AYAD

Chapter 2

Gracie was off from work, packing up the last luggage filled with clothes. It was surreal that she was preparing to move into the house of her future in-laws. In their family line, it has always been the expectation for son's to bring their fiancée to live with the family for a year. While separate bedrooms are required, the year is designed to give the couple space to see if a lifetime together is a good fit for themselves and for the family. Every married person had completed that requirement in the past 125 years, and the couples are sometimes even invited to live at the familial house after marriage.

Thankfully, Gracie did not have to pack alone and be stuck in her own thoughts. She had her closest friend Becca and Leni there to keep her company. Leni picked up a pair of Gracie's Louboutin heels. "Now that you're off the streets, you won't need these no' more. Can I have 'em?"

Gracie nodded a yes, before she could talk, Becca interjected. "Len, you 'finna break your legs squeezing into those shoes."

"What are you talking about? I'm only a size 10."

"My point exactly! Gracie is a 5."

Leni thought about it for a second, but the shoes ultimately were too cute for her to ignore. She sat on the floor and braced to squeeze her foot into the slender heel. "Where there is a will there's a way!"

Leni wobbily stood up to prove her point, but before she could straighten up, she went crashing down on the floor. Gracie and Becca burst out laughing at the sight. Becca covered her mouth while cackling.

She said, "B****, that was giving Cinderella's step sisters in that glass shoe!"

Leni rolled her eyes and tried not to laugh at herself, "Whatever, y'all can keep those baby shoes. My birthday is rolling around the corner, and I expect some of the Arab money you got to come my way."

Gracie was still laughing, when suddenly the bedroom door swung up and her sleepy mom scowled with arms crossed. Becca, Leni and Gracie all stopped laughing. In her thick Nigerian accent, Gracie's mom asked "Do you know the hour it is? What's the noise about?!"

Becca and Leni smiled tight lipped. They had been friends with Gracie since elementary so Gracie's mom was also like their own mom. Gracie smiled at her mom, "Sorry mommy, we were just goofing off. We will be done here soon."

"You aren't small girls anymore, how can you be laughing like an animal at this time? Is that how you girls will behave in your husbands house? He will make you pack out!"

Leni smirked mischievously and then sat back against the bed frame, "I have a few tricks up my sleeve. Whenever I do get married, that man is going to be hooked." She looked at Gracie and winked.

"Ahh, is that so? You think marriage is only about the bedroom, abi? Bad girl." Gracie's mom lifted her hand and pretended she was going to hit Leni. There was now a smile on her face as well. Deep down, she loved Gracie's friends. Except for one of them.

"Sorry I'm late y'all!" A voice called from downstairs. "I'm coming up!"

Gracie's mom rolled her eyes and in a low voice said, "Don't say too much to that girl ooo, she doesn't need to know about your private affairs."

"Ah ah, mommy. Why do you dislike her so much?"

"I've already told you! She's not your friend." Gracie's mom looked to her side and Alexis was now approaching.

"Hey girl, how are you?"

"I'm not your girl, and go take off your shoes, I don't have a maid." Gracie's mom frowned and then turned to go back into her bedroom.

Alexis kicked off her Stiletto's and walked in the bedroom. She was a classic Southern beauty, and she made a killing with it. Alexis turned heads everywhere she went. "Sorry I'm late y'all. Doc held me up."

"You're still with that married man?" Becca asked.

"Uh, no. He's still with me." Alexis smirked while looking in the mirror at her reflection. "They're just checks, darling, sorry to their wives for marrying weak willed men."

"Here we go with this again." Leni grumbled, rolling her eyes.

The air of the room always felt different when Alexis was there. As kids, they all were carefree and goofy, but as time progressed, Alexis slightly drifted from the group due to the pretentious attitude she developed with time. 

Becca and Leni couldn't stand her, Gracie on the other hand, was deeply loyal to her friends and continued to hold on.

"So fill me in babe, tomorrow is the big day!" Alexis briefly looked away from the mirror and to Gracie who was almost done folding.

"Tomorrow is the big day, it's all so crazy to me." Gracie reached for her makeup bag. "He is sending his guys over tomorrow morning to get all the stuff."

"So, what is it like a trial marriage? They wanna' make sure sonnie boy's wife can cook and clean and ****?"

"Lex, come on now, don't be gross." Gracie pleaded. "Well, I guess that's kinda what I thought at first actually too. I thought it was going to be some weird housewife test, but they have multiple cooks and maids. It's just a standing family tradition."

"Just mom and dad?"

"No, he has a sister too actually, her name is Sarai. Then there's the oldest, Dabir. But Saheed said I probably won't see either around too much. I guess he works a lot and the sister is in med school. But Saheed thinks I'll probably have the hardest time impressing him out of everyone else."

"Have sex with his dad, then nothing the older brother says will even matter." Alexis shrugged, "That's at least what I would do."

Gracie looked at Alexis with an eyebrow raised, "Yeah, no. That's not happening. Not in a million years."

"Anyways." Becca side eyed Alexis, she was starting to get tired of Alexis being around the group. She wondered why Gracie continued bringing her around. She held one of Gracie's hands. "Babe, it's you. It's impossible not to love you, you'll do just fine this year. I already know by this time next year we are going to be dancing it up at your wedding. Don't stress."

Gracie squeezed Becca's hand and smiled warmly. Leni gave her a playful shove. "Yeah girl, don't even trip. If anyone deserves to marry into a great family, it's you. And if they do you wrong, may God handle them accordingly."

"Amen!" Becca yelled as Gracie pulled them into a hug and the three embraced on the ground. Alexis stood over them and smiled through tight lips.