“You know,” Aura started, “I thought about that, but then I was reminded that G said being with me had to feel like a choice, not suffocation. That said, yes, she knows about the planning. I don’t see why we need to waste time in engagement mode. I want her to have my last name. Plus, I want even more of a reason to pop a nigga if he approach her.”
“Nigga, you ready to do that now,” Jay said.
We all muttered our agreement, and Aura shrugged.
“It’ll be even more justified once she’s my wife.”
That made us all laugh This nigga was truly unhinged.
“Explanation makes sense to me,” Enzo said. “Congrats again, my nigga.” He dapped Aura and came over to sit next to me.
He didn’t say anything at first, just watched as the tailor began to take Tay and Jay’s measurements, and Aura gave himself compliments in the mirror. I knew what he was doing, so I remained silent. After a few minutes, he pulled out his phone and sat back.
“Wassup, Ezzy?” I broke the silence like he wanted me to.
“Shit. What’s on your mind?”
“Shit.”
He nodded, expecting the answer. My family knew me. And they knew when to press and when to stand down — to an extent. Enzo didn’t press me, but he didn’t leave either.
I exhaled slowly before speaking again. “Adai is back in town.”
“How you know? She hit you up?” he asked, looking straight ahead. It was his way of giving me the space without feeling exposed.
“To tell me she was back, yeah.”
“Oh. What brought on that decision?”
“My forty-eight-hour warning,” I said simply.
He turned to me with a questioning look. “You threatened that girl?”
I shrugged. “If that’s what you wanna call it.”
He laughed. “You just about as crazy as that nigga.” He pointed to Aura.
“Aye, Danny,” Aura called out to the tailor. “Give us a minute.”
Placing the tape measure around his neck, Danny nodded and walked off to the back.
“We bout to have an intervention?” Tay asked.
I pulled out my phone, ready to ignore them.
“Ohhhh, Grumpy Man got the problem.” Jay nodded slowly. “How can we be of service?”
“A nigga wit’ two baby mamas and a possible can’t,” I shot at him.
He chuckled. “Nigga, I’m poly. We one big happy family round my way.”
We all cracked up cause Jay was a fool. I was still trying to figure out what kind ofBig Lovesituation he had going on. Although both of his baby mamas were rarely in the same place at the same time, especially around us, I knew quiet dysfunction when I saw it.
“Real shit though,” Enzo started up again, “we family, and even though you be wanting to be on your own…”
“As do you,” I interrupted.
“He got a point there,” Tay agreed.
