He doesn’t take it and I’m fine with that because he’ll regret it sooner rather than later.
I smirk. “Brother to Caleb Black,” I continue evenly. “Brother-in-law to Layanna Black—Chief of Surgery at Winston Hills Memorial.”
Recognition then regret flickers in his eyes.
“And you would have known that,” I add, “had you handled your daughter and I with decency when we entered your rather outdated home.”
Zaria snickers.
Her mother inhales sharply. I turn my attention fully to her father.
“And let me be clear about something else.”
My voice lowers. “You deadname her one more time and we’re going to have a different kind of conversation. One where I whoop your ass twice since I don’t hit women,” I finish peering menacingly at her parents.
The threat is loud and bold.
Her father bristles. “Are you threatening me in my own home?”
“I’m promising you,” I reply evenly. “In your old ass home.”
Silence.
“You want a good word?” I continue. “Right now, I’m inclined to put in the opposite.”
Zaria’s hand tightens in mine.
“You won’t step foot in Winston Hills without someone worth knowing looking at you sideways for being absent and bigoted against your own child when it mattered.”
Her mother looks stunned.
“You can’t?—”
“I can,” I say calmly. “And I will.”
I step back slightly. “Don’t call her. Don’t contact her. Not until you learn how to respect her name and who she is.”
Zaria looks at them one last time. There’s no pleading in her eyes. No longing.
“Get your shit together,” she says softly.
Then we turn and walk back to the car. The door shuts behind us. I expect her to cry but she doesn’t. Instead she lets out a long and heavy exhale of relief.
I reach for her hand.
“You okay?”
She nods slowly. “Old ass house,” she blurts.
We both crack up as I pull away.
“House catfishing is a new one,” I add.
I felt immense pride that she allowed me to support and protect her. She didn’t go there expecting to reconnect. She went there to reclaim her respect and dignity from the very people who should’ve sung her praises in every room.
But make no mistake—anybody who wants access to her has to go through me first.
It’s beena week since the confrontation with my parents. A week of silence from them which I expected nothing less than them to be cowards after Calil’s threat. What bothered me the most was it had been a week of Calil being weird.
