"Stop! Stop! Stop!" The room fell silent once the head woman walked in.
"If you want anything to eat get in a line and stop acting like fucking savages." She ordered and Just like that, a single file line wrapped around the entire room.
"Get these two out" She pointed to two men who began to fight over their spots. While her men handled that someone began pushing past people. She somehow ended up in the front of the line.
"Thank you" she took the brown bag and found a dark corner to eat in. She scarfed her food down before getting back on line.
"Once you get your food. Eat it here. Do not leave this room. If I find a rat or roach down here I'm kicking all of you out. Do I make myself clear?" Leigh-Anne smiled when she saw everyone nod. She loved being in charge.
"Great. Enjoy! I'll be assigning you all rooms before the week is out." She decided to feed her workers and their plus ones. It started as a way to keep count of how many people are here but it turned into her being a good. . .good person. *Gag*
She sat at her desk answering her phone.
"Who's this?"
"Your wife. Don't greet me like that." Leigh-Anne cleared her throat and put her feet down off the desk.
"Oh, hi baby. Sorry about that. Why didn't you call my cell?"
"I have it. You left it in the car, this morning"
"Oh, okay. Well, I don't really need it. How did the interview go?"
"I got the job!"
"That's amazing baby. I'm so proud of you!"
"Thanks babe. Your mom invited us over tonight. I thought that would be a good time to tell her"
"Yes! Can't wait to show you off. But. . ."
"You don't want to tell her?"
"No, it's fine. Do you want me to come pick you up?"
"No. I'm on my way. I start next week so I'll see you in a bit?"
"Yeah, I love you. Be safe"
"Love you too."
Leigh-Anne hung up looking at the picture of her and Perrie on her desk, it was from their wedding day. She was proud of her wife, no doubt about it but she knew telling her mother meant having to hear about how good Perrie is doing in life and how it's not too late to go back. She hated school but she hated being compared to people with 'real jobs' even more.
She stood up needing to take a breather before Perrie got here.
"Shit!" She jumped when someone stood up from the corner near her office.
"What did I say?"
The little girl looked up at Leigh-Anne with fear in her eyes.
"What did I say?"
"Pick it up!" She picked up the three brown bags and sandwich wrappers.
"No one likes greedy people." She grabbed the girl's upper arm dragging her to the cafeteria.
"Has everyone eaten?" She shook her head, fearfully.
"Speak!"
"No ma'am"
"No. They haven't and you've had three meals already. Who's kid is this?" Everyone's head turned to Leigh-Anne but no one said anything.
"Since you want to be inconsiderate and only think about yourself you can go ahead and clean the kitchen. Once everyone finishes, you have two hours to get it clean, do you understand?" She nodded once again, making Leigh-Anne grab her chin harshly.
"Stop nodding and use your words. Speak!"
"Yes ma'am. I understand"
"Good. And go sweep those crumbs from near my office." She nodded, scurrying away.
Leigh-Anne went to the back to tell the staff not to worry about cleaning.
"I have someone for that. You all can go out and treat yourselves to a proper meal. Have Brenda process the bill."
The women smiled, thanking her. She turned around to leave and bumped into someone.
"Watch where you're going. Oh. . . .hi baby. How was your day?"
"No. Stop being like that" Perrie put her hand on Leigh-Anne's chest when she tried to kiss her.
"You're being a jerk"
"I'm sorry."
"I don't like it. I don't want you talking to them like that. They're not beneath you."
"I know. I know" Perrie shook her head, taking her wife's hand. Sometimes she couldn't believe how much she changed. She was such a dick at work but as soon as they left she dropped this stuck up, head and shoulders above the rest persona.
"I'm officially a teacher!!"
"I can't believe you like those little things"
"I love kids. You know that" Leigh-Anne smiled.
"What happens with Jesy? You're working, I'm working." Leigh-Anne asked. She wasn't ready to admit it to herself but Jesy was her baby. She was in too deep, there was no getting rid of her now.
