Page 248 of Invisible Bars
“Fine,” he said, cool as ever, standing. “But you won’t likemyway. And trust me, you’ll wish you’d just signed them and saved yourself the embarrassment.”
He looked around the table and gave a short nod.
“Well, everyone—except Giselle—I truly enjoyed y’all. We’ll have to do this again sometime… minus the drama, of course.”
Then, without another glance at her, he turned and walked out—dignity intact, ego unshaken, and peace fully chosen.
Giselle’s face crumbled in slow motion as she watched him leave.
The woman who thought she could control every outcome had just lost control of everything.
Again.
Mama Rose leaned forward, peering at Giselle over her glasses.
“See baby, you done stirred the pot one too many times; now everybody taste the bitter. Pride ain’t seasoning, it’s poison.”
Renee added, “She’d better start reading Proverbs and minding her own business next time. Start with chapter 11… arrogance leads to disgrace.”
“I’m ready to go. This… is too much,” Dessign said to Chi, her voice low but firm.
“Now, baby?” he muttered under his breath—but not low enough. “Can we at least get dessert first?”
Dessign shot him a look that could've curdled sweet tea.
He immediately straightened up. “Okay, baby.”
Chi stood, holding his wine glass like he was about to make a toast at a funeral.
“Can I just say—this dinnerdefinitelyneeded a disclaimer... and a licensed therapist on standby.” He raised his glass slightly. “To honesty, therapy, andnevercoming back here again.”
“I’m with that shit,” Imanio agreed, shaking his head.
Dessign rolled her chair closer to me, leaned in, and whispered, “You did good, girl…realgood.” She smiled faintly. “Call me tomorrow. Sweet dreams.” With that, she rolled herself right out the drama.
“I’m ready to go too, babe,” I announced, turning to Imanio.
“I was just waiting on you to say the word,” he said, standing up beside me. “Ms. Shirley got some leftover apple pie at the house. We can have that for dessert, with ice cream—in peace.”
Yeah… pie sounds way better than whatever bitterness is being served at this table.
I was so glad to be going home to peace andsweetnessafter all that chaos.
Outside, the air was cooler—lighter, even. Me, Imanio, Renee, and Mama Rose stood in the roundabout under the glow of the porch lights.
“You ever met somebody so damn nosy they go digging in another woman’s history like it’s a damn jewelry box?” Renee said, throwing her hand up. “That’syomama, Imanio. What she thought Naji was gon’ do? Hug the folks and pass the biscuits? Girl, if I gave up my child at four, I wouldn’t even expect an email back—let alone a dinner roll!”
I chuckled.
I had ‘briefed’ them on my family history; that’s how she had knowledge of that.
“My sister was dead-ass wrong for that shit,” Renee added, mouth tight like she was holding back even more.
Of course, her sidekick, Mama Rose, wasn’t far behind her.
“And then was sitting over there looking like a damn mannequin with secrets.”
“All that high-cheekbone energy just dropped to her chest when those divorce papers hit the table!” Renee wheezed. “Man, I’m glad I got towitnesshim say that to her! I wonder what my poor sister gon’ do now, ‘cause the way he was talking, he ain’t gon’ leave her a tie… not even a button off his coat!”
