"Priorities are the lines we
draw to keep chaos at bay"
May
I wipe the counter for a third time, even though it was already spotless. Faith has already seen the house, but my nerves are doing their usual dance. First impressions mattered, even if this wasn't technically the first.
I just want us to hit it off naturally, without the whole 'she's dating my fiancé's best friend' thing hanging over us. Of course, I'd love to have friends outside of Chris's circle, but realistically, JB's girlfriend and I are bound to be close.
Meanwhile, Chris and Jabari, of course, were camped out in the living room like they had all the time in the world.
"I think I've vacuumed so much I've worn a path into the carpet," I mutter, glaring at the appliance like it was the problem and not me.
Chris just smirks, his feet propped up on the coffee table, totally unbothered.
"Morgan, will you stop, Faith already likes you?" Jabari laughs at me for my constant cleaning.
"I just don't want her to walk into a dirty house." I fret, fluffing the pillows.
Jabari scoffs. "You don't gotta worry about that, Faith's from the hood."
I shake my head at him. "You think you're from the hood and you grew up in Penshaw."
He's quick to correct me. "I'm from DC, I just went to school in 'Shaw."
"Yeah, yeah." I roll my eyes, waving him off.
"Didn't you say you're from New York?" Chris teases his brother.
Jabari smacks his thick lips. "I'm from wherever I feel like being from at that moment."
Really, JB is from Washington DC. He moved to Colorado with his father and left for college then returned. Now he can rep Tennessee, too.
"You don't look too worried," Chris says to Jabari, slapping his feet off of the China table.
Jabari shrugs. "Nothing to worry about. Faith is cool, I like her."
I get excited and jump over the couch so he can tell me all about his crush.
After Jasmine, I didn't think Jabari would find someone so quickly. Don't get me wrong, he was already sleeping with women, but I didn't think he'd actually find a connection.
"Spill!" I shriek, tickling Jabari's ribs.
He laughs, squirming away. "Chill. Faith is good people. She's pretty, we click. We're vibing."
"Aw, you're smiling!" I point out excitedly.
"I'm always smiling." He plays coy.
"No, that's a real smile, ear to ear. You like-like her!"
KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK.
"Oh my gosh, it's her." I whisper, rolling off of the couch.
I crawl around the living room, avoiding Chris and Jabari's whispering asking what the hell I'm doing, and then run to the front door.
Before letting her in, I peek through the window.
Seeing her bright bold-lipped smile, I waste no more time getting acquainted.
"Hi!" I say at the same time she says "Hey!"
We embrace warmly, and she sways us side to side as if it had been ages since we'd last seen each other—like this hug was exactly what we both needed.
"You always smell good." She tells me with a faux-envious look after I pull away.
I flick my wrist, rushing her from the door so I can shut it behind her. "So do you. Come in."
"The guys are about to leave so it'll just be me and you if that's okay?" I mention.
I pause for a beat to watch Faith remove her loafers and kick them neatly against the wall.
"Faith, you don't have to take your shoes off in here." I laugh at her polite gesture.
"It's such a nice house, I just assumed." She catches herself and laughs.
I shake my head. "Did they give you any trouble at the gate? Tandy has this thing about letting 'outsiders' in. Ugh."
"Oh, yeah, I heard about Tandy. Quite the character."
I put my hand on Faith's to emphasize my sincerity when I whisper, "You have no idea."
We walk through the kitchen so I can get Faith a drink or snack if she wants.
"Water? Tea? Lemonade?" I offer, digging through the fridge.
I see she shakes her head no, busy looking at my scrapbook that was lying on the kitchen island.
"You do have dogs. Where are they?" She asks softly.
"Oh, yeah, you met them at the party. Well, I put them up because I didn't know if you were okay with them running around. We let them roam freely, sit on the furniture." I brace myself for her to call us dirty or at least make a face.
I'm not assuming anything, I just know not everyone is okay with sitting on couches where pets lie.
"I expected nothing less." She beams. "I love dogs."
"I like you." I giggle, pushing the stainless steel refrigerator doors shut.
"CHRIS, CAN YOU GET THE DOGS?" I shout, my voice bouncing off the walls. Then, with a laugh, I add, "Sorry for yelling," popping my shoulders like it helps ease the tension.
