Kindred Spirits | Juan Toscano-Anderson

68 x Lady Allen

"No."

"Avery please, you have to go. It's only a few more days." Patricia begged. It was pulling teeth to get her youngest out of the house every morning.

"Ma, he doesn't wanna go. Don't make him." Arianna tried reasoning with her mother. She knew her brother was miserable and it was annoying hearing the back and forth between them from the last two weeks.

"Ay dios Mío." The older woman sighed, this was weighing on her more than she realized it was. Raising four kids was something and each one was different. Right now she was tired.

Patricia was back into her bedroom to call Cynatra simply because Juan was preparing for the finals series in Boston.

"Morning mama, how are you?"
"I'm tired Cyn. Can you please help me with Avery?"

"I'll be over soon."

Avery didn't play with Cynatra. It was something scary about that woman when she gave you the look.

"Why are you giving your mother a hard time Avery?" Cynatra of course asked this from her car that Avery just entered.

"I don't wanna be here."

"You got three days left, you still need to clean out your locker. At least finish today." Avery knew he was being transferred out for the next year and these would be his last days at this school.

"Okay."
"I'm not gonna tell Juan and I know you're not either."

Juan would have a fit if he knew Avery was giving Patricia a hard time and that his actions caused their mother to call Cynatra for help.

"I'll pick you up early okay?" She offered. Her day was all about maintenance so those were the tasks she would be fulfilling until lunch time. She would pick Avery up and take him to lunch before taking him to spend time with Jai.

"Thank you Cyn."

"No problem. But understand you will apologize to mama later. Be good, don't get into no shit okay?"

Avery nodded before getting out the car and going on his way. Cyn's next task was making her hair appointment. She needed some TLC to her natural tresses, and l would be wearing her hair out for a while. Eventually opting to get braids before she gives birth.

Walking into the local salon, she greeted everyone before approaching her stylist who awaited her arrival.

"I missed you girly, how you been?" Angel asks placing the cape over her client. "Honestly, tired. But business is going so well. I have a big meeting tomorrow that I wanna look and feel ready for."

Cynatra was nervous and she hated that Juan wasn't able to make the meeting because the game with the Celtics was tomorrow. Jaiden and Audi were up there already. Ricki
would be leaving tomorrow morning and that left her and Uncle Richard in The Bay to handle the business.

"I'll make sure you look your absolute best."

While Cynatra and Angel talked, other clients came in and out of the salon. A familiar face walked in and sat not too far from her.

"Oh hey girl." Tania smiled as she noticed Cyn. Cynatra hated to be that person, and it happened to her a lot as a kid but something was off about the young girl. Red flags of 'this fast ass girl don't need to be friends with Arianna' flashed in her head.

"Hey, what's up?" Cynatra kept it cordial. She wouldn't be mean to the girl, but she didn't have much to say.

"Oh nothing much, you know I be working here sometimes. Tryna get out of Oakland to do better for myself."