“It’s not.”
“It is, Faith.”
“Fine. They are the earrings. However, my New Year’s resolution is to be less petty each day.”
“Okay, Faith. Then, I will try to stop doing the things that push you to pettiness.”
I widened my eyes, not expecting that response at all.
Brett whistled. “That snowman is worth a lot.”
I nodded. “Rose did say he was lucky.”
“He is.” Brett turned back to me. “He gets to spend the evening with you.”
“Go away.”
A wind rushed past us and whipped the hat off Remy. The fedora slammed into Brett’s face.
Someone said something! I would ask Brett, but I can’t have him thinking I’m crazy. He could take the girls away.
“Shit!” Brett rubbed his jaw. “That hurt like a motherfucker.”
“It couldn’t have been that bad. It’s just a hat.”
He grabbed the hat off the ground and kept it. “No, I could’ve sworn someone punched me.”
“What?”
“Someone punched me.” Brett looked around like a mad man. “It was your mother and her voodoo.”
“It’s hoodoo.”
“That dark stuff.”
“It’s not dark. And my mother can do many things, but she can’t punch you in the face from her house miles away nor can she materialize here and become invisible. Trust me. You would be dead by now if she could.”
“I’m not saying that. I’m saying your mother cursed me.”
“Not this again.” I rolled my eyes.
“Every time I come here, something fucked up happens. My tires go flat. I’m always getting sharp pains in my ass like someone is kicking me.” Brett looked over his shoulder and then on both sides of him. “And yes, every now and then, I get this phantom punch.”
“A phantom punch?”
The girls rushed out before Brett could throw out anymore accusations.
“Oh, just forget about it.” He helped the girls in the car, threw the MJ hat inside, shut the door, turned around, and stared at me. “You look beautiful by the way.”
Before I could say something, ice fell from a branch and landed on Brett’s head.
“Fuck!” He jumped up and down, frantically brushing the snow out of his hair. “You see what I mean? Come on. You had to have seen that?”
“Snow always falls from these trees. I get it dumped on me all the time.”
He wiped away more snow. “I’m not insane. Tell your mother to stop this.”
“You’re being crazy. She didn’t curse you. Just focus on keeping my babies safe.” My voice cracked a little.