"I'm going to try and get her into school"
"Okay, Ready to go?"
"Yeah. Let me do something really quickly"
Leigh-Anne spoke into the intercom telling the girl that she had two hours to clean the kitchen and that she would be coming to check.
"Alright, come on babe" Perrie stood up taking Leigh-Anne's hand.
They began the drive to her parents house to have dinner while the girl began to work on cleaning the kitchen. She didn't know Leigh-Anne left and she wasn't going to take any chances.
"I hope you heard that you have two hours" Jade nodded starting with the counters. She cleaned them off before collecting all the dishes and garbage. She glanced at the clock. It was five on the dot meaning she had until seven. It took an hour for dishes alone and she began to panic.
-
"Hi mommy" Leigh-Anne let go of Perrie to hug her mother.
"Hey momma" Perrie smiled, hugging her as well.
"Where's daddy?"
"Outside. He's grilling the meat. Set the table for me please" Leigh-Anne and Perrie began setting the dining room table.
"I'm nervous"
"Why?"
"I don't know"
"We're not telling them about Jesy right now, there's nothing to worry about" They agreed to keep Jesy private until they one hundred percent decided to take her in. So she was with her Aunt and Uncle for the day.
"You're right"
"Look who knows how to come home for dinner" Jamie walked in with a big tray of Nyama Choma. He transferred it to a dish in the middle of the table before hugging Leigh-Anne and Perrie.
"How are you, girls?"
"Good." Perrie smiled, Sitting at the table to the left of Jamie while Leigh-Anne sat beside her mom across from Perrie.
"Leigh"
"Hm?"
"How are you, squirt?"
"Dadddd." Leigh-Anne groaned not wanting to be referred to as her childhood nickname in front of her wife.
"Sorry. Can I at least call you Bambina?" Leigh-Anne nodded with a smile.
"Yes" He reminded. Nodding was like a pet peeve of his.
"Sorry, yes. I'm alright. Mommy, you need help?" Leigh-Anne went into the kitchen before Amina could answer.
"What's up with her?"
"We had a little accident a week or two ago."
"What happened? Are you okay?"
"Yeah we're fine. It's a bit of a personal matter"
"Okay. Well if you guys need anything, anything let me know" Perrie nodded thanking him.
"Why are you two being so awkward?" Amina asked, sitting at the table.
"Tell them Pez" Perrie looked at her wife. Not wanting to tell them so early into dinner.
"Oh, um. I got the job. I'm officially an English teacher."
"Congratulations! I'm so proud of you" Jamie smiled, knowing how much Perrie wanted to be a school teacher.
"That's amazing! When do you start?" Leigh-Anne smiled but on the inside she wanted to cry. She didn't want to seem selfish and make everything about her. She wanted to hear those words from her parents. She wanted them to be proud of her, it seemed Perrie was just the child of their dreams.
"Now only if you could become a professor and get Leigh-Anne to go back to school." Perrie didn't have to look at her wife to know she didn't like that comment.
"This is not about me. Let's just celebrate her achievement. This is a big moment for her, don't ruin it. God, you really know how to ruin a moment." Leigh-Anne mumbled the last part, picking over her food.
"It was a joke, Leigh-Anne." Amina clarified
"Well I don't like it. It's not funny"
"Baby" Perrie shook her head when Leigh-Anne looked at her.
"No"
"Come with me" Perrie stood up telling her wife to come with her. She took Leigh-Anne up to her old bedroom.
"Why do I feel like this? I don't feel like myself. I want to go home."
"Let's go home. We'll celebrate at home"
"I don't mean to ruin your achievement. I'm sorry"
"It's okay baby. Don't worry" Perrie hugged her wife, rubbing her back. It was no secret that Leigh-Anne hasn't been herself for quite some time now.
