Dependency

Dos

After Kamari hung up I couldn't go back to sleep so I just scrolled through TikTok until it was time to get the kids from the bus.

I slipped on a pair of leggings and a crop top before putting on my bubble slides and walking out of the room with my phone in my hand.

I walked out of the house and down the road seeing the bus was driving up the street so I stopped where I usually got them from.

"Good afternoon Mark. I'm getting all three of them today" I greeted the bus driver and he smiled waving at me while nodding his head.

"TeeTee!" "Hi sissy" "Wassup ZoZo" they greeted making me smile as we walked back up to the house.

"Hi my babies, how was school?" I asked as Kari came next to me to hold my hand. Kari was another version of Kamari, quiet, can't go a second without touching any one of us– mostly my mom.

We talked about school until we got home and they immediately started on homework while I prepared a snack for them until it was time to cook dinner.

As I was preparing their snack, my phone started ringing making me pick it up from the counter to see a number I didn't recognise FaceTiming me.

"Hello" I spoke hesitantly while covering the camera with my finger.

I heard Ka'Mazi's unmistakable voice asking, "wassup lil gir– why yo' camera off?"

"Hi Mazi, I didn't know it was you" I answered, setting the phone up in front of me while I chopped up some grapes for Kari and strawberries for the girls.

"Oh Ight, what you doin' ?" He asked making me straight face him. Nigga are you blind?

"What does it look like I'm doing Mazi?" I asked glancing up at the phone then back to what I was doing.

"Ight see, cus' why you had ta' do allat?" He rolled his eyes. Sassy much?

"I actually called cause I need help wit' 'dis equation" he said showing it to me. It was homework from Calc but I finished it in class.

"Okay so– ZoZo, help me pronounce dis' fuckin' word" Dekari frustratedly cut me off making me look down at him shockingly. wtf happened so damn fast?

"Bean, stop cussing bubs. If you feel yourself getting frustrated just ask me for help okay" I told him and he nodded his head. I helped him pronounce the word before he walked out of the kitchen and I turned back towards my phone where Ka'Mazi was already staring at me before looking away.

"My bad, like I was saying..." I explained the equation to him until he fully understood it and got the answer correct.

"Preciate it Azariah" he spoke making me nod as I discretely crossed my leg over the other one. I liked the way my name rolled off his tongue and clearly my– okay yea lemme stop.

"Okay Mazi no problem. Bye-bye" I spoke waving and he hung up. I removed the nuggets and fries out of the oven and divided it up between the three of them, then placed their fruits on the side.

"Y'all done with your homework?" I asked checking on them and they nodded their heads. I checked their books for any notes and checked that their homework was correct before walking away allowing them to put their things up.

I placed their food on the table in front of them and put three Capri-Suns next to their plates before walking to the kitchen to start on dinner.