The Holiday With The Bitsui
TW: Angst (whoosh)
Summary: Awan taking his girlfriend to the rez for the hoilday
AN:For right now considering this tiny look into the near future of the lovely characters from howdy neighbor. AND IF YA DRINK GO AHEAD AND FIX YA SOMETHING, IT'S FINNA GET MESSY... ALSO I LIKE THINK TO Y/N IS HAVING THE TIME OF HER LIFE WHILE THIS HAPPENING. GOOD LUCK?!?!
WC:5K
"Hurry up, I'm trying to get this over with as soon as possible!" Nina yelled through the ajar door as Awan gathered the items needed for his family's dinner this evening to celebrate the winter holiday. Loading up a big reusable bag of things his family would love, especially the kids.
Y/n sighed as she looked around her boxed-up apartment. The living room had a tint of gray, as the golden light from her kitchen tried to warm the space. She took one final glance at her once-loved apartment, then turned off every light and unplugged every appliance, including the small Christmas tree she and Awan bought during their first holiday season. Although the Navajo man did not celebrate Christmas, he made an exception for Miss L/n, wanting to make their time together memorable.
Yet this year, she was home alone after Thanksgiving, putting up the little Christmas tree by herself, while hearing the lovely couple across the hall sing along to James Brown's Christmas album as they put up their decorations. "Thank god, we're going home this year." Miss L/n commented to herself as she grabbed her red suitcase, full-body suede jacket, and silver key before exiting the door to meet her parents parked outside. Her eyes widened as they landed on Nina Hayes standing outside the space she shared with Awan.
"Hey, Y/n, right? I'm Nina, Awan's girlfriend. I feel like we never get to talk." She held out her hand and smiled.
'That's how I like it.' The woman thought to herself as she closed the brown door to her half-empty home before shaking the female FBI agent's hand, "Yup, I'm just a busy bee, never have time to talk."
"Same," Nina quickly expressed. The atmosphere was quiet as the chatter of young kids talking to their mother and father about the upcoming holidays filled the space, and Y/n tried to avoid eye contact with the woman she had once stood in for as Awan's lover. Nina cleared her throat and gave the woman a wobbly smile when their eyes managed to meet again. "I hope you have a good holiday, I know I won't, we're going to Awan's dad's, and I'm not looking forward to it." Nina scoffed as she placed a hand behind her neck, and she thought about the family her boyfriend belonged to."They're just so needy, especially that sister of his, Aponi, who always wants him to babysit." She sighed out, knowing how difficult Aponi's girls could be under their Uncle's care, "they don't understand Awan like I do. It's always so tiring because I have to say no all the time since he won't."
"Hmm, I get that, but maybe it won't be that bad this time! Plus, he missed his family, and they missed him a lot." The teacher tightly held her keys. " Probably just scared to rock the boat, y'know?"
"Oh, that's one-way to put it." Nina scoffed with flared nostrils, looking back into the doorway, wondering what was taking her lover so long. She faced her neighbor again, rolling her brown eyes after checking her wristwatch. "I hope we don't stay too long or bring back any kids because I have better things to do than babysitting." Nina smiled." Sorry, that's basically your job."
"No, I teach kids, Hon."The Mississippi woman firmly stated to her neighbor.
However, the Baltimore woman was too busy knocking on the door, trying to get her boyfriend's attention, to pick up his pace. "Yeah, but they really don't learn anything valuable until middle or high school. "Agent Hayes lightly laughed at the lady who was forming a slight frown. " At least in the public education system, thankfully, my mother is heavily educated and was able to teach me more than I could ever learn in school."
"Mh, "Y/n bit her lower lip and nodded her head along, "my folks are outside waiting for me." She kissed her teeth before formally telling Miss Hayes goodbye, "You have a good one, sugar!" Miss L/n tilted her head to the side before strolling off as Awan entered the hallway.
"Ready?" The brunette man asked as his current girlfriend watched their neighbor walk off with her red suitcase rolling behind.
"Yeah, you took long enough." Nina flirtatiously stated with a scrunched-up smile, before pulling the man down by the collar of his brown leather jacket, kissing him, and continuing. "Our neighbor seems to be a little sensitive about her career choice."
