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Keyani Clark

“ S top crying, Key!” Avery whined, locking eyes with me in the mirror. “You’re gonna make me cry.” Her voice was already quivering, and that only had more hot tears slipping down my cheeks.

“I caaaan’t ! You look soooo beautiful! ” I wiped my face unsuccessfully, way too overcome with emotion to stop myself from crying.

“I gotta agree boo, you do look amazing.” Maagic sniffled from beside me, and even her mean ass mama hummed in agreement.

We were at a bridal boutique with Avery, trying on dresses for her and Maasai’s second wedding that I’d affectionately been calling their re-re-re-grand wedding extravaganza.

Besides the obvious, the name was more than fitting considering how opulent everything was.

From the location all the way down to the invitations, Maasai had wasted no expense for my girl, and I couldn’t have been happier.

Avery had been through so much in life that she deserved every good thing that was coming to her, and I was proud to witness her finally getting it.

Feeling a nudge, I looked up to see the boutique owner standing there with a box of Kleenex, and I quickly pulled out a few.

“Soooo, is that a yes then?” She raised a brow, and everyone’s eyes went to Avery.

There was no denying that the $20,000 Galia Lahav couture gown was made for her.

I could’ve been biased, but I hadn’t ever seen a bride look more gorgeous.

The off-the-shoulder, champagne-colored mermaid dress was covered in crystals, with a tulle train that flowed from her lower back and out a few feet behind her.

I already knew Maasai was going to shed a few tears himself once he laid eyes on her in it, and I couldn’t wait.

A smile spread across my face, mirroring the one on everyone else’s in the room.

We all knew it was the one, just from how perfect she looked in it; she just needed to feel the same.

Her overthinking ass bit her lip pensively and turned from side to side a couple of times, before nodding frantically.

“Yes, this is the one!”

A chorus of excited squeals erupted from us all, even as a fresh round of tears slipped out.

I knew I was going to need to carry a box of Kleenex on me when it came time for the actual wedding because I was already a mess just from seeing her now.

Did I care though? Hell no! My good sis was getting what every woman in the world dreamed of, and I only wished Ms. Glenda had been alive to see it too.

Just like me, she’d wanted Avery to go out and experience life, find love, and eventually have a family, so I knew she was proudly smiling down on her.

“Well, since that’s settled, I say we go have a celebratory cocktail!” Maagic quipped, clapping her hands together with a big grin.

Shocked, Ms. Eva swatted at her, but she quickly moved just out of reach.

“ Maagic ! It’s only twelve in the afternoon.

You don’t need anything to drink!” she scolded, making me swallow my motion to second.

I’d only been around the woman a handful of times, and each time, she didn’t pass the vibe check.

She actually made me a little nervous with how uptight she was, but I’d been putting my feelings aside while we all prepared for the wedding.

“A bottomless mimosa never hurt nobody, Mama.” Maagic shrugged once she was a safe distance away. “Besides, it’s a special occasion. Don’t be a party pooper.”

The older woman rolled her eyes at her daughter while slipping on her purse.

“Well, I’ll leave the day drinking to you young folks.

Lord knows my stomach is not what it used to be.

I’d mess around and be hugging the toilet bowl.

” She closed her eyes with her hand on her flat belly and shuddered as if she could already imagine.

Avery and I shared a look, relieved that she was opting out of joining us.

It was nothing against her, but her presence would definitely affect the vibe and leave us unable to let loose like we wanted to.

Since Maasai had come out of his coma, their relationship had gotten better, but it was far from going out to have a cocktail together.

“Awww, are you sure? You could just come along for the food.” Avery shrugged, and I damn near choked on my spit. If I had been close enough, I would’ve pinched the shit out of her overly nice ass.

“Maybe next time, dear.” Eva gave an apologetic look as she crossed the small room to reach her.

“But I’m so glad you found your dress. I know my son is just about going to have a heart attack when he sees you in it,” she gushed, giving Avery air kisses, and at the mention of Maasai, my girl lit up.

After doing the same to Maagic, she gave me a finger wave and was gone, making me sigh in relief once again.

