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july 26
Wed
CAR
Zayvior leaned back against the cracked leather of his car seat, one hand on the wheel, the other tapping out a rhythm against the console. He was on his way to his mom's house, and for once, it wasn't business. It wasn't some urgent matter he had to fix or some mess he needed to clean up. Today was just about family and the people he grew up with. That was rare, and he planned on enjoying it.
Pulling up to the familiar house, memories flooded him. The same old spot on the corner, where he and his cousins used to play basketball until the streetlights flickered on. The porch where his mama used to sit with her girlfriends, gossiping and laughing until they were crying. This was home, no matter how far he'd strayed.
He parked his Hellcat and stepped out, the smell of fried chicken and collard greens hitting him before he even made it to the front door. His stomach rumbled in response.
He knocked twice, then pushed the door open. "Ma, it's me."
"In the kitchen, baby!" His mother's voice carried through the house, warm and familiar.
Zayvior made his way through the living room, the sound of family chatter growing louder with each step. When he walked into the kitchen, he found his mom at the stove, his little sister, Zaraiyah, sitting at the table, and a few cousins hanging around, already deep in conversation.
"There he is," his mom said, turning around with a spatula in hand. "My son who thinks he too busy to come visit his mama."
"Ma, you know it ain't like that," Zayvior said, walking over to give her a kiss on the cheek.
She gave him a side-eye but smiled. "Uh-huh, you better be here for more than five minutes this time."
Zaraiyah looked up from her phone and smirked. "What up, Mr. Ghost?"
"Cut that out, Raiyah," Zayvior said, giving her a playful shove as he took a seat at the table.
His cousin Terrence, sitting across from him, shook his head with a grin. "Man, we was just talking 'bout you, Zay. You still out here making moves?"
"Always," Zayvior said, leaning back in his chair. "But today ain't about that. Just here to chill with y'all."
"Good," his mom chimed in. "I need you to relax and eat some food, Zay. You look like you been running yourself ragged."
Zayvior shrugged. "It's all part of the grind, Ma."
"Yeah, well, the grind can wait. Family first, remember?" She said it like a statement, not a question, and Zayvior knew better than to argue.
