The Gemini: Emancipation

27 - Heir

December 13, 1998

Prince didn't want to leave for Europe but he had no choice. Even still he told Jody not to be surprised if he's back at the door an hour from leaving. She thought he was kidding until the bell sounded exactly sixty minutes afterward. Because, yes, he's the irregular sort that wouldn't just use the key.

A look through the peephole proved her assumption wrong. The black fur trimmed hood of a red puffer coat is all she sees. She waited for this someone to circle round and show face but it never happened.

Brows bunching, she wonders how they got pass the front gate. An ever rotating number code is needed for entry and no one knows it but she, Prince, and occasionally one of their assistants. This person is neither Bianca nor Manuela.

Pressing the intercom button, Jody's voice goes over the outside speaker.

"Turn around or get left there."

Puffer coat waves their gloved hand as if to complain before following instruction. Befuddled but smiling Jody unlocks and opens the door for her bestfriend.

"Hey! What are you doing here?"

"Trying to surprise you but your paranoid ass didn't play along."

"You could've been anybody."

"Girl you know can't nobody else get through that damn fortress up there."

Shuffling into the house, Nikki shivers in aftershock of the snowy cold. The chilly temperature made the warm red-orange undertone of her bronze skin standout even more. The apples of her high cheek bones look freshly blushed.

"Hurry up and gimme a cover."

By the time Jody came back with a throw blanket from the couch, Nikki had ditched her boots and stripped all three of her winter layers. Her thickly socked feet, sweatpants and hoodie make her look cozier than she actually feels.

"Oh Hallelujah," she sing-sighs wrapping herself in plush. "Yes, Lord. The warmth."

Jody leads them to the living room where they park on the sofa.

"You gonna tell me how you broke in?"

"Shorty gave me the password this morning. Devin got Cam and the kids are in school so I came over since I ain't have nothing else to do."

Stumped at her streaming, Jody sat waiting for the obvious missing parts to be filled in.

"Surprise! I was dragged here against my will. We're neighbors now."

"Stop lying."

"I can't. It's the truth. Some mess went down at the school and Devin got laid off. In the middle of trying to transfer, he got in touch with a friend here and allat." Nikki flicks her hand as if to fast forward. "He starts at South on Wednesday."

Jody's horribly subtle geeking makes her laugh.

"Gon ahead and smile. I'm still kinda upset we had to leave, but I'm happy I get my sister back." A sappy freckle-faced grin tugs at the others heartstrings.

"Aww stop. You're gonna make me cry."

"Euugh, you all emotional," Nikki teases, reaching out to rub Jody's rounded belly.

The three month bump shows proudly, unable to be hidden from the world any longer. That's how she found out. Gossip told the news before Jody got to make that Chicago call. It took away none of the excitement that sounded over the line that night though.

"How's my baby doing?"

Every ounce of tiredness Jody feels is channeled into the huff she exhales.