Differences

Apologies

Flashback

Tayler had been crying for the past two days since her mother had left her. She wouldn't eat and she barely slept, her reasoning was if she slept she might've missed her mom coming to get her. She was used to her leaving for a few hours but never days.

She always came back for her.

She laid upstairs in the foreign bed and balled loudly in the fetal position. Although she had a bed, a clean house, air conditioner, and food; she didn't have her mama.

"Rod, you have to do something about that little girl. She's been fucking cryin' for days, I'm sick of the shit" Peaches had her hands on her hip.

Patrice or Peaches was only 15 when she ran away from home. She got caught up in the lifestyle of prostitution and drugs very quickly as a former boyfriend attempted to turn her out. When she was 18 she ran away from her pimp and she jumped into the arms of 25 year old local drug dealer Rodrick. He took care of her and watched out for her. He didn't let anyone try his Peaches.

In return for his protection, she gave him her loyalty. Peaches was the definition of a down bitch. She recruited girls for Rod, she hid his packs for him, she set niggas up for him, and a number of other things he asked of her. Seeing how he could trust her unlike everyone around him, he made Peaches his number one girl and he swore his loyalty to her but similar to the familiar love in the hood, they were never married. Now nearly 17 years later, he finally fulfilled her wishes of giving her a child of her own.

"Peach what do you want me to do?" He asked puffing a cigar.

"I don't fucking know, but you need to give that little bitch back" she crossed her arms.

"Look you asked me for a kid, and I delivered" he chuckled. "You've only been a mom for a few days and you're cracking"

"She's not my damn child! I asked for a baby and you brought me a grown ass child, it's not the same Rod" Peaches protested.

Rod ran a hand down his face, he was growing frustrated with the little girl too but he understood all this was new to her. " I'll go and talk with her" He said.

"But Peach kill that noise, we are her parents now. Like it or not she's ours and ain't no way I'm giving her back to her crackhead mammie" He put out his cigar in the ashtray.

Peaches just sucked her teeth and plopped down on the couch. Rodrick proceeded to go upstairs to the crying child. He seen her body under the blanket, trembling a bit as she rocked back and forth.

"You ain't run out of water yet" He sat on the edge of the bed.

She peeked from under the blanket at him and turned her head away. She was terrified of him.

"Still scared huh? Come from under the covers and sit with me"

She sat still. She wasn't sure what to do, men have tried to do horrible things to her on the account of her mother being too high to function.

"One thing you need to understand is I don't ask twice baby girl" He pulled the blanket back.

She drew her legs closer to her body and sat up immediately, but she was sure to keep distance between them. She focused on a spot on the bed as she was scared to even make eye contact with him.

"Look I don't know what you've seen but I'm going to be real with you, I'm not no fucking creep or nothing. I'm not going to touch you or harm you, that's sick as fuck" He started.