"What did you say?' Awan questioned. Popping his head up, searching for Miss L/n, hoping he could apologize for his girlfriend's comment with a bag full of comics on his shoulder.
"It was a light-hearted joke!" Nina rolled her eyes. "Can we just go already?"
"Fine." Awan expressed before walking down the hallway and leading the way to the wooden stairway
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As soon as the man walked into the wood-paneled living room. Greeting everyone. Earning small welcomes from the women of the family as they continue setting up the spread of Diné food. Loaves of bread fresh out of the stove, Navajo spinach, boiling stews on the eyes, and roasted sheep in the center of the light-wash table under a spotlight. Yet his grandmama made a snarky comment, 'Look who the cat dragged in,' about Awan's absence from the family's get-togethers, as he has started to come around a lot more frequently since his father and he made amends; however, since getting with Nina, he has been going to fewer family gatherings.The male relatives were sitting on the couch, waiting for the women and Ajei to allow them to eat. However, the three husbands' stomachs were growling as they stared down, their mouths watering, at their kids' full plates, who got to eat first.The scent of seasoned sheep caught Awan's attention as he licked his pumped lips. He stared at the delicious feast in progress.
"I missed you so much, Uncle Awanie."His youngest niece, Chenoa, smiled at her uncle before attaching herself to his left leg, since she was getting too big to climb, giving him her best puppy-dog eyes, her long braids with Rudy red ribbons scrubbing the hardwood floor. "Can we stay with you tonight? "she asked with her poked-out bottom lip and brown eyes darting at him. The noise of the television set playing the Peanuts Christmas special filled Awan’s ears as he stared down at his niece.
“Um," in a flash, a circle formed of nieces and nephews surrounding Awan as if they were a SWAT team. All while Nina faced him, arms crossed and a raised eyebrow, reminding him of the conference they had during the ride over to the rez, where the couple discussed the rules for tonight, one of which was that they would not babysit, no matter what.
“Please, we want to do a cousin sleepover at your place,” Cheyenne begged, with her hands balled up as she shook them back and forth, as the others nodded and begged along.
“Please!” The group of seven kids pleaded with their uncle, who was passing along a comic book to his father.
“Not tonight, I've got work tomorrow,” Awan said with a little frown before taking out a comic book. “Next time, promise.” The kids just rolled their eyes before taking the gray reusable bag of comic books.
"Seriously?” Awan’s sisters all stopped in their tracks after hearing their brother’s explanation for not wanting to watch the gang of little ones.
“What?” he looked at the three women, puzzled, as the kids migrated back to the tan rug. Yet Chenoa was still on Awan’s leg with small tears in her eyes.
"Work, that’s what you’re going with?" Aponi asked as she stepped out of the small dining area, "Look, if you want to treat your family like this, that's fine, but at least don't lie to the kids."
"Awan is allowed to do whatever he wants," Nina demands, trying to back up her man as she doesn't want him to give in to the challenging request of babysitting. As her boyfriend took off her beige trench coat, planning to put it in the dark guest room where his toddler nephew was peacefully sleeping.
"No, he's allowed to do whatever you want him to!" Aponi leaned against the door frame, her arms crossed, as the rest of the family sat down in the wooden chairs Ajei had made to match the new round table, big enough for the growing bunch.
"Hey, how about we do it here? “ Ajei offered, placing a hand on his short-tempered daughter’s shoulder as he looked at the grandkids. ”A little cousin sleepover sounds good, we can stay up all night and watch movies.” The older man added, kneeling to his young granddaughter, who was slowly detaching herself from her uncle’s left leg.
“No, thank you, análí hastiin (grandpa),“ Chenoa twisted her face before replying,”it's not the same.” She sounded off in a low voice, dragging her feet and her head hanging low, returning to her traditional food. The young mother was about to comment on her brother’s treatment of the kids when she noticed her baby frowning at her paper plate, as the newest family's border collie, Alfred, placed its head in the girl's lap. However, their father interrupted Aponi. “Let’s just eat and be grateful that we’re all here.” Ajei looked at Aponi with raised eyebrows before she took a breath.
