me & tomfoolery

A Part of Your World pt. 6 | Cade Cunningham Short Story

Dinner went well. No drama, all laughs and a comfort they all understood and didn't have to explain. Carrie frowned at her son's change of plans in reference to his birthday.

"Changed to what?"

"Game first," Cannen announced. "Then after-party after."

"You turned dinner into an event?" Cade asked.

"I turned my birthday into efficiency."

Raychell rolled her eyes, "That means he wants everybody downtown at once."

Cannen looked directly at Emani then. "So you're coming."

It was said like fact not an invitation. Emani blinked, "To your birthday?"

"Yes! To a game, dinner, and whatever version of birthday comes after," Cannen corrected.

Ray added immediately, "You already here now. No escaping the question."

Before Emani answered, Carrie smiled, "You may as well. At this point, we'll clearly be seeing you more often"

In the midst, before she even formed her answer, she caught Cade looking at her again. Quiet, waiting. Not pushing but watching carefully.

Emani exhaled once, "When will this be happening?"

Cannen pointed, "Next weekend. Make sure you pack a bag. Wouldn't want you trying to escape midway"

That made everyone laugh, even Cade. Somewhere in that laughter, the answer arrived easier than expected. Because what had started as one emergency braid appointment had now become another invitation into the same circle.

By six-thirty, Raychell had already decided Emani was taking too long. Which was unfair, considering Ray herself had changed earrings twice, rejected one entire outfit fifteen minutes earlier, and was now standing in the doorway of the guest room with one heel on and one heel off like urgency had suddenly become somebody else's responsibility.

"It is a birthday game," Ray said, folding her arms. "Not an award show." Emani looked up from adjusting the strap of her top.

"And yet somehow you have three purses laid out like a buffet."

"I need to make the right selection. Pictures happen."

The room smelled like perfume, pressed fabric, and the faint heat of curling irons left cooling on the dresser. Two weeks had passed since the recital, and somehow Cannen had managed to turn what was originally supposed to be a birthday dinner into exactly what everyone expected once he got involved: game first, dinner second, after-party if energy survived.

Which meant Raychell had invited Emani to get ready at the house so nobody was "running around separately like strangers."

She had agreed mostly because fighting Ray's planning once she committed rarely worked. Still, now that she stood fully dressed in dark fitted trousers, a soft fitted top, and heels just high enough to matter, the same quiet nervousness from recital night returned.

Different reason.
Same feeling.

"You're thinking too hard again," Ray noticed immediately.

"I'm literally putting on lipstick."

"You've been putting on lipstick for five minutes."

Emani capped it and narrowed her eyes, "Why do you always notice too much?"

"Because somebody has to say what you won't."

Ray stepped closer, smoothing one side of Emani's sleeve.