Page 58 of Nicki's Fight

“You and Kaine—” Mama D began questioningly, but I cut her off.

“No, we never,” I said. I had to let them know I had never endangered their son, though it might have been a close thing a time or two.

Mama K laid her hand on mine. “That is not what she was asking,nino. She was asking if you and Kaine had talked yet?”

“Oh,” I said, my voice almost dropping to a whisper. “No. I was hoping he would be here this evening so we could talk.”

“He is out running, but he should be back before too long,” Mama D said. “Did your parents move back with you, Nicki?”

I shook my head emphatically. “Mom… Mom passed away last year, apparently. She and Dad had divorced, so I just found out about it a few weeks ago.”

I saw surprise on their faces then.

“You stayed with you father?” Mama D asked.

I nodded again. “It… it’s a long story.” I said simply. I didn’t think I could go into all this with them right now. They exchanged a glance. I focused back on the hot chocolate and took another sip.

I heard the side door slam, and footsteps coming up the stairs from the garage. My blood froze in my veins. I wasn’t ready to face Kaine yet. I couldn’t—

“Mamas? I got your nine one one? What’s up—” I heard a voice yell as someone came through the door. I looked up from my hot chocolate to see Bishop Devereaux, Kaine’s younger brother, standing in the doorway.

“Hey, Bishop,” I said, swallowing nervously.

His face remained frozen for a moment, taking in the tableau the three of us made around the kitchen counter.

“Nicki?” He said, his voice slightly unsure.

“Would you like some coffee,mijo?” Mama K asked, standing and moving toward the cupboards.

“Nah, Mama, I need to put in some beans to roast for this week,” he said, smiling at me. “Want to help?”

We all lent a hand as Bishop got fresh coffee beans out of the cupboard and set up his roaster. Before long, the sounds of coffee beans cracking, and the pungent smell of roast coffee filling the kitchen.

Working together with the three of them helped me refocus on the here and now. I excused myself for a few minutes to get cleaned up in the bathroom. When I walked back out, Bishop’s parents had stepped out of the kitchen.

“Where’d your moms go?” I asked.

“Mama D wanted to show Mama K some video she’d seen today,” Bishop shrugged. “I try not to ask too many questions with those two.”

I chuckled. “Yeah, I remember the time I asked Mama K about the food assistance program at the middle school. It was called the After School Snack Program, or A.S.S.P. for short. She thought I asked her about eatingass, and I got way more information than I ever thought a lesbian would know about that kind of thing!”

Bishop snorted and we both laughed. I remembered his family had always been very open and frank about sex. He was scooping the roasted coffee beans out and letting them cool before grinding them.

“So, you’ve been doing okay?” He asked me. I looked into gorgeous brown eyes and nodded.

“I’m okay now,” I said truthfully.

“I saw you the other day,” he said, his eyes dropping to the countertop.

“What? Where?” I responded. “Why didn’t you say something?”

Bishop stood and walked back over to where he had the beans cooling, stirring them unnecessarily.

“I saw you at Walmart. You were there with some girl with long brown hair,” he said.

I nodded. “That was Vivian, my roommate. She and her family helped me move back here.”

Bishop scooped some coffee beans into the grinder and turned it on, the grating noise annoyingly loud for a moment. Once it was done, he pulled the container of ground coffee out and sniffed it appreciatively.