"I'ma call you an ambulance if you’on get’cho ass over here and help me."
Zeus started singing,I saw the light, shine on me...
The entire backyard exploded in a fit of laughter.
Mane, I loved my fucking family!
CHAPTER 14
ZOO
“It took me a minute to figure out this thing called love. Pen took me through it when I first met her. PJ and Zoo were not supposed to make it this far. I really thought theshot clockwas going to run out on me. Love though,love is a beautiful game,and no matter how many times I thought I lost, I was really winning.
For a while, it felt like I was reaching for the sun and every time I got closer, the moon would come. I’d never been the typeto chase anyone but for her, I was willing to go through the darkness to get to that sunshine again.”
“Aww, Zoo.” PJ was already standing in front of me, crying by the time I got halfway through my speech.
“You mean the world to me, Penelope, and I love you even more now, because you are carrying my big-headed child. I want to thank you for making me grow up.”
“We thank you too, PJ!” my mama yelled out, making me suck my teeth at her.
“You’re welcome, Mama!” Pen shouted back.
We were all at another one of my auntie’s Sunday dinners on a Saturday, but since the entire family was here for the weekend, we had the dinner in one of our empty warehouses. They had everything set up nice, and we took this time to do what we’d been holding off on.
“Before I finish, I want to bring my favorite cousin up here to say something.” When Sin and Brooklyn stood up, everybody started laughing. Sin knew damn well, I wasn’t talking about him.
“Nigga, sit’cho ass down, you know I’m the favorite,” Brooklyn fussed at him, bringing more laughter from everyone.
“Brianna Bronx Kincade, can you come up here, please?”
She was sitting next to Brooklyn’s mom at the table along with her family, getting ready to stuff some greens in her mouth.
“Me?”
“Yea, you shawty. Bring yo’ fine ass here.” Bri Bronx walked up and stood next to Pen.
“Bumping into you, will forever be one of the best hits I’ve ever taken in my life. I’ve been knocked down from basketball to track, but that day in the hospital, when you were checking on Mr. Kincade…the connection I felt from that was great. Let me use a better word, the connection was amazing and sent an instant love wave through me. The ability you had to mentallyhave me stuck, listening to what was going on in your life, without me wanting to walk away was refreshing to me. Here I am, this total stranger, bumping into this pretty perfect stranger and she’s spilling out everything to me. A typical person would have been like, ‘Shawty I’on care. You just wasted my food and you think I wanna listen to this sad ass story.’ My bad, old folks.”
“Who you calling old, Brooke?” Auntie yelled out. For her to be sick, she still be trying to check us.
“I said my bad, Ma, dang.” Brooklyn looked at me, shook his head, then turned back to Bri Bronx, as I called her.
“I didn’t want to leave you that night. If I could’ve, I would have walked right back with you and waited on the doctors to come in to tell you that your pops was good. I would have held your hand, comforted you, and showed you that every battle you have to fight, you now have a solider in your life that’s ready to take them on with you. Just know with me, I have my own group of men who’ll go to war with me, too.”
“You damn right!” all of the Smith men yelled out.
“Gaining me is also gaining a family that will fight for you like your blood, love you like they birthed you, and feed you for Sunday dinner. But it’s just gon’ be on a Saturday, ain’t that right, Auntie Renea?” I added, making Sin flip me off.
“I told you, Baby, I can change the day, but I can’t change the name of dinner. It is what it is.”
“Auntie, yes you can, just stop saying Sunday dinner.” When I saw Auntie and Uncle stand up, I knew they were getting ready to have my ass running around this damn building.
Swiftly, I stood to my feet next to Brooklyn.
“Aye, y’all not about to ruin our moment. Go sit down!” Brooklyn said that and surprisingly, they sat back down.
“Maaan, if that were me, they still would have been coming for my ass.”
