Noelle.

SEVENTEEN.

We released from the hug and I grabbed her suitcase and put it into my trunk as she got in my car and I followed her and got back in the drivers seat. "How was your flight?" I asked, glancing at her every chance I got. She looked exactly the same, not a hair outta place, even with a few grays that she had in the front. She looked like the female version of Judah, "It was good, wasn't too long. You know mama getting old, I can't be sitting for too long" she replied, causing me to chuckle, "Mama you still look 30, what is you talkin' bout?" I asked, making her chuckle herself, "52, baby, with a married son now, which mean grandkids soon, right?" She asked, eyeing me.

I avoided her gaze, "Ma, I'm not even dating, you better ask Derek. Ain't nothin' I can do for you right now" I replied with a laugh. She turned her head to look at me, scrunching her face up, her facial expressions kill me cause they remind me of Judah every time somebody say something off to her, "You not dating? You kept a side piece son son, what happened?" She asked. I chuckled, running my hand over my face with a smile, "Nothin'. I just been workin' on myself for a lil bit, tryna get right in life and with God" I replied.

I could see her lips form into a silent smile from the corner of my eye, "Ma, what?" I laughed. "What's her name?" She asked, my eyebrow raised. I scrunched my face with a laugh, "What you mean? I said I'm not dating, there ain no 'her'" I deflected. "When you lie, your voice goes higher as a defense mechanism, you lying, whether you realize it or not" she confirmed, so sure of haself. I thought for a second, "We don't really know each other, but I promise if it's more there, you gon' be the first to know, aight?" I laughed, taking in her words. She nodded her head silently, still cutting her eye to me with a small smirk of her own.

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"Come on Ma, we late and ion wanna hear yo son mouth" I mumbled, grabbing her arm and pulling her into the church with her on my arm. "I keep telling you I'm old, Jeremiah" she laughed, picking up speed so her little legs can keep up with mine. As soon as we walked in, Derek's eyes met with mine and landed on my mom. He broke out into a grin and made his way over. I greeted him and noticed Keith coming in our direction also, as my eyebrows knit together in confusion, he dapped me up, "I ain't know you and Derek was brothers" he spoke, "I ain't know y'all knew each other. How do yall know each other?" I asked.

"He's Ayva's brother" Derek replied, pulling my Mom into a hug, "How long yall been related?" I asked, looking over in Ayva's vicinity, seeing who I could immediately tell was Noelle and Keith's girlfriend. Keith, Derek and my mom laughed at my words, breaking my gaze from Noelle, "Since forever, I hope y'all have fun with her" Keith replied sarcastically, clapping me on my shoulder. I sighed and rolled my eyes as my mom slapped the back of my head, "Be nice, I like Ayva, she's sweet and she don't play about Derek"

I could see Ayva making her way over as Keith walked back over towards Noelle and my eyes locked with hers, as hers widened and she turned around. I started making my way over when she took off running, deadass running, to the bathroom. I laughed softly at her actions and Keith looked back at me and laughed with me as I made my way to him now instead of where I intended to go.

"Did she just... run?" I asked, still laughing, "She definitely ran. I ain't never seen her move so fast" Keith laughed back. Did she run from me? I was just finna say hey to her, she acted like I was gon' propose to her or some. Before they ran, I could see her friend look back at us and shrug as Noelle drug her with her, she just as confused as us. What are the odds of the girl who made me turn my life around being related to my brother wife? Too many 'coincidences' have been happening recently, ion' know how to handle them or what to make of em'.

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