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"Aunty Joie's ringing my doorbell like a crazy person."
I push on, moving my sock covered feet a little faster to open the door, with Arya in the baby wrap across my upper body, snuggled peacefully. I unlocked and open the door to Joie dancing to the rhythmic bell sound and holding a to-go plate of food.
I squinted at her and she danced forward on me. "Move off me, you cow. Leaving me hanging to look at that office space."
"I'm sorry," She apologized and planted a kiss on my cheek. "Faye, tell your mommy I's sorry. Let me all the way in. You got me partially outside."
I let her in and she went to clean her hands in the kitchen. I seen the label on the to-go plate she sat on the living room's coffee table and helped myself to a piece of her fried fish. "Leroy's? What were you doing on the south?"
"Girl." Joie came out and rolled her eyes, "Kut popped up on me."
That's never a good thing, especially with their history. "Why?"
"To show me this laundromat he's reopening on Western, in that shopping center." Joie cooed at Arya, making my baby smile wide.
"What in the world does his business have to with you?"
"He wants me to help out there a couple days out the week."
"Lord have mercy, Joie, no." I planted my gaze on her as she sat on the couch with Arya. "Why would you do that? Anything he does comes with a motive, especially with it involves you. He's hurt you in so many ways. Don't do this to yourself."
"I'm not getting back in a relationship with him, Ands."
"That doesn't matter. But you're putting yourself further and further into his life. I shut up about you taking in his child because I understood that. That's your line of work. But he lied to you. He told you he would be out once his daughter was on her last year of middle of school and entering high school, but he shows up out of nowhere months later. Why are your putting yourself back into that situation? Did you forget he shot you, or that he's the reason you can barely hear out of one of your ears?"
"Of course I do, Andi. You just don't understand. I owe him."
"Owe him what?" I claim a seat beside her, "What aren't you telling me?"
