Deon and Wyllah sat motionless inside the Firebird, the A/C humming along with “Hit of Miss” by New Found Glory, as if to watch the golden sun come up. Wyllah spilled everything to Deon on the 12 hour ride over, and Deon head was spinning. Deon couldn’t believe how deceived both she and Wyllah were. Deon just wanted to take a 5 day nap to make up for the 6 hours of sleep she’s gotten the past 3 days. “Well?” Deon asked sleepily, a wide yawn scrunching up her nose, Wyllah staring blankly into the Marymount Apartment Complex, her foot bouncing nervously in her chunky tan heels.
“I can’t move, Dee,” Wyllah whispered intensely, her limbs felt as if they were frozen in the ice caps of Antartica.
“You know, the hardest part is knocking on the door,” Deon reminded her, capping her fire red fingers onto the bare shoulder of Wyllah’s white off the collar peasant shirt.
Wyllah inhaled a deep breath, knowing Deon was right, Wyllah’s hand clamped hard against a bouquet of white irises. Wyllah could already feel sweat gleam on her scalp as she staggered for the silver door handle. “What are you gonna do?” Wyllah suddenly asked, swinging her head over to Deon like what Deon was doing mattered with Wyllah’s matter at hand, Deon rolling her eyes behind big orange ‘70s sunglasses.
“I told you, I’m going to go crash at the Holiday Inn we saw on the way over here,” Deon assured her, her lungs kicking for a cigarette, a habit she quit months ago. Deon didn’t know why she was so nervous, but kept it down beneath a cool smile. “Maybe Benji will join me after your family reunion.”
Wyllah attempted to smile as she broke suddenly for the car door, finding blinding sun beat on her as she hit the asphalt, Wyllah suddenly feeling a headache hammer between flesh and bone, her knees almost buckling under the heat and pressure. Wyllah regained composure and walked with snail-like determination up to Apartment 5A. Her throat ran dry as a bone, her hands shook nervously as she stood in front of the door like it was sentencing time for her placement in the afterlife, looking for a comforting smile from Deon. Deon sat comfortably in the driver’s seat, bare feet up on the wheel, Deon pushing her sunglasses down her nose as she waved her on. Deon smiled back and rolled her eyes to the cloudless sky. With a deep breath, she rammed her knuckles lightly against the door.
Benji and Joel answered it in a flash, their smiles a mile wide as they quietly guided her in, Wyllah standing as if she was naked as they closed the door.
“Sarah, where’s my good dress?!” she heard a woman cry, the light flicking on in the hallway as a young woman scrambled to the living room, looking for the dry cleaning.
“It’s right here, Mom,” Sara gasped happily, picking up the loose black knee-length dress, whirling around and locking eyes with Wyllah, Wyllah taking a step back and clutching onto Joel’s arm, the dress slipping from Sara’s grasp. Sara’s honey brown eyes began to fill with tears.
“Can you hurry, Sara dear?” Teri complained, wobbling from her bedroom, her hair tied up in a white towel, Teri tying her blue terry rode close as she scurried up to her daughter. “She’ll be here any minute and I haven’t even done my hair. Where’s the dress?!”
Sara bent down, not blocking her gaze with Wyllah to pick up the now wrinkled black dress. “She’s right here,” Sara whispered, a happy tear streaming down her cheek.
“What?” Teri asked curiously, slowly rotating around, Wyllah holding her breath as Teri made eye contact with her. Wyllah and Teri froze, the happiness and relief exploding through the body making it too difficult to step towards each other. Wyllah smiled her fabulous smile, holding up the white irises up towards her chin.
“I told you she had your hair!” Benji exclaimed happily, Joel giving him a right hook in the arm for shattering the priceless moment. “Ow!”
Wyllah and Teri both laughed, strolling shyly towards each other, awkwardly holding out their arms. Teri buried her eyes into Wyllah’s soft hair, Wyllah beginning to convulsively sob. Teri smelt coconut in Wyllah’s hair, and her knees nearly buckled. Her inner dream had come true. Their embrace was so tight, no crowbar or Jaws of Life could separate the two. Wyllah never felt that she belonged so much until this day, like she was the missing letter in a crosswords puzzle. Teri’s heart was racing so fast, all her black nights and years of deceit leading up to this moment, and her chest never felt so light before. Sara looked on in awe, her shoulder length black hair swaying gently as she shook her head, never believing there was another one of them out there until she saw it herself. Joel and Benji smiled gratefully, a tear coming to Joel’s eye, estatic that their family is now complete.
