Page 17 of Welcome to the Table

I heard the door open and knew it was Jaci because I could smell her Dolce and Gabbana Light Blue the minute she entered.

She ran in my direction and hugged me tight before running to Melph and hugging him.

He lifted her off the floor, spinning her thick ass around like she was five years old.

I hadn’t seen my baby girl since she left, so her presence was needed.

She brought in a calm and peaceful spirit when she walked into the house.

“I missed y’all. I miss home,” she said, and I looked at Melph to gauge his reaction.

“You don’t like New York, baby?” he asked her, and she frowned. Her head went down like something was wrong.

“It’s not that I don’t like it. It’s just that people around the city keep saying, ‘Oh, that’s Big Melph daughter’ or ‘She's off limits.’ It’s irritating because I don’t have friends, and boys are scared to even approach me because they speak so highly of you.

I know a little about what you do, but what’s the big deal? ” she asked.

I looked at Melph to see what he would say.

He pulled her to his side and told her, “Whoever says that shit is scary and pussy. I am not a bad man, but a strong one. They are just jealous. You want me to send Hellcat back with you for a while until you are comfortable?” he asked her, and I butted in.

“You trying to make shit worse. She gon’ be okay right in New York because ain’t shit here in New Orleans. I wish the boys would leave, but they stuck on this family business shit like they can’t expand.” Just as I said that, the door opened again, and Hellcat walked in, smiling from ear to ear.

“I know that ain’t Jaci Waci in the fucking house. This shit must be serious if yo’ ass flew from New York to be here.” She practically ran to his arms, and he lifted her from the floor in a bear hug. He slightly pushed her away, and she smacked his damn face.

I laughed.

Whap whap

She smacked his left cheek, then the right. His black ass turned beet red. He tried to rush her, but I got in the way. I made eye contact with him, and he slowly started to calm down.

“Don’t hug me. You know I don’t fuck with you like that. And I know them licks didn’t hurt.” She laughed, and I turned to roll my eyes at her. The laughing stopped.

Hellcat looked past me. “Remember that shit when you want something. Move, Ma, I ain’t gon’ hit her short ass, but that shit hurt, man.”

I rubbed each side of his face to soothe it. He blushed and smiled. Hellcat cut his eyes at Jaci and walked past me, nodding his head at his father.

Even though they were only three years apart, he still treated her like a baby. They had a love-hate relationship. She slowly walked over to where he stood and stared at him.

“What, you ’bout to smack yo’ big brother again?” he asked her, and she remained silent.

Her arms went around his neck as he held onto her for dear life.

Once he put her down, he looked at her and winked his eye.

I loved this relationship. They walked off in their own conversation.

Grove walked in and hugged me, kissing my cheek, all the while looking at Jaci.

I’d noticed that he had a crush on her, but he never spoke on it, and I never pointed the shit out.

He would have to go through Melph for that shit because I wasn’t in it.

If you ask me, he was a perfect match because I trusted Hollygrove like he was one of my own. She would be protected with him.

“Calliope, nigga, what took you so long to get out of the car?” I heard Melph say behind me.

I turned around and noticed him walk in with a bitch I almost didn’t recognize.

They walked in like the happy fucking couple, holding hands and shit.

She smiled like a fucking Cheshire cat, and I didn’t like it.

Something about that bitch was off, and I was going to get to the bottom of it before they left this house.

Her face looked familiar, like I had seen her when she was younger, but I couldn’t put my finger on it.

We all walked into the dining area and took our seats.

I made sure to seat no name across from me, so I could watch her.

The servers began to serve the food, and everybody was quiet, so I decided to break the ice.

I looked at the girl closer, and it hit me like a ton of fucking bricks.

I knew exactly who she was, but I would keep my composure for the sake of my family.

My eyes met Calliope's, and I cleared my fucking throat.

I poured a glass of wine and addressed him.

“I thought I told you that this was a family meeting. Why did you bring a stray with you that we knew nothing about?” I asked, not giving a fuck if he liked it or not. Calliope knew I didn’t bite my tongue for anybody.

“She is not a stray, Ma, she’s my girlfriend.” I chuckled at his fucking words. I looked at her, waiting for her to buck, but she didn’t.

