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NOELANI IS A SAINT, Jalen thought to himself as he turned the spigot connected to the hose all the way to the left and then glanced behind him to where their pets were leashed and tied to the grill on the patio so that they could get a bath.
He didn't know anyone else who held her level of patience when it came to other people.
Jalen was just hoping that Leilani wasn't taking advantage of Noelani's kindness.
His girlfriend was sitting at the table on the patio, filling out job applications for her cousin on her MacBook with one hand and gently holding Alani in her lap with the other so that their child could breastfeed, her eyebrows knitted closely in concentration.
"How many job applications have you filled out now?" Jalen asked in an amused tone as he adjusted his posture, the green colored hose now in his dominant hand.
"I wanna say... Fifteen, now. Maybe more." Noelani asked and crossed her legs underneath her to better support Alani, "The amount of people who need a personal assistant would surprise you. Make it sixteen, now."
Jalen shook his head at her words, "Where is Leilani? Why isn't she doing this?"
"Don't know. She hasn't been answering her phone and I don't know when she's coming back so..." Noelani shrugged before turning back to the screen, "Figured that I would help a little bit."
"You're too nice," Jalen commented as he walked over to the table to wrap his arms around Noelani's neck and then peck the top of her head.
Noelani sighed, "You're probably right but I also can't stop myself. She needs help. She's acting out because she needs her help."
"What she needs is to not be here," Jalen muttered to himself lowly.
Noelani turned her head to glare, letting Jalen know that his words were heard, "You could join me in helping her, you know?"
Jalen walked back over to where the hose was laying on the ground, "I'm not helping anyone who tells you that you should've aborted our child."
Noelani licked her bottom lip then glance below to the aforementioned child, "I... Yeah. I get it. I understand but look at it this way: The quicker we get her a job, the quicker she can qualify for an apartment and the quicker she's not in our house and is out of your hair."
Jalen simply shook his head and turned his attention to where he was filling up an extra mop bucket with water, avoiding giving an answer that could potentially piss off the love of his life.
"You're first, Cin'." Jalen murmured to himself causing the black and tan colored dog to look up at him and then tilt her head to the right.
Jalen loaded up the oversized yellow sponge with dog shampoo and water from the bucket before beginning to gently scrub the dirt from the dog's fur.
After thirty seconds, Jalen stopped and looked at Noelani, "Where's the papers I got for Leilani? That had apartment and some job stuff."
"Her room, I think." Noelani scooted her chair back as Alani detached herself from Noelani's body, showing that she was done breastfeeding.
She put Alani down on the gray patio then readjusted her shirt to cover her chest, "Can you walk to daddy? Go to daddy!"
Jalen grinned then dropped the hose and crouched down in order to receive his daughter.
Alani smiled back, showing off the few teeth she had, and began to make her way over to Jalen, stumbling just a little bit.
Once Alani had reached him, Jalen gently lifted the child into the air and then kissed her cheek.
"Aw, how sweet." Leilani's voice came through the screen door.
Jalen fought the urge to roll his eyes and held his child closer to him in a protective manner and in response, Alani clutched onto the collar of his shirt.
Leilani and a young African American woman with medium brown skin stepped onto the patio.
Jalen couldn't help but notice the gigantic hickey on the side of Leilani's neck and had to resist the almost overwhelming urge to look at Noelani and let out an another 'I told you so'.
"Why you bringing random people over here?" Jalen asked then his eyes bounced over to the stranger, "No offense."
"Not a problem," The woman chuckled and Noelani looked up from the screen then narrowed her eyes a bit in recognition, "JT?"
Jalen flickered his eyes over to Noelani, "You know her?"
"Yeah! Remember that jiu jitsu class I took? She was there." Noelani answered.
"Small world," Leilani commented in an amused tone then tightened her ponytail.
Noelani rose to take the baby from Jalen's hands, "Kid, this is Jamie Taylor or JT... JT, this is my boyfriend Jalen and our daughter Alani."
"Hey," Jalen simply nodded at Jamie before turning back to giving their dogs each a bath and trying not to let his annoyance show at Leilani interrupting what was supposed to have been a sweet moment with his loved ones.
"Your daughter is really cute," Jamie said, sitting down at the table next to where Leilani was seated as well.
"Thank you," Noelani responded then glanced at Jalen who remained quiet.
"Um, how about we go inside?" Noelani asked as she pulled open the sliding door and adjusted Alani so that she was resting on Noelani's hip, "And y'all can tell me how y'all know each other."
"We fucked. Duh," Leilani snickered.
"Don't curse around my kid." Jalen spoke up, stopping in his movement long enough to send a deep scowl Leilani's way.
"Let's just go inside," Noelani suggested, clearly trying to stop another argument between Jalen and Leilani.
Leilani rolled her eyes but pulled Jamie after her into the house and closed the door, causing the trio of women to effectively disappear from Jalen's gaze.
