13

Kyrin

When I awoke to the sound of a doorbell ringing, I stirred slightly as Janet's grip around my waist unknowingly tightened.

I poked her cheek. "Wake up, somebody's at your door."

Her eyes fluttered open slowly as she yawned. "You get it, it's probably Joey or Shawn."

Nodding, her grip released and I got out of the bed. Grabbing my shorts off the ground, I quickly put them on and threw on the sweater that I had worn over here last night.

Making my way to the doorbell, it rang again as I approached it. My eyes widened when I saw that it was Mama Katherine, but I couldn't walk away. She saw me when I saw her through the glass door.

"Fuck." I cursed lowly as I opened the door and smiled. "Morning Mrs. Jackson."

"Call me Momma Kat sweetheart. I told Janet that I had a feeling about you, but she claimed that it wasn't anything going on. Now I pop up, and you answer her door. Well, welcome to the family, my dear. You know you're dating into a crazy family correct?"

I didn't truly know how to answer, so I simply stated. "I'm starting to come to that conclusion. It was no fore warning if that's what you're asking."

She chuckled at me. "So you guys are dating right?"

"Not exactly." I mumbled as Janet's voice was heard.

"Baby! Whose at the do—..." Janet trailed off when she saw that I was standing there with her mother. "Mom? What are you doing here?"

"Baby huh?" Mrs. Jackson mumbled. "Not exactly my behind."

I turned and looked at Janet. "I'll be... upstairs. Yeah. Upstairs."

Trying to turn around and exit the tense situation, Momma Katherine stopped me. "Uh uh child. Let's talk at the table, come on. Let's sit."

Janet and I looked between each other and her mother before we walked to the table and sat down. Janet sat next to me and grabbed my hand under the table.

It was a awkward silence before Momma Kat spoke. "I rang the door bell a couple of days ago. Janet, you didn't answer the door."

I looked at J, and she furrowed her eyebrows. "I probably wasn't home."

"Oh you were home. You and this sweet doll were here."

My head dropped as my eyes widened when I put together exactly what she was getting to. I squeezed Janet's hand but I don't think she got it because she asked. "What are you getting at mother?"

"I'm getting at the fact that my sweet pea here was on the counter and you my dear were—."

Janet cut her off abruptly. "Okay mother! That's enough. How did you see that?"

"I had brought you some muffins. I thought maybe you were sleep, so I went through the backyard. Only to find that scene at the back door." Momma Kat gagged to herself.

"Nosy ass." Janet muttered under her breath and I chuckled softly. Something was buzzing and for a minute, I thought I was hearing things because it wasn't near us but faint. Finally Janet mumbled. "I think that's your phone in the kitchen."

I was confused for a moment. "Why is my phone in the.... I'll be back."

Getting up, I quickly walked into the kitchen praying my limp wasn't as evident and searched for my phone. Janet and I had sex all around this house last night, so it really was no telling how my phone got here.

Finding it on the counter, I grabbed it and answered. "Speak."

"Morning sis!" Phoebes voice came out of my speaker. "Let's get some breakfast and talk on some things."

"Yeah. That's cool. Where at?"

"I don't know. I need a little taste of Texas though."

"Search in the nearest IHOP. That's the closest you'll get to Waffle House." I informed her.

Phoebe sighed. "Bitch, they don't have no Waffle Houses out here? What the hell are you doing living here?"

I chuckled. "Now you know I wasn't that big of fan. I'm managing just fine with Roscoes. I'll meet you there in like 15 though."

"You bringing Janet?"

"Not if we're talking about what I think we are going to talk about." I mumbled as I played with one of my curls.

"Alright. I'll be there then. Toodles whore." The line clicked and I saw that my phone was on 15 percent.

Rolling my eyes slightly at my forgetfulness, I climbed the steps to Janet's room. I grabbed my car and house keys and put on my shoes.

When I came back down the steps, Momma Kat looked up. "Going somewhere my dear?"

I saw the look on Janet's face and covered for her. "My sisters in town from Texas so Janet and I are going meet her for breakfast."

Mrs. Jackson nodded as she stood up. "Hm ok. Well we can finish this discussion later. When we have time and no one is busy. It was nice seeing you again daughter in law."

"You as well Mrs—." I cut myself off when I saw her throw me a look. "Momma Katherine."

She kissed Janet on the cheek and gave me a hug before leaving the house singing. "Mother knows!"

When the door shut Janet shook her head before looking at me. "You really going to breakfast?"

"Yeah. With Pheobe, but what are you doing later? We can probably hang out again tonight since Eissa's still with Wissam."

She nodded. "Yeah, I'll call when I get back home. I have to go get some things as well. It'll probably be a little later though."

"That's fine." I replied. "Give me kisses."

Janet chuckled but still met me half way. When we pulled apart she pouted slightly. "Ok, go now before I pin you down and make you stay."

"Here you go sounding like a kidnapper again. This is your second time ma'am. Gosh, who am I talking to tomorrow?"