“Fine!” Aponi swiftly turned and took her seat between her husband and uncle Chayton, as Awan and Nina sat next to Ajei at the opposite end of the table, covered with a traditional meal and earth-tone dishware. Across from them were two empty seats for Takoda and his date, whom he had been bragging about for a few weeks now. Awan's grandfather was sitting at the head of the table with his grandmama beside him.
The family began eating dinner. Aponi was in sight of the front door and saw her young cousin walking in, with another blonde figure behind him, holding hands. "Oh, you've got to be fucking kidding me!” she groaned out. The girls yelled at their mother for cussing as Huayna put down the squash needed for dinner. "Add it to my tab!"
“Your favorite's here!” Takoda shouted, his voice echoing through the home, prompting the gray and white dog to bark at him.
“Oh, Hi awanie and aponi, what are you two doing here?” Katherine, wearing a black catsuit and fur boots with stiletto heels, cheerfully waved at her half-siblings before questioning their presence at the home.
“It's our dad's house, and you are Takoda's date,” Aponi spoke, her head resting on her fist, before pouring a deep purple color liquor, her first glass of wolfberry wine.
“Yeah, how do you guys know my beautiful flower?” Takoda asked, pulling his date in by her hips, their lips being inches apart, and growled at the other.
"She's their half-sister, dumb ass." Huayna lightly slaps the back of her cousin's head, explaining before settling into her brown chair.
"Of course, he brought home a Bilagáana (Caucasian) girl,” the oldest Bitsui woman mimicked the same pose as Chenoa, who was practically burying herself in her plate. Crouched over her plate with a fork, she asked while shaking her head, "It had to be Helly's child?"
Meanwhile, Chayton was in the background, smiling, as he silently clapped for his son, genuinely proud that his son had brought home such a beautiful girl.
“That means we can still date, though,” Takoda questioned with a smile.
“No!” the family collectively agreed, shouting at the man, causing him to let go of the blonde.
"How did you let this happen?” Aponi turned to the opposite side of the table to question the tall FBI agent about the nonsense that was occurring today!
“I was busy, and he's too hard to keep up with- “ Awan explained, trying to justify his actions as his hands began to sweat, fearful of Aponi's next action. “What happened to your husband?” He asked Katherine, who was mindlessly eyeing her date while biting on bright red nails. Hoping they would get to go home together that night as originally planned. Yet, her daydreaming was interrupted by her name being called a few more times.
"Oh, Lavender-marriage!" Everyone looked confused before Awan and Aponi explained the term. “Which is amazing! Imagine being married to a man who constantly feels entitled to me and my body because of a piece of paper?” Katherine preached, prompting the oldest sister to tilt her head in agreement. Huayna's husband took notice, raising an eyebrow at the women's body language on the subject before covering his mouth and rubbing his chin.
“Still no to this. " Grandma Bitsui hopped up and walked toward Katherine." Come on, because I refuse to let us mix with Bilagáana (Caucasian) genes again.” The older woman grabbed the white girl by the wrist and marched her to her newest seat at the table, between her granddaughters. While Chayton, Aponi, and the Bitsui in-laws made space for Takoda, since he earned himself a seat next to his grandparents and father.
"Finally, someone I can talk to," Nina whined out, earning some dirty looks from Awan's sisters before rolling their eyes and sharply exhaling at the comment. "And I think a lavender marriage suits you well." Nina complimented the woman.
"Thank you. I told my parents that, and Mama flipped because she's afraid it'll get to the paper, but I told her we were being safe and had everything under control." Katherine told Nina as she grabbed her plate, beginning to fix her food. " Plus, we can always get a divorce if things go south, then she'll never have to worry about it again. "
"Say, is it true your mom only married your dad for the money?" Lakota questioned the blonde.
"Obviously," Katherine stated, "she only had me to ensure an inheritance from my grandfather's oil company, even though I'm not sure if I'm actually his."
"Oh,” the eldest sister added, choking back a giggle as she placed a spoonful of steamed corn on her plate, "so tell us how school is going, Awanie?" Huayna asked, noting that her brother had recently returned to school after the bureau offered him a position as head of technology and forensics, if he got a degree in one of the two fields, as the current head was planning to retire soon.
"Good a lot of work, but good," Awan explained, serving himself some Hopi piki bread as his father carefully dropped a piece of tender sheep meat, he had cooked on his wood-fired grill, onto the sand-color plate.
