A Sister's Power. Cydney Rax

gladly take the kids.” Coco removed her hand from Natalia and smiled at her.

      “Don’t be mad, niece. It was just a little game I wanted to play.”

      “I don’t like those kinds of games,” Natalia said.

      “I don’t either,” Burgundy replied.

      “No problem. I won’t do it again. Game over,” Coco promised.

      After Burgundy was assured that the children would be safe, Coco waved goodbye and let Natalia and Sidnee inside of her house.

      “I don’t mind y’all being over here but you’re going to have to mind me. If you push me over the edge, I will have to make you behave just like I do with my own kids when they act up. You got that?”

      Natalia nodded then ran off.

      Coco headed to the kitchen to get started on her Sunday dinner. As soon as she placed a pot of chicken in the oven, she went to search for Natalia.

      She found the girls in the backyard. Natalia and Sid were seated on a metal swing set that Calhoun had purchased and assembled several years ago.

      “Oh, this is where I find you girls. Why am I not surprised?” Three seats made up the swing set; plus there was a sliding board along with a hanging trapeze. Coco decided to sit on the other empty chair.

      “It’s been a while since I’ve done this type of thing. It’s kind of fun,” she said, as she gripped the grass with the tip of toes. She stepped backward as far as she could go, then allowed her feet to let go of the ground. Coco felt the chair move forward and she got lifted up in the air, clumsily at first due to her weight.

      “You’re too big for that swing, get off,” Natalia told her.

      “And you’re too young to be in grown folks’ business. Stay out,” Coco retorted. She was self-conscious about her size and felt insulted. “Don’t think I won’t spank you for being bad.”

      “I never get spanked. I’m too old for that. Plus, I don’t do anything wrong.”

      “Oh really? You mean to tell me that your daddy never took a belt to your behind? Because as quiet as it’s kept, we know you like to act like you all perfect and goodie-goodie, but Natalia, nobody is that good. Not you. Not me, and not your creepy daddy. Get what I’m saying?”

      Sidnee gasped then suddenly took off running.

      “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Natalia finally answered. She kept swinging higher and higher as if she did not have a care in the world. The birds were singing and fluttering nearby, but a group of dark clouds started to loom above them and caused the large backyard to look gray and lifeless.

      “Let me tell you what I’m talking about. You’re my niece and I love you. But there’s something going on. It has to do with your daddy and the night that he died. And see, it’s like this. The police might want me to answer a lot of questions about what happened to your daddy. And I’m supposed to tell them everything I know—”

      “I don’t want to hear you talk. I just want to swing. Will you go and finish cooking my food so I may play by myself?”

      Coco knew she was pressuring her niece, but she didn’t know what Natalia knew about her father’s death and the way he died.

      “Wow, I can’t believe you. That smart little mouth of yours is gonna get you in trouble one day.”

      “I’m not getting smart. I don’t want to play with you right now.”

      “First of all, if you’d stop being so rude and obnoxious.”

      “Spell obnoxious.”

      Coco hopped off of her swing and sharply grabbed Natalia by the arm. She twisted it hard enough for Natalia to yelp. “Stop it. You’re hurting me.”

      Coco covered the girl’s mouth until she quieted down. Then she let go.

      “You promised my mommy that you wouldn’t put your hands on my mouth. But you just did. And it hurt. And I’m going to tell her.”

      “The only reason I did that is because of your sassy attitude. Who do you think you are asking me to spell a word? Why don’t you spell obnoxious?”

      “O-B-N—”

      “Hush up, Natalia.”

      Natalia burst into tears and nursed her arm.

      “Look, don’t cry, please. I didn’t mean it.” Coco hated to see the girl cry. And she realized that the stress of the entire ordeal was causing her to act out of character.

      “I’m sorry for twisting your arm and for putting my hand over your mouth. I could have handled that better because I am the grownup. You may not believe this, but I got smacked quite a few times when I was young. I would imitate Alita. She was always mouthing off. And I wanted to be like her so bad.”

      A nervous smile formed on Natalia’s face.

      “Long story short, trying to be like someone else who is doing wrong will get us in trouble. It would be a tragic situation. For both you and me.”

      “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Auntie Coco.”

      Coco stared at the girl. “I know you don’t. And I apologize for even expecting you to understand. You’re a kid. And I need to remember that. I’ll try to do better. That sound alright?”

      Natalia nodded.

      “Do you still want to swing by yourself?”

      She nodded again.

      “Oh well. I guess I deserve that,” Coco said. “And I will leave you alone, but first I want a hug.”

      Coco got off the swing and held out her arms.

      “Can I get some love?”

      Natalia stared at the sky. She gazed at it so long that both of them ended up laughing.

      And this time when Coco spread out her arms, Natalia bounced off the swing and flew into her aunt’s bosom.

      “Love you, niece.”

      “Love you back, Auntie. But you better not put your hands on me again. They taste like chicken.”

      The two burst into soft giggles, and Coco promised to keep her adult hands to her adult self.

      Chapter 2

      Racing Toward Freedom

      Burgundy picked up her daughters from Coco’s, then decided to make a stop at Super Target. Her destination was the lingerie section.

      When they reached the aisle where the intimate apparel was located, Natalia loudly asked, “What size bra are you looking for?”

      “Um, what?” Burgundy said.

      “I heard you talking to Dru on the phone yesterday. And you said you needed some new bras. I want to help you find some. What size?”

      “Um, I wear a thirty-six, B cup.”

      “Ok, you want black or white? Or you like pink or blue?”

      “Uh, um. Black will do. Other colors are fine too. T-thanks, Nat.”

      Natalia spun around to begin her search. She gazed at each rack that was low enough for her to view. She groped through a wide selection: pushup bras, sports, bustiers, and more. She mostly play-guessed at which ones to pick. And she instantly rejected those she thought her mother wouldn’t like.

      Burgundy stood frozen in the aisle, startled with disbelief. In that moment, she felt like the kid and Natalia was the mother. “This is unreal,” she said out loud. “Things shouldn’t be this way. How’d they get this way?”

      Natalia had always been the type of child who seemed wise beyond