She rolled her eyes at me. "See there, bye."

"Mhm. Bye Superstar." Giggling, I kissed her cheek before heading out the door.

The ride to IHOP was short, but still somehow Phoebe beat me there. As I walked in, I stopped because I saw that she had a window table and was looking at me.

She pointed the finger as she smiled and I rolled my eyes as I walked into the building.

The waitress led me to the table, and I ordered a water with a lemon before turning my attention to my sister fully. "Morning thot."

"Morning tramp." She greeted back as she sipped some of her coffee.

"So what's up? What did you want to talk about?"

Phoebe put her phone down on the table and made eye contact with me. "Well you know that momma is sick."

"Aw. How sad for momma." I replied nonchalantly.

"She's fought off this disease for a while Kyrin and you haven't come and seen her once. Em and I have been the only ones really checking on her. You know that daddy is but that's it and I just—."

"Came to see if I would go see mother. The answer is no. When she dies, ring my line, I have some spit for her grave."

P sighed. "Kyrin..."

"And I don't care what Ember does with her mother. See, you know I can't stand that woman or her daughter. I don't even know why you invited me here if this is the point you wanted to make."

"She's dying Kyrin. At least see her before she goes." My sister tried to ration with me. "I know you're the type of person to bury your pain and fury, but you need to see her before she goes. She's been asking for you. The disease is hitting harder and—."

"She left us." I cut my sister off. "Left us without a second thought to struggle with our father who worked hard to keep a damn roof over our head. She popped up 4 years later, broke, battered and oh let's not forget... with a 5 year old child. That's not anyone I wanna see."

Phoebe put her head down. "Ember just doesn't get why you won't communicate with her. I don't see why it's this serious Ky."

"Ember knows what she did just like Joanna knows what she did. I'm sick of them playing victim. I'm not coming back to Texas. You can take that check and cash it at the bank, because the answer is and will always be no."

"Daddy came to see her the other day. He wanted me to come and bring you down to Texas. It's really not good sis. That's our momma, no matter how bad she messed up back then, it all flows down the drain when it comes to this type of stuff."

I looked at her as I raised a eyebrow. "Daddy really sent you at me?"

She nodded. "Yeah. He did."

"Nathan Broussard, sent you, Phoebe Broussard, after me?" I asked as clarified with names.

"Yes Ky!" She raised her voice a bit but not too much to where people would look our way.

My eyes rolled in irritation. "How much time the hag got left?"

"They saying a few weeks."

I sighed. "Wow, she's living longer than I expected. I'll come. For you and daddy's sake. That's it. Don't expect me to be nice either cause I can't stand Joanna or Ember."

"Joanna's on her death bed and you, Ember and I used to love each other."

"Before she became a pathological liar and told the school that I was fucking the principal and Joanna made me sit in rice for 6 hours straight." I reminded her.

Phoebe rolled her eyes. "It was your senior year. Let it go, but the flight leaves in two days."

"Two days?!" I questioned. "What the hell? Oh so you just knew I was coming right?"

"Basically. Yeah." P shrugged. "You're stubborn, but daddy asked, and we both know that when daddy asks us to do something... we do it."

My sister wasn't lying. Our father had laid out for us and given up every ounce of free time he had just to provide. We owed that man the world.

Even Ember did, because when our mother showed up at our doorstep with a child to add on, my father took her in. Raised Ember like she was his own.

He was selfless and sometimes I just didn't know how that man did it. I was the only one out of our family that was like this. Independent and even sometimes prideful.

Everyone else was still using daddy for handouts and loans, but I just wasn't like that. Growing up, my grandma used to tell me that depending on someone wasn't the way I wanted to live. So I decided to live for myself and provide for myself.

I didn't see the problem with that, but others did.

"What time is the flights departure?" I questioned.

"10 am and you need to be there."

Standing up, I grabbed my wallet and placed a 20 dollar bill on the table. "I'll be there."

Walking out of the restaurant, I went and sat in my car for a minute as I took deep breaths. I did not want to go home. Truly, I was fine with my next visit to Texas consisting of Joanna's funeral.

Not Joanna's deathbed.

My phone rang as I put my seatbelt on. It was Janet and I answered. "Hey babes."

"Hey baby. Are you still at IHOP?"

"Actually, I just got back in the car. What's up?"

"I want to cash in my date offer today. Up to it?"

Smiling, as if she could see me, I nodded. "Of course. Where am I meeting you at?"

"Actually, my place. Joeys going to take us there." She informed me.

"Ok, well give me like 15 and I'll be back at your place. Wait, do I need to change? I still have on the sweater and shorts."

I listened as she chuckled. "No, that's actually perfect for where we are going. Eissa is going to stay with Tiffany tonight so we have all the time in the world."

"Ok, well I'm on my way to you then." I replied as I put my car in reverse and backed out of the parking spot.

One thing was certain, I could always count on Janet to keep my mind off of things.