‘Cause if what Nana said was true, if this thing with Melissa was real, she was gon’ come toward me on her own.
And I owed her the chance to do that without my shadow already waitin’ at every turn.
Romantic-free.
That’s what I kept tellin’ myself I was.
No boo, no label, no “text me when you home” echo in my ear.
Just me.
Babies and brunches and bridal shit.
And it worked… kind of.
We decided to do Fee’s baby shower at my place, bigger space, better parking, plus I already knew how I wanted to decorate.
Balloons, banners, all that Pinterest shit I acted like I hated but secretly lived for.
I was standin’ on a chair tryin’ to tape up a banner that said: “DOUBLE THE BLESSINGS” when Charlee yelled fromthe couch, “Bitch, if you fall and break your neck, I’m not raisin’ nobody kids.”
“Shut up and pass me that tape,” I shot back.
Fee laughed from the other end of the room, foldin’ little favor bags. She was big and beautiful and over it, but she’d still pulled up early to help.
“Y’all both need to sit down, really,” April said, walkin’ in with a tray of cupcakes. “One wrong move and we gon’ have a baby and a broke leg on our hands.”
“I’m fine,” I said, stretchin’ the tape. “Almost done.”
Once the banner was up, I hopped down and stood back, hands on my hips.
“This shit look good,” Charlee said. “Go on, Martha Stewart.”
“Don’t hype me,” I said, but I was lowkey proud.
The room looked cozy, blue and yellow, little elephants, pictures of Fee and Trend on the walls, ultrasound pics on a string.
Despite how me and Charlie Mac met, I’d somehow ended up… here.
Surrounded by these women, this noise, this love.
I glanced at Fee, who was starin’ at the ultrasound banner, eyes glassy.
“Don’t start cryin’,” I warned. “You gon’ fuck up your lashes.”
She sniffed. “Shut up. This just… a lot.”
“Good lot, though,” April said, settin’ down the cupcakes. “Y’all really built a village.”
I thought about that.
All the ways we met.
Me and Charlee lowkey beefin’ at first. Me side-eyein’ Fee over Jordan bullshit.
April comin’ in quiet and now ridin’ hard with the rest of us.
If somebody had told me back then this would be my circle, I would’ve laughed in they face.
