Family

CHAPTER TWELVE

"Beyonce, it's been so long." Ray said, feigning a pure, happy smile.

Beyonce bit the inside of her cheek. He looked like a kind, happy man, but Beyonce saw behind the mask he wore.

Not long enough, she thought as she put on a smile.

"Too long." Beyonce said as she put on a tight-lipped smile. He pulled away and she could see the brief moment of him staring her up and down. His eyes lingered on her chest, which made her cross her arms in front of her.

Beyonce made a mental note to be cautious about what she wears around him. He still looks at her with desire and lust, the last thing she needed was for him to get a better glimpse at her body.

She sighed and turned to see her cousins. They looked so grown up, her heart melted and she felt so nostalgic, yet sad. She last saw them when they were running around as little toddlers with bows, glitter, unicorns, the whole shabang.

"Essence, Joy, ya'll done grew up on me." Bey smiled, this time sincerely. She embraced the girls, who embraced her just as tight.

"We missed you, BB. It's been forever!" Essence said, smiling happily. After Bryelle, Beyonce was her favorite cousin. The last time she recalled seeing her, she was basically a baby and now she's about to graduate from highschool with her sister right behind her.

As Bey embraced her younger cousins, she felt herself getting emotional. She felt so bad about not being here each time they came to visit, especially when she knew how much they loved her.

Joy was quiet. She was always the quiet sister, but she was smiling so hard that she was sure all of her teeth were showing. She missed Beyonce dearly.

"Hi, Joy." Bey smiled as she felt Joy cling to her side. She knew Joy was a little shy around new people.  She wasn't 'new', but she hadn't seen the girls in forever.

Joy had always been so sweet and Beyonce found her adorable. She looked at the girls like they were her sisters even though it's been forever and a year.

"Hi, BB." Joy smiled as she pulled away from the hug. Beyonce kissed both of their foreheads before turning to her aunt.

"Auntie! I missed you so much." Bey hugged her Aunt Pattie. Her eyes glistened with tears. She didn't realize how much she missed her family until they were standing right in front of her.

Pattie chuckled as she embraced her niece. "I missed you too, bumblebee. You've grown so much. Let me get a look at you." Beyonce stepped back so Pattie could look at her. She knows she's grown quite a bit from when she was fifteen.

"How old are you now, baby?" Pattie asked, holding Beyonce's hands in hers. She took a glance over her niece, an innocent one unlike Ray's.

"I'm thirty-one, auntie." Bey smiled.

"It felt like it was just yesterday when you were a little girl running around here like a ball of sunshine. Always laughin' and carryin' on." Pattie kissed Bey's cheek and Beyonce smiled with a slight chuckle.

"Yeah, I remember. Oh! My son," Beyonce almost forgot. She turned to Brannon and beckoned him over to her. He came over to stand by her side with his arms wrapped around her.

"This is Brannon. Branny, this is your Aunt Pattie, your cousins, Joy and Essence, and...Uncle Ray." Beyonce pointed out each family member to him. She hesitated a bit when it came to Ray, but she shook it off.

"My...husband, Shawn." She gestured to Shawn who smiled and approached everyone with a hug. She watched, and, for a moment, she forgot that they weren't together.