Insecure (Completed)

27

Yazmine

I stepped into the Arrivals area at the Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson airport, searching the crowd anxiously for my parents. Soon, I locked eyes on my mother and I rushed into her arms. My mother was a couple inches shorter than me, with a lean body, dark chocolate skin, and thick coily hair. Right now she had it pulled up in a pineapple. Always one to dress to impress, she wore a pressed navy blazer set. I wondered if she had been working late again.

"My baby," she cooed, hugging me as if her life depended on it. By the way we were acting you would have thought I was gone for three years instead of three months.

"Mommy," I sighed. I had missed her. I spent my whole life wanting to grow up and move out but when I finally did it was overwhelming as fuck.

"So I don't get no love?" My dad mugged me. He stood off to the side, towering over both of us. He also was dark skinned, and he looked much younger than his age outfitted in his adidas pants, t-shirt, and slides.

"I'm sorry," I laughed. I broke away from my mom and hugged my father. "I missed y'all."

My father took hold of my suitcase. "We missed you too," he said.

"What have you been eating up there?" My mom jumped right into the interrogation.

"Leave the child alone Mrs. Carter," my dad said, shaking his head.

"Mr. Carter, if I wanna ask my daughter questions, I will," she snapped back. It felt just like old times, with my parents bickering in their playful manner. It was good to be in Atlanta.

I followed my parents into the brisk Atlanta night air.

Atl, baby. I was back. Soon I was settled in the backseat of my father's truck, watching the familiar scenery fly by.

"The twins get in yet?" I asked.

"Your sister and her badass kids did," my dad grouched. "And that husband of hers."

"My babies," I squealed. I was so excited to see Monte and Keke.

"They ain't babies any more." My dad was still grumbling.

We pulled into the driveway of the house I grew up in. Home. I hoped my niece and nephew weren't already sleep because I badly wanted to see them, and of course my sister. But mostly my niece and nephew. Since the twins and I were so far apart in age, we weren't super close. By the time I was ten, Zaria and Zaire were out of the house. But we had a good relationship.

I left my dad to unload my bags and sprinted for the front door. Since I texted Zaria I was outside, as soon as we pulled up, the door was unlocked. I walked in, taking in the familiar setting.

"Aunty!" A childish voice yelled. A little boy barreled into me, nearly knocking my ass over.

"Monte!" I cheered, recovering from my almost fall. This kid was a ball of energy.

I scooped him up.

"I'm not a baby anymore, you can't hold me," he grouched, sliding out of my arms.

"That's how you treat your Aunt, Monte?" Zaria came over, an apologetic smile on her face.

"Zariiiiii," I sang hugging her.

"Look at my Yazzy all grown up." She looked me up and down. "You look good, I guess you dodged the freshmen fifteen with all that damn running you do."

"Is Quinton sleep?" I asked, referring to her husband.

"Yeah, the kids wore him out the whole trip here. Keke sleep too."

I pouted but I resigned myself to seeing her in the morning.

We started up the stairs, leaving Monte to run free on the first floor. "Where's Zaire at?"

Zaria shrugged. "You know how he is these days. He probably won't come until tomorrow night."

Just as we came to the door of my room, my phone rang. Incoming FaceTime.

"Who's that?" Zaria grinned at me, as I pulled my phone out of my pocket.

I rolled my eyes a grin creeping on my face. "My lil boyfriend or whatever."

I answered, pushing open the door to my room. "Hey bae."

"Hey love. You got in?"

"Yeah I meant to text you when I landed. But I'm home now." I walked into my room. It looked exactly the same as I left it. All my track awards were still on the walls, my paintings adorned the walls, and the prom picture I took with Rico (before I caught him cheating) was still on display, with a huge rip where Rico used to be.

Even my bed was unmade. I smirked. My parents were petty, could have at least washed my sheets and made my bed.

"Aight. I was just making sure you straight. I know you prolly wanna visit with your fam or whatever."

I looked back to where Zaria was standing in my doorway. "Yeah, true."

"Aight."

He hung up and I put my phone on the unmade bed.

"Y'all cute or whatever," Zaria said, folding her arms.

"I guessss." I did a quick trip to the linen closet and changed my sheets. By then, my father had deposited my suitcases in my room.

"I can tell you really like him, Yaz." Freshly showered, I was finally in my old bed. Zaria sat across from me, hugging a pillow.

I knew I had a dreamy smile on my face. "I know right, but it's like I swore I wasn't gonna catch feelings but he snuck up on my heart."

"He treat you good?" Zaria asked softly. Even though we hadn't been super close, my breakup with Rico brought us closer together. I had Amari, but I leaned on Zaria a lot during that time.

"So far. My biggest struggle is getting him to open up. He keeps everything inside, like he afraid of scaring me away with the shit he going through," I sighed, thinking back on the mini argument we had before I left.

"Quinton used to do that shit. But I won't say it's a guy thing because that just gives excuses."

"Exactly,"I sighed again. Suddenly I found myself yawning.

Zaria chuckled. "Sleepy ass. I'm a let you sleep. You know momma want all the help she can get tomorrow so rest while you can."

She wasn't lying. My mother rarely cooked, but on Thanksgiving she went all out, and she usually drafted Zaria and I to help her cook.

"Good night," I called as my sister left.

"Night Yazzy." She flicked off the light on her way out, shutting the door behind her.

I laid in bed a while, just thinking. Before I knew it, I had drifted off to sleep.

I woke up before the sun rose. I decided to go for a run. I grabbed my running shoes and threw on a sports bra, a jacket and braided my hair back. I found my running playlist and tiptoed downstairs.

No one seemed to be awake. Soon I was outside, stretching in the front yard. I put in my earbuds and loosened up. I used to run this neighborhood all the time. But sometimes, when I really needed to blow off steam, I would go to the park down the street.

I started for the park, Future bumping in my ears. My legs ate up the miles. I ran all the way to the park, then stopped for a drink of water. The cool early morning air had me seeing my breath. As I looked up from the water fountain, I met the gaze of someone very familiar.

Rico.