Page 48 of Always There Bayou
DennyHouston-February21st, 2025
Cory walked out of the three-story building with her hands stuffed in her pockets as she made her way over to where I waited for her in the car. Today was her first session with her therapist, and I was nervous to know how it went. No, I wasn’t going to ask her about the details, but I did want to see if she felt like this was something that was going to help her.
I was serious when I said that I would be there for her every step of the way. Cory has been through so much shit in her life and has never quite dealt with all of the emotions surrounding it. She blamed herself for stuff that was out of her control, and I could always tell that it weighed her down. I wanted her to be free of all the pain and suffering she had endured from such a young age. I wanted her to be happy.
“So, how was it?” I ask eagerly as she slides into the passenger seat. She buckles up her seatbelt before turning to me with a sigh. “That bad?”
“Nah, it wasn’t bad,” she shrugged. “It was just…heavy.” I nod, encouraging her to continue. “It felt weird to be vulnerable with a stranger, but somehow she made me comfortable. I know that’s her job, but still. As soon as I walked in, this calm washed over me, and when she gave me the floor, I spilled every detail. I even…cried. It felt weird, but…right?”
“She made you feel comfortable,” I say, feeling tears sting my eyes. I felt a wave of relief wash over me. “That’s amazing, Cory.”
“Yeah,” she nods with a small smile. “I think so, too.”
“Are you hungry? You didn’t eat this morning because of your nerves, so I wanna make sure you’re well-fed before you go gallivanting with Harley and Simone,” I say as I start the car up. I back out of the parking space as she chuckles beside me.
“Galivanting iswild,” she replies, and I smile. “But to answer your question, yes, I am hungry. It’s Fried Fish Friday, you know.”
I nod excitedly as I drive toward one of our favorite restaurants, where they serve the best fried fish on this side of the Mississippi. Everyone knew that Fridays were reserved for fried fish plates or po-boys, just like how Mondays were reserved for red beans and rice plates. Well, maybe that was a southern thing, and more specifically, a Louisiana thing, but who were we to stray from tradition? Besides, there was nothing better than the Louisiana food culture.
Conversation slowly drifted from food and therapy to our plans for the rest of the day. I knew that she was going to get in a bit of practice and had a physical therapy session with Chey, but she wanted to know what I was getting up to for the rest of the day. I told her that I’d be heading to Gonzales with Lilah because she had wanted to have a sibling day with me since it’d been a while. Cory groaned at the thought of me being so far away from her all day, but I reminded her that I would be back in her arms tonight. That seemed to satisfy her.
After a wonderful lunch date, I dropped Cory off at the training facility. We spent a good 10 minutes making out because she didn’t want to leave me, but she was finally pulled away by Harley and Simone, who I could hear teasing her as they made their way inside. I had the goofiest smile on my face as I climbed back into the car and headed to pick up Lilah. That same smile was still on my face when she slid into the passenger seat, and she wasted no time teasing me about it.
“Ugh, Cory has you whipped for real,” she laughs, shaking her head. “Y’all are sickeningly sweet. I would throw up if I weren’t rooting for y’all so much.”
“Have I ever told you how annoying you are?” I reply, shaking my head.
“All the time, but you love me, so it cancels out,” she says matter-of-factly.
“Whatever, chick,” I wave her off as I pull out into traffic.
We coast down the highway and toward the interstate to take that 45-minute drive out to Gonzales. It’d been a while since we had some quality time together, and I was lowkey excited to spend time with her. She would forever be my little sister, and she was damn sure my ride or die to the end. I might complain about her from time to time, but I loved her with all my heart.
Cory Tate - February 21st, 2025
“So, how was the therapy session?” Harley asks as soon as I walk back into the locker room after a quick session with Chey. Simone comes over to take a seat across from me as I open my locker.
“Which one?” I joke. She rolls her eyes.
“Now, your ass know I’m not talking about the one you just came from with Chey,” she replies. I snort. “I’m talking about the other one. Did you talk about how thankful you are to have such amazing best friends?”
“Yeah, did you mention the loves of your life?” Simone teases, gesturing between her and Harley. Now it’s my turn to roll my eyes.
“Yes, I did mention my best friend Denny, who is also the love of my life,” I reply. They laugh in response, and I crack a smile. “I don’t know why y’all niggas think y’all aresospecial that I would mention y’all. Just annoying.”
“Aww, she loves us!” Harley teases, and Simone pokes me in the side. I swat her hand away. “We’re happy for you, though, kid.”
“Kid?” I look at them with a raised eyebrow. “Last time I checked, I was older than both of y’all.”
“Details. Details,” they said at the same time and then shared a look before doubling over in laughter. I roll my eyes playfully.
“Ugh, I always forget how much y’all mirror each other. Sometimes I really think that y’all are twins,” I shake my head.
It’s never been lost on me that Simone and Harley had a bond way before I entered the picture, and it has also never bothered me much, if I’m being honest. However, there were times when they were so similar that it made me wonder if they were related and not just childhood friends. Even though we were all close as hell, they had a bond that was similar to the one I had with Denny. The only difference was that neither of them had a crush on the other. Denny and I were the ones who took our friendship to the next level, and now there wasn’t a day that went by that I didn’t wanna wake up between their legs…
“Look at her, lost in thought,” Harley chuckles, pulling me back to the conversation at hand.
“Must be thinking about how she’s gonna bend Denny over later tonight,” Simone adds.
