𝐅𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐈𝐍'. 

two

She glanced quickly, seeing Mercedes' out on her patio. She was speaking to someone, but Keyshawn couldn't make out who it was exactly. Her eavesdropping came to a quick halt as Mercedes made way back into the house. The woman of the house spotted Keyshawn making her way back, voicing her name quietly.

"H-hey Cedes..."

" Mhm. You eavesdroppin' on me na'?"

" I was just getting something to drank, that's all—"

" I know you was girl...I'm just messing with 'ya." the woman belted out, smirking at the young woman. The night's light glowed, it's dark glare showing upon Keyshawn's face. The state of her mind was written in print on her aura, and it pained Mercedes to see it.

"When's the next visit with the kiddos?" the woman asked, cutting the obvious silence that stood between the two women. "It's the week after next." Keyshawn answered, " I gotta be at the center by Saturday night though. They don't come in until Sunday morning instead of the evening."

"...Tara say that Derek comes around every na' and again to see if I'm there, but she don't let 'em know too much." the woman continues to say, trying to brighten up the sorrow subject. Mercedes' only shook her head, thinking of the conversation she had earlier that day. The conversation she had with Diamond.

"Girl, you should've let ya' ace boon coon take care of that man when he had the chance. All 'dis would've been over with." Mercedes stated. Keyshawn only kept still, not saying how she felt.

It was difficult to explain how she wasn't ready to face her demons at that time, and even more difficult to explain how that would've affected everyone's life at the Pynk— especially Diamond's.

"...he asked about you earlier today." Mercedes revealed, tackling in on the incoming silence. Keyshawn's brow raised  up, as she remained clueless for the moment. Mercedes' scoffed as she sighed, rolling her eyes at the woman as she headed slowly toward her bedroom. "Don't play stupid na' Key. You know exactly who I'm talkin' 'bout."

The thought of Diamond asking about her brought on many questions to the woman's head, along with a mix of emotions. Feeling a sense curiousness brought on the feel of being thrilled, but it also brought on concern.

"Asked about what?" Keyshawn spoke, stopping Mercedes in her tracks again. Grinning, Mercedes turned about and glanced. "That's for you to go and figure out, boo."

" Wait. Come on na' Cedes...you can't tell me what the man asked about me?! But you can tell that he said something?"

" Like I said." the woman reiterated, "That's for you to figure out. Not me. Now on 'head and get to sleep. We gotta be up and ready to go by 9 in the mornin'..."

Keyshawn nodded, walking after Mercedes as she headed toward her room. Sighing, the woman gathered her mind boggling thoughts and headed to the guest room that she'd been staying in for the past two months, getting the sleep that she needed.

The mornings rays didn't stray too far away. The time to rise came by swiftly, and soon the 22 year old woman was up once again. Mercedes' was off, dropping her daughter off to school— so it left Keyshawn to have the house to herself for awhile. She got herself together, preparing for Mercedes' to come back through so that they could head to the gym.