“My daughter is out here running around with robbers and felons,” he muttered, annoyed.
“Does this man not have security? We’re just going to walk through the front door?” I asked.
“For what? The man is a werewolf chile,” Jean said just as the door jerked back like something was blocking it. “He can probably smell us in his house right now if he wanted. Shit!”
He jerked the knob up once more as we all gathered around, shielding his frame before the door snapped open. There was noalarm. No chime. Nothing. Just cold AC and a sweet aroma like candles were lit and the house smelled fresh. Jean pulled out a small white napkin to wipe his forehead before fluffing it out with a flick of his wrist as it turned into a small draw string bag.
“Let’s hurry up and make this quick,” he said as he walked in. “The neighbors are probably watching, and don’t turn on the damn lights!”
“Um…” looking at Souxie with concern, “is he about to steal?”
She ignored me and stepped in behind her dad with Isis falling behind. I looked back before walking in and closing the door behind me. I could hear Jean talking as he waved his flashlight from his phone around the living room. I used my phone to wave over the walls as I looked at the art and photos.
“This is actually her house…” I murmured to myself. Jean was the first to break his own rule as he cut the lamp light on in the living room and I just…I don’t know. Something about the way everything looked so neat with clothes folded, and a blanket slathered across the back. Souxie was going through the kitchen cabinets, climbing onto the counter and going through the spices, picking out things she might possibly need to slip into her small cross body bag. Isis was already in the hallway bathroom going through medicine cabinets while Jean was lifting cushions.
“So this is what we’re doing? You’re stealing from them!”
“Girl hush!” Jean snapped as he glared at me. He pulled the cigarette from his mouth as he blew smoke through his nose. “Ain’t nobody stealing. I’m collecting loose change that’s been lost. That’s all. You need to watch that alien elf in the bathroom over there trying to get high off their shit.”
“I am not! I am looking for a lock of her hair! Souxie said she needs her hair!” Isis declared. Jean plopped down on the couch and propped his feet up, but his eyes never stopped scanning the place.
“She did good…Got herself a nice young man who is taking care of the home and from what I can tell, he’s clean…My daughter did good. This is some grown woman shit right here.”
My mouth twisted to the side as I walked towards the back where it looked to be an office and just turned the lights on because at this point, what’s the worst that can happen? I looked over at the pictures pinned to the wall on the corkboard where it was random notes left for each other and cute trinkets. It was the photos that caught me by surprise. One is her wearing a red dress and heels. Her hair was down in waves as she stood outside of a restaurant with the peace sign thrown up and a cute, crooked grin. Another looked to be a fancy dinner where she and Namir took pictures with other couples, all dressed in black tie. I saw pictures of her and the sorority girls outside in their matching shirts with helmets on their heads. Clementine photo bombed a picture where she darted in between Maggie and another girl.
“Look at this one.”
Souxie’s voice caught me off guard as I turned to see her standing by the desk where photos were sprawled out like somebody was previously looking for something. “She looks so…different here.”
I leaned over and saw the moving snapshots of Maggie holding up a book as she read out loud to students in a classroom. Her head would go back and forth from the picture book to the students hanging on to her every word. Therewas another where she was standing in front of the board teaching a full class. Photos of her going out with girls I didn’t recognize, Namir in the background grinning and throwing up his fraternity symbol and just snapshots of couples living it up at a bar for the night.
“Who are these people?” I asked.
“I think these are her friends,” Souxie said as Isis came in to take a peek over our shoulders.
“She looks older,” Isis stated.
“Why weren’t we ever invited?” I asked. “These aren’t friends she’s known forever because Namir is there. These are friends she just met.”
“Probably through him,” Souxie replied softly. “Look around…this is where she’s been when she’s not at Drew Collins. Of course she would have her own life that doesn’t revolve around us.”
Maggie had certificates, awards, a college degree all hung up by Namir’s winnings, candid photos, and trophies. There was even an event where Maggie was to accept an award in the Underground that we knew nothing about. Souxie sat down at the desk and went through the drawers before slowly pulling out a pregnancy test. The three of us stared at each other before Souxie readnot pregnant.
“Do you think she’s trying to get pregnant?” I asked.
“I doubt it. Namir probably kept this for his own…personal use…for the smell I’m sure,” Souxie said as she placed it back in the drawer. “She might have had a scare though.”
“And told us nothing,” I stated with a flip of my hand. “We don’t know anything about this woman.”
“No we do not but that can be said about all of us towards each other,” Souxie said as she stood up.
“Look, they went camping together. A cute camping trip with the couples,” Isis said in awe as she found more photos on top of the metal cabinet. “He must have been looking at pictures of her the last time he came here.”
When she brought them over to the desk, we just stared at what felt like looking at Hallmark cards in the Mahogany section. Maggie and Seth were the only ones I recognized in the photos. Even Solomon somehow appeared in a few as someone took a picture of him in the water holding up a beer. Namir was by the grill shirtless in one photo but then in others, he was balancing Maggie on his shoulders as he and another guy with a woman on his shoulders let the two women hold one another. I couldn’t ignore the tinge of jealousy if I tried but not because I wanted what she had. I just felt left out, and I can’t explain why. Especially since nobody knows or will ever know my relationship. Damn sure not now anyway.
“See,” Souxie said as she pointed to a picture where someone caught Maggie off guard. “Look at her…Do you see how her eyes do not connect? She’s missing something. Something is missing. It’s in all the photos. Even here she’s pretending to be happy.”
“They went to a freaking ski resort! Okay, now I’m jealous,” Isis cut in, ignoring Souxie’s insightful moment. “I’ve only been to a ski resort a few times when I was younger and that was in the Underground. I barely remember!”
