Circa. August 2014
"Want a cookie?"
I'd scooted a chair over so I could stand on it to reach the cups. My knee was still hurting from the fall I took so I couldn't get on the counter the way I would usually. Junior was still infected with chicken pox meaning Melo had to be here for the fourth night in a row. We always ended up down here in the kitchen, in the middle of the night. We both would got a small glass of milk since his mom told him it helped make you fall asleep. Almost like it was a routine, I got used to taking out two cups once I heard his footsteps. The milk was already on the counter waiting for Melo to pour it into our cups. Big momma had make cookies earlier so I made sure to heat them up a bit.
The once empty cups were now half full. I moved the chair back over the table and back to the small amount of cookies I'd taken out. "I don't know." He replied earning a scrunched face of disbelief from me, "I'm just playing." He laughs out. Big momma makes the best cookies, I'd say in the whole world. I ain't ever tried a cookie better than my big mommas, ask anyone who's tried them and they'd say the same. But big momma wasn't much of a baker, as she'd say, so we'd get her famous cookies every blue moon.
I bring over the small plate of cookies that I believe held around four. He thanks me grabbing a cookie from the platter. I rested myself in a chair besides his. It goes quiet due to both of our mouths being gifted with a mix of warm cookies and cold milk.
"Can I tell you a secret?" I broke the silence
"Yea, I mean I tell you secrets all the time" he says
It's true he does. Since the walkie talkie and the sister secret he'd told me a lot. Most of them being him saying something about one of his friends and telling me to keep it a secret. A lot of the boys did that, tell me things because they knew I wouldn't really judge them. But Melo was the main one, I'd learned he loves to talk and I really didn't mind listening.
I laugh sitting up in my seat, " I think I like you a little more than Drew...not a lot but like-like this" I hold my pointer and thumb finger apart showing him the space. Although if I'm being honest at times it's arm to arm length. "This much." He doesn't reply in any kind of way but smiles and bites into his cookie. "Don't tell him I said that, though." I love Drew, I mean I really had no choice. That's what Mommy would always say, you're bonded by blood you have no choice but to love each other, even when you feel the complete opposite. You'll always be blood. He is my brother, my only technical brother but anybody who gives me piggyback rides without asking deserved the same token of love as a brother. Maybe even more "You promise."
"I promise."
I looked at him watching as he sipped from the almost emptied cup of milk. "I'm going to bed now so you should too. " he places both of our cups in the sink and I move our untouched cookies back with Big Mommas bunch.
I had a hard time going to sleep being I was still very afraid of the shadows. I'd began to feel Drew's annoyance with me sleeping in his bed so I just told him I wasn't afraid anymore. I'm not even sure exactly when I fell asleep. I was just awake then sleep then awake again. I'd woken up at nine o'clock to the smell of breakfast. It was hard to distinguish by smell but when I went downstairs I was greeting with big momma and a plate of cinnamon toast, scrambled eggs, and a sausage. After breakfast was eaten we all got ready for the bake sale, the reason why big momma made the cookies. I knew she wouldn't notice Melo or I had a few since she made like a million cookies.
Melo, Drew, and I waited by the door for Big Momma. She always had to make sure she looked the best she possibly could meaning we'd usually be waiting for her in the morning. Fixing her hat a bit Big momma made her way out with us beside her. When we finally made our way to the church I'd seen the best thing I could see all day.
