Page 93 of Just Listen
“Yeah, you.” He nodded. “I thought that Paisley was your girl, and now you just cool with the switch up?”
“Yeah, I am.” She nodded. “Personally, I always said that you and Paisley got together when y’all was young as fuck. So…I never really knew if she was the one. If you know what I mean. Now, outside of that, she’s cool, in general. So, two things can be true at once. I’m cool with Paisley, and wanna see you happy. Even if it aint with her.”
“And I second that,” Ms. Dee chimed in.
Quietly, I nodded, thinking that Malice’s family was pretty cool, and we’d get along just fine.
Malice
No, cap. I expected my family to be cordial, at the most. However, them immediately warming up to Jaylah was not on my bingo card. I also didn’t think that Jaylah would be so open about our situation. I know some girls probably would’ve feared judgement, but she kept her head held high, as she spoke about what happened between us. I respected that.
The conversation between my sister, my mama, and Jaylah naturally flowed, as they all asked and answered questions. I liked how nobody was shying away from the obvious. It would’ve been fake of us not to address that I’d recently broken up with Paisley, and there might be some blowback from it.
To me, what also stood out, was Jaylah’s approach to the situation. She kept reiterating that Paisley wasn’t her enemy, and that she empathized with her. That showed me that she had character, and didn’t just step on people, without remorse.
“Khamere, have you met her family, yet?” Kita eventually asked me.
“I met a couple of them in passing, but no real formal introductions,” I revealed.
“Oh, well, when you do meet them, I’m coming too.”
I cut my eyes at her. “For real, Kita? You too fanned out, girl.”
“So? She got some of the finest brothers I done ever seen. So, I’m trying to get in where I fit in.” She shrugged, causing Big Baby to snicker.
“Girl, there aint a brother of mine who’s not overly preoccupied,” Big Baby acknowledged.
“Are they all married?” Kita questioned, refusing to give up.
“No,” Big Baby tittered. “Not all of them. Unlike my sisters. I’m the only single one. They’re legally bound.”
“Single?” I furrowed a brow.
She playfully rolled her eyes. “You know what I mean. I’m not married.”
“Do you wanna get married?” My mama interrogated.
Big Baby shrugged. “I guess, one day. But if I don’t, then I’m cool with that too. Being married isn’t all there is to life.”
“So true,” Kita agreed. “Cause these niggas aint shit.”
“Damn. So, just talk like I’m not sitting right here, huh?” I scoffed.
My sister giggled. “You’re my brother, so you don’t count. But if I could meet somebody like you…then that would be great. Cause it aint too many of ‘em like you, walking around.”
“Oh, for real?” Big Baby smiled, as she was seemingly shocked. “It’s rare that I hear a sister say that she’d like somebody like her brother. That says a lot.”
I chuckled. “Yeah, it’s probably just because whenever she calls, wanting something, I never say no.”
“Maybe…but no, for real. Your generosity is just one aspect. It’s a whole bunch of other stuff that’s good, but we won’t get into that, because we don’t need that ego blown out of proportion around here,” Kita teased.
“Anyway,” I licked my lips. “Where is Kareme?” I glanced around, like my baby brother would magically appear.
“He’s down the street at his little friend’s house—” My mama responded, before we heard the chiming, indicating that somebody was coming through the front doors.
“That’s probably him, right there,” Kita speculated.
“Malice, you came over just in time,” Kareme celebrated, as he rounded the corner. “Ya girl just pulled up—"
