HAPPY | ✔

DANIEL: 26.0 JUST US

🎶1 + 1🎶 - Beyoncé

"And it's me and you,
That's all we'll have when the world is through."

▪Epilogue▪

"So all a dem coming down for Christmas Danny?" Mama asked, bouncing Mary on her knee when she started to fuss.

"Yes Ma." I flicked her tiny nose with the tip of my finger and she ceased her whining to investigate, grabbing on to my hand with fat brown fists.

"Vic, Hans and Joyce parents dem too?"

A distressed cry left Mama when I nodded my yes. "Aye! Merciful Father, where we goin' put dem?"

I drew the chair further from the table and took Mary from her hands. The babe's squeal pulled a grin onto my lips, and laughter, when she proceeded to stuff my tie into her drooling mouth.

"They can always stay at a hotel in town, Ma." I tried to ease her.

She snorted like I'd proclaimed the earth to be hexagonal and pulled my grandmother out of her own conversation to share in this one, "You hear the boy, Ruthie? Talking 'bout hotel when we have big, big house!"

Her weathered hands clutched on to her daughter's shoulder when she laughed. Mama whispered loudly into Granma's ear as if sharing sorrid details of a scandal, "Might as well him give me him money to spend for him, seeing as all him want to do is waste it," she humphed, "bout hotel."

Granma smiled fondly and indulged her, "We'll fit who we can and everyone else stay with Portia."

Mama hummed in thought, rubbing her chin as she pondered. "You right, Ruthie, you right. Ever since Maggie move gone live with her man, space free up."

Portia was Brandon's mother, and Maggie, his eldest sister. On the island, their house was only a stone's throw away from ours. Aunt Portia and Grandma Ruth were the best of friends, and sweet baby Mary was Maggie's youngest of three.

I listened to them yammer on, their Creole far thicker now that they had diverted their chatter to gossip. I let them be, assured they'd figure out the logistics. Sure enough, come Christmas morning, home would be the place to be for food and entertainment.

"Danny!" Detty came sprinting over like she was being chased, her hands lifting the skirt of her dress as not to trip over the hem.

"What is it sweetheart?"

She grinned with effervescent excitement and tugged at my arm, "Come on, come on." She was positively giddy, shaking like a volcano on the verge of erruption.

"What happened?"

She refused to say, gripping my arm in both hands and attempting to draw me up from my seat herself when I did not budge.

"Okay, okay. I'm coming Detty." I tried to placate her as I glanced around for a pair of avaliable arms to deposit Mary into. Both Mama and Grandma had stepped away to the open buffet, but Mickey was chatting with Amanda on the other side of me. I plopped Mary onto his lap and got to my feet.

"That is a child." His eyes bulged.

"I'm glad to know your eyes still work." I laughed at him.

Manda immediately became enamoured by the bundle of cuteness, letting out a squeal of awwws longer than an a Monday morning Starbucks line. And just as quickly, Mickey was captivated by her adoration for the disarming child, his reservations vanishing upon sight of her smile.

"What's taking you so long big brother?"

"Caree?" My head swung around, "What's the matter? Did something happen? Is she-"