Page 17 of Love Sanctioned

“What, so I could look like the big bad wolf and you be the best friend? Hell nah. You ain’t getting me with that one, Psy.”

It was my turn to laugh, because she was right. “Nah but he's cool. He got a practice game tomorrow.”

“Send me clips please. I miss seeing him play. Shit, I miss being there. I didn’t expect to be here this long.” She sighed.

“How is your grandmother doing anyway?”

“Getting on my last fucking nerve. I’ve been trying to talk her into coming back that way, but she isn’t going. It’s not clicking to her that I paused my whole fucking life to come here, not to mention I ain’t seen my child in months. This is the longest I’ve been away from him.”

“I hear you, but yeen missing shit.”

“So you say, but my life is there, not here with old motherfuckers in physical therapy.”

I laughed. “Leave Grams alone. She's gonna be putting your ass out soon enough, just watch.”

“Hopefully very soon because I’m tired of her ass. Speaking of, where is my son’s fine ass stepmama at? I saw her the other night when I was on the phone with Junior and had to double take.”

“You boutta get your ass hung up on.” I shook my head.

She went into a fit of laughter. “I’m just asking. If you can’t treat her right I ca—” I hung up on her goofy ass.

I got out of the car and headed into the house. I was about to get the sleep I didn’t get this morning. Lowkey I should’ve been going to my restaurant to put in some work. That was usually where I put in my time when sleep wasn’t on the menu. Besides myself and Killah, not many people knew about the restaurant I had purchased several months ago. It wasn’t yet operational, but would be soon. I was working on things myself, piece by piece. I was currently at the tail end of hanging some drywall. I didn’t have a set finish date, but I’d know when I was done at my own speed and open up.

My phone started ringing the moment I found my sofa. I pulled it out of my pocket and answered on speaker immediately before setting it on my chest.

“Yo.”

“That’s damn sure not how I taught your rockheaded ass to answer a fucking phone.” My mother’s voice spilled through the line.

I laughed. “Don’t you answer your phone talking about what?”

“Because you get on my damn nerves. Do as I say and not as I do. But I called for a reason.”

“I’m all ears.”

“Thank you, for what you did. For having a conversation with Shaun.”

“Anytime, Mama. He just needed some tough love. They all do.”

“I know. I know but you can’t save them all. How are you?”

“Good, probably about to get some sleep. Do you or Grams need anything?” I asked.

“No, baby, get some rest. I’m making chicken pot pies for dinner tonight if you and Junior are coming over.”

“You know I am.”

When we finally got off the phone, I closed my eyes with everything I needed to be taking care of in my mind. Sleep most nights was accompanied with those types of mental lists all the time though.

“You know I’m glad you finally got your shit together, leaving those streets alone.” My uncle peered out at the cars as I drove him toward the hospital for his appointment.

I laughed. “Considering you were the one who helped me into those streets, I guess I understand your sentiments.”

He shook his head. “Nah, I taught you how to survive them. You and Killah are hardheaded. Nothing I would’ve told you would have kept you out of them. I know that much for a fact.”

I shrugged.

“But you made something and you ain’t out here still hugging the blocks. You made it out.”