“Okay, now hurry up and go get changed so we can get lit!” Maagic wasted no time saying once her mama was out of earshot, shooing Avery out of the room.

“Okay, okay, I’m going.”

We all shared a laugh as the sales ladies helped her down from the podium and led her back to the changing rooms. I took the time to check my messages and let Ms. Anne know that I’d probably be another hour or so, and as always, she told me to take my time.

She was really a godsend, especially since Javon was still showing his ass.

I shook my head just thinking about how ignorant he was being over nothing, but that was to be expected from a bum ass nigga.

He had to have really felt threatened by Cruz because in all the years I’d had to co-parent with him, he’d never completely abandoned the twins like he was currently doing.

Then again, he’d never had a nigga he thought I was fucking with embarrass him the way Cruz had.

I felt my forehead crease just thinking about how goofy he was, but my ill thoughts of my baby daddy were interrupted by somebody loudly sucking their teeth.

“Where Avery at? I thought she was supposed to be trying on dresses or some shit.” The sight of Gabriella had me rolling my eyes.

She was already late as hell and had the nerve to come in with an attitude like she was the one being inconvenienced.

Avery was truly better than me because I wouldn’t have invited her funny acting ass nowhere near my wedding.

Gabriella had always been unbearable, but her nastiness had gone to a whole new level since their father had come into their lives, and Avery’s engagement hadn’t helped.

Every part of the wedding planning that Avery invited her to, she was either late or didn’t show at all, which was totally unacceptable in my book, but my girl was too nice to tell her about herself.

I opted to ignore her, letting my eyes roll right back to my phone even though I really wanted to curse her out.

“She picked her dress out already. She’s in the back changing now so we can go celebrate over drinks,” Maagic finally said after a few awkward seconds passed.

“What you mean she already picked the dress! I literally just got here!” This time, I couldn’t bite my tongue, and I set my icy glare on her.

“You’re two hours late, bi— Gabby !” I stopped myself from calling her a bitch even though it was on the tip of my tongue, and her eyes widened.

“Wha—? No…’cause…I—” In her defense, she looked genuinely confused, but that only showed just how self-absorbed she was.

Everyone who Avery had invited received event calendars with the day and time of each important date, so she should’ve been on it just like the rest of us.

It wasn’t like she had anything else going on that prevented her from coming on time or not coming at all.

She sucked in a hard breath when I stood suddenly and checked to make sure Avery wasn’t coming before I laid into her.

I wasn’t trying to cause a scene or alarm my girl, but Gabby needed a reality check, and I was happy to give it to her.

“Girl, what the fuck is your problem?” I hissed, getting more irritated by the way she jerked back with her face balled up.

“Ugh, I don’t have a problem ! I didn’t mean to miss it, I honestly just thought I was supposed to be here at 12.

” She humped her shoulder, attitude on one thousand.

“It’s not the end of the world, Key. It’s only one dress fitting, relax.

” I heard Maagic gasp behind me, clearly just as appalled as I was by Gabby’s disrespectful ass.

“But it hasn’t just been one dress fitting.

It’s been the cake tasting, the invitation sending, and the bridesmaid dress selection.

” I ticked each event that she’d missed or come late to off on my fingers while she rolled her eyes.

“Even with two kids, I managed to show up, so you literally don’t have any excuse. ”

The frown on her face deepened. “So, just because you don’t have a life outside of running behind Avery doesn’t mean everybody else doesn’t. You don’t know what I have going on—” I cut her off with a haughty laugh.

“Bitch, please, you ain’t got a damn thing going on, and I don’t run behind Avery, I have her back.

That’s what sisters do, but you obviously don’t know what that means, and I really don’t have time to explain it to you.

What I will say, though, is that you need to get whatever this shit is together and quick before I?—”

“Okay, y’all, I’m back, let’s go get wasted so I can go home and rape my husband!

” Avery’s voice halted my next words, but from the look on Gabby’s face, she understood.

I let my gaze linger on her, giving a silent warning before turning to Avery with a smile like nothing had happened.

Unfortunately, I saw the way her own smile faltered when she finally noticed her sister, but she played it off easily. “Oh, hey sis, you wanna join us?”