Noelle.

THIRTEEN.

I embraced her and fake cried on her shoulder as she giggled and I felt her hand caressing my afro. "Hold me" I whined through the fake tears how she used to do me a few years ago, letting some, but not all, of my body weight go limp on her as her giggle quickly turned into a full belly laugh now, struggling to hold me up, "Mommy, you're too heavy" she spoke through giggles as her body got lower and lower to the ground. She eventually laid on her back as I laid my head on her stomach.

Her laugh died down as she laid there, caressing my Afro. "Can you do my hair like yours one day?" She asked. I grinned, lifting my head to look at her, "Yeah, absolutely. It takes time so you might have to wake up a little earlier for school" I replied. Her face screwed together at the sound of waking up early, "You can just take me after" she replied, waving her hand in the air in a dismissive way as I laughed, "You mean late, baby. I can take you to school late" I corrected with a smile at the sass yet seriousness in her voice. "Yeah, late. I can just go late" she corrected herself. Her lack of laughter made me laugh harder cause I knew she was serious. She had so much personality for her age, it never failed to make me laugh.

"We'll see" I replied, standing up off the floor, reaching her hand out as she grabbed mine and I gently helped her up. In a swift movement, I picked her up and threw her on my back as she laughed, holding on and wrapping her legs around me, "Alexa, play 'It's All Love' by Anderson Paak" I spoke, turning on the LED lights that lined the back of my living room Tv and under the couch, having it change colors with the beat of the song.

"Playing 'Its All Love' by Anderson Paak, Justin Timberlake, Mary J. Blige, and George Clinton from the 'Trolls World Tour' soundtrack on Apple Music" Alexa spoke, "Alexa, volume maximum" my daughter yelled from my back as Alexa obliged, turning the volume to its maximum. The song began as I danced around with Leilani on my back, as we both sang and she giggled and I ran around the dining room and into the kitchen. During the song, I eventually got tired and put her down and we danced around together, hand in hand, laughing at each others dance moves.

I danced like a black untie at a cookout, causing Lani to laugh, as she mocked me with her own giggles. I hyped her up, in tune with the beat of the song, clapping song with the song, "Go Lani, go Lani" I chanted as she danced and she grabbed my hands so I could join her. As the song came to an end, we both collapsed on the floor, her laying across my stomach, our breathing heavy as she burst out into a fit of giggles, "You dance like an old lady" she laughed, clutching her stomach, as I assumed she was thinking about my dancing. "Hey! I'm only 24!" I laughed back, as I smelled the air, "Mommy, my corndogs" Leilani laughed, sitting up to look at me. "Oh shit" I mumbled, thinking she didn't hear me as she "oohhh"'d at me.

I covered my mouth at my realization as I stood up and ran over to the airfryer, turning it off. How I managed to burn one of the easiest things to make? Who the hell knows. I put on an oven mit and pulled the rack of burnt mini corndogs out of the little oven and sat it in the sink, letting it cool down. I turned to look at my daughter who looked at me with big eyes, "A sandwich sound nice?" I asked, a small smile forming on both of our lips as she nodded her head. "One bread please" she giggled as I nodded back with my own smile and went to the fridge and Lani disappeared to the back.

I started making the sandwiches when my daughter emerged, standing behind me, her iPad in her hands as I continued making sandwiches, adding turkey, lettuce, tomato, and cheese. By the time I was done, my phone rang from next to me as I looked down at it, Aria. I'd completely forgotten to let her know we made it safely. I wiped my hands and answered the call and she was laughing, my brother behind her. "How the hell did you burn corndogs?" Aria exclaimed, Keith laughing behind her, his game controller in his hands as I smiled, turning around to look at my daughter who was holding her iPad with her eyes wide and a grin on her face.