Page 49 of Don Caselli

“You hear that, Navy… he went to college.” She walked over, pinched her daughter’s cheek and went to the back toward her room.

Me and Navy walked to her apartment so she could get some clothes. Soon as we entered her apartment, I sat on her bed and laid my head back on her mattress while she got her shit together.

“Was it too much meeting my family?”

“Nah, why?” I asked, my eyes still closed.

“Just wondering… you don’t speak much about yours.” It wasn’t that I was ashamed of my family. I just didn’t feel the need to talk about them often.

It wasn’t like we were some close-knit family like Navy’s was. We didn’t get together often, and the only reason now was because of Stevie. My brother calling yesterday was the first time he called, and it wasn’t surrounding work.

“What you wanna know, Bleu.”

She climbed up on the bed and sat next to me. My eyes remained closed as she stared over me. “I know you have a brother… what else?”

“Greene ain’t never told you about my family? She literally works with Menace and his wife.”

“She doesn’t speak much about what she does or Menace. Greene is very loyal, and she protects your brother and his wife.”

“Good to know.”

“They must feel the same way about her because that new car is beautiful. Not any boss is gonna do that, you know?”

“Menace and Stevie take care of their people. Not too many people are granted access to them, so those that are, they treat them well.”

She traced my lips with her fingers. “Is it just you, your brother, and sister?”

“I have another sister.”

“Older?”

“Yeah… I’m the youngest.”

“Awe, you’re the baby,” she teased, and I chuckled.

I opened my eyes and looked at her. “Yeah.”

“What about your parents? You mentioned never having a mom or something when you met my mother.”

“They died when I was young.”

She gasped. “I’m sorry, Landon.”

“It’s cool… I don’t remember them much.”

“Doesn’t make it cool, Don… or make it hurt any less because you don’t remember much.” She rubbed the side of my face.

Her touch was something that made me feel calm on the inside. I didn’t speak about my parents at all and stopped asking my sisters and brother about them. It seemed like a trigger for them, and they never wanted to talk about it.

With Navy, I didn’t feel defensive or upset that I had to tell her. If anything, it was how she leaned over me and wanted to console me that made me look at her differently.

“This stranger shit not gonna last, Bleu.”

She smiled. “Why is that?”

Her voice was so soft, barely above a whisper, as we both intensely stared at one another. “I think you know why, baby.”

Her lips touched my forehead, and she then climbed off the bed. “I’m gonna just bring my laptop and a hoodie because I get cold quick.”

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