Ethel 'n Opal

eleven

"Well? Do ya'll have anything to say for yourselves?"

"We're sor-"

"Whatchu want fucker?" Ethel cuts me off. Why does she choose now to palm my boob and slowly lick up my cheek? Zion makes a disgusted face. I puff out my cheeks to hold in the laughter, mouthing a quick "help me".

Ethel taps my thigh in warning and boldly holds eye contact with the kid. "She good. Now get little one. Your mommy and I have grown up things to do."

Zion huffs. "You're lucky HR doesn't give a shit about this place." With that he storms off, most likely to go complain about this to his mom on the phone, per usual.

I playfully slap Ethel's shoulder and she laughs a bit, "What?"

I maneuver out of the jacuzzi to sit on the edge, and she lays her head right in my lap once I'm settled. We stay like that for a quiet minute.

"Is it so wrong for me to love on my girlfriend though? I mean, you're the one leaving me in two months. You'll prolly find someone smarter and prettier in Alabama anyways. Someone who makes you more happy. Like damn, at least let a nigga have this."

"Ethel."

"Whaaat?" She hides her face against my bare stomach, now too shy for something as small as eye contact. So I rub her back a bit, knowing this'll gently coax her out.

"Baby that's not true. I'll text you so much every chance I get, you're probably gonna be sick of me by the end of the first week. We'll facetime every night before bed," one eye peeks out and I give her nose a quick peck for encouragement, rambling on whatever comes to mind. "I'll visit during the holidays and your birthday. Although, I don't know how I can really miss the last one though when your version of celebrating means it lasts the whole month. I'll even try to catch a few of your cheer competitions. We'll still go on dates. And I'll always be back down here for the summers. Somehow we'll figure this all out."

"Really?" She blinks up at me. I feel my chest fill with happiness because of how comfortable she's come to be so openly vulnerable with me.

"Yes really. There's no finding anyone else 'cause I'm crazy about you. In a few years, I'll be right back down here and we'll pick up wherever we left off. Who knows, give it a couple more and I'll probably be on one knee, asking you to make me the happiest woman in the world."

She huffs adorably and looks down, "Marc would prolly love that. He already acts like your his sister and now that shit could be real? Tuh, lil ass traitor."

I smile. "You sure he's the only one that'd love this idea?"

"Shut up."

©neuttt