Page 64 of Matteo

I’m so excited to see, Nana,the message read.

Groaning, I wanted to write back and tell her I wasn’t going to come.

I’m about to shower and get ready now,I replied.

Once I chose an outfit, a simple pink and black polka dotted shirt and a pair of jeans, I grabbed a shower. Making sure not to stay under the water too long, I scrubbed myself clean. Once I was done, I didn’t even bother with any makeup and simply pulled my hair into a loose braid.

Grabbing my keys I drove to my parents’ house slowly. For some reason I just didn’t have the energy to deal with my family and I wasn’t sure why.

I parked on the side of the street and glanced towards the packed driveway. My brothers were already here with their wives and kids. Moments later, the sounds of a bike’s engine filled the air as Mason and Nora parked directly in front of me. I watched as she removed her helmet and handed it toMason. Studying them, they seemed deep in conversation about something until I eased out of the car.

Nora spotted me, her eyes lighting up. “Yay, you made it!”

“Almost didn’t,” I murmured as she hugged me from the side. “Hey, Mason!”

He nodded quietly and followed me and Nora into my parents house. From outside the door, I could already hear the madness that was my family.

Stepping inside, I first saw my father had fresh flowers for our mom by the door. Floral scents hit my noise immediately. That was their thing. He loved getting her fresh flowers, and he’d been doing it for as long as I could remember.

Laughter and chatter hit my ears as I spotted T.J. and Dione hugged up. They were watching my grandmother hold her brand new great-granddaughter, Amelia.

My grandmother looked up eyes meeting my face, her warm eyes penetrating me like they’d always been able to do. Her hair was a lot grayer these days, nearly all the way white, but her eyes. They were still a vibrant and rich brown that offered me a small sense of comfort like they had when I’d been a wild ass teenage girl.

Violet Ellis-Allan had always been the only one to see the real me.

“There she is,” she grinned at me widely.

“Hi Nana,” I whispered quietly.

Our beautiful reunion was cut short by deep dark haunting laughter as my father came in from the back patio where he’d been grilling followed by my living nightmare. Dread came upon me quick, like a dark cloud over a beautiful picnic in the middle of a meadow.

Pastor Justin Jefferson had come in behind my father, the two of them laughing at something unknown as they headed intothe kitchen and out of sight. A light sweat broke out over my body as my eyes began to search the room wildly.

How can I leave,panic was rising into my throat and my stomach felt tight.

Or is it my chest?

“Rain, you okay?” Nora asked, walking past me and dropping a kiss on my grandmother’s cheek, staring down at the baby.

Swiping my palms over my jeans, I forced a smile while feeling sick inside. “I’m fine.”

As my heart pounded in my chest, I came over to hug my grandmother and meet baby Amelia finally.

“She’s perfect, guys,” I looked over to Dione and T.J. who were holding hands.

“I hope so, cause last one,” Dione grinned.

“You say that now,” T.J. kissed her cheek softly.

“Now you two, don’t go getting started,” my mom appeared out of nowhere. “Rain and Nora I need y’all to help set the table. Mason, so glad you could make it, I need you to grab the beers out of the garage and put them in the coolers.”

She started doling out tasks to Thomas and CeCe next, but then it dawned on me.

Trying not to cause too much alarm, I turned to my brother and his wife. “T.J., where are Anna-Banna and Alice?”

“Oh, the girls are on the trampoline, mama and daddy got it for them for Christmas,” T.J. shrugged about to get on the task at hand.

“Yeah, after we said don’t,” Dione shook her head.

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