****Dr. Maraj in m/m****

AUGUST P.O.V. –

“And that is the entire office.” Dr. Maraj took me on a tour of the office. “Do you still want the job?”

“Of course.” I chuckled.

I really liked Dr. Maraj. I was surprised to find out how young she was. She was a little bit older than Amb, and I was surprised at how gorgeous she was. Honestly, I expected some old Arab lady. She was extremely down to earth. I got almost an older sister vibe from her, but she was about her business.

“Alright, just making sure babe. Some people I tend to scare away.” She said her nasally sort of tone of voice.

“Nah, I’m not scared.”

“For now.” She pointed at me. “But you will be. I’m hard on my employees, specifically those bright young minds that dream to become dentist like yourself. But it’s  only because I love you guys and want to sincerely see you succeed. Alright?”

“I hear you.” I rubbed my beard hair.

“Stop doing that. You’re trying to look cool, and its not working.”

I bursted into laughter.

“Now for the first couple of weeks, this will be your work station.” She tapped the front desk in the waiting area. “You’ll be collecting patient information. I expect you to be respectful to all patients, even those who are rude to you. Can you handle that?”

“Yeah.”

“And as the weeks progress, I’ll let you start prepping patients. Preparing them for procedures, and eventually, if you survive, I might let you assist on minor dental work.”

“I’ll survive.” I said confidently with a bright smile.

“Okay you seem pretty confident now. I want to see that same confidence two months in. Alright?’

“Yeah.”

“Now do you have any questions for me?”

“Nah I think you answered everything.”

“Okay then I expect to see you here tomorrow on time.”

“I will be here.”

“Alright, you have a nice day love.”

“Thank you. And nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you too hun.” She smiled and walked me to the door.

I grabbed my book bag, left out the door and went to class.

AMBER P.O.V. –

I had just got Sata back to sleep and I was going to start on dinner when I heard a knock at the door. I went to get it. I was not excited about who was on the other side.

“What do you want Durrell?” I left him at the door and went to the kitchen to get dinner started.

“A little excitement that I came all the way from Atl to Philly to see you before I went on tour would be nice?”

“Well I’m not excited. And Aug’s going to be here in a few. And after being in class all day, I doubt he wants to see you.” I took the steaks out to prepare them.

“You know what I don’t respect. You making it seem like, I wasn’t right to defend you.”

“I don’t have a problem with you defending me, but you hit him. That was wrong. You could have took him to the side and said, “hey, I don’t appreciate what you did to my sister. I know y’all working on it, but if that happens again we gon have a problem or something.”

“It don’t work like that Amb. Not when you’re my little sister.”

“Well I’m not your little sister anymore. I’m a grown woman and I can make my own decisions.”

“To be miserable like you are now.”

“I’m not miserable.” I marinated the steaks.

“Ok well you not happy.”

“I am happy.” I gave a smile.

“Amber you forgetting I practically raised you. I know you inside and out. And you cannot tell me you are 100 percent happy being up here.”

“All things take some getting adjusted to Durrell.”

“You go from living in a mansion to this? This not even half the size of your old house. Your bedroom was bigger than this.”

“Don’t judge my living situation. Your 43 year old ass just got a house a year ago.”

“Get mad at me if you want to, but we know the truth. Maybe the apartment isn’t the problem, but being home is. You are not happy, ironing clothes, cooking meals and cleaning baby poop I don’t care how much you convince yourself that you are.”

“Relationships are about sacrifice Durrell. Something you know absolutely nothing about because you never sacrificed anything. You wanted your cake and to eat it too.”

“You are right. They are about sacrifice, but not giving away your whole life away.

“Durrell it’s one year of my life. Honestly after the whole thing with Nate, I need a break. I don’t tell August this, but it still hurts me very much.” I went to a box in the closet and pulled out the painting Nate did of me.

“Wow, this is amazing. Who did this?”

“Nate. I don’t hang it up, out of respect for Aug. But I can’t just throw my memories with Nate away. He was just a necessary part of my life as August was. I love August you know that. And I’m happy he’s back in my life. But I loved Nate too. I really did.” I felt the tears start to form.

“He was such a beautiful person Rell. But he had such a horrible life. And at times I’m just so sad, that I couldn’t change that. He didn’t deserve what he went through. And every time I look at this I’m just reminded of the beauty he held inside him.”

“Just think about it as he was happy while he was with you. You were the rainbow in his cloud for that short time.”

“Yeah.” I wiped my eyes and sat down in the kitchen chair. “I just wish I could do more. For people like him ya know? Those who have hard lives. Let them know, life is worth living ya know?”

“Maybe you can find a suicide support group out here, and be a facilitator. Let them know Nate’s story that way his legacy lives, and you can help other people too.”

“That’s a good idea, where would I find one though?”

“I’m sure they got that stuff online.”

“Yeah, you right. Thank you for that.”

“Now can big bro get a hug?”

“Yeah.” I hugged him. He held me tight.

“I don’t care what we go through, know that I love you and I always got your back. Nothing I do, is to hurt you.”

“I know.”

He kissed my forehead.

