𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐓𝐑𝐔𝐓𝐇.

twenty-six.

𝐤𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐞 𝐣. 𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐮𝐞𝐥𝐬
𝙹𝙰𝙽𝚄𝙰𝚁𝚈 || 𝙱𝙰𝚃𝙾𝙽 𝚁𝙾𝚄𝙶𝙴, 𝙻𝙰.
-

"I'm so ready to go home," I laid my head on Neno's shoulder as we sat in the building my family had rented out for my mother's repast.

"This food good," Neno smacked on a piece of chicken before moving onto a meatball and holding it up in front of my mouth, "Want some?"

"No, I'm not hungry." I sighed, looking around.

The realization hadn't hit me that my mother was gone until her funeral today. Seeing that casket close, knowing that was my final time seeing her ever in life, hurt me to the core. It took everything in me to not jump in that casket with her, seriously.

"We can dip whenever you ready to though."

I looked around at my family who were just mingling and talking as 'We are One' by Maze and Frankie Beverly played. My dad was walking around with a bright smile on his face, hugging and talking to people as if he weren't dying on the inside every night. And as much as he would deny it, battling alcoholism.

"Who is this handsome young man?" I heard the familiar voice of my grandmother, looking at Neno.

I was honestly scared to bring Neno around my family, knowing that was new for me. But today I needed comfort, and I didn't care what anybody had to say about him. If Kha wasn't being a weirdo I would've invited him since almost my entire family knew him due to us being so close.

"Hi granny. This is my boyfriend, Emanuel." I smiled awkwardly, watching as Neno put one last meatball in his mouth before shaking her hand.

Fat ass.

"It's nice to meet you, ma'am." He smiled.

I watched as my father looked at me weirdly from across the room. He hadn't yet spoken to me or Neno and that was odd. This wedge between us was weird.

"The family was starting to think Kacie was gay the way she never brought men around. She must really like you," My granny laughed before averting her attention onto me. "Did your mama get to meet him?"

"Thankfully I told her about him. But no, they never got to meet." I frowned.

I knew that if my mother were to meet him she would love him. Neno was easy to like. He was very respectful, charismatic, a gentleman, and he was funny as hell. That's why I loved him.

"Your daddy over there looking like who did it and why. Poor thing," My granny frowned, causing me to look over at him.

In my opinion, he had cleaned up nicely, I would've  never been able to tell that he was at home drinking his liver away.

"He looks bad to you?" I questioned.

"I can see it in his eyes that he's hurt and obviously battling something, not just this loss. Have you been checking on him?"

"We honestly haven't been talking." I shrugged.

"And why the hell not?"

"Just stuff, we're not seeing eye to eye. But I'm just going to let him grieve because I know if this is hard for me it's even harder for him."