"How many Ahmeds do you think are in New Orleans?" Katrina inquired, placing a trio of packing slips on the counter.

Imani's eyes lifted from the containers of Ghanaian food she'd been craving since her longtime boyfriend took her to Accra to meet his parents and extended family.

"It's a common Arabic surname." Imani started, as she dug into the paper bag  and materialized napkins and utensils. "...so a lot. Final answer." She ended her educated guess with a wink that formed a curve to Katrina's lips.

"Thanks," Katrina said, constructing one of her customs made boxes that resembled an earthy green with her company's moniker in light green. Clay & Colour's insignia always took her back to a moment in time that could be described as solace.

"But I'm ninety-seven percent sure that it's from yours." Imani surmised while scooping generous helpings of Okro soup into the two spare containers that she had to pay extra for.

Katrina chuckled with a shake of her head. "He's not mine." She scanned through the order list again triple checking to make sure she had the correct objects displayed on the counter. "We have no ties to each other."

Imani chewed on the fried plantain she tossed in her mouth, side-eyeing her. "Mhmm." She leaned over the counter to get a better look at the order details. "Bitch, your pottery is top tier but the normal person ain't spendin' almost a grand. The average person doesn't need four sets of mugs." She locked her eyes with Katrina. "That's sixteen mugs."

"Maybe this person has a big family that loves hot beverages." Katrina shrugged, carefully placing a foam set on the dessert saucer; which the person also ordered four sets of. "And they probably got a spare set because ceramics, hard surfaces, and gravity don't go well together."

"You don't have to wonder about it," Imani added some Red-Red to the containers. "You still have his number."

Katrina's hand stilled on the set of bowls she was about to deposit into a box sure that the shiver that rushed down her back might cause her to lose grip of the fragile merchandise. She did still have his number. She never once thought about deleting the contact from her phone nor the copious stream of text they shared during their almost year-long relationship.

Once her nerves were still she carefully squatted and placed the bowls in the box, "I'm not calling that man..."

"Your man."

She eyed her friend, the one person that had a front-row seat to all the events; the ones that happened when they were together and the ones that led up to their breakup. "You and Sloane. I don't know what ya'll want from me."

"Why?" Imani asked. "What is Sloane doing?"

Katina decided to take a break, her stomach was beginning to fight her and the food started to make her salivate. "The main reason our girl's trip is in New Orleans is because she thinks we...Keir and I need to have a conversation." She stirred her spoon in the okro soup as flashes of the last time she and he shared the same space plagued her mind. The remembrance of those moments birthed a burning in the wells of her eyes but she swallowed it down.  "We did. I did what I had to do and he understood."

"I agree with her," Imani added, pulling off a piece of fufu. "You two broke up because of legal matters and now those legal matters have been resolved; my baby made is so..."

The last words created a small smile on Katrina's solemn face. Imani finding a partner that loved all the intricate parts of her was one of the two rewards that came from the tumultuous divorce and custody battle she had to endure.

Imani continued, "There was love there and now that the dust is settled ya'll can rekindle that relationship that was going so well before the jackass."

Katrina couldn't help but laugh at the moniker she gave Terrence. Imani no longer uttered his name; he had been dubbed 'The Jackass' and it suited him. It was the only being that had the same amount of stubbornness as him.

"Rekindle a relationship," Katrina spoke the words as if they were foreign as she broke a crab apart and dug out the seasoned meat with her spoon. "It's been three years. I'm sure he has a girlfriend or a committed partner...look at Terrence."

"Don't make me." Imani's face was painted with annoyance as she rolled her eyes. "Have you even decided what you're doing about that situation?"

Katrina stopped sucking the crab leg, enjoying the spicy juice. "Nori's the flower girl but..." She sighed audibly. "RSVPs are due next month...I'm fine with being petty because I just don't want to go. I'm not bitter but also don't expect me to smile and be pleasant while watching him get married after putting me through hell."

"You don't."

Katrina nodded. "Honestly, I'm not bitter. I'm relieved. I'm happy. She can have all of him."

"Every molecule." Imani tipped her bottle of water toward her. "How long do you think it'll last?"

"Don't know. Don't care." Katrina shrugged nonchalantly. "He said he changed."

"Bet he's still giving out those Dollar General apologies."

Katrina chortled, almost choking on a shrimp. "Girl, you play too much." But she knew her friend was right. It took her some time to realize the her ex-husband's apologies were worth less than a penny.

"And you love it."

She did. If someone asked her how she expected her life to turn out after learning her husband cheated on her, she never would've guessed she would be laughing about it while eating dinner with her bestie in her business. After going through hell she finally got to see the sunshine.

"How about we do this..." Imani started, wiping her hands clean. "Rent a big ass SUV, road trip our way to New Orleans, and deliver all these boxes to that address and if it's Keir then you two have the conversation, and if by chance it's another Ahmed, not him then we'll enjoy our trip. Have a grand ass time and bring our Black asses back home and really move on. Let fate decide." 

Katrina chewed on the okra as she digested Imani's words. "Let Fate decide." She nodded. "I can do that." It was a better option than cold-calling him after years of no contact. "Guess we're road trippin' to Louisiana."

How do you think the plan to let Fate decide is going to work?

Why do you think Katrina is against just calling Keir?

How do you think Terrence getting married is going to affect Katrina's life?

Should she attend the wedding or just send Nori with a wedding gift?