another, and another….
“What do you say we get out of here?”
Kira looked up into my eyes when the question flew from my mouth like a bullet.
“Are you feeling okay?” she asked.
No, not anymore.
“Yeah, I’m cool. Just kinda tired. Besides, all the important stuff is out the way. No real point in sticking around.” My blood was practically boiling and I couldn’t even put my finger on why.
Kira watched me for a few seconds, and then finally shrugged. “Okay…if that’s what you wanna do.”
I nodded to con firm, and then looked for Terrell. When I approached him, Kira hung back a little. Tension crossed my shoulders and neck.
“Hey, look, I think I’m gonna take off,” I announced, shoving my hands inside my pants pockets.
Terrell looked me over. “Something happen?”
“No, everything’s fine,” I assured him. “It’s just been a long day.”
There was a slight look of disappointment that flashed across his face, but he didn’t let it linger. “Alright, man. Take it easy, then. Y’all still coming to the breakfast tomorrow, right?”
I almost cursed out loud – I’d forgotten about that part.
“Uh…yeah! We’ll be there,” I said, forcing enthusiasm. Truth was, I wanted to be back home in D.C. and back to the way my things were before coming here.
Terrell eyed me again. “You sure everything’s cool.”
I nodded. “Positive. See you in the morning, man.”
He stopped questioning me and eventually went back to talking to his uncle like he was before I interrupted. Kira smiled when she took my arm and I escorted her to the car.
“Did you hav e a good time at least?” Her voice rang out into the silence.
I wasn’t sure how to answer that. “Umm, yeah. Everything was nice.”
In my peripheral, I noticed a smile on her face.
“There was the cutest old couple sitting at my table,” she started. “The man pulled his wife’s chair out for her whenever she got up, she shared her water with him when his was empty – you could just feel how much they love each other.” Kira reached across the console and gripped my hand. “That’s how I want us to be fifty years from now.”
I smiled back but didn’t respond.
“I really like the way the turquoise accents looked that Maisha picked out. I mean, I know we can’t do the same colors as them, but it gave me a few ideas.”
“Whatever you want,” I said out of habit.
“And we haven’t said much as far as a date, but how about my birthday next year. June’s the perfect month; and I checked, the eleventh falls on a Saturday, so it’s perfect. What do you think?”
“I think that’s perfect because I get to roll your birthday and anniversary gift into one,” I joked.
She laughed and snatched her hand away playfully.
“Kid ding. That sounds fine, though,” I said, retracting my statement.
Kira rolled her window down a little and then took my hand again. “And I think there are some kinks that we need to work out with the guest list early on just so we know we’re on the same page.” She hesitated. “I really think you should consider including your father.”
My mood soured just thinking about him. “Kira –“
“It’s just a suggestion,” she interrupted. “Promise not to push, but it’s something to consider.” While I sat silently thinking of all the reasons why I hated the idea, Kira spoke up again. “I’m even thinking about inviting Reina.”
I smashed my foot against the brake when we stopped at the red light. The severe look that I shot Kira gave her pause.
“It’s just something I was thinking about,” she practically whispered.
I couldn’t e ven wrap my mind around why she would even think of inviting her sister. She knew better than anyone how much I hated Reina. The few family gatherings that Reina made it into town from Miami to attend, I avoided those events like the plague, meaning I hadn’t
“What do you say we get out of here?”
Kira looked up into my eyes when the question flew from my mouth like a bullet.
“Are you feeling okay?” she asked.
No, not anymore.
“Yeah, I’m cool. Just kinda tired. Besides, all the important stuff is out the way. No real point in sticking around.” My blood was practically boiling and I couldn’t even put my finger on why.
Kira watched me for a few seconds, and then finally shrugged. “Okay…if that’s what you wanna do.”
I nodded to con firm, and then looked for Terrell. When I approached him, Kira hung back a little. Tension crossed my shoulders and neck.
“Hey, look, I think I’m gonna take off,” I announced, shoving my hands inside my pants pockets.
Terrell looked me over. “Something happen?”
“No, everything’s fine,” I assured him. “It’s just been a long day.”
There was a slight look of disappointment that flashed across his face, but he didn’t let it linger. “Alright, man. Take it easy, then. Y’all still coming to the breakfast tomorrow, right?”
I almost cursed out loud – I’d forgotten about that part.
“Uh…yeah! We’ll be there,” I said, forcing enthusiasm. Truth was, I wanted to be back home in D.C. and back to the way my things were before coming here.
Terrell eyed me again. “You sure everything’s cool.”
I nodded. “Positive. See you in the morning, man.”
He stopped questioning me and eventually went back to talking to his uncle like he was before I interrupted. Kira smiled when she took my arm and I escorted her to the car.
“Did you hav e a good time at least?” Her voice rang out into the silence.
I wasn’t sure how to answer that. “Umm, yeah. Everything was nice.”
In my peripheral, I noticed a smile on her face.
“There was the cutest old couple sitting at my table,” she started. “The man pulled his wife’s chair out for her whenever she got up, she shared her water with him when his was empty – you could just feel how much they love each other.” Kira reached across the console and gripped my hand. “That’s how I want us to be fifty years from now.”
I smiled back but didn’t respond.
“I really like the way the turquoise accents looked that Maisha picked out. I mean, I know we can’t do the same colors as them, but it gave me a few ideas.”
“Whatever you want,” I said out of habit.
“And we haven’t said much as far as a date, but how about my birthday next year. June’s the perfect month; and I checked, the eleventh falls on a Saturday, so it’s perfect. What do you think?”
“I think that’s perfect because I get to roll your birthday and anniversary gift into one,” I joked.
She laughed and snatched her hand away playfully.
“Kid ding. That sounds fine, though,” I said, retracting my statement.
Kira rolled her window down a little and then took my hand again. “And I think there are some kinks that we need to work out with the guest list early on just so we know we’re on the same page.” She hesitated. “I really think you should consider including your father.”
My mood soured just thinking about him. “Kira –“
“It’s just a suggestion,” she interrupted. “Promise not to push, but it’s something to consider.” While I sat silently thinking of all the reasons why I hated the idea, Kira spoke up again. “I’m even thinking about inviting Reina.”
I smashed my foot against the brake when we stopped at the red light. The severe look that I shot Kira gave her pause.
“It’s just something I was thinking about,” she practically whispered.
I couldn’t e ven wrap my mind around why she would even think of inviting her sister. She knew better than anyone how much I hated Reina. The few family gatherings that Reina made it into town from Miami to attend, I avoided those events like the plague, meaning I hadn’t
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