Riley's POV
"Wake up Mommy! Wake up, it's Christmas!" Three little voices hassled me out my sleep as three little bodies jumped up and down on me.
Groaning I sat up seeing their anxious faces. "Are we going to Grandma's because I looked under the tree and there is nothing there," Asia asked with a sass in her voice.
"Yes little girl. Go get ready guys. The faster you go, the quicker you can go open your presents."
I had bargained with them yesterday that they could wear their new Christmas pajamas all day at my mom's house as long as everyone behaved. I was bringing emergency outfits just in case they decided to act out.
In thirty minutes, we all met up at the door, jackets scarves mittens and boots on, presents and good food on our mind. We ran quickly to my unlocked car due to the cold air and snowy grounds. After Asia helped the twins buckle up, I drove off.
Christopher opened the door for us. "Hey Auntie Riley." He greeted before hugging me then Asia. The twins on the other hand didn't hug him but instead pushed him further into the house to play.
My mom and sister sat on the couch as they had been waiting for me to arrive. The previously decorated tree sat near the TV with a respectable amount of gifts under it. We had the children sit around it until it was time for us to open them.
"Is Ahlex coming?" My mom asked and she checked her watch. I smiled knowing her present under the tree from me was a new Michael Kors watch.
I pulled out my phone, seeing a text already from her. "She said she's down the road. And she has an apple pie."
"You know we don't eat nothing that girl cooks." My mom grimaced making me laugh.
Ahlex couldn't cook just like I couldn't. But I had to learn something since I had three kids. The practice I had from making Cassius breakfast and dinner sometimes helped a lot, now I can make my kids a full breakfast, I can whip up a quick lunch, dinner was still a hassle but I had a few foods down.
When Ahlex arrived with little Jasmine, my mom immediately took the pie from her hands and took it to the kitchen. Probably threw it away and replaced with the pie she had already made. Rude but I didn't blame her. One of my kids just overcame a sickness we didn't need to cause any more.
"Can we open them now?" Caius whined looking up at me.
"Yeah, go on." My mom called out with her camera already aimed at them.
Without needing to be told twice, they were ripping away at the wrapping. The looks on their faces when they find out they got what they had been asking for all year warmed me. My children were my heart and I honestly would do anything to protect them and to keep them from harm's way.
I know many people might judge me for my initial decision on keeping Cassius away from his children but when you think about it, I am a mother. I have motherly instincts and I feel my kids are not safe around someone or in a certain environment, they are not.
Cassius doesn't have custody of them, he never even had custody of Asia, and he never will. He can pull a front of the court and his family so they can think he "loves me and his children", it's all an act. Even in prison, he still has a hold on me and that is these children. None of this is about meeting them, it's about getting closer to me and my life through them.
"Can I have an iPod like Asia?" Caius asked, climbing into my lap disturbing my dinner.
"When you're Asia's age." I shoveled a forkful of rice into my mouth and chewed. "Didn't I buy you and your brother a Xbox?"
