Page 51 of Make Me Remember

He leaned over and kissed my cheek as Rylan yelled for him to go talk to Nate. He smiled at me then stood and joined him. LaTee ran to me and fell on my lap. “Mama! This is so much fun! Remington and CJ are spraying everyone with water guns! Seneda said they are mean, but it’s fun to me!”

I wasn’t sure who Remington was, but I knew CJ was Jacob’s younger brother. He was a teenager, so he was much younger. Seneda had to be the prissy lil thing that looked to be whining to Jacob’s uncle. Uncle Marcus and Uncle Kenny were the only ones I hadn’t actually spoken to. I met Uncle WJ when he talked to Jacob about returning to work full time.

Pulling me away from my thoughts, she asked, “Can I spend the night with Seneda next weekend? She said her mom and dad won’t mind, and her big sister, Malia, is nice.”

I glanced at Marcus, and I got a little nervous. While he seemed to treat his daughters like princesses, I could see the thug in him. He had a lot of tattoos. I took a deep breath and said to my daughter, “Next weekend will be Grandpa Stacy’s funeral. Maybe one weekend after that.”

“I forgot about that,” she said sadly.

I gave her a hug as Seneda yelled for her. She brightened up immediately as Marcus looked over at me. He gave me a slight smile and a head nod. I did the same as he made his way to me. LaTee ran off to Seneda, and they went back to the slide. I stood from my seat and felt a little self-conscious because of the two-piece I was wearing with him being this close to me until I saw the woman approaching us.

I remember seeing her in an ad, and she was even more beautiful in person. I had to admit, I was somewhat star struck, just like I was with Jessica when I first met her. “What’s up? I’m Jacob’s uncle. I know you prolly already know that, but we hadn’t met officially. I’m Marcus, and this is my wife, Synna.”

She rolled her eyes. “Hey. I’m Synthia, but everyone calls me Syn. Only this nigga calls me Synna.”

I chuckled. “It’s nice to meet the two of you. I’m Mekayla. Our little girls have seemed to take a liking to each other, huh?”

“They have. We just wanted you to know that she was welcome at our house anytime.”

I smiled slightly. “Thank you. Seneda is welcome to spend time with us as well.”

They nodded, and Uncle Marcus turned his head to shoot the finger at Uncle Storm. “Kiss my ass, nigga!” he yelled at him.

Yeah, he was definitely a thug at some point. I could see it all over him. Apparently, Uncle Storm had said something that I missed. Syn pushed him out of the way and said, “He and Storm are like oil and water, but they insist on working together. When Storm was mayor, he was his ‘assistant mayor’,” she said, holing up air quotes.

I giggled as she said, “Talk to you later.”

I nodded and watched her go to a woman that looked a lot like her and grab a baby boy from her. He had a head full of curly hair like Uncle Marcus. Looking around the huge yard, seeing all the family together, made me glad to be a part of it. Despite the drama they were facing, I knew they would come out on top because love would always win.

As I sat staring at the casket, I couldn’t help but allow the tears to fall from my eyes. The preacher was saying words of comfort, and they were helping a little bit, but not as much as I needed them to. I knew he was in a better place and that he was no longer suffering. All of that was consolation. It didn’t stop me from wishing I had more time with him though.

Seeing him lying there had been hard. However, the last person I expected to lean on was the one I was leaning on the most it seemed… Mercedes. She was seated between Zhori and me, holding our hands. It seemed she was just as torn up about his death as the two of us were. This funeral had been somewhat short. His family didn’t really fuck with him like that, and I wasn’t sure why. So there were more Hendersons here than anyone else.

All our siblings were here to offer their support, so I was grateful. Zhori and I had worked out a payment agreement with the funeral home instead of using Keonshay’s money. When we went to make arrangements and he reminded me that my mama had signed the promissory note and we could make payments, I was grateful. While I told Zhori we had support, I would much rather if we were able to handle this ourselves.

The past week had been filled with calls and support. Jacob had come to Beaumont and stayed the night with us a couple of times. He stayed last night to help me through whatever emotions I may have been feeling this morning. The man had been perfect. Being quiet while getting fucked was the hardest, but there was no way he would be sleeping in the bed with me, pressing his hard dick on my ass without me getting a taste.

I glanced at him, and he gave me a soft smile. I returned it then glanced at my mama. She was still crying. I knew there was more to her relationship with my dad that I would probably never know the details of. I slid my hand from hers and put my arm around her shoulder. When I felt her body quake, I leaned over to her ear and whispered, “It’s okay, Mama. I’m sorry.”

She lifted her head and gently laid her hand on my cheek, mouthing the words, I love you. I did the same as I let the tears fall. She and I would work through our emotions about one another. She understood my reactions and how I felt because she had the same emotions concerning her mother. I remembered her saying that the one person she didn’t want to be like concerning her children was who she became.

Grandma Jean had passed away some years back, but they never really repaired their relationship. I believed that was why she was so determined to make things right with me. While we didn’t have to be the best of friends, I really wanted that. I just had to be able to handle it mentally. I had to be able to subdue the old Mekayla. It seemed that was who I was whenever I was around her for an extended amount of time.

As the preacher wrapped up his sermon, I saw Mama Jen, Aunt Chrissy, and Aunt Tiff leave out, along with a few of Jacob’s other aunts and cousins. They were preparing our meal in Nome at what they called their family barn. I knew my family would enjoy their cooking, and I also knew it would be top tier and not the usual funeral food of chicken, green beans, store bought potato salad, a dinner roll, and a green salad.

As the preacher wrapped up everything, the funeral attendants came and wheeled the body to the hearse, followed by my brothers, Jacob, and a few of his family members who agreed to be pall bearers. Uncle Marcus, Uncle Storm, and Uncle Jasper were among the volunteers. I was surprised my older brother had even shown up. I hadn’t seen Landon in at least two years. He hugged me tightly and promised to check on me more. He and Keonshay talked often, but that was mainly because she reached out more.

We stood and followed the pall bearers out of the funeral home, and I watched them slide Daddy’s casket into the hearse. We didn’t get a family car because that wasn’t necessary. Jacob had driven LaTee, Zhori, my mama, and me in his SUV. After they closed the door of the hearse, Jacob grabbed my hand and led me to his vehicle. He opened the door and helped me inside then did the same for LaTee as Zhori helped Mama.

Once everyone was inside, Jacob glanced around the vehicle at everyone. He glanced at the hearse to see they hadn’t left yet. He pulled a slip of paper from his suit pocket and handed it to me. When I unfolded it and saw the receipt for twelve thousand three hundred sixty-eight dollars, I fell apart. He’d gone behind my back and paid for the funeral.

“Jacob! You didn’t have to do this.”

“I didn’t do it alone, baby. Everybody kicked in, including Uncle Mayor. We love you, and if we got it, you do too. I know we haven’t been together long, but I already know you’re going to be a Henderson. Break that fucking lease. I need you and my baby girl in Nome now. I can’t stand being in that empty ass house, knowing I got somebody I could be sharing it with.”

I could see Zhori smiling from my peripheral. I had to assume he already knew. When I heard my mama sniff, I knew Jacob’s words had touched her already heightened emotions. LaTee was staring on, looking like she was holding her breath.

I slid my hand to his and squeezed it then lifted it and kissed it as the tears fell. He’d made me remember what love was supposed to feel like and then amplified that feeling. LaTee’s sperm donor had given me a glimpse in the beginning… or at least what I thought was a glimpse. Jacob was the real deal, and I refused to keep him waiting any longer. I looked up at him and gave him a slight smile. “Okay.”

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