✯𝓛𝓪𝓼𝓽 𝓼𝓮𝓬𝓸𝓷𝓭𝓼✯

❀𝓞𝓵𝓭 𝓹𝓻𝓸𝓶𝓲𝓼𝓮𝓼❀

𝓟𝓪𝓻𝓪𝓭𝓲𝓼𝓮 𝓷𝓮𝓿𝓪𝓭𝓪

"Alexis--honey, stay still and take the picture with Waylon!" Bee Smith, Alexis's mother snapped sighing with agitation. Both children were overly excited about winning their sections in the rodeo for the six and seven year old age groups.

After a struggle Bee finally managed to get the two kids to pose for a picture, all with help from her long time best friend Ida, Waylon's mother. She brived them with ice cream after their promised barbecued dinner. The two kids now ran off playing. Ida turned to Bee after a pause.

"Bee, we've been friends for a while and we help each other out," Ida paused keeping her eyes on the kids averting her gaze from eye contact with the woman she had grown up with and been joined at the hip with since birth practically, yet, why couldn't she even look her in the eye now?

"He hasn't changed has he?"Bee asked, but it wasn't a question. It was a statement. She knew the man that was once so loving and full of care for sweet Ida was now a sly snake, lying and cheating just to drink around the house and nothing else but beat his wife and try to beat his kid. Ida never let that happen.

She didn't say anything. She just bit her bottom lip. Bee knew that meant she was right and that Ida probably needed Waylon away before things got too bad between his parents in front of him.

"You need me to watch Waylon for you don't you?" Bee sighed looking away from Ida now realizing she didn't have a chance at making eye contact so she watched the kids as well. They were running around chasing each other in a tireless game of tag. "Promise me something Adalene"

This caught Ida's attention. She was now looking at Bee, she hadn't heard her full name since the last time Bee asked her for a promise. "Yes? What do I need to promise you, Abby?" She used Bee's actual name this time like she always had when her name was said in full.

"You'll leave that piece of shit man so you and Waylon can be happy. You can come live with me and Austin, the kids can be together like they want to be--Just please, don't stay and get hurt any longer" Bee sighed looking at the ground before looking back at Ida putting a hand on her shoulder.

Ida was hesitant but she nodded slowly "I will, I swear, just watch Waylon for tonight please?" She received a nod in response from Bee and a small reassuring smile.

Out of nowhere Bee almost fell over, and something rammed into her leg. She looked down before laughing. Alexis had tumbled into her while running to see her mom.

"Mama!" Alexis was grinning ear to ear "Waylon wants to come over to our house and play--can he mama? Please, please!" Alexis was practically winning which she usually did when she wanted something really bad. While Bee usually would have said no due to the persistent whine she already promised Ida he could stay so she nodded.

"Aunty Ida has to do something important tonight so he was staying with us anyway darling. We're gonna pick up his clothes and go home yeah?" She smiled which gained an excited smile and giggle from Alexis.

_______________________________________

"My mama said that Aunty Bee isn't my aunty" Waylon muttered staring at the ceiling as he lay on his back beside Alexis on her bed.

Alexis shifted to look at Waylon confused. "Then how come I call your mama aunty and you call my mama if they aren't sisters?"

Waylon shrugged staring at the ceiling still before hesitantly looking at Alexis. "Mama said it was kinda like me and you. Like how you're not my sister but we act like we're siblings" Alexis nodded and Waylon let out a huff "But I don't wanna be your brother! And I don't want you to be my sister! I don't like you like that"

Alexis giggled "I wouldn't want to be your sister anyway. I like you better being my friend"

Waylon smiled a moment but not the same smile he had before, it was more distant like he was betrayed but didn't want to show how he felt about her liking them better as friends. He stayed quiet looking back at the roof.

"Waylon, promise me we'll always stay with each other. No matter what" Shs muttered looking at the ceiling as well. Waylon now sat up.

Before he could answer the alarm clock went off and Alexis jumped up from her sleep in a cold sweat. The conversation about Waylon's dad was something she'd never dreamt of before, but she had the same dream without the conversation many times before.

(Word count, 811)