4J, 2020 

35mm 

photographed by Lauryn Lawrence

In mama's house, I sat in the living room watching Jay Jay the Jet Pilot en español. Every day I heard the fire trucks pass by, and every late afternoon the Mister Softee truck would come.  I remember having to sift through the flowers and leaves of the all the plants she had along her windowsill so I could watch people walk by. On the fridge were fruit magnets, and inside the freezer were those popsicle sticks you could break in half. I spent a lot of time in her bedroom, trying on every single lipstick she had. Mama was always cooking and serving me seconds. Sometimes I would watch her sew on the sewing machine she had set right next to the kitchen.