Magnolia (playboi carti fanfic)

15- Bonus Chapter

I put the chicken in the oven. I'm nervous, i've never cooked for anyone before.

Today is 4th of July, and it's the first holiday i'm spending with my family. Malik is out back, he's cooking the barbecue with Jaime, probably currently testing him for if he was "fit to be with his daughter".

The kids are running around the house playing. I brung them toys, so many toys because I didn't know what they'd like. Myesha is in the living room loosely watching them, really busy keeping up with her friends on snapchat. And Tina is helping me with the side dishes like mac n cheese and collard greens.

My parents lived in Baldwin Hills, but they had a beach house in Venice, so that's where we were today.

The greens are simmering in a pot on the stove, and the macncheese still has some more browning to do. I head over to the sink, washing my hands with lemon soap before heading over to the patio door.

I got a full ride scholarship to my dream school, Florida State. At the university, i'm Chanel Stanley.  That's the name the FBI arranged for me, victim protection they call it.

I wanted Chanel because it's how Schenell is pronounced. And i'm not Schenell anymore, and I don't feel like Tierra either. So it's Chanel. Stanley is just some randomly generated name they slapped on my id.

It never got out either, about me being deaf. While I was in holding, I got to talk to Tanner. He told me he'd never use anything personal, like me being deaf to tell his story if I wanted. I told him, it was okay. I guess in the end, he never disclosed that, because no one has guessed who I am.

I'm hoping no one ever does. Really the whole thing is starting to disappear now, the country has already moved onto the next big story; the Ruiz sisters have been found after 14 years when neighbors heard screaming coming from a basement.

While i'm in school, my parents also got me and Jaime a small apartment upstate. It's a "small gift", they call it. I still have most of the money Mom left me. I only touched about 30k, which went to purchase a car that was very much needed.

I don't know what i'm gonna do with the rest. I'm think of putting it into some trust for my future children. Or starting some businesses. My parents say they're willing to help, since Tina has a successful law firm herself, and knows a thing or two about businesses.

Anyway, so yeah, today, nearly a year after reuniting, this is our first holiday together as a family. We've had meetings, I facetime Myesha and Michael whenever I can. Turns out we have a lot in common. Myesha and I share art of course, but Michael surfs too, he learned from Malik. Everyone is also learning to sign, the babies, Malia and Talib catching on much quicker due to them being so young and their tutor.

Tina wrote me a letter a while ago. It was about all kinds of things, happy memories she had with me that I couldn't share, feelings I couldn't reciprocate yet.

But in the end, she said:

We only thought about ourselves. The pain we felt. How badly we wanted you back, how much we loved you and missed you. We were thinking of you, but not about you, about what you needed. I'm sorry.

The letter was from Mother's day.

My first Mother's Day, without Mom.

I remember crying until I couldn't see the page. It was the first time I heard that. Someone considering how I would feel in this situation. Considering my feelings.

My dad is flipping the burgers, a corona in his hand as he tells something to Jaime, and the two laugh.

I smile at the sight, happy everyone is getting along. I didn't want to show it, but how my family approves of Jaime means a lot for me. How Jaime approves of them meaning just the same.

"What are you two rambling off about?" I say with my mouth.

"Sports." Jaime signs for me, as he snakes an arm around my waist, kissing my cheek afterwards.

I talk with them for a minute, before stealing Jaime away. We go into the house where now, the babies are eating a small bowl of macncheese with Tina, she's reminding them to blow their food.

Jaime and I sit on the loveseat opposite of the couch Myesha is on. She's watching the BET awards.

My legs are propped on Jaime's lap. The long, jagged scar along the right side of my leg is visible due to the shorts i'm wearing.

It's funny, how even though it's from a traumatic bus crash, that isn't even what it reminds me of.

I never fully healed in my leg. My foot is fine now, but my leg, not so much. I still have a limp to my walk, doctors say it may be permanent. I guess I never got to let it heal properly, since me and Mom were on the run for that whole time.

"Are you happy?" Jaime asks me in sign.

I smile, looking around the room to seeing my little brother and sister with Tina, Myesha, and seeing Malik coming to the house, kissing Tina on the cheek.

I nod.

"Yes." I tell him the truth.

***

After a while Jaime and I headed back to our hotel room. We stop for gas at Shell.

He leaves to go pay inside the store, while I adjust the radio station as it begins to play pop.

Just as I did, I heard a car pull up beside me. I think nothing of it, since we are at a gas station.

But out of curiosity, I look over, just in time to see a familiar face.

"Carter?" I say out loud as I squint my eyes to see better. He looks around, probably wondering who had called his name.

He sees me, and returns the strange stare before realizing who I am. He smiles. "Chanel,"

MAGNOLIA