Jojo:

Nothing surprised me and made me feel elated more than seeing the girls at the restaurant. It was like a life-changing moment for me. Knowing that there were people besides Mel and Valerie - my family - who loved, and supported me made my heart melt with so many emotions I could not even begin to describe. Ashley made sure that they closed down the restaurant and in no time, we were seated around a table, drinking and laughing ourselves to stupor. Only Brandy had excused herself from the group, saying she had somewhere to be.

They bade her their drunken farewells while I stayed quiet and watched her...