Grant Me the Serenity || Lippa

S͓̽e͓̽v͓̽e͓̽n͓̽t͓̽e͓̽e͓̽n͓̽

The Next Day
🕯🕯🕯

A quiet knock on the door sounded, waking Pippa and Lin from their uncomfortably slumbers at 9 AM. "Good morning," a small voice called, followed by a bunch of rustling. Annemarie, Lin, and Pippa slowly opened their eyes to see Enzo and Mason hanging a huge, handmade sign on the wall in front of Annemarie's bed that read "We Love You AM" and her favorite flowers drawn across it. The girls set up a few of Annemarie's favorite knickknacks from her room. A smile came to the youngest Miranda seeing her family pile into the suite. One by one everyone slowly made there way in until lastly, Claudia walked in holding the bear they were forced to share as kids.

"Hey,"

"Hey,"

Apprehension and tension rose as the twins stared at each other for a moment. Everyone watched as their eyebrows twitched, short shrugs were exchanged, and soon enough small smiles came to one another.  "Okay, I forgive you," Annemarie said.

"I forgive you, too," Claudia replied, jumping into the bed and holding onto her sister tightly. "Don't do this shit again," Claudia whispered into her sister ears, causing her to chuckle a bit.

Pippa watched her family smile and talk together, until she noticed her eldest daughter in the corner picking at her sleeve. Quietly, the lioness moved to her cub, soon standing in front of her. Lesley took notice and glanced up to her mother. "Cute shirt, I have one just like it," Pippa sarcastically said. Lesley rolled her eyes and pushed her arms behind her back. "Come on," Pippa lead.

🕯🕯🕯

She and Lesley stood outside Annemarie's hospital room, as nurses and doctors moved past them. "You spent the night?" Pippa asked. Lesley shrugged, folding her arms and leaned against the wall.

"So? I was in the neighborhood when Zo got the call," Lesley muttered. Pippa rose an eyebrow, securing her cardigan closed with her arms. That made no sense. Lesley's apartment was an hour from Pippa's house.

"You were in the neighborhood in your work stuff?" Pippa baited. Lesley nonchalantly shrugged, even though she was slightly spooked. Did Enzo call her? He wouldn't have.

"How did you know I was in my work clothes?" She asked. A smirked formed on her mother's lips, angering her child.

"You just told me," Pippa gloated. Lesley rolled her eyes, moving to go back into the room, before feeling her mother's hand on her arm. "Okay, okay, come back," Pippa pleaded.

"What?" Lesley growled, leaning back against the wall.

"What's going on?" Pippa asked, securing her cardigan again. "Your neighborhood is too far to just happen into mine." The 28 year old sucked her teeth, and dropped her head.

"I don't want to lose my child," she whispered. Pippa moved closer to her child, concern growing in her heart.

"Your child? Wh— Lesley, what are you talking about?" She asked. Lesley couldn't bear to look at her mother and tell her she was struggling. However, she also couldn't lose her family for good. And she couldn't get her life back without a place to live.

"I got evicted. I don't have a neighborhood anymore. But I didn't want you and Papá to know and take Nova away from me for good," Lesley mumbled. She was praying that her mom only halfway knew what she was saying, she could only be halfway made.

"Les," Pippa concernedly called, sending a tinge of pain through Lesley's heart. Her mother hadn't called her that in years. "How did this happen, babe?" She asked. Lesley saw her mother lean against the wall, a mood change definitely underway.