Lost

Happily Ever After

1 week later

Justin let Kimi out of his car and looked down at her for a moment. "Are you sure about this, Kimi?" he checked, looking up at the house and back to her.

Kimi nodded. She'd been gone long enough and it was time for her to be back home. She had purposely chosen the middle of the morning when she knew everyone would be in the kitchen. "I'll see you later then," Justin told her, leaning down to kiss her before he watched her walk into the house.

Kimi took a deep breath before she turned the knob and found her mother and all of her siblings in the kitchen having breakfast with her nieces and nephews.

The entire household turned to look at her and she bit her lip nervously, staring at them staring at her. "Good morning," she squeaked.

Courtney stepped forward and took Kimi by the arm leading her to her bedroom and closing the door. "Have a seat," she ordered.

Kimi did as she was told, sitting on her bed and waiting for whatever her mother was going to say; but Courtney sighed and stared at her while she gathered her thoughts.

"Why was your solution to just walk out of this house like you're grown?" she asked.

Kimi realized her mother really just wanted to talk and she released a breath she'd been holding. If Courtney was angry, she wouldn't be able to hide it and Kimi would know immediately when she spoke.

"I didn't feel like anyone here was hearing my side, so I didn't feel like I needed to be here."

"Kimi, you gon let that little boy get you into a world of trouble, you keep letting him geek you up," Courtney warned her youngest in a scolding but not harsh tone.

Kimi tilted her head and studied her mother for a moment. She didn't know why her mother was acting like this was new. The only difference between her leaving now and any time before was that Crisha would always make her go back and Justin let her stay.

"Me leaving ain't new, Mama. Me not coming back is what had you. You ain't even let me tell you my side."

"Kimi, when you start unplugging shit in my house, you don't have no side, little girl."

"That's why I left. I went to where I have a side and a voice." Kimi rolled her eyes.

"Don't let your head get geeked up again, you dun came back home. Don't get confused, Kimi Layne, I knew exactly where you were. I let you stay. I let you decide you wanted to act like you have some sense. So now I want to know what made you think you had the right to act like you didn't?"

"You not gon listen. I don't have no side, remember?" she asked.

Courtney shook her head at her daughter, blowing out a breath. Kimi had always been a bit rebellious. Her mouth was nothing new. It had been smart since she spoke her first word. Her backtalk didn't surprise her mother a single bit. Courtney just genuinely wanted to know.

"You having sex, Kimi?"

Kimi's brows furrowed and she glared at her mother. "How is that your business?" she questioned hotly, her arms folded close to her body.

"What the hell do you mean how is that my business? You and Daniella the only two without children and I would like it to stay that way, Kimi. I'm counting on you to be the one I did something right with. Daniella got herself kicked out of school. She ain't get her GED for fun."

That was news to Kimi. She hadn't been aware that her sister was kicked out of school. She had always just thought that Daniella left school early to start college sooner. She couldn't see a reason for her sister to have gotten kicked out of school.