It probably took me forty-five minutes to get out of the parking lot, and once I reached the gate, I realized what the issue was. A woman and her son were leaning up against a car that was barely pushed off to the side near the entrance. They broke down, and some people must’ve helped them push the car out of the way. It was freezing outside, and as I drove closer, I realized it was Faith. The tall boy standing next to her must have been the son she gave birth to when she was a freshman in college. Our last encounter was abysmal, and I almost kept driving because of that, but my conscience wouldn’t allow me to after seeing that baby embarrassed and standing in the cold.
Pushing my pride to the side, I pulled into the grass next to them and rolled my window down. It was such a small world.
“Hey, do you guys want to get in and out of the cold if you’re waiting for a tow?” I questioned with a genuine smile.
Just because Faith had been terrible to me didn’t mean I had to return the favor. Faith’s karma was hers, and mine would be mine.
“You sure?” Faith faltered.
“Yeah, get in.” I waved them inside my truck.
Faith told her son it was okay and quickly climbed inside.
“Thank you so much, Elise,” Faith smiled.
“You’re welcome,” I beamed.
“My car cut off in the middle of me driving out of the parking lot. I don’t have a clue what’s wrong. Khalil’s dad is on his way up here to pick him up, and I’ll just Uber home after the tow people get here.”
“Yeah, thank you. It’s cold out there, and I’m already sore from my match,” her son stated from the backseat.
My neck snapped around because if I didn’t know any better, I would’ve sworn I heard Essex talking in the backseat. Their voice, cadence, and tone were almost identical. My eyes scanned his face, and my mouth slipped ajar. His eyes narrowed in on me as realization settled in.
“How do you two know each other?” He inquired. Hearing Khalil speak while looking at him was absolutely scary.
“Is… is… is he my brother’s son?” I accused, my head swiveling between Faith and her son. Usually, Faith was the one who met me with aggression, but if things went left in my truck, I would admit I was the one on ten. Essex knew nothing of this boy, and Faith brought him to my truck like I wouldn’t notice. I knew the face that stared back at me in the mirror, and we had too many similarities for it to be a coincidence.
“What?” He questioned, his face frowned.
“No!” Faith spluttered, fear radiating off her face.
“What is she talking about? Why do we look so much alike?” He tapped the lights above us and illuminated the interior of the truck before he leaned forward with his eyes scanning my face.
“He’s your nephew,” Faith confessed, and my face frowned up while I lifted my phone to call Essex. Faith gripped my wrist, and my eyes darted towards her.
“You remember what happened the last time you touched me? Let me go!” I scolded.
“Man, what’s going on?”
“Khalil, please step out of the truck for a moment,” Faith requested.
“Ma…”
“Khalil!” She cut him off. His mouth clamped closed, and he opened the door to step out.
“Khalil is your nephew…”
“How could you hide this from our family?” I huffed.
Faith rolled her eyes and took a deep breath.
“Let me finish, Elise,” she snapped. “Khalil is your nephew because we are sisters. Not because Essex is his father. Khalil lives with his father,” Faith confessed.
“What?” I yelped, my head tilted to the side.
“You heard what I said, Elise. We are siblings. Me, you, and Essex.” My eyes got lower in confusion because Faith wasn’t making any sense to me. “Oh my God. Your dad cheated on your mom with my mom!”
“My dad had an affair with Mrs. Jean?” I gasped, thinking about the scandal. Mrs. Jean was married, had a family, and still worshiped in my father’s church every Sunday. Her husband was also a pianist at the church.
