Page 13 of The Cancer I Chose (BLP Signs of Love #4)

He shrugged. “I’on know. Probably in some pussy, and Je is in her bedroom, knocked the fuck out. She was out late last night and came stumbling in with the sun.”

I grunted before pulling out my phone and shooting my brother a text.

As I adjusted to life with Nuri, I wasn’t around as much, which meant I couldn’t keep tabs on my siblings.

When we were living together, I always knew what they had going on.

Living at the estate had me on the outside looking in, and I didn’t like the shit.

I made a mental note to see what was up with Je when we got back to the big house.

Her ass had better be on top of her schoolwork while she was out getting drunk.

I knew my sister was twenty-one, which was technically grown at the end of the day, but I would never stop being her big brother and looking out for her. If she wasn’t good, then neither was I.

We walked onto the lawn to see bubbles floating in the wind, children chasing each other around while laughing, and bounce houses in the distance. There was a cloud of smoke coming from the grill filled with burgers and hot dogs. Various tables were set up with different vendors selling things.

I could say when it came to community events in The Dutch, everybody came out to support.

We didn’t have much around these parts, but we had each other.

All of us played our part, too, from the business owners to the drug dealers, residents of Prosper Ave, and everyone in between.

We showed up for the children because we understood they were the future and deserved a chance at a better quality of life than the slums they were born into.

The east side of Solaire consisted of a few hoods. You had Marlowe Heights, or The Heights, which was a large community of single-family homes. Then there were the project apartments called Baldwin Terrace, Winslow Place, Greenbrier, and The Dutch, where I was raised.

Of course, there was the infamous Prosper Ave that stretched from one end of the east side to the other.

The name started as a joke, but over time, it became gospel around these parts.

Living on Prosper Ave was equivalent to buying a Lamborghini truck.

We call it Prosper Ave, not because you had money to live there or because it held the best houses the east side had to offer.

We called it that because we were still standing after everything we’d been through.

The block was first purchased by an old hustler named Dolla.

He was the first person to ever believe in this community and tried to pour back into where he was from.

It started small with a corner store, then a house here and a house there, before a thriving community sprouted up right in the middle of chaos.

Seeing everyone out today made me feel good.

We were still fighting our fight, and that was all that mattered.

I walked over to where I saw Nuri standing behind a table. “What are you doing, wifey?”

She looked up at me in shock. She was too busy organizing books on the table to notice I’d walked up. “I volunteered to help pass out these free books to the kids.”

Nuri wasn’t even over here for ten minutes and had already found a way for her to help. It was a real testament to her nature. I was so in awe that all I could do was walk around the table to assist her.

We had a good time talking with the kids who came by.

I could see Nuri’s love for her work even in volunteering.

There were a few mothers who came by whom she spoke with, offering advice or her free massages.

She went above and beyond for a little boy who was being fussy with his mother.

I watched her rock him to sleep while humming ”Ready for Love” by India Arie.

She was so magnetic when she was in her element that my eyes tracked her every movement.

Once all the books were gone, we held hands while walking near the stage set up for the poetry contest. Children of all ages got up there to offer original work or recite well-known pieces of poetry.

I could tell Nuri was thoroughly enjoying the performances by the smile on her face.

She looked like a proud mother and didn’t know any of the children who performed.

This woman was a force to be reckoned with, and I found myself feeling lucky every time I saw the sunlight reflecting off her wedding ring.

I noticed Jiah waving at me in the distance.

She was near the stage, so I figured that meant it was my turn to go.

“Come on.” I pulled Nuri along with me as we walked along the edge of the crowd.

Everyone started to surge forward when they spotted me heading to the front. Jah, Lazer, and Burg fell in step with us on security because sometimes the crowd got too rowdy trying to get to me. Suddenly, there was a massive crowd at the front before I could even make it up there.

I smiled as I got the microphone from my sister. “Rock out, Kai,” she encouraged.

I winked at her, feeling more confident than ever. I placed a kiss on Nuri’s cheek. “Be right back,” I whispered in her ear before hopping on the low stage.

