"I'm just saying, I think this lil 'reunion' gone be harder for him than it will for you, now."

"Where is Georgie?" He asked, looking for an escape route.

"Over there with the twins. Cole over there too."

Holle replaced Dame, watching him walk over to where his daughter and niece were. "If I've learned anything about them boys, it's that they got each other through anything. I've seen Damon drop a lot of things that were important to him  just to be by his brothers' side. I mean even for Maurice and the twins. He always puts family first."

"Yeah, but which family is he putting first?"

Holle sighed. The two women rested their backs on the car with their arms crossed, looking over the scene of the cookout. Over at the grill was a group of men. There stood Maverik and Cliff and behind them were their eldest sons and nephews. They were watching the lot waiting for the rest of the family to roll up.

"I know you fucking lying." Sammy stood up from the picnic table. "Nah, somebody tell me I'm tripping. I know that ain't who the fuck I think it is." His eyes were just about bulging from his face. He stepped back, shaking his head. We paced back and forth near the end of the table.

"Carti. Get up. Look over there. The nigga with the cooler."

"Hell nah, man." Carti stared in disbelief, hitting his brother's arm in excitement.

Sammy started laughing hysterically. "Who y'all looking at?" Jah asked, standing up with his cousins. "Who?"

"I know that ain't who the fuck I think it is." Sammy repeated. "Is that Luke James?" He asked lowly. "What the hell?" He asked, looking around. Lonnie stood up, looking in the direction the other three men were. The name struck him. "Yo, what is he doing here?"

"I don't know." Lonnie mumbled and Jah looked at him.

"Y'all need to chill the fuck out. That's just Cole ugly ass." Jah said, annoyed at their excitement over the man.

"You a hater." Sam defended.

"How I'm a hater."

"Oooh, chill guys it's just Cole." Sammy mocked him.

"And he called him ugly?! Nigga, you ugly." Cartis added, not even looking in Jah's direction.

"Yo momma, nigga." Jah replied.

"Ya daddy, bitch." Cartis yelled back.

"Your Bald Headed granny, bum."  Jah retorted, "And that's Dame brother." Jah changed the subject, turning back to take his seat. "Get used to his annoying ass if y'all gone be staying in town."

"The fuck he do to you?" Sammy asked, looking at the disdain Jah carried on his face for the celebrity. "Oh shit, he coming over here!"

"Be cool, Sammy." Cartis put his hand on his brothers shoulder while they watched Cole walk over to where they were. He sat the cooler down on the table and turned around. The entire table grew quiet when he approached. He looked at them and they looked at him until he turned away to walk back to the car.

"I was this close to him." Sam said, putting his two fingers together illustrating the closeness. Cartis sucked his teeth and returned to his seat at the table.

Jah laughed at Sam's enthusiasm. "Y'all embarrassing as fuck." Jah complained, staring down Cartis and Sampson. "Too old for that shit, man. And Sammy you way too fuckin' big to be spazzin' like that over somebody."

"Ayo, chill bro." He heard from across the table. Jah's youngest brother, Makaveli was watching him intently, assuring he'd stop bothering Sam. "It's all fun, my nigga. Have fun."

Jah waved him off. "You been out for five minutes talkin' 'bout fun."

He bumped his forearms to Lonnie , "What's his problem, yo?" Makaveli asked Lonnie, who hadn't been paying them any mind for the last several minutes. He followed his gaze and saw he was also stunned by this, 'Luke James' character. "So who is this man anyway?" He asked nobody in particular. "He like a celebrity or something?"

"He a singer." Cartis told him. "He fire too. Old school rnb vibes, for real. We gone have to put you on to the finer things in life now that you free, Veli." Carti added.

He nodded, now also watching Cole as he crossed the grass with another cooler. This time he was followed by the twins and the girls. Dame and Sadé appeared right after them. "What's good, Cole?" Maverik asked, walking towards Cole, his hand out for dap. Cole didn't respond except by clasping hands with the older man. Mav put his hands up, "what, you ain't speaking to me, now?"

"What's good, Mav. How you been?" He asked dryly, looking around noticing everyone was now staring at the two of them. Mav nodded, "I been aight, Cole. It's good to see you healthy. Look like you picked up a lil weight too. That's good, man. You look good."

Cole nodded. "Feel good too."

"That's what's up. I'm proud of you." He nodded, bringing him in for a bro hug.

"Thank you, Mav. I really appreciate it." He smiled, standing at the table beside him. He then mistakenly made eye contact with Jah who waved him over. "What's good?"

"I got some number one fans for you over here." Jah rolled his eyes at his own words, putting his hand up pointing at his cousins, "You got Sammy and Carti over here fangirling over yo ass. They up here visiting from where ever the hell they live." He shook his head.

He dapped them up and went through the usual meeting fans routine. They took a few selfies and then Jah pointed across the table. "This my brother Makaveli. Makeveli, this is Cole." He watched Lonnie while introducing Cole. Lonnie had a stoic expression which was hard for Jah to read.

"What's up, bro? I ain't know y'all had another brother." Cole greeted Makaveli.

"I been locked up for a minute, Yo." He laughed.

"Oh word? Me too." Cole laughed. "Lemme stop. It's good to meet you." He dapped him up. Now he was standing right beside Lonnie. He hesitantly put his hand out and Lonnie, equally as hesitant, dapped him up. "How you been?" He asked, lowly. Lonnie just nodded his head. The two of them looked at each other for a few moments. Until Cole looked away. "Aight, Imma catch y'all later." He said loudly enough for everyone to hear before jogging back to his car. He left promptly without objections from anyone.

"Aaaalright." Cliff looked around, wondering if anyone else felt as awkward as he did about that exit. "See we got a lil tension around here somewhere." He said, gripping Lonnie's shoulders, smiling hard. If there's nothing else he loves doing, he was going to tease Lonnie.

"Where's my wife?" He asked, checking his watch. "So you're Dame?" Cliff asked Dame who was standing off to the side with Sadé. "I don't even know why I had to ask. You're a spitting image of your mother. I'm ya uncle. Everybody calls me Cliff. Me and ya pops is play cousins." He stood with his hands on both of Dame's shoulders, taking in his appearance before bringing him in for an old school hug. They hugged for a few moments before Cliff let go. "Damn, it's good to see you nephew." He nodded.

"This is Sadé." Dame said, holding her hand, "She's my baby's mother. That's the baby over there. Her name Obadiah but we call her Georgie."

"Hmm."

Sadé laughed, "I wanted to name my first child after my grandfather and Damon wanted her to have his name too. So, instead of giving her two last names, we made it her middle name." She nodded, "Obadiah George Craighead." Dame and Sadé said at the same time. They laughed.

"I like it." Cliff nodded, approving of both the name and the chemistry he was witnessing. "I can't wait for you to see Aajané, Damon. Luna would be so proud of y'all." He nodded with his hands in his pockets, "all three of you." He added. He walked back over to the grill where Maverik was standing and checked his phone. "Evis Ann said they 'bout five minutes away." He announced.

tbc
op:04.18.22
rp:04.24.24