Page 122 of The Coldest: Stay Dangerous Part 2

Cashing out of this condo brought my six figure check to low four figures, but I always have enough to let Mars know he is loved.

Patience snuck and let Deucey facetime me, but we only stayed on the phone for a little. I hate this. Everything is all screwed up, and it’s not the first time me and Auty have had it out, but it’s the first time Deucey is old and aware enough to know something isn’t right.

And maybe that’s part of the reason I’m crying right now. Not a big reason, but part. I miss my nephew and niece. I miss Auty, Turkey, and Patience. I miss Set.

I miss being numb.

My elevator chimes, and playful bickering filter into the near empty space, causing an echo. I don’t sit up, only opting to wipe my face on my comforter.

“See, Pooh Bear. This is exactly why I had you bring me here. I knew my Snowball needed us.” Nan comes to stand in front of me with her hands perched on her hips, her scowl barely visible since she’s blocking out all the light.

“Why you in here crying and shit? Crying in this damn castle.”

“Nan–”

“I know you better sit up and talk to me like you got some sense, Snow.”

I sigh like she’s getting on my nerves, but I do as she says, glad I actually went to sleep with clothes on the night before.

“It’s my house, Nan. I can cry if I want to.”

“Not the day after Christmas. Here, since you didn’t come to Pooh’s like I asked you to. Not like you haven’t been there before.”

“And like I told you, I don’t drive, and your grandson dropped off the face of the earth.” My lip curls, thinking about Rico, but my thoughts blank when Nan drops a gold chain into my palm.

“Aht aht! Don’t put me in the middle of y’all bullshit! I don’t ask, so don’t tell.”

I pull the chain up, letting the charm twist in the air slowly. It’s some type of insignia, the same one on a gold bracelet on Nan’s arm.

“You know, the Potter crest goes all the way back to slavery.” Pooh materializes from behind us with two bar stools that go perfectly with my island in the kitchen. He helps Nan into one, before taking a seat himself.

“My ancestor was sold to a blacksmith, and the first thing he made after learning the trade was our family crest. And they passed it all the way down. My mother was the only sibling to make it to adulthood, so she had all the family crests to pass on, kept in a bureau. It was the only thing I grabbed after she was killed. The only thing I kept for myself after I met Pooh Bear’s father. We women, we lose our last name, our autonomy, our body… everything, almost. But I kept this, and told myself when I had daughters of my own, I would pass down something of mine. Yani and Aree had one. Ju’s flighty ass has one. And now, you have one. And before you get to thinking it’s because of whatever it is you call yourself doing with Ricky; no. Ricky may have brought you to me, but you’re mine all on your own, Snowball.”

“So… you ask me why I’m crying, then proceed to make me cry more? Was she always this contradictory, Pooh?” I’m a blubbering mess as I clasp the chain on the back of my neck. It sits heavy on my chest, so it must be older, probably eighteen karat and the links solid.

“She’s nicer now in her old age,” he chuckles.

I stand, nearly tripping over the cover as I wrap my arms around both Nan and the back of the stool.

“You breathing that morning breath all on my neck,” she fusses, but she still hugs me back as tight as she can, for just a second. Then she’s patting my back to get off.

“No,” I shake my head. “Daughters hug their moms. Dirty and all.”

“Not this one. Go get cleaned up. Pooh is taking us to breakfast, and to go see this Pilar bitch he’s sweet on.”

“Ma,” Pooh admonishes her while I back up, cackling.

“She’s nice. But okay. Give me like fifteen minutes.”

“What’s all that?” I look to Pooh, who gestures toward the bag of money next to my bed.

I just shrug. “I’ve never really been one to keep money in the bank. Whenever Rico pops up I was gonna ask him to help me get a safe.”

“I’ll have someone come through tomorrow. Just tell them where you want it.”

“And we going furniture shopping today, too. I’m too old to be this high up in a chair, Snow. We can take nice Pilar, too, and see how bad she runs up Pooh Bear’s pockets.” Nan grins evilly, cutting her eyes to her son.

“We can go look at furniture, but I wanna buy everything on my own. Is that okay, Mom?”