"Looks like the whole damn clan is here" Kadence said to herself as she parked her car behind one of the many cars in her parents' driveway.
Visiting her parents were apart of Kadence's weekly routine, and almost every Saturday she made sure to clear her schedule so that she could spend time with her family. Although she was a very disciplined person, she knew that breaks were necessary so that she would never feel like she was suffocating in the career she had chosen for herself.
"Well look who it is" Kadence's older brother Ryan said as she walked into the living room where everyone's eyes were fixated on ESPN.
"Yes the princess has arrived to make all of your shitty lives better" Kadence smiled.
"Must be time for the princess's rent to be paid" her brother Cameron said laughing.
"No I already did that remember" Ryan smirked.
"Then I wonder to what do we owe the pleasure of seeing our lovely sister," Cameron said.
"Fuck you frick and frack, because unlike you two I always visit my parents, isn't that right daddy" Kadence asked sitting next to her father.
"That's right, hows my baby girl" Charles asked placing a kiss on his daughter's cheek.
"I'm good daddy, how are you"
"Better now that you're here" Charles said putting an instant smile on Kadence's face.
"Now wait a minute pops you said the same thing to us when we first got here, so who you lying to" Kadence's other brother Kortez asked jokingly.
"I don't know why you acting so surprised, we all know Kadence is his favorite" Cameron said.
"Of course she is, that was his very last soldier" Ryan said causing everyone to laugh.
"For your information young bull I still have more than enough ammunition to shoot up the club, just ask your mother" their father winked.
"Aww hell nah" Cameron said covering his eyes as if that would cause him to unhear what he has just heard.
"For real pops stop that right now before I pack up and go" Ryan said pretending to gag.
"Yeah I'm with Ry on this one daddy I do not want to hear about you and mommy's sex life" Kadence shook her head.
"Oh please how the hell yall think y'all got here it wasn't magic" Charles said causing all of his children to groan in unison.
"You a nasty ass old man" Kortez shook his head.
"I would show you what nasty really is if my daughter wasn't sitting right here"
"Oh please Kadence get down just like the rest of us," Ryan said waving their father off.
"She's worst than us if you ask me," Cameron shrugged.
Uh uh leave me out of this" Kadence shook her head.
"Oh what daddy don't know what a heartbreaker his baby girl is" Ryan asked.
"Daddy don't listen to them" Kadence said sweetly.
"Don't worry baby girl I never do that's what they mama is for" her father said causing the both of them to laugh.
"That's some fake shit right there" Ryan shook his head.
"It's okay he better call her the next time his old ass needs something but speaking of mama, you better go speak to her before she has a nervous breakdown" Kortez said, and Kadence knew he was right, her mother always accused her of favoring her father more and even though there was a small ounce of truth to that she didn't have time to deal with her mothers dramatics today.
"You're right, where is she" Kadence asked standing up.
"In the kitchen with your sisters cooking" Charles said before turning his attention back to the television.
"Cali, and Riley are here too?" Kadence asked.
"Ain't that what he just said" Cameron slit his eyes playfully.
"Shut up" Kadence stuck her tongue out before heading to the kitchen, hoping she could make this greeting quick and easy.
Standing in the doorway of the kitchen, she greeted the room of women from her spot as she was unsure if she wanted to enter the kitchen fully, "Hello beautiful people"
"Hi" her sisters greeted her in unison before returning to the food they were preparing.
"I was hoping you would show your face today" Farrah said to her youngest daughter.
"Mama I show my face almost every Saturday" Kadence rolled her eyes.
"I know that but I was hoping today would be one of the Saturday's, especially since you didn't come last Saturday"
"I told you I was-"
"Dancing I know" Farrah cut her daughter off - causing an awkward silence in the kitchen.
"Yeah well umm, I'm going to go back out there with the boys 8 just wanted to say hi" Kadence replied, already drained by her mother and her sisters even though she hadn't even been around them for more than a few minutes.