"We're going home"
"They won't let me. This is why I don't like coming here sometimes. I love my mom and dad but I feel like sometimes they make me feel small and I hate that."
"If you're ready to go home we're leaving. Simple as that. We're both grown, we don't have to be disrespectful about it. Let's go" Leigh-Anne held Perrie's hand following her downstairs. This was something Leigh-Anne loved about her wife, she wasn't a pushover. She didnt take shit from anyone, not even Leigh-Anne.
"We're going to head home. Sorry to leave so abruptly."
Leigh-Anne kept her head down not wanting to see her parents react.
"Here. Take some food. Do you want everything?"
"Yes please" Amina packed them some food and handed it to perrie before kissing both their cheeks.
"Where are you going, Leigh-Anne. Someone jokes and you need your wife to take you home?"
"Leave me alone"
"Come here, what are you crying for?"
"Leave me" Leigh-Anne felt like the little six year old she once was.
"What's your problem? You're acting like a brat."
"Jamie leave her alone. Go home and get some sleep."
Perrie pushed Leigh-Anne in front of her.
"Goodnight, guys. I'll come back this weekend"
Once in the car Perrie sat with her hand on Leigh-Anne's thigh.
"I don't know what's wrong with me!"
"There's nothing wrong with you baby. You might just be going through something and that's okay. Do you want to go get Jes or do you need some time alone?"
"We can go get her." Leigh-Anne wiped her face and put her seatbelt on.
"Do you think something is making you anxious or. . . i don't know, maybe depressed? Do you want to see a specialist?"
"You think I'm crazy, too?"
"No baby. Not at all. I will go for an evaluation too. If you feel like something is wrong I want you to get the help you need."
"Okay"
"You want to go?" Leigh-Anne nodded.
"I just want my baby"
"We're going to go get her now."
"Can I take you out for dinner? Our first family dinner."
"Yes baby. I'd love that." Perrie kissed the back of her hand.
"I know I can be a lot. I'm sorry" She began to cry again.
"You're not a lot, baby. Please don't cry. I don't like to see you cry." Perrie didn't like this, mainly because she wasn't used to it. Leigh-Anne wasn't this emotional. At least around her she wasn't.
"I'm sorry"
"Stop apologizing."
-
"Jesy, mama's here" Brenda called for the little girl who was outside playing with Claude.
"Hi mama"
"Hi baby, did you have fun today with Bree and Claude?"
"Yes. Can I spend the night? They have a strawberry shortcake movie"
"Maybe, mommy wants to go out on a family date"
"Can I come back after?"
"Maybe. Come say hi to mommy." Jesy stood up walking with Perrie to their car.
"Is she crying?"
"Yeah. She's a little upset. Do you want to give her a hug and cheer her up?" Jesy nodded, walking over to the passenger door and tapping the window.
Leigh-Anne opened the door.
"Hi mommy. I missed you today" Leigh-Anne smiled. She would be lying if she said that Jesy hasn't grown on her. Leigh-Anne goes out of her way for the approval of a five year old. Little does she know that Jesy does the same.
"Is a hug okay?" Leigh-Anne nodded, pulling Jesy into a tight hug. Perrie began teaching Jesy about boundaries so she asks Leigh-Anne for hugs instead of just running up to her.
"Did you have fun today?"
"Yes. Can I spend the night?"
"If it's okay with Bree and Claude then it's okay with me."
"Okay. Mama says we're going on a date"
"Yes. We'll go get dressed and go out."
"Are you sad, mommy?"
"No, why?"
"You cry alot" Leigh-Anne smiled.
"Leave me alone, bug." Jesy smiled, wrapping her arms around Leigh-Anne's neck.
"Mama says it's okay to cry. So it's okay"
"Get in the back, bub. We have to get going" Perrie came out from talking in the house with her bestfriends.
Jesy climbed over Leigh-Anne, into the back and sat in her booster seat.
"Put your feet down and your seatbelt on."
"Okay. Lets gooo"