She would threaten to take Lyric to a group home unless I helped pay her bills. I was locked up and facing time for a murder charge, but none of it made a difference. Lyric had been through too much to have her bouncing from different foster homes, so I had no choice but to come up with the money. Luckily for me, my dawgs, Logic and East, looked out for me.
Even though I wasn’t there to physically push the weight with them, they still split the profits three ways, making sure to keep money on my books and slide some bread to Trina’s money-hungry ass. When I found out Lyric ran away, I cut her off completely, causing her to go off on me. She called us ungrateful bastards and went on a tangent about how her sister should have aborted us.
Her words ignited a fire in me, and I reached out to my old bitch, Shamya, for a favor. I paid her and a couple of her friends to jump my auntie. It probably wasn’t the right thing to do, but I wasn’t tryna be right. I was tired of mothafuckas trying to get over on me, and I decided to play the game their way.
“I haven’t talked to Trina since I got pregnant with Symphonee. She jumped on me like I was a dog in the street when she found out about—”
Lyric paused in the middle of her statement, and I tilted my head to give her the side-eye. This wasn’t the first time she had done it, and it made me wonder what she was hiding.
“Found out about what?” I huffed, losing patience with her and all the secrecy. She wondered why I kept calling her ass sneaky, and it was because she changed since before I got locked up. We used to tell each other everything, no matter how embarrassing it was or how much it hurt. For some reason, she didn’t seem to want me to know about certain parts of her life.
“Umm, she was upset because she thought I was fucking in her house. She called me all kinds of names and tossed my shit out on the street. I was so embarrassed when everyone gathered around and watched her show her ass. She and Momma are truly one and the same. Their lives are completely centered around a man and what they can do for them. They will turn on their own kids and family to make sure they can keep their man. It’s really disgusting. The moment I found out I was having a girl, I vowed no one would ever come before her. I would never put her in a position where she thought I loved anyone more than her.”
I nodded, even though I wanted to press her for more information. It was obvious there were parts of the story she was leaving out. As much as I wanted to push, I decided to wait until she was ready to open up to me.
“As far as I’m concerned, they are both dead to me. They don’t have shit to say to me, and if your momma doesn’t quit while she’s ahead, I’ll make sure she gets the same treatment as her hoe ass sister. I’m not sparing anyone.”
“I know. It kind of makes me sad at times because I wanted my kids to know what it was like to have a real family, but we don’t even have one. The closest thing Symphonee has to grandparents is East’s granny and Auntie. A part of me thought maybe Momma would at least try to be in her life since she wasn’t much of a mother, but she doesn’t even ask about her when she calls.”
“You don’t need her, L-Boogie. We may not have a family in the traditional sense, but we can create our own. Hell, we have our kids, Logic, East, Nova, and Cocoa. I know the two of you haven’t sat down and had a conversation, but I think it’s time. The two of you are the most important women in my life, and I can’t have you at odds. Especially over shit I caused,” I explained. As my sister, I understood Lyric’s reasoning for keeping Naiari at a distance, but we were trying to moveforward. If I were no longer holding resentment toward her, I needed the people around me to get with the program. Besides, I had my own share of the blame for the way things played out. Naiari deserved the same grace I received.
“It sounds like you aren’t giving me much of a choice.” She pouted.
“I mean, it’s up to you. I plan to marry Cocoa one day. I would hate for you to miss the wedding because the two of you can’t put your differences aside.”
Lyric's face dropped when I said that. I was bullshitting, but she didn’t need to know that.
“I can’t believe you would uninvite me to your wedding because of her. I’m your only sister for crying out loud.” Her arms folded across her chest, and she looked like an older version of my niece.
“Trust me, I don’t want to make a choice. I would much rather be on an island with my whole family, celebrating my nuptials, but it would be her wedding, too. I can’t put her in a position to be uncomfortable.”
“I don’t think it’s fair.”
“Lyric, you were throwing shade at her for months on social media, and you still haven’t apologized. All I’m saying is it’s time for the two of you to set your differences aside. You used to love one another, and regardless of what transpired, we’re still family. You are the twins’ auntie, and she is their mother. It takes a village to raise these children, and it will only work if the village is solid. The kids want to go on vacation this week, and I would like everyone I love to be there. Maybe this would be a great opportunity to mend things.” Was I being slightly manipulative? Yes. It was time for my two favorite ladies to get on the same page.
“Where are we going?” Lyric eyed me curiously.
“I had Persia book us a six-bedroom oceanfront villa at a resort in Cancun. We leave in two days. Everything has already been paid for. I’m gonna take everyone to the mall tomorrow so we can grab whatever we need.”
“Are you serious right now?” Lyric squealed while she jumped up and down.
“Yeah. I want to spend some time with everyone without the media or any interruptions. Plus, we all could use some fun and relaxation,” I added. Lately, it seemed like I barely had the time to sit and enjoy the fruits of my labor because I was constantly being pulled in so many different directions. I needed time to sit down and reflect on life and the blessings I now possessed.
“OMG, I need to make a hair appointment, and I definitely have to get my nails done. I wonder if I should get braids since it’s gonna be warm. Shit, I need a cute ass bathing suit. Hmm, let me see what I can do.” Lyric rambled as she typed away on her phone. I enjoyed making my family smile. If I didn’t do anything else with my fortunes, they would never have to worry about a thing.
“We’re all gonna be in one space together, so hopefully, it’ll give you and Cocoa time to talk,” I urged.
Lyric rolled her eyes before a smirk flashed across her face. “Fine, I’ll talk to her. I can’t promise it’ll go the way you want it to, but I’m willing to try for you. You’ve been in love with her for as long as I can remember, so I’m sure she isn’t going anywhere. Plus, I love my nieces and my nephew. If I can tolerate Tiana's trifling ass, then I can be cordial with Ari.”
“Thank you. The two of you don’t have to be best friends, but I want you to be able to co-exist with one another. It means a lot to me.”
“I said I’ll try. I think a free vacation is more than enough of a reason to put in the effort. I love you, Brother!” Lyric leaped intomy arms like she used to do when we were younger. The two of us laughed, and I hadn’t realized how much I needed it.
“I love you more, L-Boogie. Even if I give you a hard time, I need you to know I’m proud of you. Your life hasn’t been easy, but you’ve managed to make something of yourself. You’re in school, you make your own money, and you’re a damn good momma. I know you don’t need me to save you, but I want you to know that I’m here for you no matter what. You don’t ever have to keep secrets from me or feel like you have to hold anything back from me. My love for you is unconditional, and there’s nothing you can do to change it.”
Tears streamed down her cheeks, but she put on a smile as if everything was all good. I couldn’t shake the feeling that she was keeping something from me. It made me feel so disconnected, as if she no longer saw me as her hero or protector. It was a title I held dear, but being locked up took me away from her and from my role in her life. I prayed that, with time, she would learn to trust me again.
The kids were screaming excitedly as we walked through the villa. When Keynauri first told me we would all be staying in a villa together, I worried there wouldn’t be enough space for us all to be comfortable. The moment I stepped inside, I realized how wrong I was. It looked like a house on the inside with a huge open floor plan in the front room. The views were absolutely breathtaking, and I whipped my phone out to capture every single detail. There was a tropical theme throughout the place, and I grew increasingly excited as we walked through.
