“MAMMMMMAAA! Your favorite has arrived,” I yelled, announcing my presence. Mama had the house smelling good as usual and I couldn’t wait to tear it down. As usual, Danni was there sitting on the couch with her face glued to her phone.

“Yo, you didn’t just hear me walk in? Acknowledge my presence when you see me. And where are my nieces and nephews?”

“Girl, yeah, I heard your loud ass. And I don’t know, outside minding their business.”

“Danni, just because Game bought Mama this big house doesn’t take away from the fact that it’s still in the hood. You need to be watching them while they are outside,” I chastised her like I was the oldest. It was true though; the hood had gotten way worse since we were kids. I didn’t know why Mama wanted to stay, so instead of Game buying her a house in the suburbs like we wanted, she found this grand ass house, but it was smack dead in the hood.

“Girl, my kids are fine. I need some me time too. Damn!”

Danni had three kids, an eight-year-old, a five-year-old and a two-year-old who was always with the oldest one.

“Girl, Tae is only two. He does not need to be out with Trey. Let that little boy have his fun sometimes,” I commented.

“Kayla, the day you spit one out, then I will take your advice. Until then, kiss my ass.”

“Girl, I wish,” I started before my mother butted in.

“Y’all two do this mess every Sunday and this week I’m not for it. Kayla, go in there and snap them beans, and Danni, go and check on my grandchildren. They haven’t been in here in an hour.”

Danni reluctantly got up and went outside to find her kids. They probably were almost to Africa by now and it was forty degrees out.

Once Mama came to the kitchen, I was doing as she told me, snapping beans.

“And where have you been? You skipped the last two family dinners,” she started in on me.

“Mama, I have a life and sometimes I just can’t make it.” I shrugged nonchalantly.

“Well, what could be more important than family?”

“My career, Mom. You know the K-Spot hasn’t been open for too long, so I have to make sure that everything runs smoothly.”

“Well, that’s all fine and dandy. But you better start squeezing your mama in sometimes. You know I won’t be here for too much longer.”

This was Mama’s way of guilt tripping me. She literally came with the ‘I won’t be here for too long’ mess every time I did something that she didn’t like.

“Alright Mama, I will try to do better. But anyway,” I said, breezing out of that conversation. “I have a friend coming over for dinner tonight. Is that cool?”

“Yeah child. You know there is plenty of food for everyone. Don’t tell me you finally bringing your guy friend here. You’ve never brought anyone home. You know we thought you were gay at first and scared to bring your little girlfriend home.”

“Mama!” I shouted. “I am not gay.”

Here we go. That was another reason why I skipped Sunday dinner. Everyone was always in my business about my dating life.

“Yo, Yo.” My little brother, Cameron, busted through the back door, saving me from this conversation.

“Brody,” I yelled, dapping him up.

“What’s good Sis? You got me on them Yeezy’s that come out next week?”

“Boy cur’ your big self. I don’t even have a pair of Yeezy’s!”

My little big brother was sixteen, standing at 6’6, but was lanky with it. He had all the little girls going crazy because he was the star basketball player, and everyone just knew he was gone get drafted out of college.

“Oh Sis, we have to change that,” he joked, taking orange juice out the fridge and drinking from the gallon. Mama didn’t even say anything. When I was younger, she would’ve back slapped me for that.

About an hour later, after chopping it up with Mama and cooking, everyone else started to pile in. Our Sunday dinners didn’t just consist of us; the rest of my ghetto ass family came. Mama’s sisters and all their kids and grandkids, boyfriends and some more. At the end of the night, it would be about twenty of us. Most of the kids were outside being terrorists, while the adults played cards and talked shit.

I walked out of the bathroom to see my guest arriving.

“Hey Anna. How are you doing? Did you find it okay?”

“Yeah. Thanks for inviting me,” she said lowly.

This girl was so mousy and I was sure that my family would make her even more nervous. I had to admit though, she looked better than when I first met her. She had gained weight since she was eating now, and the things that I gave her fit her perfectly. Some of the stuff was brand new and had been hanging in my closet. Today she wore brown leggings and an orange, oversized sweater with a huge black belt around it. She topped it off with chocolate-colored, Vince Camuto knee boots. Her hair was up in a bun showcasing her round face. I had never looked at her really well, but she was beautiful, favoring that girl Ryan Destiny from the show Star.

“Y’all, this is my girl Anna. Anna, this is everybody.”

“Hi,” she said shyly before I took her to the kitchen to speak to my mom.

The two of them spoke and Mama told her how pretty she was. Anna then excused herself and went outside. I guess she needed some time to herself.