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Chapter 18

Angel and my father lived in West Cacka-Lacka, or Eureka, which was a well-to-do city in the county of St. Louis. In walking distance of Six Flags Over Mid-America in fact. When I stayed summers there, my daddy bought me and my sister season passes and we would walk there and have so much fun. I never get bored of that place.

Angel hated the place. Outside of taking us a few times when I was younger, she never wanted to go with me anymore. Dad would go on occasion, but he was no fun. Maybe I could take AJ, but he was too little to ride anything.

I loved the feel of pulling up to the house, or mini-mansion as I called it. It used to be Angel's parent's house, but she bought it from them when they retired and moved away. It was five bedrooms, an excessive amount considering it was only Angel and her sister growing up. Even now, I had my own room, Symone had her own room, and AJ had his own room. With a baby on the way, someone was giving up their room.

It might be me.

Or the baby could share with AJ.

It was only a little after five when I pulled up, and I knew that meant Angel was still at work, and so was my father. My dad became super busy when he opened a second car repair shop. He liked to split his time between the two.

I used my key to enter the home, quickly deactivating the alarm system, hoping they did not change it since I was gone.

Then I dropped my things off in my room before heading downstairs to the basement and lounging on the sofa, remote in one hand, phone in another. Netflix on, I looked at my phone and texted King.

Made it home safe and comfy

Let me see

I took a picture of myself laying on the sofa, sticking out my tongue, and sent it to him.

Cute

Are you lonely already?

There are a few people here you know. So no

hope you have fun...all alone. Don't miss me too much

Fresh, I did a lot of things before you

Hurt. Sad face

Then I heard someone coming into the house and I knew it was Angel and AJ.

Gotta go! My baby bro and step mummy are home!

I jumped up fast from the couch so I could run up the stairs and greet them. Angel had already made her way into the kitchen with AJ behind her.

"He-ey!" I threw my arms up, excited to see them, then grabbed my baby brother up in a bear hug, kissing all over his face. "You miss me, AJ?"

"No! Stop it!" He wiped my kisses from his face.

"Now that's mean! You haven't seen me in weeks and this is how you are?"

"Bad Rave! Why you leave and not call me? Mommy said you're a big girl and go away now."

I chuckled at him. This three-year-old and his vocabulary. Already a talker. "I am a big girl. You're a big boy too, right?"

"Un-huh! I wear big boy pants and big boy shoes...like Daddy. I go to big boy school."

A talker, like Symone, that's for sure.

"Can I go to big boy school with you?"

"AJ, we already had that discussion before," Angel said to him, pulling out food to start dinner.

"But whyyyy?" AJ whined, wiggling in my arms.

AJ was spoiled rotten and not that I could help it. He was born rich. Angel was rich, have I mentioned that before? Since opening her store Upscale Designs, first online, and now with a brick-and-mortar location, she racked in lots of money. Women loved to shop so clothes for women would never go out of style.