“It should be, considering how much it's costing us.” Nina groaned as she dunked a serving spoonful of yellow rice onto her plate, then passed it to Lakota.
“It's not that much." Awan turned to his date. " The bureau is paying a good bit of it, and I have a lot of scholarships helping as well."
"Yeah, but they're not covering everything!" the Baltimore woman complained out, “ books, rent, plus we're looking at houses, and the wedding." Everyone looked at Nina, dazed. Lakota and Huayna blankly stared as their husbands carried on fixing their plates. Aponi and their grandma's eyebrows knitted as they shared a glance of disbelief as the oldest man of the clan took a deep breath before grabbing his wife's hand. Awhile, Ajei was scratching his head as his brother, Chayton, mouthed the word 'wedding' to him before pursing his lips and raising a brow. "You don't understand how expensive things are getting for me."
"Of course I do, that's why I'm in school now, so I can make more money to take care of us and give you everything you want!" Awan said to Nina.
"I just don't know why you felt like going back to school right now was the best idea," she stated, "the job you had was good enough."
"Gosh, you're not even engaged yet, and already fighting like these two old heads over here." Aponi cheered for the new couple in a dry tone.
“Hey, your grandma and I didn't fight until your dad came along," the head of the table cheerfully claimed." I had a great time before him. "
"Thanks, Dad. Really appreciate it." Ajei said in a lower pitch, with grimacing face.
"Well, if I'm going to put any input into the conversation, you're moving too fast." Huayna tossed into the conversation, " You two haven't dated long, and already marriage is a priority. Frankly, moving in together so fast was…questionable!" the eldest sister explained, primarily to her brother, as she turned to the couple, while Nina moaned to the woman's comments."Sure, I did it at a very young age, but I was also pregnant and didn't have much of a choice." She bit her lips." Don't you want to enjoy dating for a little bit longer?" She questioned in a concerned tone, “You two should figure out everything before you get stuck-“ She was by a loud voice.
“What's that supposed to mean?” Huayna's husband asked, eyebrows raised, as he pushed his chair forward.
“That you shouldn't rush things,especially relationships, honey,” Huayna stated to the father of her three kids.
“You told me you were ready, and you wanted this.”
“I was eighteen years old, pregnant, and scared out of my mind to tell my father because if I didn't want to marry you, I didn't know where I would be." She carried on as her voice grew stronger with bass."And you made it very obvious at the time, if I didn’t, you were gonna marry my best friend instead."
“Damn!” Takoda interjected, earning a slap on the back of his noggin from his grandfather and father, plus a kick in the leg from his grandmother. "Ouch, stop hitting me like I’m Awan, because I hit my elders!" he yelled out to the three, but turned into a scared puppy as his grandparents and father turned and darted at him with an intense look on their faces.
"I'm sorry I made you feel that way, Rain. I should've never made you kids feel any way besides loved, and I failed at that, especially you, Huayna." Ajai explained to his four kids,
"It's okay, daddy." She coughed out, "Thank you, can we just eat?"
"No, Huayna, we're not pushing this off anymore!” "Do you even love me?" “Why don't you want another baby?"
"Hey, cool it. " All of Huayna's male relatives told her husband, as the woman was trembling at her partner's curious statements about the relationship, feeling her heart weighed down by her husband's glances.
"No, I'm fine- It's fine- we-" Huayna could feel tears filling her brown eyes. "Excuse me." Huayna jumped up from the table and went into the guest bathroom, where the small kids could hear the woman crying over the running spout.
Awan glared down at his dinner, recalling the phone calls with Huayna. The calls started as a simple conversation between the two after hearing that her brother had gotten into an intense relationship with his co-worker, whom he had treated like second best beforehand. Soon, it would turn to serious discussions about Huayna’s relationship with her spouse. Telling him how she is carrying so much pressure to be perfect for her husband while taking on so many responsibilities, and has grown resentful towards her lover. She would always tell Awan that he should be patient and thorough in every decision he makes during the relationship, or else he will end up regretting it, like she does. Telling him, 'I don't want this for you,' by the end, before hanging up the blue telephone.
