Page 87 of All In

If Kormia were being honest, she had a lot more in common with Graveyard than she cared to admit. They were both homeless. Kormia would never say that aloud. She still hadsomepride, but that was all she had. Because even Jamillah’s shady, disloyal ass offered her a place to stay, of course she declined. At least Graveyard owned her shit. Talked about her mistakes openly. And even laughed at some of the shit. Somehow that made Kormia respect her even more.

“Niece, remember I told you I had that Cadillac?” Graveyard asked.

Kormia could tell she was falling asleep now.

She always got nostalgic right before she went out. “Yeah, I remember.”

“You would’ve loved it.”

“Yeah?”

“Yup. It was candy apple red with white interior.”

“Yard, you was doing more than two strand twist sis. You was definitely selling drugs.”

“And doing them.” Kormia laughed so hard she choked. For a while they sat there listening to the wind beat against the storefront. Then Graveyard got quiet as Kormia took the space heater and sat it directly in front of her. “You remind me of her sometimes.” Kormia frowned.

“Of who?” Graveyard looked away. “Nobody.”

“Bye girl, it better not be that imaginary boss bestie you keep talking about. I don’t think I like her ass very much. Because why she okay with you being out in the street like this?”

“Is she one of those bitches that abandoned you, when you lost everything?”

A sad smile crossed Graveyard’s face.

“No. She never abandoned me. If anything, baby girl I abandoned myself. But no, not her. Just somebody else I used to love.” The answer should’ve felt strange. Instead, it felt familiar. Because somehow whenever Graveyard looked at her, Kormia always felt like the woman was remembering something. Or somebody. Before she could think too hard about it, her phone started ringing.Jackie.

Kormia answered on the third ring, keeping her voice low. “I’m not coming over there, Jackie.”

“Why not?” Jackie asked, sounding irritated but still concerned. “It’s about to be a whole blizzard outside. Najee said he’d pick you up. My place is warm, we got food, and Fat Daddy keeps asking about you. Stop playing, Mia. Bring your ass down here.” Kormia glanced over at Graveyard, who was still half-asleep, and lowered her voice even more. “I’m good right here.” Jackie sucked her teeth. “You mean you good in that cold-ass shop with no heat? Come on now.”

Kormia stayed quiet for a moment. She wasn’t about to tell Jackie that Graveyard was with her. She already knew her cousin wouldn’t understand. And quite frankly, she wasn’t in the mood to hear a lecture or deal with the judgment. So, she kept that part to herself. “Look, this y’all first blizzard together and I’m not trying to be the third wheel. I know Najee probably trying to put a baby in you right now.” Jackie was quiet for a second. “Girl bye, that man is outside in the park with Fat Daddy creating the saddest looking snowmen I ever saw. I told them the snow is too soft, but they insisted on trying anyway. That’s why I’min here now, making lasagna soup and garlic knots. They should be coming in any minute now to thaw out. So, you might as well come down here now while the roads are still clear. You can stay in the downstairs apartment since you feeling all anti-social,” she joked. “I thought you said that was for MJ,” Kormia said as Jackie got quiet again. “It is, but right now no one’s in it so… come on pack your bag and we can ring in the new year together like old times.” Kormia couldn’t lie—that sounded like a plan. Then She looked at Graveyard again and felt that same strange pull in her chest she always got when it came to the older woman. She didn’t fully understand it herself. All she knew was that she wasn’t leaving her out here alone in this storm. “I’m good,” Kormia lied smoothly.

“Kia is supposed to be getting me a room at the W tonight. That’s actually who I’m waiting to call me back.” She could hear Jackie sigh on the other end. “Alright, Mia.”

“But if she don’t hit you back about the room, you call me. I mean it.”

“I will.” They hung up. Kormia set the phone down and pulled the blanket tighter around her shoulders. She was happy for her cousin. Jackie hadn’t been this stable in a long time. The good doctor had moved her off the trap block and put her in a brownstone overlooking Rittenhouse Square Park on someSex and the Cityshit. Her cousin was living the soft life now. She wasn’t struggling. Her man handled everything, and for once she was at peace. Jackie deserved that. But that didn’t mean Kormia was about to insert herself into it. She looked over at Graveyard again. The older woman’s breathing had evened out. Kormia stood up quietly, walked over, and adjusted the blanket over her legs. Graveyard didn’t stir. Kormia went back to the couch and stared out the window at the snow piling up.

The shop was quiet except for the occasional creak of the old building and the low hum of the struggling heater. She too wasfalling asleep, but she was fighting it. She was just about to call Jackie back and beg if Graveyard could come too. But just as soon as she hit unlock on her phone, she heard someone banging at the door. Only three people knew to come to the side door and that she was staying here, and one of them was knocked out on the futon. She knew it wasn’t Jamillah — she was too busy throwing game nights with opps. She knew it had to be Jackie, she thought as she wrapped the blanket around herself and went to the door. “Jackie, I said I was cool,” Kormia said as she snatched the door open.

And there he was.Newdy.For a second, neither of them said anything. Snow swirled between them as the wind pushed through the alley. “The fuck you doing here?” she asked. Newdy looked her over once. “I should be asking you that,” he shot back, as Kormia rolled her eyes.

“I’m good.” Newdy looked past her into the shop, before bringing his attention back to her.

“I ain’t ask if you were good.” Kormia tightened the blanket around herself.

“I’m waiting for somebody to call me back about a hotel room.”

“A room.”

“Yeah.” Newdy nodded slowly before looking around her again.

“Do I look like a fucking idiot to you?”

Kormia frowned. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me.” The wind pushed between them again. Newdy’s expression never changed.