled for his cards and leaned in to whisper to Kara, who’d been eating in peace with no complaints the entire time. There was a little scrunched up frown that she sported, much like her father, but not one outburst. The two reached for the rating cards they made and held up a ten across the board.
“Yeah.” Mozzi nodded. “Fa sho. Lemme get another one of them ham and spinach things.” He snatched another off her tray, and Ayla laughed.
“What do you two think of the bites?” she questioned the kids.
Both held their tens above their heads this time.
“Yeah, you winning with these.” Kong polished off the last of his food and eased back in his chair. “What y’all think? Should we give Ayla a trial run?”
“If she cooking like this, make sure my place is set every night, too!” Mozzi nodded with his mouth full.
Ready to spit fire, Nayelli tossed her bags on the island counter. With her back against it, she noticed her mother moving toward her calmly.
“You seeing this shit?” she muttered, eyes never leaving the interaction at the table.
