Your Voice

𝟎𝟑. 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮, 𝐈 𝐝𝐨

"Because I can." Kareem briefly glanced at her. "Why you got pink in your hair but your dress is green? You not even matching the family colors."

Lauri crossed her arms. "Because I can and it's cute."

"Okay then."

"That doesn't even make even any sense."

"Aren't you searching for your bracelet? You can't be if you still here all in my business." Kareem ignored her glare and went back to signing the previous sentence he'd been learning; Tell me about yourself.

Along with — You're very pretty. What's your top favorite movie? I love your smile. Do you have a favorite director you look up to? How did God make someone as perfect as you? And many more he'd forgotten though most consisted of compliments.

Kareem then remembered his imprint would be meeting his family soon enough and faced his sister passing him in her olive green dress flared at the bottom and appropriate fitting as the mayor's daughter and for her age, seventeen. She took after their mom, almost stealing her face when she was around the same age. Big, round eyes, her dimples, even the same brow arch. But when she's pissed and creases form between her brows or at the corners of her lips — that was all pops.

And it's not meant in a bad way. Lauri's a beautiful young lady and pops was still pulling women's attention left and right despite his utter desire for his one woman. Their family had good genes. Pretty boy was just a surface-level compliment. The whole family together, it's almost illegal.

"You should learn ASL too. At least some basic conversational phases when you find the time. All of ya'll should." Kareem suggested.

"No thanks. I'm barely passing English as we speak, and I have no interest in finger gestures I won't ever use. As long as this — " She flipped him off. " — gets the message across, then I'm good."

Kareem rolled his eyes. She took her leave laughing about.

He was often a playful person and loved his siblings dearly, but they be testing his patience. Lauri especially. Being the eldest son and brother with his own money, all four of his siblings never hesitated when it came to milking favors and requesting money.

But when it came to his simple request, as a man who don't ask his family much unless it was important, there's a problem. Not only did he want to be accessible for Alyina, but he wanted his family prepared ahead of time. If there's one thing he hated, it was disorganization.

Kareem's mother was on a call struggling to slip on her black heels when she noticed her son down the hallway making gestures at himself through the mirror. Onira, his youngest sister and the youngest of all, ran past with the family dogs chasing behind her. Bare-footed and half her puffy hair undone from her ponytail.

She knocked into their mom and lost her footing still struggling with her heels. Kareem acted quickly and caught her from smashing her face in. Then lowered the phone from her ear, pressed against her chest to warn Onira about running in the house and to find her father to fix her hair.

        With a stressful sigh, turned her attention back to Kareem. "Do I even wanna ask what you're doing minutes before we're supposed to be heading out? This place is a mad house and guest are arriving at the venue without their hosts. And JJ is somewhere hiding." She hung up the call after exchanging a few words and went to indulge her eldest son who's been to himself for quite some days. The video plays in his hand. "American Sign Language? Don't tell me your father put you up to this. Some self-improving assignment before taking over in his place?"