“Klarity?” It came out as more of a fucking question because I had to be tripping for this bitch to be in my house.

“The one and only,” she had the fucking nerve to say.

Melph knew I was about to pounce on her. He grabbed my thigh under the table and tightened his grip.

“Get the fuck out of my house, you snake ass bitch!” I looked at Calliope, and his face remained stoic.

“Why would you bring her to my fucking house? Since when you started fucking this snake? Cuz I know you ain’t in love with this python,” I told him, never taking my eyes off her. I didn’t trust her.

“Athena, what are you talking about!? I finally got the woman of my dreams, and this is what the fuck I get for bringing her to meet the family. It ain’t like she doesn’t know y’all,” he barked, standing from the table and breathing like he weighed a ton.

I knew he was angry, but he knew better than to fucking question me.

“Sit down, son,” Melph said, and I knew it was about to be pandemonium.

Calliope’s head spun to his father. “Don’t fucking tell me to sit down, nigga. The fuck!?” he barked at Melph, and I knew I had to defuse the situation.

“Calliope, eyes,” I told him sternly.

It took a minute, but his eyes met mine.

“Sit,” I calmly demanded.

My son held my gaze before slowly taking his seat.

He didn’t know the history between the families, and it was my fault that I didn’t tell him before now.

I knew he was in love with her, but she was a fucking snake.

She didn’t deserve him. I didn’t even know he linked with the bitch after all those years.

Calliope didn’t know it, but our families didn’t get along.

Klarity’s family made a deal with our family, and when it was time to pay the piper, all hell broke loose.

Melph tortured and killed her father while her mother begged for her and her daughter’s life.

He made sure they left the state and never came back.

I don’t know if the bitch remembered the shit or not, or if she was being spiteful, but what I did know was I would protect my son by any means.

“Athena, it’s not that serious. I was bringing her to see the family because I am in love with her.”

When my son said that shit, my flabbers were fucking gasted.

There was no fucking way she would slither her fucking way through my family.

I didn’t trust that bitch at all. He didn’t know the depth of how serious this shit went.

If she were here, that meant trouble came with this bitch, and I wasn’t for it.

Without taking my eyes off her, I stated, “You either get yo’ ass up and walk out of here like a fucking lady, or I will have my men drag yo’ ass out and behead you like the snake you are.”

I nodded my head, and two men came out of the shadows and stood on each side of her.

I looked at Jaci, my baby girl, and I was filled with regret because I never wanted her to see this side of the family.

How ruthless we could get, but I knew she would witness it eventually.

She looked around for Calliope to say something else, but he remained silent.

“Or, I could have Hellcat slice yo’ ass up, and we can barbecue yo’ ass. Now, you choose,” I told her, folding my arms under my breasts.

She didn’t move.

“Walk out like a fucking lady before you’re not.” Melph stood beside me.

“There is a black truck to take you wherever the fuck you need to go. You will forget you were ever in this house and fucking my son. You don’t love him and are not in love with him.

I don’t know what the fuck you came back for, but it wasn’t for my fucking son.

” He finished his words, and she didn’t move.

I didn’t know if this bitch had a death wish, but she'd better beat her fucking feet. Her eyes looked at Calliope, expecting him to help her, but I knew he wouldn’t.

His loyalty was to his family and would always be.

I looked over at him, and his mind and heart were playing tug of war.

He was really in love with this snake bitch, but he didn’t know what the fuck I knew, because if he did, he would kill her where she stood.

After what felt like too fucking long, she grabbed her purse and walked toward the door with her head down. Once I heard Siri’s ass state that she was out the door, and my men came to let me know that she was gone, I spoke to Calliope.

“All her shit is being packed at your house as we speak, so she ain’t got no reason to go back. Let me talk to you in the foyer before we eat dinner.” Melph pulled my chair out further, so I could step around it.

I walked with Calliope behind me into the foyer. I knew he was pissed, but now was not the time for him to go to battle with me.

“Athena, you do a lot of fucked up shit to other people, but I didn’t expect you to do this shit to me. If she was a fucking snake, then let me find out for myself. That’s my problem!” he shouted.

I knew my husband heard him, but my son wouldn’t hurt me.