“Where you getting this kind of money from?”
I hesitated.
“I’ll tell you soon,” I said. “I promise. But right now, I just need you to trust me.”
Mama stared at me for a long moment.
Then she nodded.
“Alright,” she said. “But you better not be doing nothing that’s gon’ get you hurt.”
“I won’t.”
She didn’t look convinced, but she didn’t push.
Instead, she turned to look at herself in the mirror hanging by the front door, smoothing her hands over the robe again.
“I do look good in this,” she said, smiling.
I laughed. “You do.”
“Mm-hmm.” She turned back to me. “So, what else you got in them bags?”
“Stuff for Honor, Saroya, and Raven.”
Mama raised an eyebrow. “You bought for all your sisters?”
“Yeah.”
“With what money?”
“Mama.”
“Alright, alright.” She held up her hands. “I’m just saying. You better not be selling nothing that’s going to get you locked up.”
I didn’t respond to that.
Instead, I grabbed the bags and headed toward the door.
“Can I borrow your car?” I asked. “I want to drop this stuff off tonight.”
Mama looked at me like I’d lost my mind.
“My car?” she said. “The one that only starts when it feels like it?”
“Yeah.”
She sighed, but she was already reaching for her purse on the side table.
“Keys are in there,” she said. “But if that transmission goes out while you driving it, don’t call me crying.”
“I won’t.”
“And bring me back some gas money.”
“Mama.”
“I’m just saying.”
