"I want Toni!" Koiah was on the couch with her arms crossed, upset.
"Who's Toni?" My mother asked. She was reading a book with her glasses on. We were all in the living room relaxing.
"A friend. I just met her."
"Little lightskin girl, long hair, always at Smiley's?" I shrugged at her specific questions.
"Yeah, something like that."
"You don't remember her?"
"I don't know that girl."
"You really don't remember do you?"
"Remember what, Ma?" She reached under the coffee table to her picture book and I shook my head. She flipped through a couple pages and turned the book to Koi and I. It was pictures of me and Im assuming my cousin Drea.
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"Drea?"
"No, jackass. Your bestest friend during elementary. That's Toni." Suddenly, a lightbulb appeared on top of my head. I snatched my phone and headed for the door.
"You're forgetting something." My mom said.
"Oh." I grabbed the picture book and headed for the door again. As soon as I opened the door, Koiah began to whine. I turned around with a guilty face.
"Right." I grabbed my daughter also as my mom pursed her lips at me. Koi waved at my mom with a grin on her face. ••• "TT! The man with the pretty baby is at the door!" Violet cheesed back at me. Just after, Toni came to the door.
"Hey." She said dryly. Her skin looked smooth in her cut tank top as her sweatpants hugged her hips just right.
"Can we come in? I wanna ask you a few things." Her and Violet stepped aside at the same time, letting me in.
"Toniii." Koiah whined. She almost fell out of my arms reaching for Toni. She took Koiah from my arms and smiled at her. Koiah was being a show off and put her head on Toni's shoulder.
"Come sit." We all went to the living room and Violet sat down right beside Toni while she had Koi in her lap.
"Toni, you know who I am?" Confusion crept upon her face.
"You're Kenny..."
"Doesn't ring a bell?"
"No. Why are you here?"
"Toni, think." She sat back as Koi played with her long curly hair with her pacifier in her mouth. While Toni sat in her thoughts, I opened the picture book and turned to our photos.
"Is this you? Don't laugh if it aint. I keep telling my mom that looks like my cousin Drea-"
"Boogie?!" My eyes went wide. "Kenny what the hell?! We were like best friends before you went to another school." She had the biggest smile I've ever seen. I finally found my childhood friend.
"You know him?" Violet asked with her big eyes and her head slightly tilted. Toni nodded and looked back at me.
"TT, you had glasses?" Violet asked as she examined the photos of us together.
"Ew, Violet, don't remind me."
"You wear contacts now?" I asked while watching my daughter fall asleep on her chest.
"Yea. I started wearing them when I turned 15. Boogie, this is crazy." I cringed at my old nickname. I haven't been called 'Boogie' in years. I mean since I was 12.
"You don't like that name anymore do you?" I shook my head and chuckled.
"I'm gonna get going." Her smile faded while Violet handed me the book.
"Can the pretty baby stay?" Violet asked me with her head tossed all the way back due to our extreme height difference.
"No, V. Koiah can't stay." Toni said, handing me a sleeping Koi.
•••
"Nana, I'll be right back-"
"Hold your damn horses! Where you going."
"To Auburn's house. I won't stay too long." I put my hands in my pocket to hid any prints showing.
"You girl's staying in?" Nana was making lunch for the girls in the kitchen.
"Yea. Bye." I walked out in a hurry and got to walkin'. We got money to make.
