SPREAD THIN [ABOOGIE] - CURRENTLY EDITING

[CHAPTER FIFTEEN] "Never too old to party."

Hours later..

As the days rolled around Mariah tried her best to go on with her daily routine while Vena waited to hear from a judge. She hadn't been working lately, the small wedding was the only booking she accepted in months. She recommended her clients to different people she thought could get the job done right. She wanted to be hands on with the girls for a while. She made a lot of money in the last year and she put a lot of hours in. She just wanted to be a mom for a while. And now that her mom was in situation because of her, she needed the girls as a distraction.

"What did you learn today baby girl?" Mariah asked Zein as she drove home with Hollis and Maryam in the car. Dawsyn was still asleep when she left the house.

"1+1 is 2, 2+1 is 3 3+1is 4+1 is 5 and 5+1 is.." She started counting on her fingers .."It's a big word meh meh."

"Count to it.."

"1..2..3..4..5..6?" Mariah clapped her hands as she walked on the light to change. "I have to tell your dad how smart you are." Zein giggled in her seat. Mariah got a call from her dad.

"She dropped the charges. I'm going to get mom now."

"That's good. You want me to come over? I have the girls with me."

"Yeah I'm sure your mom would love to see her grand babies after all of this."

"Okay pops, I'll use the spare key to wait for you."

"Drive safe Mariah. I love you." He hung up and she waited to make a turn as she changed her lane. "Thank you Jesus." She was glad Lucinda did the right wrong. She didn't know how she would've forgiven her if she didn't. She just wanted to hug her mom and sit with her. Vena was her rock.

Everyone but Vena was stressing about the situation. She told the cops she was gladly slap her again if she came after her daughter. She didn't play about her daughters the same way Lucinda fought about her boys. She wasn't about to be anyone's punk.

"It's important to Andre that the girls have a relationship with his mom." Mariah said to Vena as they sat in the backyard watching Zein play in the grass.

"That doesn't mean she has to be invited to everything. I'm not sure if I can control myself around her." She held Hollis while Mariah had Maryam.

"Of course I'm not going to put you in a situation where you could get locked up again. If we have to do spilt between two house that's fine."

"I hope Thomas's family isn't crazy." Vena said putting ice on her knuckles.

"I pray about it all the time." Mariah said laughing. "We have enough crazy to go around."

"Ma.. what's going on?" Deandre asked stepping into his mom house after she finally gave him a call back. She had calmed down and she knew she couldn't hide forever.

"I'm your mother you're supposed to have my back."

"All I asked you was, the girls looked upset what happened.."

"Yeah the girls looked upset, you didn't even ask me what happened. I was upset too! That little girl was butting in family business and her mom was really rude to me."

"You can't attack my wife and her family ma. Y'all can have a dispute with words without using your hands. Nobody wants somebody charging at them spitting venom."

"I'm your mother!"

"So I'm not allowed to tell you when you're wrong?" Lucinda got quiet. "Do you not want me to be happy?"