"Well, we hear the concerns," Nina claimed, tightly smiling as she cleared her throat before taking a small bite of corn. "But we got this and will be moving along with our timeline, right, Awan?" He softly nodded as he could feel his relative's eyes burning a hole into his head.
"Did you not hear anything my sister just said about not rushing a relationship?" Aponi snarkily asked the almond-brown woman, watching Nina eat the yellow, black, and red corn. "Or were you too busy not caring about the emotional woman who just left crying?"
"Aponi!" Awan screamed at his sister.
"I'm cool and calm," the youngest Bitsui sister raises her hands as if she were under arrest. "I will not do anything awanie because I love you and all of the people who made this lovely feast. I refused to ruin this wonderful day," Aponi calmly declared before consuming her wine and refilling her transparent glass. "Pass the bread," she communicated to her lover, her right eye twitching. "But Nina, it's very ironic how you're putting a price tag on my little brother's career when he's the one who saved your life, risked his job countless times to help you- ." Aponi said with bass in her voice as she grabbed two pieces of Hopi piki bread from the small woven basket, before passing it to Chayton, "truthfully, Awan's was the real reason why you were able to solve that case, and why you still have a job." she declared facing Awan's ideal girl again, her brown eyes narrowed in on the the Baltimore woman's behavior. Noticing Agent Hayes' mouth partly open, "If I were you, I'd be asking what else I can do to pay my brother back for all he did for you." She stated with a lower tone, her arms crossing as her deep brown eyes narrowed on Miss Hayes.
"You told her? "Nina asked her speechless boyfriend.
"Of course, he did. I mean, I am Awan's sister and best friend." Aponi smirked, jumping out of her chair. "You're just the sketchy girlfriend, who's on very thin ice." She pointed to the woman, emphasizing the 'very' and "thin'. Aponi's husband tried to grab her forearm and drag her back into her chair. Yet the fristy Bitsui woman snatched her arm away. "No, Awan needs to hear this," Aponi shouted at her husband before he placed his folded hands in his lap, his wild wife sounding off at her brother. "Just because you got the chick you wanted on your arm, doesn't mean you can treat us like trash now." Her clenched jaw let it rip, letting Awan know how she felt. "Don't forget about who was there for you when she dropped you like a bad habit when that Jim guy was around." Aponi lets out a final sigh, settles back into her chair, then takes a bite of Hopi piki bread. "Say, Nina, what really happened between you and Jim to make you go back to Awan besides the case, anyway?" she asked, taking a sip from her wineglass.
Nina was speechless as her boyfriend looked at his sister, the chair creaking due to the movement.
"Hey," Takoda said to Aponi. "That best-friend part is debatable."
"Shut up, Takoda," Aponi screamed to her cousin.
"What? I'm just saying-" their grandmama kicks Takoda in the leg once again." ouch, Grandma, I am Awan's best friend." Takoda cooed out.
"Boy, the only person you're best friends with is the man who created the condom, just like your daddy," she informed him, with a crooked face." Now stop lying and eat!" His grandmother ordered, Takoda whispering 'yes, ma'am' as he quietly ate his food with his head down.
"Can we just eat in peace?"Awan and his father asked the room. Aponi tossed her hair back behind her shoulder before consuming her food again.
The room went quiet as the family began to eat, and Huayna rejoined. The older woman sighed before adding to the conversation." I will say, I agree with Aponi."
"Because she's your favorite!" the two older bitsui sister quickly added as they rolled their eyes,
"If you had brought Y/n home, Awan, we wouldn't be having these arguments. She was very supportive, no matter what, unlike somebody who's here with us, reminding me of that witch you call a mother."
The room froze.
Crash.
The sound of everyone's silverware hitting their plates was the only thing audible. The kids even muted the television to make sure they heard their great-grandma correctly before blinking at one another as the sleepy toddler woke up and walked into the living room, rubbing sleep out of his small eyes.
Nina's dark brown eyes grew twice their size as she glanced at her soon-to-be fiancé, whose jaw was on the laminate floor. The Bitsui man groaned. Lakota is shaking her head like her father.
"Grandmama, really?" Lakota puffed out while rolling her eyes. "We just got them to settle down!"
"What, I thought she knew about him and the neighbor, awanie, you didn't tell her?"
