Recycled Love.

29.

Summer Ray.

"Ma', where are you?" I asked packing my things up.

"In the bathroom, hold on." I looked around the living room for my keys and seen them on the floor. "Where you going?"

"I got meet somebody for a few then going home I guess."

"After you meet this person come back. You father and I have something to tell you."

"Is it bad?"

"No." She laughed. "Just hurry back before it's to late."

"Okay, I love you."

"I love you too."

I grabbed the rest of my things and made my way to the outside. I wondered why Armani wanted to talk to me.

As I was backing out I seen my mother walking house trying to get my attention. I rolled down my window and she walked to the car.

"Bring me back some honey and minced garlic."

"Is that all ma'?"

"Yeah, if I need anything else I'll call you."

"Alright." I pulled out the driveway and headed down the street.

I stopped at the stop sign and looked at my phone for the address he sent. I pulled it up in my GPS and headed towards the spot.

-

Pulling up to the pizza place, I got out the car and walked inside. I looked at the sign that said seat your and looked around. I saw Armani sitting at the table drinking something.

I walked to the table and sat down in the booth. "Hey."

"What's up?" He looked up at me. "I got you a Sprite with no ice and a cup of crushed ice one the side."

I looked at the cups and they both had napkins over them. "Thank you." I saw some spoons soaking in hot water and grabbed one. I wiped it off and started eating the ice. "What did you want to talk about?"

"Gettin' straight to it." I nodded and waited for him to talk. "How do you feel 'bout Jourdan?"

"How do I suppose to feel about your girlfriend?" I looked at him crazy. "She's not my friend or nothing like that so I have no input on this girl you are with."

"I just want ta know, ya' know?" He looked back up at me. "I just don't want you ta' feel uncomfortable when I bring ha' 'round. I want everybody ta' get along."

"To be honest that's your girlfriend. I don't have to like her but I will stay in my place unless she gets out of line."

"I feel ya'." The waiter placed a pizza on the tray and walked away. "You hungry?"

"Not really but I'll have a slice." I grabbed a slice and sat it on a plate. "Is that all you wanted to talk about?"

"Nah, I jus' wanted ta' say that 'Um sorry. I shouldn't have stopped talkin' ta' you like that and I should've ended things differently."

"I'm not even worrying about it. You have a life to live and I didn't want to be the one making you wait on me and shit like that. So I understand why you did it but I accept your apology." He nodded and bit a slice of his pizza. "Where is your girlfriend at anyways?"

"She should be on her way home or some shit like that."

-

"So that was the whole point of meeting him?" Jahdiah asked looking to me.

"Yeah."

"Hell nah, he could've said all that shit over a text. That was just a waste of gas."

"I guess he wanted to talk about it face to face Frankie."

"I don't give a fuck."

"Bitch you ain't no Smokey." Jahdiah said laughing. I started laughing too and Frankie just looked at us.

"That shit wasn't funny. Y'all asses are so fucking lame."

"Anyways, Summer what are we eating?"

"Who is we? My mama cooked and I fixed me a plate from her house."

"What she cooked?"

"Fried honey garlic chicken, seafood rice and some other stuff. I didn't fix my plate my mama did."

"Well let's take a trip to Mama Shirley house."

I shrugged and got up. We got in Jahdiah's car and headed to my moms.

Pulling up to my mama house I laughed at how they were talking about my daddy.

"Girl her daddy body just so...Damn. I don't even got words for it."

"Who you telling I remember he use to walk around with no shirt on."

"Ma'!"

"Mama Shirley!" They yelled together.

"Daddy Terry." Jahdiah whispered.

I laughed and watched my daddy walking out the kitchen eating some chicken. "Hey daddy."

"Hey baby girl." He pulled me into a hug. "Jahdiah, Frankie."

"Terry." They said with a nod
They held out their hands for a handshake and my daddy balled his fist.

"Germs."

"Nigga this ain't ATL." Jahdiah laughed. My daddy laughed and walked away.

"Hey babies." My mama said walking into the living room. "What are y'all doing here?"

"Ma' we came to eat. Summer didn't want to feed us."

"Y'all could go fix y'all a plate but wash y'all hands first." They looked at her and kept walking. "What did I tell you about showing up unannounced?"

"I totally forgot. I'm just lucky y'all wasn't doing none of that nasty stuff."

"We was about to but yo' daddy just needed to get some more chicken and then y'all came."

"Well we'll leave when they fix their food so y'all could get back to doing y'all nasty."

"Yeah, yeah but what do you think about having a little brother?"