Page 51 of Cannon
“The guest room is yours now,” I explained, showing her the space I’d prepared. “I got you some new bedding, put some plants in here. You can decorate however you want.”
ZaZa nodded, but I could tell she wasn’t really present. The meds made her foggy sometimes. I’d been there with my mama,that vacant stare, that slow processing. It scared the shit out of me.
“I’ll put these in the closet,” Javi said, setting down her bags. He was trying too hard to seem helpful, like he hadn’t been a ghost for most of her life.
“Thank you,” I said, more for ZaZa’s benefit than his. “Why don’t you sit down in the living room? I made some tea.”
We settled on my sectional, ZaZa curled into the corner like she was trying to disappear. I poured tea from the Moroccan pot I’d bought in Marrakech last year, the steam rising between us like a veil.
“So,” I began, setting my cup down on the coffee table. “We need to talk about how this is going to work.”
ZaZa’s eyes flicked to mine, that familiar defiance sparking through the medication haze. “How what’s going to work? My imprisonment?”
“It’s not imprisonment, ZaZa. It’s structure,” I said, keeping my voice even despite the way her words cut me. “This is about your health and safety.”
“Whatever.” She stared down at her untouched tea.
“Look at me.” I waited until those eyes that were so much like mine reluctantly met my gaze. “There are three non-negotiables while you’re living here. First, you take your medication. Every day, on schedule. I’ll be checking.”
Her jaw tightened, but I pressed on.
“Second, you need a real job. Something stable with regular hours. Structure helps with your condition, and you know it.”
“My condition,” she repeated flatly. “You mean being crazy like grandma?”
The words hit like a slap. I swallowed hard. “You’re not crazy. You have bipolar disorder, and it’s manageable with the right treatment.”
“And the third non-negotiable?” she asked, voice dripping with sarcasm.
“No drugs and no alcohol.”
Javi cleared his throat, leaning forward with that earnest expression he always wore when he was trying to play daddy of the year.
“I might be able to help with the job part,” he offered. “The precinct has an administrative position open. Filing, answering phones. Nothing too stressful, but good experience.”
ZaZa’s eyes lit up suddenly, the first real animation I’d seen since she arrived.
“Actually, I was thinking maybe I could bartend at Sylk Road,” ZaZa interrupted, her eyes suddenly alive with excitement. “I’ve always wanted to learn, and I could work nights when you’re there to keep an eye on me.”
My whole body tensed. “Absolutely not. No job where you’re surrounded by liquor.” The words came out sharper than I intended, but I couldn’t budge on this. “That’s the exact opposite of what you need right now.”
ZaZa’s face darkened, that familiar storm brewing behind her eyes. She shot up from the couch so fast her untouched tea sloshed onto my imported coffee table.
“That’s no fair! You say you want me to have independence but then shut down every single thing I suggest!” she shouted, her voice cracking with emotion. “You just want to control me like you control everything else!”
Before I could respond, she was storming down the hallway, her footsteps thundering against the hardwood floors. The bedroom door slammed with enough force to rattle the picture frames on my walls.
“I won’t be here long anyway!” she screamed through the closed door. “I’ll be with Tavares soon!”
I pinched the bridge of my nose, exhaling slowly.
“Tavares?” he asked quietly.
I rolled my eyes. “Another made-up boyfriend. She’s been doing this since high school…inventing men who are supposedly coming to rescue her.” I kept my voice low so ZaZa wouldn’t hear. “Last year it was a DJ named Rico who was taking her to Miami. Before that, some basketball player she met online.”
But even as the words left my mouth, a sliver of doubt crept in. Something about the way she’d said this name sounded different. More certain. What if she wasn’t lying this time? What if some man really was filling my baby’s head with promises?
“I’ll look into it,” Javi said, reading my expression. “Run the name through our system, see if anything pops.”