"Now you know damn well she didn't know about Y/n, mama." Chayton expressed, holding back a small giggle, "Hell, Takoda doesn't even know who his mom is!"
"Do you?" The third generation of the Bitsui family asked the man, hinting that no one had ever met or seen Takoda's mother since she left the baby and a note at Chayton's doorstep, briefing the man on his son and how she didn't want to take care of him.
"Nope, but he's mine- "Chayton proudly sounded off before explaining his reason to his family as the newest couple discussed Awan's dating history, "I got a rough idea of who it is, don't worry!" Chayton carried on, placing a hand on his son's shoulder. "When's your birthday again?"
"Y/n, as in our neighbor Y/N? "Nina questioned with a concerned look on her face as the family members continued to discuss nonsense, "and Why haven't you mentioned this before? "Nina asked Awan, who was eyeing his grandmother with daggers in his light brown eyes. "Is that why she was avoiding me so much?"
"And I thought I was her worst grandchild," Takoda asked in a dry tone as he cut his sheep meat.
"You are!" Huayna, Lakota, and their Grandmother voiced in unison as their grandfather left the table. All while Ajai poured another round of his famous homemade wine to the very top of the glass.
"Were you ever going to tell me about this?" Nina asked her lover, her eyes squinted at Awan as he loosened the collar of his white shirt.
"You just had to bring her up, didn't you, Mama?" Ajai rubbed his forehead."And I thought I was the only bad parent here." He asked himself before gulping the dark purple booze.
"I like who I like, and I ain't going to sugarcoat shit to keep someone around. " Grandmama Bitsui let out to her son.
"Hold up, how is Awan'd still better a grandson than me?" Takoda's eyebrows lowered as he pointed his thumb at Ajai's youngest, as Nina held an intense stare at Awan. "He's lying to his current girlfriend about the ex he's still living across the hall from, yet he's still better than me." "At least I kept some distance between my ladies!"
"How long were you dating before us? Nina continues her investigation into her partner's dating history. Awan stays quiet as the argument at the end of the table continues. "Did it get serious like us?"
"He's still better than you because he didn't bring a white girl home. After their mother, I do not want to see another colonizer for the rest of my life." Grandmama Bitsui calmly told her grandson before taking a bite of yellow rice.
"That's fair. I would hate white people, too, if the first one I ever met were my mother." Katherine started, "Luckily, I met my father first. Then his wallet," She buried her red-stained lips in. "Actually, now that I think about it, my grandmother said that I didn't meet my mother until hours later, after she gave birth, when the nurse told her how pretty I was." Her black eyebrows squiggled together before she grabbed her wineglass, holding a deep red drink. "Huh, I guess the signs were always there!" Katherine confessed while holding the homemade wine. Shugging her shoulders and rolling crystal blue eyes before consuming the homemade Wolfberry wine
"See, this is why I wanted to go to your mother's instead, but no, we had to visit your dad. Ignoring the fact that this side of your family hates me, but no, you don't want to listen to me because you think I jump the gun on everything." Nina demanded, shoving her index finger into Awan's face.
"No, I didn't want to spend time with my stuck-up mother, who only wants me there for appearances. I can't understand why you cannot fathom that after I explained it to you countless times." Awan explained, signing curled lips though as he examined his girlfriend."Yes, I know about the issues my family has, but I thought you could be the bigger person for one night. But that was too much to ask from you, Nina, "Awan raised his voice. "Instead, you're blowing everything out of proportion because of my history." Nina dropped her head, yet Awan continued to speak and stare. "Would you have been happy if I told you about my ex?" He asked, causing the formerly loud dining room to fall quite as the sound of the kids' laughter echoed through.
In the warm living room, the oldest bitsui man decided to slip away from the chaos and tell the stories passed down from generation to generation to his great-grandchildren as they gathered around his lightwash rocking chair. Wanting this to be a distraction from the fighting at the table with the youngest great-grandson, Honon (bear), on his great-grandfather's lap, who was trying to close the older man's mouth by standing up to squeeze his lips together.
