"So you're not going to Baton Rouge?" Odell came into my home office where I had Kenyon on my lap and I was looking over product designs.
"I haven't lost nothing in Baton Rouge." I said looking at my photos.
"You are so damn stubborn. Like, Deanna needs you and you acting like a lil ass kid."
"This lil ass kid has a million dollar business she needs to run." I said smugly.
"And take away that business what you got? Businesses fail every day, you ain't an exception. Just like I can go out there and fuck my leg up or some other shit happen to me and my career over. Your fucking business will be the same way. Then what you got? Huh?"
There was silence as I rubbed my temple.
"Family." He yelled. "And I know you don't know much about that because its always just been you and your mom. But you love family through everything. Even when they aint right. Even when they break your heart.
How many times have you broke my heart Kenya and yet I was always there? Always showed you compassion? Always showed up, even when you consistently put knives in my heart. Always. That's what family does. And to abandon your sister like this, out of a fear because you dont want to deal with your dad's reaction is fucking cowardly. If he chooses to not deal with you off of this, then he wasn't family to begin with. But me and my kids are going to Baton Rouge to support our family. You do you." He took Kenyon off my lap and left out.
I put my head in my hands and sighed.
----
"Daddy what are you doing?" I laughed as he kept taking selfies with everybody at the table.
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"Gotta get some new selfies for my Instagram. Ain't that right grandson?" He took Kenyon from me and took a selfie with him.
"Me Papa." Livy ran up to him and patted his leg.
"Gotta get my pretty girl too." He bent down and took one with her too.
"There we go. Come on Trent get in here with me and your nephew." He told my younger bro who was 17.
"Absolutely not." He pushed him away embarrassed.
My dad hit him upside his head.
"O this is how your sons treat you when they get older. Ain't that right K-Man." Daddy kissed his cheek.
The door opened. Shep, Deanna and Deanna's mom came through the door with pans of food.
"Alright now everybody can eat." Loretta, Deanna's mom, said as she directed them to put the food on the table.
Me and Deanna avoided eye contact. We still weren't speaking.
"T T Anna." Livy ran up to Deanna and hugged her leg tightly.
