Page 154 of Rah

“Hey yourself.”

We stood there, just staring at each other like it had been months instead of days since we’d laid eyes on each other. Seeing him wasn’t the same asfeelinghim, though, and the rules and walls between us only made the passion between us burn hotter.

“You better sit down before I can’t control myself,” he nearly growled, making my pussy throb.

Swallowing hard, I sat down and began to eat, ogling my kids. “Y’all look so happy.”

Essence blushed a little. “We are. We miss you, though.”

“I miss y’all too. And I’m proud of both of you.”

Priest leaned closer and took my hand. “You good?”

I smiled. “You know I’m okay. You made sure of that.”

Priest had everybody in here treating me like I wasn’t just another inmate. He knew some of the COs from back home, and the ones he didn’t know, he made sure respected me. Theylooked out, let me stay late on calls, snuck me food from the outside, and even let me use their phones late at night when Priest would call.

Those late-night whispers often turned into some freaky phone sex that made me forget I was locked up.

Because of him, prison didn’t feel like punishment. The only thing that reminded me I wasn’t free was the fact that I couldn’t walk out with them when this visit ended.

“You gettin’ thicker, shorty,” Priest flirted. “Prison food treatin’ you too good.”

I laughed and swatted at him. “Stop it.”

He shrugged, with that seductive stare still locked one me. “What? I’m just sayin’. That ass got phatter.”

I felt the heat rush up my neck, and I had to look away. “Stop lookin’ at me like that.”

“Like what?” he asked, leaning in just slightly.

“Like you forget where we at.”

Essence frowned dramatically. “Ewe, stop.”

Elijah rolled his eyes. “They always flirt. It’s gross.”

Priest put his hands up, laughing. “What else I’m supposed to do? Y’all won’t let me come see her by myself.”

My head tilted dramatically at that lie. “You insist on bringing them on every visit.”

Priest shrugged guiltily.

“Mama, Priest said he gonna teach me how to drive!”

Priest’s eyes ballooned. “Snitch. You wasn’t supposed to tell her.”

My eyes chastised him before I did. “Priest, she’s only thirteen.”

He shrugged. “Ain’t never too early to teach responsibility.”

Elijah snorted. “He just want her to drive him around.”

“Exactly,” Priest replied, laughing. “She gon’ be my little chauffeur.”

For the next hour, life felt normal. We laughed. The kids teased Priest about snoring when he napped at my parents’ house. He teased them about who was more spoiled. They talked over each other about school, new shoes Priest bought them, about their cousin’s birthday party last weekend. Elijah showed off a folded-up paper certificate from basketball practice, and Essence talked about how she planned to be a cheerleader next year.

I just kept looking at the clock, wanting it to slow down, to stay right there in that moment where my world was whole again.