Life's No Fairytale

Chapter Six

"Yeah, I do, but what the fuck took him so long to step up to the plate? He had to know that Tamia was being left at the school all hours of the night, going home to an empty refrigerator-you have been rescuing someone else's daughter for the past year and a half, Katrina. Your job title stretches beyond being a teacher." Candice as lowly.

She was right. In her eyes, Tamia was more than just her student. She grew to care for her more than others because of Monica's lack of parenting.

Katrina sighed. "Maybe, he had no clue that was happening, okay? He has everything handled, Tamia doesn't look like she being mistreated whenever they are together." She said.

What Candice was saying wasn't a lie, Katrina had been looking after Tamia since she entered her class. There were times that Monica would drop Tamia off to school and wouldn't return for the next two days. She would leave her daughter home alone, starving which would turn into Tamia using the home phone to call up her favorite teacher, Ms. Lee to come save her. There was countless incidents where Tamia would end up sleeping over after she'd ran away from home because of an physical altercation at her mother's house.

"She doesn't need two raggedy parents." Candice said looking over her shoulder at Tamia and Cory putting away groceries.

"We're living testaments of having terrible parents, all she can do is grow up to not be like either one of them." Candice nodded in agreement.

"That's true. Is the food done, yet?" Her stomach growled loudly making Katrina chuckle.

"Let go check on the food and see." The doorbell rang as they walked out of the living room.

"Mr. Cory, it's my daddy, can I open the door please?" Tamia smiled excited to see her father.

Cory nodded quietly closing the refrigerator door and going to greet her father. He had been around Tamia enough to know each person involved in her life all except Nathaniel. The history of Nathaniel's past Cory had knowledge about from his line of work as a police officer, he just kept his mouth shut. All he wanted to see was peace for Little Tamia.

"DADDY!" She jumped in his arms and hugged him tightly. "I missed you."

"I missed you, too." He kissed her cheek repeatedly making her giggle.

"How was school, baby?" He asked her.

"It was fun, Ms. Lee gave us a free day but, we still had homework to do." Tamia played with his ungroomed beard.

"We'll do it once we get home, got get your stuff."

Entering the cozy home, Nathaniel gave Cory the nod as he closed the door behind him. He placed Tamia down on her feet.

"Daddy this is Mr. Cory, he's Ms. Candice's boyfriend." She force them to shake hands.

"Nice to meet you, man." Nathaniel chuckled at his daughter's actions.

"Same to you. I see you cut hair." Cory shook his head then pointed at the school logo on his shirt.

"Yeah, I'm brushing up on my skills and working at Nino's shop not too far from here." Cory rose his brows.

"That's coo, man. It's good to see a brotha, like myself out here trying to get a education, we need that nowadays." Nathaniel nodded.

"Hi, Mr. Casey, It's nice to see you again. Are you staying for dinner?" Cory asked.

"Nah, I thought Tamia told Ms. Lee we couldn't stay." Looking down at his little girl, she smiled widely.

"I forgot, Daddy but can we stay please." She begged.