Grown Enough (On Hold)

Chapter Nineteen

We'll be wrapping the final installment up soon. 🥹
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Anthony

"Wassup, youngin?" Amari dapped me.

"Chillin', Pops. You here for Ma?" He questioned.

I nodded.

"Them folks done got the grinch to come to the town." He maneuvered his wheelchair out of the doorway.

I almost laughed but instead I just looked at him.

Deon couldn't help himself and that made me crack.

While the two have no correlation, and I made that quite clear upon declaring the name, it was funny to hear him say it a loud.

"You handling what we talked about?" I asked.

"Yes sir, I'm all over it. Who woulda thought I'd be faster with wheels." He shrugged.

"It's beautiful how you've embraced your situation." Deon commented.

"Absolutely, remarkable." I agreed.

He humbly laid his head down as he thanked us.

"Hold your head high, you've earned the right... Your brother ain't care how deep into none of this you was. He was willing to go toe to toe with any man, pay any price, literally do anything... So that you could live out your life any way you want." I gestured with my hands during this speech I laid on him. "What do you want to do, Amari? You're gonna do it. I don't even care if it's learning another language, you're gonna do something, you're gonna be something greater than this."

He accepted my words without an argument.

"Yes, sir."

I moved onto Evelyn's office and as I expected, she was in here with Kev.

They were going over some files.

"K, Wassup?" I nodded, sitting down.

"Shit, you know, waiting on the move for my boy."

"Oh yeah? You mix with Aubree like this?" I always talk with my hands, it's how I express myself even more.

"What? Aubree has only good things to say about Kev." Evelyn intervened.

"Shhh." I warned her.

"Ev, It's cool baby, I can speak for myself." He assured her before returning to me. "Yeah, I do. We crossed paths when he locked in with Carmine, handled some real heavy business together. I knew him before that, too. But we got to know each other foreal then."

I nodded in understanding.

"That youngin is special and what I think is even more beautiful, is the bond Luke and him grew over this time." Deon commented. "Seeing one without the other, is damn near unbearable out here, man."

"All facts... We all know Luke can stand on his own but seeing him have to take over again, but like this?" I took a moment to shake my head. "Like you said, makes you wanna cover your eyes or something." I sighed.

"Would you name anyone else to take over?" Evelyn brought into question. "Harlem feels like Luke is moving too emotionally. Our move will be based on how Luke feels and—"

One comment from Deon in agreement with him turned into the three of them practically yelling over each other, Kev standing firm that Luke should remain in charge.

I took a deep breath, raising my hand politely to speak.

"We will allow Luke's terror to rain. This is not business. I'm damn near ready to send a few people out myself but I'm waiting for Luke and only Luke. I'm not sure why this is a topic but I won't stand for it. So you tell Harlem to get at me with all of his suggestions and complaints, Aight?" I got a little irritated.