"No! It's safe to say you would've made it into something entirely different from what it needs to be. "I'm trying so hard to keep the peace and try to get the people I love the most in a room together and be happy for a few fucking hours." Awan yelld. "But no, I can't have that. I've done everything possible, but it's never enough for any of you. I'm trying to make peace with the situation that will never change, you!" The tall man shouted, tears welling in his eyes, shaking his head. "You guys are so fucked up for bringing up my ex in front of her. I know Nina is not for everyone, but I love her and will not let you disrespect my girlfriend like that anymore." he walked to the exit of the well-lit dining room as he demanded to Nina, "Let's go."
Awan and Nina stormed out of the house, passing by the kids without saying goodbye, as the couple let in the cool breeze. Nina was giving the man an earful as they walked to the midnight color car.
"See, I told you they wouldn't stay long," Cheyenne whispers to her little sister, who was petting Alfred, the sleepy dog, on the head as they half-listened to their great-grandfather's tales of the ancestors.
Aponi bit her lip as her husband laid a kiss on her cheek while a frown settled into her face. Finally, she jumped out of her wooden seat, scrubbing the floor as she did so." I'm going for a walk." She quietly stated to her loved ones that after opening the creaky front door, she exited the family home
The rest of the bits of a clan set in silence as they finish their lukewarm dinner. The husbands, afraid to speak as they watch their wives holding back salty tears. The oldest woman of the home placed her head onto her fist while eating, as her sons kept giving her the side eye, causing her to finish up dinner early with a half-eaten plate. However, Lakota and her husband shared small smiles throughout the silent dinner, as they heard their kids pick on their great-grandfather, earning some laughs from their cousins.
Another hour and a half of watching the hot pink and burnt orange sunset as she smoked her favorite 'plant'; Aponi was in front of her three sisters, who were mindlessly sitting in silence, trying to recall what had gone wrong during the family event. "He didn't come back?" she choked out to her sisters, taking the clay-colored mug. "Call?"
Huayna gave her the mug before patting the free spot on the light brown stoop next to her."Nope!" The oldest sister says to the youngest, as she sat on the porch steps, wrapped in a newly made blanket that their grandmother had made. "The kids fell asleep, though, so Daddy'll watch them!" Aponi sniffed her nose as tears cooled down the scalding drink.
"Are we bad sisters to Awanie?" Aponi questioned, biting her lip.
"Eh, not bad as grandmama is to him!" Huayna carelessly joked in a soft voice as she opened the cloak for her baby sister to cuddle. Aponi sat down and leaned into her sister, who held her mug of searing Telesperma tea tightly, as Lakota joined in.
"I give it five months." The three bitsui women turned to a blonde woman who was putting a cigarette between her red lips. "What, I've seen relationships like this all the time; they never last," Katherine added while lighting the cigarette.
"I knew we were sisters somehow, three years max," Aponi added with a smirk.
"Guys, we shouldn't hope Awan's relationship fails because he seems really happy; we should be happy for him." Lakota expressed, trying to be the voice of reason.
Huayna and Aponi glance at one another before breaking the news to their sister, "She took down all of your artworks in Awan's place after moving in," they said in unison.
Lakota's face fell flat with a frown. "One year, and I bet he'll catch her cheating with that Jim fellow." The three women laughed at Lakota
Listening to the Winter Breeze, the ladies could hear the men's voices in the dry backyard talking about the recent events of tonight's dinner.
Aponi finally dared to break the silence by stating her final piece: "I miss my baby brother!"
"We do too." The two agreed. The three sisters watched the deep blue night sky shine, wrapped in the handwoven blanket, sitting on the porch steps, reminding them of their childhood, waiting up for Awan to return as he was fox hunting late in the evening with his friends around the reservation. As Katherine finished her cigarette, her date asked her if they were ready to go before waving a quiet goodbye. She noticed her sister's tears running down her cheeks, and Aponi stared up at the stars twinkling in her eyes.
"He'll come back, he's like a house cat, they never stay gone too long," the blonde woman said casually in a low voice as she wiped away Aponi's tears.
Aponi glanced up at the blonde girl with a quivering bottom lip. "What if he doesn't? "She asked as she hugged her knees while her left foot rapidly tapped on the wooden porch. Katherine tried to reassure her sister that everything would be all right between her and Awan, as she could guarantee that things would pass. Hearing the Roar of Takoda's car as the bright lights shone on her. She squeezed her sister, then walked off and got into her date's automobile.
