Affinity

Chapter 32: Come Together

" Sissssss!" No I won't answer.

" Sister!!!" I wonder who that individual could possibly be referring to?

" Abla motherfucking Jamieson Ever!" Aww shit, yeah I guess that's for me.

" What Jaz?" I appeared in the doorway to her room with heavy lidded eyes as I bounced James on my hip. His mother had awoken him from slumber a total of ten minutes ago with her loud laughter and now she was prolonging that state with her yelling. Oh, the joys of auntiehood!

" Can you please bring me some ice cream?" She batted her eyes as she fluffed her hair and wrapped it in into a bun as she lay on the bed draped in a house dress.

" That's what you in here screaming bloody murder for? You woke up ya son and everything Jaz, damn!" I slid a frustrated hand down my face as I whispered the words angrily to her so as not to disturb my nephew any further. I knew if I raised my voice to any decibel above what I was using now he'd throw a fit.

" I tried calling Jay...but you know how that go. Once that man is sleep he's dead to the world."

" Next time, ima need you to waddle ya ass to the doorway and whisper yell the shit to me." I turned on my heel in the doorway only to jump out my skin, " Shit bro, when the fuck did you wake up?"

" When she threw 'motherfucking' in the middle of ya name. Here, gimmie little man and get the ice cream." Jay stood before me in basketball shorts and a t shirt with heavy lidded eyes and a sleepy smile as he waited to accept a sleepy James. I shifted my weight and pulled the now one year old from his place against my chest to hand him off, he let out a squeal. I tried to continue the pass off motion before he let out a full-blown cry, but as soon as his weight was balanced more in Jay's hands than my own he howled. I took him back with a huff and the crying ceased immediately.

" Ya'll got him spoiled. Youngbull don't know nothing but his mom and auntie, that's a shame."

" You just jealous he don't come to you." I bumped his shoulder gently as I brushed past him in the doorway and made my way to the kitchen. I was gonna give James a bottle, get Jaz her ice cream, and then everyone was gonna go the fuck to sleep!

" You petty!" I heard Jaz's voice waft down the hallway to me, forcing me to crack a smile.

" She's right, your acting like you gon be mad at me forever." Jay sat at the island in the kitchen and sat his face in his hands as I spun around the room with James clinging to my shirt. My arm circled around his tiny body as I pat his bottom in a soothing movement.

" Not forever, just today." Jay and I still weren't on speaking terms, but when Trey called and said he needed to go out of town for business and Jaz had officially been put on bed rest the previous day, her siblings came to the rescue. Jaz's blood pressure was rising to a dangerous level, and she was approaching preeclampsia. Needless to say we were all worried about her health and would do our best to help her carry this pregnancy to fruition. Spending time away from Rah wasn't ideal, but Jaz was someone I could never turn away.

" I'm not gonna apologize." I lifted my right eyebrow at him and scoffed before my lips parted to throw words back at him, " Neither am I, twinsies." My lips curled into a sarcastic smile as I twisted the lid on James' bottle and shook the contents.

" Ab-"

" Hold that thought." I held up my finger to Jay as I silenced my vibrating phone by accepting Raheem's call and putting the device to my ear.

" Wassup babe?" My smile drew wide and sincere as he reciprocated the greeting.

" Hey baby, I was just checking on you for I take it down, you doing ok?" I drug my eyes up to meet Jaelyn's as I answered the question, "yeah, I'm chillin, ya know same ole."

" You know he already told me you still being mean to him, stop playing and make up with ya brother Ab." I could feel his smile pulling through the phone as he tried to make me mirror his lip movement.

" Snitch ass." I mouthed the words to Jay and he batted his eyelashes innocently, I just can't with these two.

" He's acting like a lone wolf maniac, I will not allow him to lose his life over this shit." I spoke to both men overtly, even though it seemed my attention was on my phone conversation alone.

" Your not gonna lose me Abbie." I'd focused my attention elsewhere for far too many elapsed moments to count, because now Jay was halting my path as I bounced James in my arms while pacing up and down the hardwood floors.

" See that's what I'm talking bout, I'm hearing PROGRESS over there!" Rah cheered through the phone and I laughed in response before telling him to take his ass to sleep.

" Yeah, yeah I love you too." And with that my lifeline hung up the phone and relinquished me to have an actual conversation with my brother.

" You don't know what could happen Jay, you have no control over the actions of others. I need you to trust me on this and let me bring it to the authorities." I settled into a chair at the island and adjusted James as I cradled him with one arm and held the bottle to his mouth with the other. Both he and I knew he could hold the bottle by his damn self, but he was tired and acting like an absolute brat, and I was too tired to care.

" I'm more capable than you think Abla, but I hear where your coming from. Just like I'm protective of you and wanna keep you safe, you're the same way about me. It's a beautiful thing knowing your sibling got your back Ab, and knowing how much you care about me..man that's made me whole life." I heard the emotion in his voice that he wouldn't let pool in his eyes as he towered over me, his hand resting on the island in front of me as he poured his heart out.

" Even as a baby Abla, you were attached to one of our legs. You were always up under us, but we loved it. You weren't the annoying little sister Ab, you were the thoughtful baby who was always tryna share her food and make you laugh. Ya big headed ass even tried to kiss our boo boos when we fell off bikes and shit." My brother paused to laugh, and I felt liquid building in my eyes.

" Being in ya'll lives again has made my life. I'll do whatever for you." Damn, now the tears were slipping down my face.

" Jay, Jay, I can't lose you. That's it, that's all. Outside of Rah and daddy, you it bruh, you my backbone."

" You'd be the girl to bring me to tears." Jay started to lean down and hug me, his movements halted as James stirred in my embrace, " don't let the tyrant stop you bro, come ere'." I shushed James with repeated pats to his bottom as Jay slung his arms around my neck.

" My ice cream motherfuckers!!!"

" Ya sister man, my hands are full." I shrugged sheepishly as I held James up to signify that he would be the one to bring her highness her requested food.

" Man I'll get it this time, but next time? Next time, it's all you." And with that Jay was pulling contents from the freezer, slipping the frozen dessert into a bowl, and jogging down the hallway to deliver it to our only sister. My heart swelled at the amount of love in this house, our sibling bond was truly something to marvel at. I would not let this feeling pass, but instead hold it close and pray for a lifetime of these spaces in time. 

I just want a brother like Jay! 

What are ya'll thoughts on this chapter?