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Chapter 1

    BABY, I'M HOME! Shhh! Quick, get in here. What? Just get in here, stay quiet, ill get you when the coast is clear. Hey love, what you doing here so early? I told them to call if they needed me, so I came home. Let me get this heavy bag, Isiah said. I got it, it's more in the car. Isiah went outside to get the bags out the car. Why you looking like that? I thought I heard something upstairs, Chelsey said. I'm sure it was nothing, Isiah said. Probably not, it just sounded like somebody up there moving around. I'm sure you just hearing stuff. Yeah, I forgot how old this house is. Since you home early, what you want to do? I was thinking cooking dinner together, find a good movie, and just relax. Sounds like a plan to me, Isiah said. We haven't cooked dinner together in a while. Yeah, I know. Let me change and we can start. How about you take a shower, put on your slippers, and we can cook naked? I like the sound of that, Chelsey said. Before I get in, I want to talk to you about something. What?

    So, I got a call from daddy today. How's he doing? He's doing good, still helping out at the rehab center. He called me because he heard about my recent fallen out with Kita. Oh lord, what happened now? Remember I told you she was mad because I didn't invite her to your grand opening? Yeah, I remember you mentioning it. She calls and tell daddy that I didn't want her to come because her babydaddy wasn't invited. That's understandable, he did just get out of jail a few days ago. Right, but that wasn't the reason I didn't invite her. What's the reason? You know Bella was there and them 2 can't stand each other. Yeah, Bella told me. They hated each other since Bella and I was in the 3rd grade. Kita always felt like I was trying to replace her, or I rather had Bella as my sister than her. The dumbest thing I ever heard in my life. I didn't want them at your grand opening making a scene and acting a fool. They just have to work out their own differences, Isiah said. It's not working it out with them. I gave up on that a long time ago. Now, I just try to keep them far away from each other. I was thinking, Chelsey said. I want to look more into getting daddy his own rehab center. Him helping out at that rehab center for free is not getting the bills paid. We can't afford that right now, Isiah said. I know we can't, but if we can get a loan we could. Go take your shower, we'll talk more about it over dinner.

    What took so long? You heard me trying to get her in the shower. I need to get out of here, I whispered. Why you not fully dressed? You told me don't move, how I supposed to get dressed without her hearing me? In the middle of us whispering, Chelsey cut the water off. I quickly, but quietly got back in the closet. I knew we wasted time standing there talking. That was a quick shower, Isiah said. I wasn't dirty, Chelsey said. Isiah and Chelsey went downstairs and started cooking. I wasn't sure how long I was going to be stuck in this closet. Hope I don't be in here too long, I have to get my kids from the babysitter.

   Back to this rehab center, Isiah said. You sure you want to do this? Yeah, daddy wasting his time helping that rehab center for free. I don't see why he's helping out, Isiah said. He still feels guilty for our mom getting hooked on drugs all those years ago. He couldn't help her, so helping out at the rehab center is his way of letting go some of the guilt. He can't blame his self for your mom's decisions. I had been telling him that for years. He's determined to help people until he no longer feels that guilt. He's not seeing that he's in debt. Being at the center 24/7 is not paying the bills. I thought Kita was living with him? She is, but she's not helping at all. That's why we don't get along. She been living with daddy since March of last year. Daddy has called me numerous times to help pay the mortgage. I can't even tell you how many times the lights have been turned off. She won't help daddy get nothing done. She just laying around with her "babydaddy" letting him and his friends run in and out daddy house. He knows if he was to tell me, I would have a fit. Miss Bernice tells me everything that go on over there. She quick to call the police over there. Kita always dropping the kids off at her house and disappear for days.