Applause erupted as I made my way to the center. “Don’t nobody got my heart like the east side. Wassup, family?” I greeted the crowd in a low voice.

Unlike other artists, my city loved me. They supported me without hesitation or hatred. It was what helped me get my big break in the music industry, so I would always be thankful.

“I want to thank my sister Jiah for putting together this amazing event. It felt good to see so many children excited about getting books or coming up here to perform. So, this is for y’all… my heart.”

I looked over at the deejay working the event and nodded.

My hit single “East Side Baby” blared from the speakers.

I nodded my head to the beat, getting into my element.

It didn’t matter that this was a free community event.

I was still going to perform like it was a sold-out arena on my headliner tour.

“They said I would never be somebody

But I’m cruising down Prosper Ave and I feel like somebody

I remember walking to school with no socks, clothes bigger than my dreams, and a home-cooked meal wasn’t a normal thing

They laughed because I couldn’t speak, but I was too busy reliving violent murder scenes

Raised in a dark crack house

I saw plenty people come in and out

None of ‘em gave a fuck so I had to take my own route

To this paper

Fuck a hater and what they gotta say

Wasn’t none of them with me when I didn’t have a safe place to lay

I might be quiet, but I’m deadly like a lion

For my fam know I’m clutchin’ that iron, ain’t no talkin’, ain’t no fightin’

And that’s my story, and I don’t give a fuck who judge

I’m still here, standing tall, money good, so my family up

East side baby for life.”

Nothing could’ve prepared me for the moment I glanced over at Nuri to see her rapping along with everyone else.

She looked at me with such awe that it knocked all the air from my lungs.

She had to be listening to my music on repeat to have my lyrics memorized.

I couldn’t describe how the realization made me feel, but I knew this woman had a special place in my heart.

I performed two more popular songs before thanking everyone for coming out.

When I hopped off the stage, Nuri rushed into my arms.

“Wow, you were amazing!”

I wrapped my arms around her waist. I distracted myself by inhaling her perfume instead of displaying the goofy smile I really wanted to. “Thank you, Legacy.” Unable to stop myself, I kissed her on the cheek. “I see I really made a fan out of you,” I teased.

She nodded without shame. “I told you that. I can only imagine what you’re like on tour.” She clapped excitedly. “Oh my God! I’m married to a fucking superstar.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle. I tossed an arm over her shoulder as we walked away. Jiah was staying behind to clean up. Jah took up the rear as we walked back to the big house. Lazer and Burg had faded back to the block. We were quiet at first, but there was something I was curious about.

“Why did you hum India Arie while putting that baby to sleep?”

Nuri glanced up at me and smiled, but I could see some sadness in the depths of her brown eyes.

She gulped and began twiddling her fingers.

My arm was still around her shoulder, so I pulled her closer for support.

“My mom used to sing that to me whenever she was putting me to sleep. Even when I was a grown woman, I would lay my head on her lap while she hummed or sang that song to me.”

I kissed the side of her head and nodded.

I loved all the ways Nuri found to keep her parents alive.

She thought she was alone, but it was clear to me that they were still living inside of her.

When we made it to the big house, she sat on the porch to watch the sunset while I went to check on my sister.

When I came back out half an hour later, Nuri was on the steps, swaying from side to side, still humming that India Arie song.

I didn’t need to see her face to know she was crying.

I hated that I’d even left her alone. Closing the distance between us, I walked down the steps.

When she looked up, she saw my hand reaching for her.

Her tear-streaked face nearly brought me to my knees, but I held it together for her.

“Ready?”

She nodded, placing her soft hand in mine.

“Come on. Let’s go home, Legacy.”

I tucked her under my arm as we made the short walk to my car.

After I opened her door, I wiped away her tears and kissed her forehead.

She smiled at me before sliding onto the passenger seat.

I closed her inside, wishing I could make it all disappear but knowing my presence would have to be enough because I couldn’t erase it all.