Sandcastles | Completed

16 | papers

• • •

Elijah Baker

"Your mom is nice," Kensley stated.

"She talk too damn much." She moved her head from my chest to glare at me, "It really wasn't no reason she should've been in there telling you allat."

"Ms. Tracey gives me candy and runs the tea. No slander will be tolerated."

My mama had a talking problem. She just starts talking, and won't stop. I couldn't think of a way that I would even be brought up, and especially not for her to mention me being married and unhappy.

Like Kensley a therapist or some.

"She doesn't like your brother, though." She continued, "I can see why."

I smiled, "Ion like him either."

Lauren's timing was off, and I didn't intend on Kensley hearing any of that, but I gave Lauren the option of not talking in front of her, and she did it anyway. I don't know why she continued to tell me, nor did I know what she expected me to do about it.

She always wanted to vent, but I couldn't listen to somebody complain about the same shit without trying to make it better.

I thought about what else my mama might have mentioned in her coffee shop therapy session, "What all she told you?"

"Ouu. That sounds like somebody who got some secrets."

There weren't any more secrets that should matter to her, "Ion like not knowing what you know about me."

Kensley balanced her chin on her hand, "She didn't say much. Just the stuff about your brother" She paused, "And threw shade at your dad."

"Yeah. Don't nobody like Christian either."

"....Why?"

Leah was the only other person I was open enough to share why I didn't like or respect Christian, and she did the same shit.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to." Kensley assured me, "I was just making conversation."

She never pried, never rushed, just waited. I understood why my mama told her so much.

"It's nothing like what you might be thinking. Just the same situation as Marc and Lauren."

Maybe I shouldn't have cared so much, but my mama didn't try to hide it like Lauren did, and neither did Christian. We saw everything, heard everything. Each week a new bitch, a new argument, a new necklace.

At least Marc found a permanent one.

It's why I hated it when people yelled. I had to listen to that shit nearly every day as a child.

"I could understand if she wasn't shit to him. But nah, she had food ready when he walked in the house, nigga had clothes laid out in the morning. Depending on the day she might go wipe his ass after he take a shit."

Kensley snorted then quickly apologized, "Sorry. I wasn't expecting you to make a joke."

I didn't respond, focusing on the ceiling so I could push the onslaught of emotions to the back of my mind.

The bed moved as Kensley sat up, grabbing my shirt and throwing it at me, "Get up."

"Where we going?"

"It's a surprise."

• • •

The surprise found us at a gas station, and I watched as Kensley grabbed item after item, "Get some stuff. We're taking a road trip."