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sat next to each other at the their annual family reunion held for thanksgiving. It was a concise gathering of a few family members from both their parent's sides; two uncles and their wives with four of their children, then Darajah's parents and Joe's.

Camille, Joseph's mother and his father, Demarcus were hosting the dinner this year at their home in Baton Rouge. Both undisclosed couple had flown in that morning in time to join the preparations for the evening.

Darajah on one hand was fidgety and maybe even second guessed her decision to tell her family about anything she had going on with Joe, when she witnessed the love and jolly in the atmosphere. Thinking if she disclosed anything at the dinner, it would ruin the entire evening for everyone because she thought it was illicit to harbor such a relationship with her cousin; adopted or not.

But as the afternoon blended in with the evening and the sun began to set, Darajah settled on sticking with her better judgement and just saying what she must.

Joseph was camping with his uncles on the foyer giving them deets on his music career as an upcoming artistes and generally how his life was outside Louisiana, while Rajah helped the women in the kitchen to hasten up the cooking. Soon, the table was set for the feast of family members.

Darajah tapped Joseph on the arm to say, "Pass me that," she pointed to the ceramic bowl of candied yams. "Thanks baby." Darajah absentmindedly told him when he passed it to her with a fetching spoon.

One of Joseph's uncle, Kareem, the pessimist was the first to point out his observation. He said, "Rajah and Joe are pretty much the closest pair in the family. First, they're sharing a room together, arrived together and refer to each other with pet names, hm. If I ain't know them better I'd say they have something going on."

"True, what Kareem," His wife, Beatrice backed up. "Looking in from the outside without knowing they related I'd say the same thing...but you know we might be wrong, right Darajah baby?"

"Um..well—"

"Say Aunt, quit being childish and eat ya food with you too Uncle." Joseph dismissed.

"Joseph don't speak to your uncle and aunt that way. They said nothing wrong, I mean you heard Darajah call you Baby earlier right?" Camille reprimanded. She always had a tinge of dislike towards Darajah because of how much she would always grab Joseph's attention away from other girls since his high school days and Joseph would only blab about how his day went with Darajah.

Camille thought Joseph and Darajah would never be a couple because of how morally and socially wrong it was. So why make him waste his time.

"Camille don't be like that, you know they've been this close since childhood and nothing more is attached to it so don't put it like that." Zoe, Darajah's adoptive mother straightened out which made Camille roll her eyes and drop her spoon.

Darajah was no longer eating the ranch seasoned turkey on her plate by this time, she just sat there with her nose slightly flared, taking in the awkwardness the conversation left behind. Her appetite was lost.

Joseph also felt the same, but was more considerate of his partner than his own. He placed his left hand on her thigh and rubbed discreetly below the table.

"Oh please Zoe, save that for someone who hasn't noticed their so-called platonic bond since their tender age. Kareem is not wrong nor is Beatrice's or mine for that matter. Observations are only being pointed out." Camille said.

"Simple. They can only feel pressed if our statements are true." Kareem instigated further. Earning a loud groan from Joseph.

"I had 'bout enough of all dis'. Cool, Darajah and I been together for a good minute now. Uncle and Aunt y'all can bash yo' heads on the wall now since you heard what you wanted." Joseph stood up.

Everyone at the table gasped except Zoe, who was looking at Darajah to see if Joe was just talking out of anger.

"Chile, this ain't the ancient kingdom times nobody keepin' it in the family ova' here!" Beatrice exclaimed and grabbed her Spark 2 Tecno, "Finna' go call the pastor for special chapters in the Bible to banish the spirit of incest." And she dialed the pastor's number before excusing herself from the table.

"Y'all this ain't 1865 or no Alabama." Kareem hollered.

"Darajah.." Demarcus trailed off before wiping around his lips with a napkin, "Disappointment is an understatement. I thought you were smarter."

"I'm sorry Uncle Dee," Darajah's voice was shaky as she spoke to the man she always saw as a father figure since her adoptive father passed on. "I tried fighting away my feelings but they were stronger than all my efforts put together, I'm so sorry."

"Zoe! Do you see it now? Why are you so fuckin' quiet now huh? I thought they merely had a platonic relationship seconds ago, defend her ho' ass. I always knew she was trouble and.... and that was why her own parents had her dumped in front of a graveyard not even a church!"

"Mother! Camille!" Joseph, Demarcus and Zoe exclaimed at Camille's piercing statement.

"Gr-Graveyard?" Darajah muttered to herself. Camille scoffed and rolled her eyes.

"I can't fuckin' believe y'all right na', I'm also at fault too inn'is shit and everybody wanna point fingers at only Darajah? To the point my own Mother lying through her damn teeth, that's just low." Joseph seethed to his mother from across the table.

"She's still your mother Joseph!"

"You gon' have to keep reminding me from now on, pops."

Darajah managed to ask Zoe through her tears, "Did my biological parents really dump...leave me at the graveyard?"

Zoe had tears of her own flowing down her cheeks, she sniffed and answered, "I wish it wasn't true baby. That stormy night you were found on my grandfather's tombstone by my husband with water clogged up in your lungs from the rain. You survived through a miracle and we adopted you."

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