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“Well, come in, but don’t be looking around my shit like you see something you want. Everything in this house already belongs to somebody.” I stepped inside, and Juanita closed the door before leading me into the living room. She sat down on the couch, but I remained standing for a moment. “Sit yo ass down. You making me nervous standing over me like you’re ready to do something to me. Let me know what you feeling, so I can feel it too. Don’t think I can’t give you a run.” This lady was crazy as hell. Sitting down, I eased her mind.

“I don’t want no smoke.” She crossed her arms as if we still had an issue.

“What you want to talk about?”

“Bubbles asked me to give you your money back.” Her attitude was replaced with a big ass smile.

“Well, look at God.” She reached her hand out as if she was waiting for me to give it to her.

“That’s not going to happen.” Her smile disappeared so fast, I had to hold back my laugh.

“Then why the fuck would you come over here telling me that shit?”

“You asked me what I wanted to talk about.”

“Well, you should’ve started with something else. Got me sitting here thinking I’m about to get blessed. I knew yo ass wasn’t shit. Told my daughter that too.” She looked at me as if she was pleased with herself and saying nah.

“Let me explain something to you, Juanita. When I take something from somebody, especially money they owe me, there’s only one way they getting it back.” I let that sit between us. She didn’t need me to explain what I meant. Her eyes stayed on mine as she shifted in her seat. For the first time since I walked in, her ass wasn’t talking shit. “But something is telling me you deserve my grace. Now, I can’t give you back the money I took. That goes against everything I believe in. And as much as I care about your daughter, that ain’t enough to make me change my principles.”

“Then what you here for?”

“I’m a businessman, Juanita. The most valuable thing in my line of work ain’t money. It’s information.”

“What information you think I got? I’m telling you now, I minds my business. I don’t hear or see shit. I’m old. If you look closely, you will see the cataract in my eye.”

“Juanita.” It was almost impossible to have a serious conversation with her ass.

“I’m just saying,” she mumbled.

“When Bubbles asked me to do that, she said she had a good reason but wouldn’t tell me what it was. Whatever you told her was enough to make her ask me to do something she knew I wouldn’t do. I’m not asking you to strip yourself bare, but whatever you decide to tell me will help me decide if it’s enough.”

“So, you came over here to get in my business?”

“I came to offer you an opportunity.”

“What if I don’t want to tell you shit?”

“Then you don’t tell me shit, and I leave and go on about my day.” I wasn’t interested in Juanita’s business. What I needed to know was if she had gotten herself into some shit that would affect Bubbles. If somebody was coming after her, or if she had gotten in over her head, I needed to know before Bubbles got caught in the middle. That would become my problem, and nobody wanted that. I wasn’t threatening her or making her feel obligated to tell me. It was her decision. I waited as she sat quietly trying to decide.

She finally started talking. I didn’t interrupt her or ask her to explain things she chose not to give all the details to. She talked for a long time. Long enough that the sun had gone down. When she finally finished, I lowered my head. I needed a minute to process everything. My eyes misted over, and I closed them until I got it under control. Finally, I opened them back and stared at her for a moment.

“Unfortunately, we can’t choose our family. Sometimes they ain’t shit. Trust me, I know better than anyone. But we can’t let them define us and who we become.” Juanita nodded. Reaching in my pocket, I grabbed my phone and dialed Key.

“What’s up?”

“I need you to wire Juanita a million dollars.”

“A million? The fuck you got going on?”

“Key.”

“I’m just trying to make sure they ain’t kidnapped you again, but for real this time. You sure you good?”

“Yeah. I’ll hit you up in a minute.”

“Aight. I’m on it.” I hung up, and Juanita was looking at me shocked.

“Did you just say a million dollars?”