but enjoy to the fullest. You can tell her I said so too.” Her tone was indignant but not irritated as she poured milk in some teas, sugar in others, and both in mine because I loved most things in life. If it tasted good by itself, it likely tasted good with it all mixed in together too.
“Anyway, how’s the arm?” Sonia asked her blue-eyed gaze running over my bandaged arm and hand as though she could see through the dressings and determine if they were healing right herself.
“Good, good. I mean…” I canted my head from left to right. “It burns a little and the stitches pull but overall it could have been a lot worse.”
“Yeah, as in dead worse. Simone, Mama told us that the cops think it was the Backseat Strangler.” Charlie slumped into the seat across from me.
Just as I was about to respond, a loud bang whistled through the air and two sets of high heels raced across the hardwood floors and into the kitchen.
The five of us stood silently, waiting for the train wreck to appear.
“We’re here! We’re here!” Addy cried as she practically tripped through the kitchen entryway, Blessing fast on her heels. Liliana reached out to help break her fall but at the last minute, Blessing caught hold of Addy’s jeans and yanked her back toward her.
“Lord, girl, you almost killed the sprite!” Blessing admonished and I snorted out a laugh.
Liliana narrowed her gaze and practically stomped her foot. “I am not a sprite! I’m five foot three! Give me a break. Not all of us can be giants like you two!”
“What are you guys doing here? Last I heard you were coming this weekend and we were going to party! You were in France just yesterday?” My tone did not hide my shock at all.
“First flight out.” Blessing let Addy go and sat next to me, pulling me into a deep hug. “Family first and my sister was shot and almost killed by a maniac. Don’t think I wasn’t gonna hightail my ass on outta Paris so I could see she’s okay for myself. Shoot, girl, you be trippin’.” She pressed her full pink lips together and gave me some attitude.
“Blessing,” I choked out and looked at Addison. “Addy. You left a shoot…that had to be a lot of money and…”
Addy shook her head. “Nothing’s more important than our sisters. Besides, we rushed through the shoot and Blessing pulled her fashion forward ideas straight out of thin air and the client was thrilled. It all worked out.”
Addison was a high fashion plus-sized model. She had long dark hair with natural caramel and auburn highlights running through it, huge boobs, a size-fourteen body with a god-given hourglass frame, green eyes that shone like emeralds, and the perfect lush pout. Her body looked incredible in anything and knocked the socks off the more inclusive designers. She was also the number one “it girl” for lingerie.
Blessing was the exact opposite. An inch shorter than Addy at five foot ten, but her skin was dark and shiny as a river rock. She claimed it was all that coconut oil she swore by. She had a ’fro that was enviable and could be worked into a pineapple shape on top of her head, wild and out like a lion’s mane, or soft and curly just hugging her stunning face and coal black eyes. She had these beautiful full pink lips almost as poufy as my own, but I took the cake in big plump lips. Though it was Blessing’s smile that could heal the world. Big, bright, and genuine.
Addy came over and hugged me, dipping her head to my cheek and breathing me in. I could feel the wetness against my skin.
I cupped her nape and held her close. “Hey now, don’t start crying or I’m gonna start crying and then we’ll all get going and it will be a hormone fest.”
She giggled against my cheek and then kissed me there before standing up, wiping her eyes, and moseyed over to our mama.
“Oh, my chicklets all in the same house. Now we just need Tabby and Genesis and life would be perfect.” She put her arms out and Blessing and Addy each took their hugs.
“Has anyone heard from Tabby lately?” I asked as Mama handed me and Sonia our cups of tea.
She sighed and I swore I saw her shoulders slump. “Unfortunately, no. I’ve called and left messages.”