Within minutes, Chris and Jabari stroll into the kitchen, trailing Duke and Stevie.
"Hey, Faith," Chris says, giving her a casual side hug.
Her smile lights up, warm and a little surprised, like she didn't expect that kind of kindness.
"Chris, I was just about to tell your fiancé how much I love your house. It's so nice and warm." She compliments the architect.
Chris pops a green grape into his mouth and displays a smirk. "Thanks, Faith. I like your braids."
"I was just about to say that. I know they took forever, where'd you get them done?" I ask in awe.
Faith blushes, smiling ear to ear. "Thank you! My sister did them actually."
"Aww. Younger or older?" I ask.
Jabari just smiles fondly— and has nothing to say for once— as he takes a seat beside Faith on one of the barstools.
"Younger, she's nineteen." Faith tells me.
"Well, she did — is that, French curl?" I'm sure I'm right but ask anyway for the sake of the conversation.
Faith looks impressed with my knowledge and it makes me laugh immediately, but Jasmine taught me a lot. I was already deep into black TikTok.
Wrapping up that conversation, the boys announce they're ready to go.
"You sure you'll be okay without me?" Jabari asks Faith for the third time, hugging her from behind.
She smacks her lips flirtatiously. "Boy, bye. I'll be fine, I'm with Morgan."
"Yeah, she'll be fine, she's with me." I laugh, whipping my neck at Jabari.
Chris gives me a hug and says, "I love you." His eyes never leaving my lips.
"So much." I add the next line, pecking his lips twice slowly.
"I love you more than that." He tells me.
"Not possible." I smile, creating space between our bodies so that he can go. Jabari's impatiently mocking us behind Chris's back, amusing Faith.
Once the door shuts, I lock it and lead Faith to the family room where we can sit and drink wine while we brainstorm ideas for this year's wellness day event here in Easton Hills.
Minutes after aimless brainstorming, I cue Alexa to play my music.
"I don't care about what you seen in me/You were not who you pretend to be/I will regret giving my last, man." I sing along to the lyrics of the song 'My Turn.'
Faith's staring makes me stop singing and ask what's wrong.
"What do you know about this song?" She tests me.
I tilt my head at her. "I love SZA. I don't play about her or Mariah The Scientist."
Bonding over a common interest, Faith high-fives me and we laugh like girls, not in a hurry to let go of each other's hands.
➤
A few hours (and a couple glasses of wine) later, Faith and I had not only curated a list of potential venues but also mapped out the event space and officially dubbed it the 'Family First Festival.'
We're both doubled over, clutching our sides as laughter spills out, the kind that leaves your cheeks aching and tears threatening to fall. I had just finished telling Faith one of my most mortifying stories from my days as a waitress.
Wiping my eyes, I lean back in my chair with a sigh. "Okay, if we're going to keep this party going, we're going to need food."
"Pizza?" I ask, testing the waters.
Faith shrugs, a hint of hesitation in her smile. "Sure. Cheese, please. I'll cover it—I got cash."
I wave her off with a flick of my wrist, dismissing the offer. But Faith, ever persistent, drops a twenty on the coffee table before returning to her notepad, her pen already flying with ideas.
After placing the order and checking on Duke and Stevie in the other room, I settle back onto the area rug beside her, sitting criss-cross like a kid at school.
As Faith draws a neat grid on the notepad, her pen gliding effortlessly, I can't help but admire her focus. "You're really good at this," I say, leaning over to get a closer look. "Like, professional-level good. Is this what you do for work?"
Faith laughs softly, shaking her head. "Not exactly. I've just done a lot of this over the years—organizing events, fundraising, that kind of thing. My mom says it's my calling."
I tilt my head, curious. "What got you into it?"
She hesitates, her pen pausing mid-scribble. Then, with a small sigh, she says, "Honestly? It started because I wished my neighborhood had stuff like this. Something safe. Something that brought people together."
Her words hang in the air, and I sit back, letting her take her time.
"My twin brother, Devon, and I...we grew up in a rough area. My mom worked hard, but it was tough to keep us out of trouble. After Devon... passed, I felt like I had to do something. I couldn't save him, but maybe I could help someone else." Her voice softens, and I see a flicker of pain before she pulls herself together.
