𝐒𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐘 | 𝐦. 𝐣𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐬𝐨𝐧

13

"Huh?"
I heard Marlon make a sound of confusion. Did I really say that..? I guess I'll have to go with it now, "I said you always look good."

I swore I saw a glint in Marlon's eyes but he just grinned at me. We gazed into each other's eyes for a few seconds before my mother cleared her throat, interrupting the moment.

"Oh, Mrs. Tonya's mom. Hello," Marlon speaks up, striding over to my mother to hug her. He obviously knew my last name, he just liked joking around.

"You know better not to speak to me, boy," my mother teased him, making the both of us giggle.

"Sorry, I was just excited for the trip with Tonya is all," Marlon tells her, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. It makes me smile and apparently my mother, too.

"Yeah, well it's about time for y'all to get going, right??" My mother asks, looking at &Marlon who nods in response. "Yeah, but Tonya can't leave dressed like that," Marlon says to my mother, to which I raise my eyebrows at.

My mother and Marlon both look in my direction, and I notice a laugh threatening to fall from my mother's lips. "What?? What's so funny..?" I ask, tilting my head to the side.

I looked down at my outfit and then back up to my mother and Marlon. "Come on, y'all. Quit playing," I grumble, but then it hit me once Marlon said it.

"You're still in your pajamas, girl," Marlon tells me with this endearing giggle, but I can't focus on that as I'm now filled with embarrassment. "Oh my gosh, Ma, why didn't you tell me..?!" I exclaim, rushing up the stairs. This was so embarrassing!

I picked out one of the nicest outfits I had, and shyly made my way back downstairs. Marlon looked at me in awe, though. He's a really supportive friend. "Dang girl, you blowin' me away!" He dramatically exclaims. My mother laughs.

"Oh my goodness, Marlon, shut up," I tell him, playfully hitting him on the shoulder once I made my way down to him. My mother looks towards me with a grin.

"Well you have fun, honey," she tells me, giving me a kiss on the forehead. "And you let me know if you need anything! I'll run down there to wherever y'all are going to see about my baby," she says, making me smile.

"I know, Ma."

Mother looks towards Marlon this time. "You and your brothers look after my Tonya, alright?" she says and Marlon nods like he's in the army or something. "Can do ma'am. I'll guard her with my life."

Marlon comically salutes and my mother and I laugh at him. "Well, you kids get goin'. Don't want y'all to be late," she says, giving Marlon and I individual hugs. We say our goodbyes to my mother and Marlon insists on taking my bags for me on the way out.