“Here,” Wyllah smiled, handing the bouquet to Teri, Teri vigorously wiping at her saturated eyes. “Benji and Joel told me these were your favorite.”
Teri smiled, holding the bouquet firmly underneath her face, sniffing at the sweet scent, Teri losing herself in Wyllah’s chocolate eyes, eyes that were bitter sweet. “So thoughtful…so beautiful,” Teri agreed, brushing her hand down the slope of Wyllah’s face and falling into Wyllah’s arms, Wyllah stroking the back of her mother’s neck, Wyllah smiling at Sara, Sara smiling back.
Teri unwillingly let go, ushering Wyllah over to Sara. “Wyllah, this is your little sister, Sara,” Teri said between tears, Wyllah wrapping her arms around Sara’s tiny body, Sara rubbing her hand up and down Wyllah’s back as Wyllah continued to cry, every tear released making it that much easier to forgive.
“Oh boys,” Teri smiled brightly, running over to her sons, linking one arm around each of them, cradling her head on their chests, tears running down her face and staining their shirts, “Thank you! Thank you for finding her. I guess it was meant to be.”
Wyllah tucked a strand of hair behind Sara’s ear, Sara catching her hand with her fingertips, giggling as Teri stood against her sons. “You’re so beautiful, Wyllah Rae,” Sara informed her, a last tear dripping from her leaky eyes.
“Likewise, Kid,” Wyllah laughed, reflecting of the years of being an only child, grabbing Sara in one has hug before strolling over to Teri and the boys.
“Well,” Teri began, rubbing an eye against her terry robe, trying to gain control of her emotions, taking Wyllah’s hand and leading her over to the couch, “I bet you have so much to ask me. I’m your open book. You’ve waited long enough to hear the truth.”
“Actually…” Wyllah differed, holding Teri’s tiny hands in hers, not wanting to cry anymore than she already has, “…Mom. We have the rest of our lives. I’d rather just treat my family to breakfast right now.”
Teri lifted the corners of her mouth, still in awe of how big, how mature she’s gotten since their first few weeks together, enclosing her hands around Wyllah’s elbows, torn inside that she couldn’t see her little girl grow up.
“I’m game!” Benji called, rubbing his stomach dramatically, Sara rolling her eyes.
~*~
Wyllah never would have guessed 2 days ago that she’d be sitting in a run-down corner café with squeaky floorboards and buzzing fans with total strangers. Wyllah couldn’t eat her scrambled eggs and toast; the butterflies in her stomach were kicking. Wyllah was relishing in all the stories being tossed across the rectangular cedar table about the good ol’ days, days when Benji and Joel ran away in their diapers, a red towel, and Sara’s black cat ears, pretending to be Superman and Batman, days when Sara nursed a stranded rabbit to health secretively in a hole in a big maple tree in the backyard, days when good report cards were rewarded with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle movies, days before Dad left them homeless and penniless. Of course no of those times were mentioned.
In the middle of one of Sara’s stories about a Halloween mishap Benji had with the police, Wyllah caught someone in the corner of her eyes, Wyllah lowering her tea back to the tabletop as she saw a tall man rush into the café, the man deliberately looking for someone. Teri called the man over, recognizing him, Wyllah almost keeling over, discovering she had another brother. Josh was a ruggedly handsome older brother, Josh’s laughing honey brown eyes lining with hers as she bolted from the table, standing anxiously in front of Josh like she was a little girl meeting her musical idol. Josh looked down at her with a stern expression, reaching a finger to Wyllah’s nose. Josh smiled his pearly whites over at Teri, and agreed with Joel about the nose, Wyllah stringing her arms tightly around Josh’s chest, Josh lifting Wyllah up in her arms. Wyllah felt weightless that day, like she could fly without wings. Little did she know how soon her wings would be plucked away from above her…
~*~
Deon slowly opened her tired eyes, her hair mussed from her rock hard sleep, her tan and white covers strewn down by her knees, slivers of light cutting through the brown sliding shades over the patio door, the features of the room darkened. Deon sat laggardly up in bed, clucking her tongue against the roof her mouth, her white wifebeater and maroon string bikini underwear damp with sweat. Deon glanced down at her black leather watch. It read 3:47 PM. Deon sighed, leaned back and watched the wind weaving in and out of the shades, a revelation suddenly coming to her. She hadn’t opened the patio door.