"You don't want to stay here and help us cook?" Riley asked.
"No" Kadence said dryly before leaving the kitchen and going back into the living room; Kadence knew that it was weird that she wasn't as close to her mother and sisters as she was to her father and brothers but the males in her family understood her in a way that her sisters and her mother didn't and that's why she always gravitated towards them; It had been that way her entire life and she wasn't sure if it would ever change.
"That was quicker than I thought it would be" Kortez smirked and Kadence just shrugged refusing to allow her weird relationship with her mother and her sisters to bother her or ruin her day.
Twenty minutes later they were all seated around the dining room table ready to dig in the food that the three women had prepared for them and so far the tension between the Davine women was down to a zero but Kadence knew that the peace wouldn't last for long.
"Portions Kadence" Farrah said looking at her daughter pile her plate with food.
"Ma please don't start" Kadence rolled her eyes once more.
"Yeah Farrah leave my baby girl alone and let her eat" Charles told his wife - earning a smile from Kadence but an eye roll from his wife.
"I don't know dad, mom might be right - shouldn't little Ms.Jlo be watching her figure" Riley said.
"Well actually, I dance everyday which means I workout everyday so a little bit of carbs won't kill me but thanks sis" Kadence replied sweetly causing all of the men at the table to snicker.
"You can always count on Kadence for that razor sharp wit," Ryan snickered.
"Yeah, that's for sure" Riley said rolling her eyes.
"So I heard you have a date with Jared coming up" Farrah said trying to diffuse the situation between her two daughters.
"Who told you that?" Kadence asked slightly choking on her food.
"I saw Linda at the mall and she told me," Farrah informed her - causing Kadence to roll her eyes once again. She wasn't sure if it was because Jared had ran his mouth or the fact that her mother was bringing this up now.
"Well she must know another Kadence because I am not going on a date with him"
"And why not Jared's a nice young man" Farrah said and her sisters shook their head in agreeance as the men shook their heads in annoyance.
"Because mom I've tried dealing with him before and unfortunately and there's really nothing there and if I'm being one hundred percent honest with you I'm not really interested in going out with a guy who feels the need to tell his mother about something that wasn't even finalized as a date"
"Well what's wrong with a man wanting to tell his mother about you" her mother asked.
"Nothings wrong with it but I'm not his girlfriend which makes it kind of weird"
"Well I think it's cute" Cali said.
"And I think it's weird so maybe you can go out with him" Kadence snapped.
"Someone's testy today" Cali said and Kadence just smirked before putting her attention back on her food not wanting it to get cold.
"We just want you to be happy Kadence no need to be all snappy" Farrah said offended by her daughter's attitude.
"I am happy mom so can we please change the subject" Kadence asked taking a bite of her bacon.
"Well I for one would love to know how dance has been going for you," Cameron said.
"Really becau-"
"Do we really need to talk about that right now" Farrah asked cutting Kadence off.
"Well given the fact that the four of us take turns paying her rent so that she can focus on her dream I would say it's necessary to talk about it," Ryan said.
"Fine" Farrah said before taking a sip of her mimosa and giving her daughter her undivided attention.
"Well I have a job opportunity that I wanted to talk to you all about"
"We're all ears" Charles smiled supportively.
"Okay so you all know Sire the Don right?" Kadence asked.
"Duh K" Ryan raised his eyebrow.
"I don't know who he is" Farrah said.
"He's only all of our favorite rapper, keep up ma" Cameron said earning a chuckle from Kadence.
"Well I met him yesterday and he offered me a job to be the lead in his new music video and I'm thinking about taking it" Kadence said knowing that getting straight to the point was, a whole lot better than beating around the bush especially with her family.
After making her statement Kadence looked around the table at everybody's faces and each person held a different expression but the only one Kadence could read clearly was her mother's and she knew just by the look on her face that Farrah wasn't a fan of Kadence being in a music video whether she was going to be the star or not.
"Well" Kadence asked no longer being able to take the silence.
