epilogue.
Chance
“Say, bruh. You still got those fake ass brass knuckles? Or are we really about to let this dude ride off into the sunset with your little sister unharmed?”
Eric and I shared in a laugh as we carried the last few boxes out of Londyn’s house with M.J. talking shit and playing monitor as usual. The truck was already filled with way too much stuff, especially considering most of the larger furniture was staying put. But I would take however many trips were necessary as long as Londyn didn’t change her mind about moving to the city with me.
Not that she really had a reason to change her mind; her desire for a power move manifesting in the form of a new job with a pay increase and extra vacation days thanks to her incredible negotiation skills. But I shouldn’t have been surprised that she had made out so well since, not only did her work speak for itself, but the girl always knew how to get what she wanted.
Just thinking about it all had me grinning from ear-to-ear as Eric finally replied, “Nah. I’m confident Chance will do right by her. Cause if he doesn’t…”
“Brass knuckles,” M.J. and I finished for him simultaneously before we all shared in another laugh; just one of the things I’d miss about being back home.
To be honest, I might’ve gotten a little too comfortable being here; spending time with these dudes, seeing my mom on the regular, eating at all the spots I used to love growing up. But once we made our way back into the house and Londyn gave me a smile, I quickly got over my little mood, far too excited about what was to come for the two of us with the move.
She seemed to be thinking it too, sidling up next to me with an arm wrapped around my waist to ask, “Was that the last of it?”
“You tell me. Hell, I’m surprised there’s anything left in here for Khalid with all the shit we just piled into the truck.”
Instead of putting her house on the market, she had decided to rent it out to Khalid for a decent price, making her transition a little smoother until she was ready to sell it for good. And like the good friend she was, she was leaving him most of the furniture, making his transition a little smoother as well.
It was sweet of her, even when she gave me a sour face to screech, “It wasn’t that much!”
“It was. But it’s all good. I already made plenty of room,” I told her, bending my neck for a kiss that our mothers had caught us in according to the grins on their faces once we pulled away.
With her arms crossed over her chest, Miss. Annie said, “I don’t know, Ellen. We may be getting those grandbabies sooner than we thought. Might have to make a little modification to the over/under on our bet.”
My eyes immediately went wide and Londyn’s did too, snapping her head back to repeat, “Bet? You two are betting on if I’ll get pregnant?!”
“Not if. When,” my mother clarified, meeting Miss. Annie with a high five that made me laugh while Londyn only sucked her teeth.
And once they moved along to something else, I couldn’t help teasing her about it, pulling her into an embrace to ask, “You don’t want my baby, baby?”
She averted her eyes when she pushed out, “Eventually.” Before looking back at me to add, “But considering I’m getting ready to take on a new city, a new job, and a new arrangement with my fine ass live-in boyfriend, I’d rather just keep swallowing them for now.”
“Deal,” I told her, punctuating it with a kiss just as the new tenant walked in.
Just like our mothers, Khalid was all jokes when he said, “Man, y’all gotta get outta my crib with all this kissy-kissy stuff.”
Londyn immediately tossed a hand his way to say, “Boy, shut up. This is some prime real estate you’re getting for the low, cause you know I probably could’ve charged those other folks double.”
“And with that... kiss away, my friends,” Khalid insisted as he pushed Londyn and I back together, making us laugh as he continued, “I can’t believe you’re really leaving me though, LoLo. Whose nerves am I supposed to get on now?”
“You know exactly whose,” Londyn offered with a grin, staying consistent in her mission of hooking him up with Jayla.
But just like before, Khalid wasn’t too keen on her ideas, his tone completely serious when he replied, “Nah, I’m just now starting to get in there. No way I’m gonna fuck it up already.”
The fact that he was making progress was enough for me to save him from explaining any further, interjecting with an offer of my own. “Well you know if you ever wanna visit, you’ll always have a place to stay, bruh.”
He gave me a dap and a hug as he said, “Appreciate it, big homie. And don’t forget what I told you.”
“What’d he tell you?” Londyn asked the second we pulled away, making me chuckle while Khalid only shook his head.
Instead of letting her in on our little secret, I gave her a kiss on the forehead and answered, “Mind your business, baby.”
Once again, she sucked her teeth just as Miss. Annie returned to insist, “You two better get going before it gets too dark out there. You know you can’t drive those big ol’ trucks as fast as you would a regular car.”
“We know, we know. And we’ll get outta your way since you have a hot date to get to,” Londyn teased, making her mother blush in a way that I had never seen before. But I figured it had something to do with the way her and Mr. Langston had gotten cozy at Londyn’s birthday party a few weeks back, my mother cluing me in on more details than I needed during one of our last physical therapy sessions.
“It’s just coffee,” Miss. Annie replied nonchalantly, though my mother didn’t let it slide completely when she groaned, “Mmhmmm.” And after tossing my mother a side eye, she waved the both of us in for a hug.
“Love you guys,” she sang, rocking us in a group hug before pulling away to give Londyn one individually. Then we both went down the row of giving hugs and goodbyes to everyone present, the gloss in Eric’s eyes catching me off-guard when I dapped him up. But I quickly realized the gloss wasn’t about me, more so about his little sister as he pulled her into a hug that lifted her from the ground.
“Love you, baby girl. And you better make sure to come back and visit more than this dude does,” he said teasingly once he put her down, making us all laugh while my mother emphatically agreed.
Londyn snuggled up under my arm to offer, “I’ll be sure to bring him with me,” before we made our exit together, giving a few more goodbyes on our way out. And after helping her into the truck, I took one last look at our families watching us from the porch, giving them another wave and then climbing into the driver’s seat for the trip that would be a huge next step for our relationship.
I was ecstatic. Though I worried Londyn didn’t feel the same as she stared out of the window, glaring at the place she had called home and the people who knew her best with a hint of sadness in her eyes. And while I understood the moment being an emotional one, I did my best to lift her spirits when I gave her hand a squeeze and asked, “Well… you ready to do this?”
As if it had shocked her out of her daydream, she popped up a little in her seat with a blank expression that told me she might not have caught a single word I had said. But once she looked at me, her expression transformed into more of a mischievous grin that told me everything was all good, only solidified when she licked her lips and replied, “Let the games begin.”
The End.