Something about you (Norminah)

Chapter Twelve

"These are beautiful," I murmured, staring at the picture of my parents. "Everyone's going to love them."

"Yeah? You think so?" Normani answered, I hadn't realized that she was even listening.

I nodded, "I know so. Thank you Mani. Now I wanna know what you got me."

"It cost a little more but I think you'll like it."

"Oh so you were really just buttering me up so I'd be ready to accept that gift huh?"

"Maybe..."

"Why didn't anyone tell me that it was gift time?"

Regina smirked, "it's not, we were just helping Dinah open Mani's gift to us. There's a picture of you and Fetu, Mani actually managed the impossible."

"Yeah what's that?" Normani asked with a confused frown.

"You made Naki look halfway decent."

"You little—"

Regina put my laptop down and sprinted out of my room, leaving Kamila and I laughing. "I saw that coming from a mile away."

"One day she's going to beat the hell out of her," Kamila mumbled. "Anyway, let me leave you two to it. You've got an hour and a half at most, then I can't protect you from Mom calling you."

I mouthed the words, "thank you," to her as she left. "I guess I'm getting my nap after all."

"Good, you need the rest."

"Are you busy?"

"No, most of the family's still on their way here so there isn't anything going on. Why? What's up?"

"Can you stay on FaceTime with me, just till I fall asleep? Then you can hang up after."

She grimaced, "uh yeah, I guess I can. So how was your weekend? We haven't talked much since you got back."

"It was okay, but crazy busy. So one of my aunts came by on Saturday, said she's tired of not getting to see her nieces and nephews over a feud that she never wanted anything to do with in the first place. Plus she wanted to bring her new born and her fiance by the meet us."

"That's amazing right? Were you close before everything went down?"

"Yeah, we were... actually she was one of the few people in my family that kept in touch after I came out, but it hurt not seeing her at family stuff even though we were talking so I pushed her away. It's amazing that she's back but I feel horrible. When she saw me, she just hugged me like I didn't push her away and when we talked, she asked me if there was a special man or woman in my life."

"You have to put your mental, physical, spiritual and emotional health first, and if a relationship is adversely affecting that in anyway, then you either address it in the relationship or you distance yourself. You chose distance, but you now have this opportunity to rekindle that relationship if you feel like you're in a good place to do that emotionally and mentally. If it helps, talk to your aunt about how you're feeling, and tell her there is a special woman in your life."

I laughed, "I will talk to her, she's coming over later with the baby. And I already told her I'm dating an incredible woman."

"And if you need to get away, let me know and I'll get you on the first flight out to New Orleans. Or I can come over, whichever one you feel is best for you."

"You'd do that?"

She made a face, "yeah I would, I don't want my girlfriend feeling sad during the holidays. "