"That's dope sis" Cameron smiled.
"You really think so" Kadence asked knowing that the approval from her brothers would give her the push she needed to take the job.
"Definitely dope K and big exposure too I think you should take it," Ryan told her.
"Well I don't think she should" Farrah said immediately.
"Are you crazy mom, why not?" Cameron asked.
"Because it's bad enough that she chose dance as a career in the first place I don't want her becoming some video vixen" Farrah shook her head disapprovingly.
"One video does not make me a video vixen mom stop being so dramatic please"
"I don't know K mom might be right" Kortez said shocking Kadence and everyone else at the table.
Kadence and Kortez weren't twins but being only one year apart they were as thick as thieves and he always had her back, so it was weird that he was taking a stance against her and Kadence didn't understand why.
"Don't get me wrong K, you know I support you one hundred percent but did you really come this far just to become a video girl" Kortez asked.
"I'm not trying to be a video girl or a vixen for that matter but I'm also not going to miss out on opportunities just because you guys don't think it's up to standard I mean it's not like I'm going to get on the pole" Kadence said.
"Well stripping in someone's video is pretty damn close" Farrah insisted.
"Twisting much" Kadence asked looking at her mother.
"If you want to be a respected choreographer I don't think this is the route you should take Kadence" Cali added.
"Wow" Kadence chuckled.
"We're not trying to make you upset Kadence, but I just want you to think about if this is the kind of exposure you want" Kortez said.
"You're reading too much into this Tez, if you ask me she's making a strategic career move and with the hottest rapper in the industry might I add, what is there for her to think about?"
"How people will perceive her and what they'll think of her" Cali said.
"I don't care what other people think, you all should know that" Kadence said.
"Well why'd you ask us in the first place" Riley asked.
"Because you're my family and I wanted to include you guys in my life but I definitely didn't think you guys would react this way, it's just a music video not a porno"
"I don't care what it is I don't think it's something a respectable young woman should do, and if this is a voting matter then you have my vote and it's not going to change" Farrah said.
"Okay who else at this table doesn't think I should do it" Kadence asked and everyone raised their hands except Cameron Ryan and her father who hadn't spoken a word yet.
"What do you think daddy" Kadence asked.
"I think that you know what's best for you and whatever that is you should go for it no matter what anyone thinks including us"
"Agreed pops, Kadence isn't a baby anymore so right here right now we all need to accept the fact that she has to make her own decisions and sometimes it may be one that we don't like, but the support never stops," Ryan said.
"Thanks Ry and trust me I've heard all of you and I will take all of your concerns into consideration" Kadence said just as her phone began to vibrate in her pocket; She pulled it out and saw a text from Sabian inviting her to the studio, and she was extremely grateful for his timing because now she had a real excuse to leave and didn't have to make one up.
"Well I hate to cut this short but duty calls" Kadence said standing up.
"K you don't have to leave" Cameron said.
"I do but I'll be back next Saturday, thanks for brunch ma" Kadence said sliding her phone into her back pocket and leaving the dining room before anyone else could protest.
"K wait up" Kortez called right before Kadence could walk out of the door.
"You're not mad at me right" he asked since her always neutral face didn't give away what she was feeling at the current moment.
"Why would I be mad, I asked your opinion and you gave it to me" Kadence shrugged.
"Don't be like that K"
"I'm not being like anything, this is who I am you know that but what's up because I really have to get going" Kadence said honestly; Sabian was all the way on the other side of town and she wanted to beat the traffic or at least as much as she could.
"I just wanted to say that just because I'm not ecstatic about this doesn't mean I'll stop supporting you, but I'm your brother Kadence I have to be skeptical about these kinds of things"
"I know" Kadence nodded.
"Well I know I won't get too much more out of you, but promise you'll think this through"
"I will Tez I promise" Kadence smiled.
"Okay be safe, I love you"
"I love you too".
And just like that Kadence was off to meet with the person that could possibly change her life forever.