Page 4 of Armor
Age 5
There was no feeling like this.
The feeling of when you are wild, free, in love, all rolled into one.
And the only thing that caused that feeling... was being on a motorcycle.
I was sitting in front of my daddy on his Harley with my arms thrown up, my long brown hair billowing out behind me.
My daddy was chuckling.
Age 7
“What is it, princess?” my daddy asked.
“How come mommy didn’t love me?”
Ever since I started school, I’d noticed more and more that my family was different.
Way different.
Way different in a way that made it feel as though I was the odd one out all the time.
Yes, I had the best daddy in the whole world. Yes, I had tons of uncles who were my daddy’s brothers. But... still.
Daddy sighed, “It’s not that she didn’t love you, Cree. It’s that she didn’t know how to. She was messed up for a long time, baby.”
“So should I try to love her for both of us?” I asked.
“Only if you think she is deserving of that love,” he said.
Age 9
My mom wasn’t deserving of that love.
Age 11
My legs swayed beneath me as I tried to hold in my smile.
Uncle Walker really shouldn’t have taught me a few tricks.
Because the pile of bills on the table was about to be mine.
Uncle York sighed, then turned his cards face down and tossed them to the side, “I’m out.”
Uncle Cotton smirked, “Raise twenty.” Then he tossed a twenty-dollar bill on the table.
Uncle Cooper followed, along with Uncle Xavier, and then I did.
Uncle Dale nodded, then said, “Call.”
Uncle Cotton showed us his straight; his high card was an eight.
Uncle Cooper sighed, then shook his head, “Pair of queens.”
Uncle Xavier smirked, then laid down four nines.
Uncle Cotton sighed.
