Arion

1.21

"Okay," I said before handing her the picture back and going over to where my sisters and mother were making their breakfast.

"Who's the bad men? Are they fine?" Towanda asked with a little chuckle.

"If you think guys who try to kill little girls are sexy, then hey, they are all yours," I nonchalantly snapped back.

They all darted their eyes at me. Was it what I said or how I said it?

Tamar cleared her throat. "You said they try to kill whom?" Just as I was about to answer, my phone rung. I polite excused myself and took the call.

"Hey, whom am I speaking to?" I asked unfamiliar with the caller ID.

"Hi, this is Marissa from the Adoption Agency. We've been informed that the child you have in your care, Arion Sophia Braxton, has been in and out of the hospital. We looked into everything and we have come to the conclusion that you are not fit to take care of her. I'm sorry to call you out the blue like this, but we will be having an agent sent to your house to pick her up."

"I'm sorry but I don't quite understand. If she's sick, aren't I suppose to take her to the hospital? And she's my daughter, you cannot take her."

"Yes, but the reasons why she's been in the hospital seem like they stem from a home lifestyle rather than normal childhood illness, Ms. Braxton. Also, on the contrary, she is not your daughter, she is your foster kid," she said rudely.

I started to tear up. I was about to lose my baby. "Well, if I don't have her, who the hell will?"

"Ms. Braxton, we have a line of people who would love to adopt her. No worries."

No worries? No fucking worries? She had to be kidding me.

"Well, who?" I asked.

"I'm sorry, we cannot reveal that information. An agent will come by tomorrow. Thank you for your time, Ms. Braxton," she said before abruptly hanging up.

I slid down the wall behind me and sobbed into my hands. I knew of nothing else to do.

I could take her and flee the country, but I'll be charged for kidnapping. I could tell her to run and find a good family like how she ran and found me, but that was most likely just luck. I have no other choice but to give her up tomorrow.

I didn't even think about adopting her earlier because she already felt like mine and the papers meant nothing to me.

After crying, I went upstairs to wash my face and let my eye swelling go down. I didn't want to make a big deal out of this.

I went back downstairs into the kitchen where all eyes were on me. "Classic Toni," Tamar said.

"What does that mean?"

She snickered, "Tone, anytime you're upset, you wash your face and put on a resting bitch face. Excuse my language, Ari."

"Bitch face!" Arion repeated and giggled.

"No, no. Watch that mouth, young lady," I warned her before darting my eyes at Tamar. "You, too."

They began to laugh a little before Traci asked what was seriously wrong. I sighed and wished I didn't have to repeat what the lady on the phone told me.

"They are taking Arion."

They all gasped as Arion looked confused by what I said.

"We going?" she asked.

I looked away as tears started to boil. Even though I'm not happy about this, doesn't mean I have to put fear or any negative thoughts or feelings in her. She should be excited.

"No, baby. You are going to go with a super nice lady tomorrow and she's taking you to a new family, with a new Momma and maybe even a Daddy," I said trying to sound as excited as I could.

"You coming, too, Momma?" she asked again.

"No, Ari. Just you," I said as I kneeled down to her level and sat back on my legs.

"Where will you be?"

"Here. After tomorrow I probably won't see you again, babe. I'm sorry. I wish you could stay with me forever but you can't."

She finally got the drift of what I was saying and started to cry. "I don't want to leave."

I sat in Indian Style and sat her in my lap and wrapped my arms around her. "I know, baby, but you have to. It'll be okay. Your new mommy and daddy will be very nice and maybe I'll visit."

"But you are my mommy," she cried.

Her cry face is gorgeous which made me sadder. I wished it didn't have to happen. There was literally nothing I can do.

"Toni, what if you just adopt her already, gosh darnit! I don't know how thick your skull is but it wasn't so damn big when I pushed you out!" Mommy snapped making everybody look at her.

"Mommy. The process to adopt her would takes days, maybe weeks. It cannot happen overnight," I informed her making her scoff.

"What if we call Antavius or something?" Towanda suggested. I shook my head no and rolled my eyes. "Antavius is out of the country. He won't be back for another month. I just was calling him the other day to make sure all my tour files were sent to him."

Everyone was stressed and pissed, as Arion was still bawling her eyes out. The situation had no happy ending. It was the end of the road.

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