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“Thank you kindly. Sis, it’s your go,” she said to me with a smile.

I threw down a card, and then we finished small talk.

“So, Mali, are you ready to start your nursing program?” Penelope asked.

“Girl, I am so amped to move.”

Everyone at the table laughed.

“You’re lucky Pops is even letting y’all move in together,” MJ said as he plucked a card.

He turned his attention toward Tahari before opening his mouth again.

“Don’t fuck this up before ya ass get shot again.”

“Ha… ha… ha,” Tahari said in an even tone before unknowingly rubbing his arm.

I shook my head at my brother, who was already laughing at his own joke. It didn’t matter how old he got. He was always going to find some way to aggravate somebody.

“You’re so annoying,” I told him.

“And you still love me,” he said with a smirk.

“Unfortunately.”

Penelope laughed as she placed another card on the pile. The conversation shifted back to the game, with Tahari accusing MJ of looking at his cards and MJ threatening to flip the whole table if somebody made him draw again. I leaned back in my chair and let them argue.

The smell of food coming from the grill drifted across the backyard, mixing with the warm afternoon air. Daddy was standing beside Uncle Sha, turning over pieces of chicken while they talked about something that had both of them laughing. Every now and then, Daddy would point his spatula in Uncle Sha’s direction like he was trying to prove a point, and Uncle Sha would shake his head before saying something that made him laugh even harder. Seeing Daddy standing out there still did something to me.

He wasn’t moving as quickly as he used to, and sometimes he had to take a break when he had been on his feet for too long. But he was walking without his cane now. He had worked so hard to get to that point, and even though he still had his difficult days, he refused to let them stop him from enjoying himself. A few feet away, Malachi was crawling around on the grass, determined to get his little hands on anything within reach. One of his toys sat abandoned behind him while he made his way toward a colorful ball that had rolled away.

Mama and Aunt Tori were sitting on one of the patio couches with their wine glasses, keeping an eye on him while they talked. Every time Malachi got too far, Mama would call his name, and he’d stop just long enough to look at her before continuing whatever he was doing.

That little boy was going to be trouble. I could already tell.

“Mali, you playing or what?”

I looked back at the table. Tahari was holding up a card, waiting for me to make my move.

“Boy, give me a second.”

“You been taking seconds all game.”

“And you been getting on my nerves all game.”

He grinned.

“You still love me, though.”

I rolled my eyes, but I couldn’t stop myself from smiling.

“Unfortunately.” I stole a line from Penelope.

MJ laughed.

“Damn, everybody unfortunate round this muthafucka, huh?”

“Especially Penelope,” I told him.