Page 157 of Rather: The Therapist

“Who the fuck are you and what the fuck do you want?”

When the silence continued, I began to pressure the trigger.

“Fine.”

“It’s me!”

Rome’s voice stilled every muscle in my body. It gutted me of everything and then refilled me with love. Her love. Their love. Because, I knew if she was here, she hadn’t come alone.

I unlocked the door and yanked it open.

“Shut up!” I cried, wrapping my arms around Rome.

Rugger was next. Then Roaman. Then Roulette. Then Range. Then Royce. My girls were here. My loves. My lifeline. My support system. My everything.

“Why didn’t you guys tell me you were coming?” I could feel the snot dripping from my knows, but it didn’t matter. Nothing mattered at the moment. Nothing but them.”

“We should’ve so you could’ve bathed,” Rugger grunted, pressing her way through the door.

“You funky! Like, the shit is offensive. Get back!” Roulette stepped back as she dug into her purse.

She pulled out a bottle of Dior perfume and began spritzing in my direction.

“Ugh. Smell like a box of old fruit. The hell you got going on in here?”

She stepped past me and into the house.

“She’s so dramatic,” Rome whispered, “But seriously, you do stink.”

“Where’s Mom?”

“She’s flying in, in the morning with Teddy, Jru, and Egypt. He didn’t want us all on the same flight.”

“Always careful.” I smiled, acknowledging the head of our family and his procedures.

“That’s Teddy,” Rome added.

“God, I’ve missed you all. I have so much to tell you.”

“You have forty-eight hours to tell us. That’s how long we’re here,” Rugger yelled over her shoulder as she walked past.

“Which means Mom and Chemistry only have twenty-four,” Rome informed me.

The heavy breath she released told me she hated to be the bearer of bad news, but it had to be revealed.

“Shit. Mom is still on the line.”

I removed my phone from my pocket to find she’d already ended the call.

“Good. She hung up already.”

“She could smell the funk from that back pocket. She passed the fuck out. Now, I’ve got to have Chem go check on her,” Roulette teased, calling our mother on her phone and walking off.

Neither of them had been to my home, but they all seemed to know every nook and cranny. Collectively, they began cleaning the mess I’d accumulated over the last five days. When Roulette reappeared, she wasn’t empty-handed. She’d dug in her bag and retrieved all the goods.

“Come on. We’re going upstairs to get you all the way together. I’m about to scrub your ass myself. Make sure it’s nice and clean.”

She led me up the stairs and into my bathroom where she stripped me bare. After starting the shower, she gave me a good once-over.

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