Page 103 of Maceo

“I’m sorry for breaking your trust in me. I promised I’d take care of your daughter, and I meant that, but I dropped the ball. If something happened to her…” He looked over at me like he couldn’t fathom that possibility. “They might as well commit me ’cause I’d burn the fucking world down about her.”

Both of my parents were quiet for a moment as they looked between us. My mother was the first to speak.

“Why, Sharina? Why would you want to get involved with something so dangerous?”

“Mommy… you remember when Salima was kidnapped?”

She sighed. “Of course I do. You cried every day until they found her.”

“You saw my tears, but do you know what that felt like for me? My best friend… my sister, was taken, and I was literally three feet away in a bathroom stall. I couldn’t do anything to help her or stop it from happening. For three days, I couldn’t eat. I couldn’t sleep. My mind was constantly flooded with every horrible thought of what could happen to her. Every day that went by, it felt like I was waiting for confirmation of her death.

“That would have killed me, Mama. If it made me feel like that, imagine how the families of the victims felt. They werenever going to see their loved ones again. They were being taken, killed, and their organs were being harvested and sold to the highest bidder. That’s some sick shit.

“It started as me keeping an eye on Maceo because I was afraid of him being out there without his family. But I really grew to love helping him and the guys reunite these people with their families. I drove them to safety and made sure they ate, showered, and got a good night’s rest. That’s it. It wasn’t much, but it made me feel like I was making a bigger difference.”

My mother covered my hand with hers. “I get that, baby. You know I love Salima like she’s my own daughter. Her kidnapping tore me up too. That’s exactly why I don’t want you in anything like this. It was enough to get used to you being with Maceo. I wasn’t thrilled about it at first, and you know that. But I grew to love him, and I trusted him with you.” She pointed between her and my father. “We both did.”

“A muthafucka set off a bomb at y’all’s wedding, Maceo,” my father said. “What if it had been in y’all’s car when you left the venue? Both you and my daughter would be dead. Two sets of parents would be burying their children. Two families would be mourning your loss. I can’t do that. A child burying their parent is natural. A parent burying their children, that’s cruel. How am I supposed to look at my baby in a casket? This last loose screw would come undone because I wouldn’t rest until the person responsible was dead too. You’ll know that feeling when you have your own kid.”

I sniffled. “I’m sorry, Daddy.”

“It’s okay, but it’s not okay, Shar. I love you. You, your brothers, and your mama are what keep me sane. I’d fuck the world up about the four of you.”

Maceo gave a light chuckle. “I think my father understands that firsthand.”

My father smirked slightly. “I have to give it to him. The nigga put up a hell of a fight. Gave me a run for my money. I respect him for taking that shit for you.”

“You shouldn’t have fought him, Daddy,” I said.

“Maybe so. But we handled that shit like men. Like I said, we’ll be good once these people are taken care of. I need to know details, Maceo. You gon’ have to give me a play by play of what’s going on.”

Maceo nodded. “I can do that. Just… ease up on Shar, okay? My baby is a sensitive thug.”

I playfully smacked his arm. “Hush.”

My mother giggled. “She gets it from her daddy.”

My father kissed his teeth. “I ain’t sensitive.”

“Shiiii—shoot,” Damaris said. “You definitely are, Dad. You’re just aggressive with it. Like when you get mad, I swear I think you’re gonna start foaming out the mouth or something.”

“Whatever. Next topic. So when are y’all rescheduling this wedding? It better be after all this is over, although I’m not above bringing my guns out if I have to.”

I swallowed hard. “Soon,” was all I offered.

I wanted to get off the subject of the wedding before I gave myself away. Other than Deuce, Salima, and my father-in-law, nobody else knew we were already married, and I wanted to keep it that way. While I loved our private little moment, I knew how much it would mean to our families to be there… even if they were just gonna talk shit.

The mood finally picked up, and dinner went by without a hitch. My parents seemed to be in better spirits, and if they weren’t, my brothers did a great job distracting us with their jokes. When dinner was over, Maceo sent Kilow and Damaris to his game room to entertain themselves, while he and my father went out back to smoke and talk. That left me with my mother to clean up.

She sipped on a glass of wine and watched me quietly as I loaded the dishwasher. I wasn’t sure what she was looking at, but she was making me nervous.

“You okay, Ma?” I asked.

“Mm-hmm.”

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Something is different about you. I don’t know what, but I can feel it.”

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