Page 45 of Wifey
“There you go.” Gabe smiles. “I don’t like seeing conflict within the family.”
“Neither do I.” I reply before moving onto a happier topic. “So Keisha is about to have another baby?”
“Yeah…” A big smile covers Gabe’s lips. “…another little girl.”
“Wow. You ain’t never going to get any sleep now!” I laugh at him.
“Tell me about it. Got the guns on lock. I know how those boys are out here and no thank you.” He shakes his head. “I know how they are because I used to be in the streets! Pull that shit around my baby girls and we will have problems.”
“Is that a promise?” I laugh.
“It’s a damn fact!” Gabe chuckles and shakes his head. “I know how Lamont was around you and now that I have two? Nah. What we not gon’ do is act like somebody don’t got any sense!”
I remember the closeness between my father and Gabe. Daddy always treated Gabe like the son he wished he had. They never fought unless it was friendly disagreements over sports and PlayStation. They always hung out and Gabe was a regular visitor.
It makes me so happy to see what a wonderful person and confidante Gabe is. I don’t doubt he’ll be the best father to his little girls. I would be so proud to have a father like Gabe.
“But for real, though…” He turns serious. “What is the deal with you and the Page family? Word on the street is that you’re seeing Cameron?”
“We’re close,” I re-emphasize. “Cameron helped out a lot and that’s about it.”
Gabe softly gesticulated. “Helped out as in…?”
He saved the business. He protected me from the burglary. He saved my life during a shootout. He’s dicked me down in every way.All of the answers floated in my mind and none of them sound remotely appropriate. “He’s provided me a lot of support.”
There was a pause before Gabe spoke as if he didn’t quite believe me. To be honest, I don’t blame him.Idon’t believe me. “That’s good.”
“There’s nothing to worry about. I’m not going to put on a red hat to cover my edgeless hair, start campaigning, and talking about how I need to divest from the community.” I reply. “I’m staying neutral. Vote with my money and time, but keep my opinions private.”
“And that’s the way to go,” Gabe replies before a knock interrupt us. Another employee, Candice, comes in. She’s a petite Black college student with a pixie cut. She has a worried look on her face.
“There’s a strange lady outside looking for you, Taylor.” She points back. “She looks like a gypsy and has a suitcase.”
“A strange lady with a suitcase?” I question before Hayley comes in a minute later.
“You have a visitor,” Hayley begins, “I’m not sure if you want to see this person but they’re here.”
“You’re not sure if I want to see this person?” My eyebrows furrow into question marks. “What visitor?”
“Laurie.” Hayley sighs. “Your mother.”
~~~~~
Every time I see Laurie, it’s like seeing a new person and I’m not sure what version of Laurie it is.
One time she came home and she was very much in her Karen state of mind, down to the Keds shoes, polo tops, and tight skinny jeans. She had a ad habit of correcting everyone even on the most mundane things because she had to be right.
Another time she came home and she was very much a 90’s New York hip-hop state of mind complete with Timbs, an oversized puffer jacket, and Kangol beanie which I didn’t know they even made. She kept calling everyone “B.”
Another time she was permanently stuck in 90’s grunge and that’s all she listened to. She was comfortable wearing Doc Martens, oversized flannel shirts, and chokers. I never heard so much Nirvana and Pearl Jam in one visit.
The last time I spoke to her, she was with some rich man and sounding like an exaggerated version of Mariah Carey. She kept forgetting simple things about me and I was used to that. Laurie wouldn’t know anything about me even at gunpoint.
This version of Laurie, however, is much different than the past versions. She’s adapted a Bohemian style and has long dark locs. Her light skin is tanned and there is a relatively new tattoo wrapped around her wrist, going up her arm of a snake.
She smells like patchouli, lemongrass, and lavender. She’s wearing a floral slip dress over her trim figure, sans bra and undershirt, and every man inside Fresh Espresso has taken notice.
I actually like this version of Laurie and dare I say, this is probably the true version of her. It doesn’t seem hard and rather, easy for her. She’s not trying to fit in and most importantly, she’s not annoying about it.
