The wealth blended into them naturally.
One man sat in a lawn chair, a cigar between his fingers, while another tossed a set of keys to a younger dude and told him to move the Maybach because someone was blocked in. The conversation continued around them, like hearing somebody mention a Maybach was no different than talking about the weather.
Something about this moment called to me.
The music. The jewelry. The women with long bundles and soft laughs sitting on niggas’ laps as if they belonged there. The men counting money and shooting dice one second, then arguing about old basketball players the next.
It felt familiar in a way that made me relax a little.
I found myself wondering if this was how my life used to look before the accident. Did I use to be around men like these? Did I belong somewhere inside a world like this?
I didn’t have long to think about it. Tink’s mom spotted him first, then her eyes found me, and she grinned.
“Well, look who decided to come outside. I’m Tiffany, by the way,” she said, wiping her hands on a towel as she made her way over.
“I’m Koko.”
“I know. Tink told me,” she said, and pulled me into a quick hug before I had the chance to move out of her way. “You been hiding.”
“No. I been minding my business,” I retorted.
“Same thing.” She waved me off. “You hungry?”
“No, thank you. I’m good.”
“Okay. Just let me know when you’re ready to eat, and I’ll get you taken care of.”
“Will do.” I nodded, taking everything in.
“Beers, water, and soda are in the cooler over there.” She pointed to the end of the table. “Hard liquor’s over there.” She turned and pointed at a table lined with bottles.
An older woman was taking drink orders and filling the cups with so much liquor that I knew the drinker would need help getting home later.
“Okay. Thank you,” I replied, though I didn’t plan on touching anything that would knock me off my square or make my head hurt.
The migraines handled the latter on their own, and I was blessed that one hadn’t attacked in a couple of days. I didn’t want to push it.
“You welcome, girl. Now try to have some fun,” Tink’s mom said before starting to walk away. After taking a couple of steps, she paused and looked back at me. “Matter fact, come on,” Tiffany added, lightly grabbing my wrist before I could protest. “Let me introduce you to my people.”
Before I could tell her no, she was pulling me through the crowd toward a group of men and women passing blunts around and cracking jokes on one another.
“Koko, this is my cousin Giani,” Tiffany said proudly as we approached a female standing near a table, pouring shots for everyone.
The moment the woman looked up at me, she froze, forgetting all about the shot she was pouring. Liquor spilled over the sides of the little red cup and splashed on the table, but she didn’t seem to notice.
“Koko?” The woman whom I now knew as Giani asked, and something twisted around my lungs, stealing my breath.
I stared at her, and my mind snagged on a memory, but every time I reached for it, it slipped. I knew her—really knew her. That much, I was sure. How well? I just couldn’t figure out how. Still, the way my heart clenched told me she had once been close to me.
Tiffany looked between us, confused by the sudden shift in energy. “Y’all know each other?”
Giani still hadn’t answered. Her eyes moved over my face as if she were trying to convince herself I was real.
“Koko?” she repeated, a little louder this time.
I swallowed. “Do I know you?”
The question seemed to pull her out of whatever headspace she’d drifted into.
