Page 45 of Make Me Remember

I ended the call and made my way back inside as I saw Jacob looking for me. His mama and his two aunts were in the kitchen, and the front room was full. I’d seen most of them at the diner earlier. As I got closer to him, his eyes met mine, and he smiled.

“I was wondering where you went. Uncle Jasper was looking for you.”

I smiled slightly. “Okay.”

He grabbed my hand and led me to him. He gave me a soft smile and a hug. “Hey, niece. Sorry about your pops.”

“Thank you.”

“I can tell by your lips that you ain’t a stranger, so I rolled you a lil something.”

I gave him a one-sided smile then accepted the fat ass blunt he held between his fingers. “I appreciate you. I’m not a stranger, but I hadn’t had one in a long time. This will definitely take me far away from here tonight.”

He chuckled. “If you want company, you in a room full of it. We smoke nearly every Friday night as a family. I smoke every other day though.”

I chuckled. “Y’all smoke as a family? That’s different.”

He laughed. “Hell yeah! We roll as a unit!”

I looked around the room and didn’t see LaTee. “Excuse me, Unc.”

I walked back to the couch where she last was and glanced around the room. I could feel myself starting to panic. My face was hot as hell, and my mind was racing. What if one of the men took her to a back room? What if they took her away from the house? What if a fucking woman took her? What if she’s exploring my child while I’m accepting a fucking blunt? What if…

“She’s in the kitchen.”

I spun around to see Karima. I felt like I was about to have a fucking panic attack. She grabbed my hand and led me to the kitchen to see LaTee with Jacob’s mother. “Diamond, how do you get mac and cheese inside the chicken?” LaTee asked her.

Apparently, she’d settled on a name for her. As I watched them interact, Karima lightly rubbed my back. “She’s okay. I’m not going to tell you to relax, because you’re a mother, but you’re in the company of family. We got’chu. That type of time ain’t happening on our watch. Unfortunately, we had to learn to be diligent at the expense of my cousins’ innocence. It won’t happen again.”

“How did you know I was looking for her?”

She smiled. “I could see the panicked expression on your face. I pay close attention to things. Plus, my spirit is extremely keen. I can sense things. I do not participate in the family smoke sessions on Fridays.”

I chuckled. She was extremely sweet and calming. I felt like I was on the verge of hyperventilating earlier, but now I was calm as hell. She grabbed my hand, and I swore God had touched me. My entire body heated up as I closed my eyes. The spirit of God seemed to inhabit her and He was now inhabiting me. I could see why Jacob always talked to her, especially when he was having issues.

“Mama! Come see!”

I opened my eyes and turned my attention to my baby as I released Karima’s hand. She was gesturing for me to go closer. “Mama! Diamond puts mac and cheese inside the fried chicken!”

I giggled. “I know. I’ve eaten it before. Why are you calling her Diamond though?”

“Because she shines bright like a diamond,” she said, mimicking the Rihanna song. “It’s her hair and her smile! Look at her!”

Mrs. Jen smiled big. She was eating up this attention from LaTee. One would have thought she didn’t have a grandchild already with the way they’d already bonded. She hugged LaTee then me. “I’m so sorry about your father, baby. It’s been a full, emotional day for you, huh?”

“Yes, ma’am. I’m thankful for y’all though.”

“This is what family does. We’re there for each other. Your family is more than welcome to come here. They are welcome because they are a part of you.”

I smiled. “I’ll remember that for next time.”

I turned to see LaTee was over by Aunt Chrissy, watching her take French fries from the grease. Mrs. Jen gently rubbed my back. “She’s fine. Go find your man and rest, sweetie.”

I smiled at her and left the kitchen, heading to the front room where mostly everyone was. I was nervous, because I never left my baby under anyone’s supervision, except Jivoni’s and Keonshay’s. When I got to the couch, I closed my eyes and counted to ten, trying to relax. I slowly opened them to see Cassie and Mya sitting on either side of me. They wrapped their arms around me at the same time.

“Thanks, ladies. I appreciate you.”

“Of course. We’re gonna move out of the way because Maui, Ashanni, Angel, and Milana were looking for you too. They wanted to introduce you to the twins since they’re here,” Cassie said.

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