Deon sprinted out of bed, her heart thumping like a drum against her chest, Deon jogged in place, absolutely shitless about what she should so. Deon looked down to the floor for footprints, noticing something on her stomach. She lifted her shirt and saw something scribbled over her bellybutton.
“BENJI!” Deon screamed, Benji popping up from underneath the bed, smiling devilishly as Deon leaped onto the bed in a chase.
“You told me you always wanted a tattoo,” Benji defended himself, running across the room.
“You fuck,” Deon yelled to him, hopping off the bed and following him towards the patio door.
“Oh! No push up bra today?” Benji teased, noticing how bouncy she was underneath her wifebeater. Benji took a peak behind her as she lunged for him, almost falling out of the room. “Or thong?”
Deon blew some hair from her eyes, took a bull-like stance, and pounced on Benji, the springs groaning as they plummeted onto the bed. Benji beamed as Deon crawled on top of him, strattling his waist, Benji’s eyes roaming Deon’s peak physique. Deon’s lips turned into a shifty smile as she leaned forward, each arm on each side of Benji’s neck. Deon looked like she was going to chomp Benji’s face off as she anchored herself down. Benji gleamed like he was the King of the World, crossing his legs and cushioning his hands underneath his head, waiting for his slave to abide his every whim. Deon gently licked his ear, and shouted “No shoes!”
Benji shot up, Deon giggling wildly as she rolled down the bed, Benji afraid that he lost his hearing. Deon sat Indian-style at the edge of the bed as Benji hurriedly tossed off his Black old school Vans, revealing white sweat socks with a hole in the left toe.
“Gross,” Deon responded when Benji tried to wave them in her face, Deon pinning his ankles to the bed, leaning forward to reveal just the right amount of cleavage. Benji arched his neck to try to get a better view.
“You definitely bring the animal out in me,” Benji moaned, sort of tired to Deon’s teasing, only sort of, as he leaned back and crashed gently into a white pillow, Deon crawling up beside him with a sly grin.
“Aren’t you supposed to be with your family?” Deon asked curiously, leaning against a white pillow, sliding Benji’s MADE bandana off his head and playing gently with his limp spikes.
“Mom’s telling Wyllah the nitty-grittys about the past. I didn’t want to hear it again,” Benji replied saddened, lowering his head to glance at his many tattoos. “We’ve bonded so much today, it was making my head hurt,” Benji admitted dramatically, quickly shifting his mood, rubbing his temple drastically as Deon rolled her eyes, hooking her thumb in the waistband of her underwear. “Besides,” Benji continued, turning his head over to her, caressing her cheek gently with his thumb, Deon perplexed at Benji’s sudden sweet affection, “I missed you.”
Deon stared into his hazel eyes, the darkened room seeming a bit uncomfortable for her now. She didn’t know why or how, but she didn’t want to hurt him. Deon was never a one-man girl. But then again, her relationships never spanned more than 28 days. Has she just haven’t found the right person?
“Don’t lie,” Deon responded uncharacteristically timid, Benji replying with a simple, lazy, admiring smile.
“Is this the face of a liar?” Benji asked sincerely, rolling over on his left side to face her, scrunching all of his facial features together in an attempt to make Deon laugh.
Deon smiled, but shook her head, sitting up abruptly in bed and wrapping her arms around her knees, not aware of what would make her desirable to Benji. She parties too much, sleeps around, has no regard of responsibility. Her dream of being more like Wyllah seemed to be drifting farther and farther from her as Benji became closer to her heart, absolutely sure that Benji was nothing more than a fling, but not sure if she could dismiss him so easily. “You probably say that to all your girls,” Deon responded somewhat harshly, averting her face to the wall.
Benji sat up, Deon’s shyness and self-consciousness suddenly more appealing to Benji than her “façade” of being a rough and tough sex kitten. Benji reached for her chin, and she revolved her head slowly, her eyes serene but troubled. “I only have one girl,” Benji told her gently, leaving a soft kiss on her nose, “And I’m looking at her.”