“You can just set them anywhere,” she said, without looking at him.

“I’ve got to go. I’ve got to be back in Flint by this evening. I just wanted to come down, look around, make sure you’re comfortable. If you need anything, Morgan, you call me. You understand? We’re family.” Ethic asked.

He was always so cautious. So serious. He worried about the well-being of everyone else constantly, but neglected himself.

“I’ll be okay,” she said.

He stood in front of her and looked off into the distance, as emotion caused his eyes to water. He squeezed the bridge of his nose and pulled her in to kiss the top of her head. “A’ight, Mo. Messiah and his mans will get your boxes in and get you settled. I’m going to head back.”

She didn’t realize how fatherly he was until he was walking out. Ethic was the man that would walk her down the aisle, who her future children would call Grandpa, and who she could always run to with her problems. He was the man she would measure every man against; and as she looked out her window, she teared up watching him and the kids walk to the car. She stepped out onto her balcony. “Ethic!” she yelled.

He looked up at her.

“I love you!”

“I love you too, baby girl!” he said, as he shot his hands up in salute.

Morgan barricaded herself in her room, while Messiah and Isa unloaded her boxes from the truck. She didn’t even say thank you when they were done. She simply told Messiah to let himself out, without even looking his way.

Messiah made it all the way back to Flint, before he decided to turn around. He dropped his man off and then jumped right back on the highway headed back to Morgan. She had ignored him all day, and although he understood her attitude was created by him, it still affected him. He had pushed her away, and now that she was gone, he felt the impact from her resentment. She didn’t bang with him at all. Whatever affection she had for him had turned to hate. He could see it. He could feel it when in her presence. He cut the hour drive in half, as he sped down the expressway. When he arrived, he didn’t bother to call. He stormed straight to her door and gripped the side of the frame as he knocked hard.

She snatched it open, face bent like she was ready to cuss somebody out for the interruption, but when she saw him, she rolled her eyes as she crossed her arms across her chest.

“What you doing here? I thought you were the pizza guy,” she snapped, with an attitude, as she shifted her weight on her back foot, causing her voluptuous behind to stick out of the bottom of her tiny boy shorts as her back curved in an arch.