Found A Way || D.E. & C.B.

♛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ₃₁

Anahi Santiago

The past 2 weeks have been nonstop, everyone seemed to be busy, and it slowed down seeing others. There was a pro and con in all of this. Pros being that Nayeli and I are able to open up our spa, our little opening party is tonight and I'm ecstatic about that! This was our little baby, and to see it come together how we wanted is truly amazing. Even if the city and state were taking forever and a day with their inspections.

The cons of being busy, we couldn't see who we wanted to see. Cairo was pissed that I had to bail a dinner date on him, so he didn't talk to me for a day or two. Just petty shit. I had popped up on his ass at his tattoo shop with lunch and he wanted to switch his attitude. He can't stay mad at me forever, cause it was one time I couldn't make it. I've been dealing with his night jobs and he doesn't see me throwing fits. I just take it for what it is and pray he gets back in one piece. These streets were dangerous.

"We're going to have the round tall standing tables scattered around, about six of them which can hold at least four people per table." Kim, the event planner I had hired about two months ago, advised. "Table of small appetizers will be here against the wall between the receptionist desk and divider of pedicure spa. The DJ will be on second floor, where you can also hold your speech Anahi. Last but not least, the bartender will be sectioned right by the big windows. Wine is on the list as well as a few hard liquors." She chuckled.

"That sounds perfect, just how we envisioned it." I looked at Nayeli as she nodded in satisfaction. "The event is starting off at seven tonight, so we'll see you around six for set up?" Kim nodded and we all walked out of the building, me locking up the doors. We bid our byes and went our separate ways.

"My clients can't wait until we open." Neli cheesed, getting into the passengers seat of my car. I chuckled, nodding. It was going to be a whole different atmosphere. "I can't wait! We finally did it sis. I'm damn proud of us!"

"Me too! Shit, those late nights we were pulling were no joke, but we made it." I smiled, driving out the parking lot and going towards one of those mini malls that had different food options. It was 2 in the afternoon. "Daddy would've been so proud of us..I wish he could've seen it."

"He's smiling down at us, you know? It might sound crazy, but sometimes I feel him guiding me in what to do, speaking to me." Neli inhaled a deep breath, I looked to her briefly poking out my bottom lip. I went through the same thing. "He was our biggest cheerleader, even when he was on that dope." She chuckled lowly, rubbing her nose.

"Our angel." I smiled softly, reaching over to hold her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. "Him and mommy both." I felt a tear slip from my eyes, bringing my hand back and wiping it away.

The sad thing about the situation is that our mom didn't even know about our aspirations, she passed when we were barely teens and it's not like we had a path figured out then. We didn't get that motherly guidance anymore, just our grandmothers and a few cousins who understood that pain. Our dad doing his best to raise two young girls and battle through his own depression, I knew it was tough but he still had a smile through it all. To the best of his ability. I wish there was a way to take away his pain, he hid it well up until I was 18, I found him strung out with a needle to his vein shaking and shit. If I didn't call an ambulance, he wouldn't have made it. He was clean for about 2 years until he relapsed again, and there was nothing that Neli and I could say or do, he was a grown man and he made his choices. We still loved him for who he was, but it just hurt to see him hurting himself.

"What's going on babygirl, you good?" Cairo's deep voice invaded my thoughts. I didn't even notice we made it to the Cheesecake Factory, I guess I was really zoned out. "Com'on talk to me." He wrapped his arm around my shoulders, pulling me in closer into his embrace as we sat in this booth.