The door opened.

“Hey babe.” I straightened my hair as August came through the front door.

He looked at me, like explain why Durrell is here.

“Rell came to visit and apologize before he left for tour.” I went back to preparing dinner.

“What’s for dinner?” He put his book bag on the floor besides the sofa, and acted like he didn’t hear what I said.

“Steak and baked potatoes.”

“I got homework to do, so you can ask your guest to leave. I want a quiet house.” He took out his books and sat on the couch.

“Okay this pettiness is going to stop. Aug you’re not leaving my life, nor is Durrell so if he’s here to apologize, lets just let it go. Okay. Y’all don’t have to be friends, but you need to learn to co-exist. For me.” I had my hand on my hip, looking at both of them.

They both were silent for a moment.

“August?” I said.

“We good.”

“Durrell.”

“We good, as long as you good.” Durrell looked at me.

“Great. Now August is it okay if Rell stays for dinner?”

August sighed, “Yeah. He can stay.”

“Great.” I put the steaks and baked potatoes in the oven.

August was still pouting on the couch, doing his homework but I didn’t care. I knew it was going to take him a minute, but he’d come around.

There was a knock at the door.

“Don’t open it.” August said writing in his notebook.

I ignored him and opened it. Of course it was Travis and Stacy.

“Is our dinner ready yet?”

“Oh my God. I’m not going to be doing this every day. Only because I know Stacy is probably hungry from school all day, I’ll do it.” I threw some extra food in the oven for everybody

“Oh man, you that dude from uh, you made that “If That’s What It Takes Song?” Travis recognized Durrell.

“Yeah that’s me.”

“Durrell that’s Travis. Aug’s brother.”

He dapped Travis up.

“Stacy how you doing babygirl?”  Rell hugged her and kissed her cheek.

“I’m good. I heard you were going on tour?”

“Yeah, I am. When I come to Philly, hit me up. I’ll give y’all some free tickets.”

“Will do.” Stacy looked at him dreamy eyed.

Travis coughed. Stacy snapped out of it.

“Okay, can y’all go upstairs until its ready. Sata is sleep and Aug is trying to do his homework.”

“Why are you babying that nigga?” Travis said looking in my fridge.

I closed it.

“Goodbye Travis. Stac I’ll call you when its done.”

“Okay. Rell I want to hear about all you’re doing. You want to come upstairs with me and Trav?”

“Sure. Yeah.”

“You looking for background singers?”

“Can you sing?”

“Sing, nigga I can blow.” Travis said confidently.

“Well come on let me here you.”

They all left out the door and went upstairs.

“Can he sing?” I went to go sit on the couch with August. I handed him a Simply Lemonade with Rasberry.

He took the juice and gave me a look like c’mon.

“He is so silly.” I laughed and shook my head.

Aug put his head in my lap and read from his textbook, with his knees raised.

I rubbed his head.

“How was everything with work?”

“Cool. I start tomorrow.”

“How was the lady?”

“Mad down to earth.”

“That’s good. How was classes?”

“They alright. Now that you and Sata here I know for sure I’mma do better. My focus is different. I ain’t all depressed like I was.”

“That’s good. Anything I can do help you let me know.” I bent down and pecked his lips. “For your birthday, Stacy said she would keep Sata. You okay with that?”

“Yeah, that’s cool.”

“You want to go out or me to do something in?”

“Honestly, I just want sex. Whether its out, whether its in I don’t’ care.” He sounded so desperate.

“Oh my God August, you are a trip.” 

“I’m serious Amber. I’m fucking dying.” He looked up at me. “That’s what we can do all day. Have sex. Clock strike twelve, sex. Take a break. More sex. Take a break. More sex. Eat. Then Sex. Sleep a little bit. Sex. Take a bath together. Sex--.”

I cut him off.

“Okay, Jesus! You don’t want me to have any vaginal walls.”

“I’ll be gentle.” He smirked.

“You’re not going to break my cervix because you can’t control your little cravings.”

“Break your cervix?” He bursted into laughter. “Is that even possible?”

“Yes, I heard somebody did it.”

“That’s crazy. Breaking a cervix.”  He shook his head.

“Babe do you mind if I join a suicide support group?” He whipped his head up quickly.

“No, no, no I’m not thinking about suicide.” I chuckled. “Just to tell people Nate’s story. Since he struggled with it.”

“I was about to say.” He let out a sigh a relief. “Yeah I mean if that’s something you want to do. I think it will be a good thing. You know I support you, just as much as you support me.”

“Aww thank you babe.” I kissed forehead.

“I also think you should hang up that picture Nate painted that used to be in your office. Sevyn told me about one day when we were working on volunteer stuff. I asked her about it, when I saw it.”

“Really?” I looked at him surprised.

“Yeah. It’s a beautiful picture of you and I’m not like that. Like Salli said, Nate was y’all protector while I was trying to get it together. I got a lot of respect for him, for that.”

“Wow, thank you August. That means a lot.”

I heard banging at the door.

“Is it done yet?” Travis asked.

“Oh my God.”

We both shook our heads at his foolery and laughed.