“Sh-she’s…uh…”Fuck, why couldn’t I get this out? Why was this so hard? Was it just because Mama could bring out the truth from me with her eyes?I looked down and away from my mother’s gaze, unable to look her in the eyes any longer and hoping that would help to steel me to keep going. “Sh-she’s not feeling too well. She’s s-sick, and she’s already out in the car.”
“Oh, no! Sick? Do you want me to try and heal her?”
I shook my head. “No, I think… honestly, I think it’s the holidays with the family, you know? Byrd lost her parents around Christmas, and I think it’s just… It’s just hard to see our family all together. She misses her parents and how things used to be.”
Mama covered her mouth in shock. “Oh, no! The poor baby love! I’m so sorry!”
“Y-yeah, so… um… if it’s okay with you, I’m going to take her home and spend the holidays with her. Her uncle is away on vacation, and I don’t want her to be alone during all of this.Do you mind watching Clarkson while I’m gone? I might send someone back to get her?—”
“Oh, of course! I don’t mind at all! I think that is a beautiful idea! You should be there for her! No one should be alone for the holidays. How about you take her presents, too? I can’t imagine how hard this is for her since she lost her parents so young, but I want her to know that we are there for her in spirit and here physically when she’s ready, you know?”
I couldn’t hold back anymore. The tears started to overflow again. I wanted to tell her the truth. I wanted to tell her the fucking truth so bad. But, it wasn’t the time or the place. I couldn’t do it right now. Yet, I swore I would tell her. Once Byrd was back safe and sound in my arms, I vowed to myself that I would tell her.
“Oh, sweetheart, come here. It’s going to be okay. She’s going to be okay,” Mama said as she used her thumbs to wipe my tears away before they fell down my cheeks. She pulled me in for a hug, and I bent down and embraced her. She held me close for a few moments as my tears eased.
Once they did, she whispered, “I know there’s more to this, but it’s okay. I’m here to help you when you are ready, Quinn-Quinn. I always will be. I know you know that. I love you so very much.”
It took everything in me not to break fucking down right there. Instead of losing it, I hugged her closer. I allowed myself to be enveloped in her scent that always reminded me of a homemade carrot cake, shea butter lotion, and home. Into the crook of her neck, I whispered, “I love you, too, Mama.”
Mama kissed my cheek and squeezed me tighter before we separated.
“Soooo,” Natassa said from behind me. “The rest of us were wondering if we could go, too?”
“Absolutelynot!” Aunt Carol-Kay said without looking up from her phone.
“Oh, c’mon, Mom! Simone and Maisie are going back, so that means Cody and Cole are going to go!” Nat cried out.
“I never said they could go!”
“Mom, this is my first Christmas with Simone. I’m definitely going with her,” Cole said.
“Yeah, I’m going, too! I have quite the gift planned for Maisie, and it can’t be given to her without me there!”
Maisie scrunched her nose at Cody’s remark. “Fucking ew, is it your dick in a box? Oh, gods above and below, please tell me it isn’t that?—”
Aunt CK ignored them. “Why don’t any of you want to spend the holidays with your mother? What’s wrong with you kids? Byrd doesn’t have her parents, and look at how much she misses them?—”
“Aunt Carol-Kay,watch it,” I interrupted her with the same edge that I had used on Nat and Cody.
Nat added, “Mom, you are being fucking insane as usual?—”
“And, what about your brother? You are just going to leave Cooper behind and out of all this?”
Cooper snorted without looking up from his phone. “Please. As if I wouldwantto go.”
“Good, your bitch-ass wasn’t invited anyway,” Nat sneered.
“Natassa Katherine Collier?—”
“I think you should go and gather your and Byrd’s things, Quinn,” Aunt Tess suggested. “They are going to be working this one out for awhile.”
I shook my head as Nat and her mother continued to argue.My family was so fucking exhausting. “Maisie, can you teleport me to where we’re going? I’m going to take Aunt Tess’s advice.”
“Hey, I’m going with you! Let me go and get my stuff!” Nat declared.
“We arenotdone, Nat—” Aunt Carol-Kay started before Nat stormed off toward her room upstairs. My aunt wasfurious, her face so red that I feared she was going to explode.
Yeah, not touching that.I continued. “Well then. Simone? Do you mind staying here to help guide Cole and Cody to our destination?”
