After Eight years, Ghenesis Santiago leaves for Atlanta, Ga to try having a relationship with her father and his new family. While having to maintain her senior year in highschool and working with her brother and his Crew under her father's orders...
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“Here, Grandma—be careful, it’s still a lil hot,” I said, blowing gently on the spoon before bringing it to her lips. She took a small sip, her hands trembling slightly as she laid up in bed.
“Okay, that’s enough, I can’t.” She coughed, turning her face and gently moving my hand away.
She’d gotten worse while I was gone. What started as a lil cough turned into a fever, and now she could barely stay awake long enough to eat. Mama and Demontae? Off somewhere doin’ God-knows-what. Honestly? I ain’t care. They could both fall off the map for all I gave a damn—long as they stayed away from her.
“Grandma, just one more. You ain’t eat barely anything yesterday.” I held the spoon back up.
“Gabriel, stop fussin’. I just wanna rest,” she huffed, trying to wave me off.
“Fine. But the soup stay right here in case you change your mind,” I said, placing the bowl on the nightstand.
“You don’t need to worry about me. It’s just a lil cold. By the healing of God, I’ll be alright. These white doctors don’t know nothin’ about nothin’ anyway.” She reached over and rubbed my hand. “And He gon’ heal you too, baby.”
“Grandma, it’s fine. I’m over it,” I said, brushing her off.
“No, don’t do that. Don’t dismiss your pain. Recognize it. Let God heal you properly. You gotta meet Him halfway.”
“God don’t like people like me,” I muttered. “If anything, He probably lookin’ for new ways to punish me.”
“Gabriel, what trash you talkin’?” Her voice snapped sharper than before. “I don’t know what God you talkin’ about. But my God? He a lovin’ God. And He don’t make mistakes. Everything about you is perfect, baby—everything.”
That broke me.
I slid down next to her and laid my head in her lap, crying as she gently ran her fingers through my hair.
“It’s gon’ be alright, baby,” she whispered. “Dark days don’t last always.”
Eventually she dozed off. I kissed her hand, tucked the blanket tighter around her, and quietly left the room, pulling the door shut behind me. I didn’t even get three steps down the hall before my phone started buzzing. I scrambled to grab it before it woke her.
“Hello?” I whispered, dipping into my room.
“Wassup—and why you whisperin’?” Elijah’s voice came through, low and smooth with that lil chuckle that always made my heart flip.
