Agora Hills

twenty-seven

Chapter Twenty-Seven

December 6, 2024

Reeva was on the phone with Megan, her voice light with amusement as she listened to the animated retelling of Megan's date the night before. Megan had been on a date with Naio, Jacob's cousin and the brother of Zilla and Arthur, and it was clear that Megan was still caught up in the excitement of it all.

"Is the whole family funny? Because he had me laughing all night," Megan said, her voice filled with energy.

"They all got the funny bone," Reeva responded, thinking about how much she loved Jacob's family.

They had a unique brand of humor, an infectious kind that made even the darkest days feel like sunshine. When she was around them, it felt like everything was brighter, and lighter, as if laughter could chase away even the hardest times.

"Oh, by the way," Reeva continued, switching gears with a smile in her voice, "since you missed Thanksgiving with us, my mom said you definitely have to stay the week with us for Christmas. You can't say no, because she'll come get you herself."

Megan's laughter on the other end was warm and genuine. "Tell Auntie April I'm not missing Christmas. I'm still recovering from her cursing me out for Thanksgiving."

Reeva burst out laughing. "I told you, she'd curse you out if you skipped it. But you thought you could sweet talk your way out of it."

"I know, but at least it wasn't Uncle Phil who cursed me out. That would have me crying all month," Megan said, her voice tinged with mock horror.

"For sure," Reeva said, the two of them laughing together.

Megan was someone who had been through the same kind of loss and understood what it was like to miss the ones who should have been there. Their bond was special, something Reeva held close.

"So, this compound," Megan said, a new note of curiosity in her voice. "I've been hearing a lot about it. What made you guys decide to get one?"

Reeva took a deep breath, memories flooding back. The compound wasn't just a place; it was a symbol, a promise. "When I was sixteen or seventeen, Phil made me sign a contract. He said that if I ever got married, we'd all have to live on a compound. He couldn't bear the idea of us drifting apart, of being abandoned like we had in the past. We got it because Kayla's convinced I'm going to be married by 2025, so Phil said let's speed up the process."

Megan's surprised laughter tickled Reeva's ears. "Honestly, I'm shocked he didn't volunteer to live in the guest room."

Reeva snorted. "He said he doesn't want to know what's going on in my house with my man, but he wants to be close enough to visit whenever he wants."

"God, you guys make me so happy. Seeing y'all bond is just... I don't know, it's a reminder that families don't have to be made up of just blood."

The words hit Reeva in a tender place. Megan had lost her parents a few years ago, and Reeva knew that the ache of that loss never truly faded. They both understood what it was like to feel the void, the absence of people who should have been there. But in that void, they had found each other, and now, with Phil and April's kindness, Megan had a piece of that family she missed so much.

Reeva's voice softened. "And you know Phil and April are more than happy to share that bond with you, Meg."

Megan's response was a heavy sigh. "Yeah, but sometimes I feel guilty accepting that from them because of my parents. I feel like I'm replacing them."

Reeva's heart ached for Megan. She knew that guilt well. It was that whisper in the back of your mind, the one that told you that finding love again was a betrayal of what you'd lost. "But you're not. Think of it as having Godparents," Reeva said, the words wrapping around her friend like a warm hug.