Let Them In (Book 3.0) -INTERSEX

Chapter 5

Hope

Around 9 p.m., my family begins to leave, and Iris and Imani are saying their goodbyes and thanking them. When they get to the door, I open it, ready for them to go.

"Well, guess this is goodbye. Thank you for inviting us. It's been a while since I've been surrounded by this much family and friends. Even if it's not our own," she says, a genuine smile on her face.

I simply nod in her direction, and she smiles back at me. "Bye, Hope, thank you," Imani says. I lower my gaze to her, and when her mother turns away, she sticks her tongue out at me. I shake my head and snicker at her gesture. I've only known her for all of two seconds, and while she's adorable in this millisecond, the previous 1999 milliseconds with her have been obnoxious.

"Aww, see, you can sometimes smile," Iris's voice pulls me out of my laughter, and my smile fades again.

What are they doing to me exactly? I don't show emotion around the women I sleep with. They become excessively sensitive and clingy. I mean, I'm not banging her, so I'll use that as an excuse for why my face appears to be displaying irritating facial features.

"Alright, we'll be heading out now," she says, and she turns with her daughter and walks out of the house. I watch as they walk away and lean on the door frame.

Faith comes up next to me, and we watch them walk past all the cars, not getting into a single one of them. "Ummm... where are they going?"

I shrug to answer her question. They continue down the street hand in hand. Are they walking to the bus stop? "Hope, go get them!"

"Hell no, they can walk." Faith smacks the back of my head, and I roll my eyes. "Ughhh, fine."

I grab my keys and get into my pickup. I start the engine, pull out, and drive in the direction they walked. As I pull up alongside them, I roll down my window. "Hey, get in!"

They become startled at first, until they notice who it is. She shakes her head and continues to walk on the sidewalk as I drive slowly on the road. "No, Hope, it's okay; we're almost at the bus stop."

"Bambi, get in the car. The bus stop is another two miles." Now that I think about it, did they walk here the first time?

She sighs and turns around. "Fine." I unlock the door, and they both get in. "Buckle your seat belt, Mani," she says, looking at the back seat. Her daughter does as told, and they both get situated in the car. The smell of leftover food my grandmother Elliot made fills my truck. But I don't let it bother me too much. It's actually making me hungry again.

"You can put the address in my GPS." She does it, and I drift back onto the road, following the maps.

"Thank you," she says softly. I nod, not really paying attention to her. I would have let them walk if it wasn't for my sister pushing me to take them home.

"You guys took the bus here?" I ask, trying to make conversation.

"Uh yeah. We don't have a car," she says timidly.

"Why?" I know my question is blunt and intrusive, but she is a beautiful young woman with a five-year-old daughter. Someone could just take them off the street, and terrible things could happen to them. I might not know them well, but I don't want that to happen to anyone.

"It was repossessed last month," she almost whispers, to the point where I barely hear her.

Nodding my head, I return my gaze to the road. "So, how do you get to work, and how does Imani get to school?"

She looks away at the window as if embarrassed. "Um. We both take the city bus. I work where she goes to school. So, it's easy right now."

"You're a teacher?"