I get inside the house from working at the office. "Mommy!" Armani runs up to me with Prince right behind her. "Hey baby girl. Hi my handsome Prince." I pick up both of them. "Where is my Duchess?" I walk into the living room.
"Duchess looks who's home." I smile. "Mommy Prince kept hitting me." Princess says. "No I didn't." Prince says back. I sit them down. "Armani be nice to your brother. August be nice to your sister." They drop their heads. "Okay." They mumble sadly. I shake my head picking up my baby girl. "Duchess Audree."
"Mommy can you stay home tomorrow?" Armani asks. "Baby mommy has to work." I sigh. She hates when I leave, they all do. Princess is four years old, Prince is three years old, and Duchess is two years old. It's been crazy raising three children but I do have some help. I have Amber here with her son, Micai, he's two as well.
Who'd ever thought I would befriend her but we're close. I stopped talking to Tika and the rest of the crew within the first year of August missing.
Really I stopped talking to everyone. I showed a happy face but deep down I was hurting. I went into a deep depression and didn't want to talk to anyone but others didn't take it so personal and stuck by my side. When times get hard you really see who's with you and who isn't. Most stuck around except for that crew. Chris and Aliyah and Trey and Latesha call a lot and comes to stay here whenever they're in town. My brother, Milo, is also around.
He moved out here a year in a half ago. He's married with a wife who I don't really care for. Her name is Chantelle. They have a little girl Malia, she's eight. Of course we have have uncle Ace and uncle Chop, as the kids call them. They address the security as mr. Guard, especially Armani.
My life is filled with running the empire and coming home to my children. "Mommy can we go buy shoes? Prince asks. My son is a 3 year old sneaker-head already. "Baby we can go tomorrow. I'm staying home." I can spend one day away. Business was always good but it's great. Money has tripled and we're a tight knit organization. I really feel this is everything August wanted plus some.
"So we can play tomorrow?" Armani asks with the most brightest face. I smile, "Yes we can." I grab Duchess cup. I look over at the time, it's eight already where did time go? "Amber will you help me get them something to eat? I'll cook the chicken tenders, Can you do the fries?"
"I'll do both. You spend some time with them." Amber says getting up. "You sure? I don't mind helping? And where is Micai?" I say stepping out of my heels. "I'm positive Milan and knocked out behind the sofa." I peek back there and laugh. "He is too cute knocked out like he worked a 10 to 10 shift."
"Looking just like his daddy." She says smiling but still showing a sad look on her face. Her and Micah where really close growing up and rekindled all that before they went missing. Crazy how much of a small world it is. Shits not small enough though. "Yeah.. He does."
I'll be the first to admit it can get hard looking at the faces of my children and seeing their father. His face on Prince, or his eyes on Princess, and his nose and ears on Duchess. The only thing missing is him.
My phone rings are Princess starts playing with my hair. "Speak." I say into the phone. "We got new shipment. Spook or West?" He asks referring to the warehouses. "Spook. I need you to check and see if we still have Martinez on payroll."
"Jose Martinez?"
"Yes. He may have some information on this witch." He laughs, "Kids must be around."
"Yes they are." I laugh. "Well alright well I'll look into that. The sooner we get my dawg home the better. Chop said he might know a relative of that "witch"." I nod my head like he can see me. I'm excited about this. "Alright cool arrange a meeting. I want Cedar Ave for this."
"Well boss I need insurance that warehouse broke down and probably ain't stable."
"Ace niggas been gunning for your head for years and you're worried about a warehouse." I laugh shaking my head. "Aye I'm just saying." He chuckles. "Alright then. Let me get back to my loves. Call me once you find some out." "Okay." I sit my phone back down.
"Mommy where the man go?" Armani asks staring at the door. "What?" I get up sitting Audree down. I look out the door and I don't see anyone. "Armani what have I told you about lying?" I ask. "I'm not." I walk to the front door. "Ray somebody came through here?"
"No ma'am."
"Who standing guard in the back?"
"Jerome." I nod my head. "Maybe that's who she saw. Armani said she seen someone."
"It could've been Jenson, he just left from this side."
"Okay. Keep your eyes peeled."
"We always do Milan." He smiles. "Mr. Guard." Armani says coming to the door. "Yes Ma'am Ms. Princess."
"Can you make sure you let my daddy in when he comes?" This is apart of her daily routine. But it still breaks my heart every time. "Yes ma'am. I will escort him in personally. Would you like him to come see you first?"
"No mommy first then me." I can't take it. I walk up the stairs into my room. "Some days are worse than others right?" Nisha asks coming inside. "Where in the hell did you come from?" She laughs, "I've been in the room sleep the entire time. Are you okay?"
"I'm okay. I miss him."
"He'll be home soon Milan."
"It's what I keep telling myself to keep going."