I put my hand on Faith's seeing she's having a hard time speaking on this memory, and nod my head with teary eyes. "Thanks for sharing with me. Here, give me a hug."
As badly as I wanted to tell her that I related because I lost Quinn and Callie, I didn't want to make this moment about me.
I rub her back gently in our embrace and don't move until she does.
"My makeup." Faith laughs at herself, using her knuckles to wipe the tears from the corners of her upturned eyes.
"Oh, here." I offer a box of tissues and she takes them.
I smile at Faith, noting how beautiful she still looks, even with the faint streaks of tears smudging her foundation—a detail she'd probably hate if I pointed it out.
Switching gears, I ask, "So, where do you live now? Close to Easton Hills?"
She lets out a laugh, like my question is completely absurd. "Downtown— I have an apartment above Trader Joe's. "
"Oh, those are so nice!" I say, genuinely impressed.
"Not like this," she murmurs, wide-eyed as she takes in my home with a kind of quiet awe.
"You want a tour?" I offer, figuring it's the least I can do since she seems to like the house so much but I'd hate to come off bragging.
6PM
"—This is Duke and Stevie's room, and this area will be for the kids - like a playroom." I say, showing the upstairs loft area and connected bedroom to Faith.
She peeks her head in Duke and Stevie's room, catching them eating their dinner from their respective bowls.
"I love how there's place for everything here." She comments.
I nod my head with pride. "Oh, yeah, I have it all figured out."
Faith looms over the railing and looks down into the foyer where we see Chris and Jabari enter.
Faith steps back into the room, her eyes scanning the space I'd spent so much time perfecting. It feels warm and inviting even though I don't have kids yet. She walks over to the small rocking chair in the corner, running her hand along the armrest with a smile.
"Your kids are going to be so lucky, growing up here. I want that for my kids too...someday." she says softly, turning to me.
I smile, leaning against the wall. "You're gonna be an amazing mom."
"Thanks," she says, her voice quiet. "But it's not just about me, you know? It's about making sure they have a safe place to grow up. Somewhere they can play outside without looking over their shoulder. Somewhere they feel like they belong."
She glances around the room, her smile growing wistful. "My sisters and I used to drive around neighborhoods like this when we were younger. Big, beautiful houses. Quiet streets. We'd sit in the car and talk about how one day we'd live somewhere like this. Somewhere safe." She pauses, her fingers brushing the edge of the rocking chair. "I guess I'm still chasing that dream. Not just for me, but for my future kids. They deserve that kind of life."
"They do, and so do you. I have no doubts you'll end up in your dream house." I beam. "Especially if you stay with Jabari, he wants lots of kids and his house is bigger than ours!"
Faith and I laugh together, tucked into the corner of the room, our shared amusement pulling us closer.
Chris suddenly appears at the top of the stairs, his presence commanding enough to break through our bubble.
"Speaking of Jabari," he says, nodding toward Faith, "he's looking for you."
Faith's smile falters as she glances at the time. "Oh no. Is it that late already? Is he ready to go?" she asks, a touch of worry creeping into her voice.
I panic, not ready for Faith to leave. "Can't he wait? We still have so much to do for the festival."
Chris raises an eyebrow, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Doesn't look like you're planning anything right now," he teases, gesturing at us before heading down the stairs.
"We need to finish a few things, maybe make some calls," I insist, trailing behind him.
Halfway down, he turns, his expression equal parts playful and pointed. "If this festival gets more attention than our wedding planning, I'm showing up in jeans."
I freeze on the last step, gulping as his words hit me square in the chest. Reality is setting in fast.
I completely spaced on wedding planning today, and now it's almost seven o'clock. Tonight's going to be another late one—editing the vlog, responding to emails, and now juggling this festival on top of it all.
"Don't worry, Morgan's Superwoman. She'll handle the wedding and this festival," Faith teases, her tone light and encouraging.
"Oh, I'm not worried," Chris says, but the sharp look he gives me tells me he's only half-joking.
The weight of his words hits me instantly, and a sense of urgency settles in my chest.
Maybe I've bitten off more than I can chew—but it's fine, I tell myself. That's why Faith is here to help with the festival, and Marie is handling the wedding planning. I've got it all under control... probably.
➤