Unrequited? Air at Sea

24. Trying

-Arie-

"How can your eyebrows be frowning when you look this gorgeous? This is some of my best work." Aunt Aubrey says. Her voice snapping me out of my thought cloud.

"What?" I blink at her and realize she spun my chair facing the mirror.

I blink rapidly at my reflection.

"Oh Aunt Aubrey it's amazing." I beam as I lean towards the mirror touching my freshly dyed curls.

She had to cut a few inches but it looks so full and luxurious.

I turn my gaze to her and she smiles brilliantly.

"It doesn't even look like my hair."

She waves me off as she takes a step behind me to pull at some of my curls.

"This is all you buttercup just with some deep moisturizing. Also, cutting your split ends, and a good blow job...

She starts to giggle and my gaze lifts to look at her in the mirror. She is giggling away at her crude joke.

I laugh, "Moving right along....It's so beautiful Aunty."

"You're beautiful buttercup. I just accentuated what you already have."

"I told you it would bring out your eyes." Bryce says appearing out of nowhere with Demi in toe.

"You think?"

"Definitely." Aunt Aubrey answers.

"You look so pretty Arie." Demi says sweetly as she touches one of my curls.

I play with one of her long braids in return.

"I wish I had hair as pretty as you." She says with a pout.

"What are you saying? Your hair is as pretty as mine."

"No. My hair is nappy."

Aunt Aubrey interrupts.
"There is nothing wrong with your hair babygirl. I'll show you when you're braids come out. You're curls are just tighter but your hair is just as beautiful as Aries. Ugh, I tell your mom all the time I can do your hair but she insists on taking you to the Africans."

She sucks her teeth, "I guess they braid faster or whatever." She mutters as she goes to cleaning up her work station.

"Mama says you take too long and you'll try to do it on the porch." Demi reiterates my moms exact statement.

Aunt Aubrey frowns, "It was good enough for us! You're mom acts like there's something wrong with that!"

"Mom says it reminds her too much of back home." I add.

"And what's wrong with home ?!? Jeez you're mom is saditty now that she has money. Y'all should have seen her back in the day with her long plats down to her booty and her huge gold hoops. I have pictures!"

"Will you really do my hair like Aries Aunty?" Demi asks excitedly bouncing up onto the balls of her feet.

I hate when she does that, she's only eleven but when she bounces she's taller than me.

What a drag. My baby sister, how dare she be taller than me?!

Aunt Aubrey takes hold of Demi's face. "Yes baby girl I'll do your hair. On the porch like your grandmother used to do when she braided your moms and my hair."