Page 54 of Jaeda

“Y’all, she called me asking how to ask him for it, and he heard her. That man took the phone and told me that she was going to call me back.”

“Really, Sharina?” I asked, sitting down with my nephew.

“Really. Don’t act like you didn’t come creeping in here late yesterday afternoon after spending all night with that man. My husband said you damn near cursed them out.”

“Your husband exaggerated. And anyway, y’all need to get a handle on y’all’s men. The next time they congregate at my house to check me, I’m shooting somebody.”

Renay snapped her fingers. “Okay for the head giving you a lil gangsta. Look at you.”

Again, I rolled my eyes. “I may be a little green, but I’m not as innocent as y’all think.”

Renay snorted. “Can’t be if you were out here kissing your brother’s wife.”

I scoffed. “That was one time. And she wasn’t his wife at that point. And!” I pointed at Salima. “They have kissed before.”

Salima’s mouth dropped. “Now how did I get in this?”

I shrugged. “I thought we were stating facts.”

Renay smirked. “You just been getting around to all of brothers wives, huh, Sharina?”

Shar kissed her teeth. “Don’t do that. I’ve only ever pecked their lips. I’ve never made out with them.”

“So who’s the better kisser?” Romi asked.

I blushed. “Quaid. That man’s mouth, . . . my goodness. If I could have it all the time!”

“I guess you’ll be the next one we hear yelling from across the yard,” Shar said, giggling.

“Wait, who is that loud?” Renay asked cackling.

“Mia!” we all said in unison.

As if on cue, my sister came bopping into the sunroom with a smile on her face and a big ass hickey on her neck.

“Hey, y’all,” she said, scooping Marino from my arms.

“I guess you and Titan made up,” I mumbled.

“Says who?”

“Girl, you didn’t see that big ass hickey on your neck this morning?” Renay asked, pointing.

Her eyes widened, and she instantly tried to cover it with her hair.

“We’ve seen it now,” I said, crossing my legs.

“Mind the business that pays y’all,” Mia said, sitting down with Marino.

Salima rolled her eyes. “At this point, you might as well pay us because you make your business our business every time you tell us about that damn man.” She pointed at Romi and Renay. “Please get y’all’s future sister/cousin in-law. I’m passing her off ’cause, baby, we are tired of the fuckery.”

Mia scoffed. “You married my brother. Clearly, you love fuckery.”

“Aht, aht! My husband is a good man. He’s just not all the way there.”

That made all of us laugh because damn if it wasn’t the truth. My father often told us stories of how he was when he was growing up, but he was nowhere near as bad as my brothers. I didn’t know where they got that shit from. After sitting with the girls for a while, I ventured outside to get some fresh air. Everybody was doing their own thing.

There was a game of spades going on. Some were watching a game on the huge flat screen under the covered patio. The kids were running around chasing each other or playing on the jungle gym.

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