Haze

16

**** 7 Years Later ****

"Jazmine if you don't hurry your ass up! I will leave you!" Dave shouted from the first level of their two story home.

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" Jazmine rushed down the stairs with a two year old on her hip.

"Kenzie decided to go play in the shower again. I told you you need to close the door behind yourself!" Jazmine mugged him before setting Kenzie down.

"You was stinky mamas?" Dave scooped Kenzie up. She let out a loud giggle as she rubbed noses with Dave.

"Lets go see sissy walk across the stage." Dave grabbed her Power Puff Girl's "black edition" backpack and they all were on their way to Jaliyah's college. She had did two years of college for nursing in high school and just finished her fourth year last month.

"I can't wait to see her!" Jabari cheesed. He missed his sister. She would sometimes come home on Saturdays but, it became less and less frequent as time went on to get a job at the county hospital.

~

The East's made their way to the stadium in which Jaliyah's graduation was being held.

All through the ceromy, they screamed for Jaliyah and Jabari and Raine waved the signs they made for her. She waved at them on stage, blowing a kiss and got her degree and exited the stage. Since it was a country town, they were immediately handed their degrees.

Jaliyah caught up with her family once the ceromy hand concluded.

"I'm so proud of you baby girl." Dave pulled her in for a hug. They rocked together as Dave began to shed tears.

"Oh daddy, you're going to mess up my makeup." Jaliyah began to cry too.

"You don't need this shit anyways, all my kids are sexy as fuck." Dave nodded flipping his imaginary hair.

"I miss you sis!" Jabari and Raine hugged her and gave her the flowers they picked out of Jazmine's garden for her.

"Awe these are so beautiful and smell real good, thank y'all. I've missed y'all too. I promise to try to come over more. Where is my little chipmunk?"

"BOO!" Kenzie popped up from behind Jabari.

"Hey stinka!" Jaliyah bent down and threw her baby sister in the air, carefully catching her. Kenzie giggled, yelled and was slobbering everywhere, being her usual goofy self.

"I missed you so much Stinka." Jaliyah blew raspberries on her stomach and neck.

"Alright you better stop before she pees on you." Jazmine laughed.

"Yeah, she always pees on me." Jabari shook his head.

"Hell yeah, peed right in my face in mid throw... almost didn't get caught." Dave mean mugged. Kenzie stuck her tongue out at him and hid with a smile in her eldest sister's neck.

"So, you know Mother Dear nem left after they called your name to heat up the food, we better get going." Jazmine nodded.

"Definitely." Jaliyah nodded.

~

"Thanks so much for the gifts and the love! I thank everyone from the bottom of my heart. Also, thanks to you all for being in my life. Each and every one of you have actually inspired me to go harder and do something, hell y'all lowkey pushed me to be better than any of my competitors. I wanna thank you Mama for taking me under your wing as your own and loving me the best way ever. I don't think anyone has ever showed me as much love as you have."

"AHEM!" Dave coughed and looked up causing Mother Dear to pop him. Everyone laughed.

"You too dad, we have had our ups and downs but, you're the best dad i could have every asked for. I love you so much and appreciate you pushing all of us to be better. Oh and Kenzie and Raine, just wait until y'all hit preteen years... he will get on your nerves."

"Hollup now!" Dave shot up with hands on his hips but Jazmine pulled him to sit back down.

"My baby brother, man I love you kid. We have been through so much together but, we've always had each other backs and that's not gonna change. You really pushed me to be better, to give you guidance if you ever get lost to somewhat follow my footsteps but to chose your own course of life. I love you fool."

Jabari fanned his face as if he were blushing.

"Kenzie... Raine. I love y'all so much! Y'all are like my mini me's. Y'all inspire me so much and it's a must that I be a role model for the two of y'all. I want y'all to listen to mom and dad cause they won't lead you wrong. Now when y'all hit 13 I know we're going to be even closer, you'll understand when the time comes and I'll for sure be here for y'all and to protect y'all from daddy cause he WILL go crazy."

"Mother Dear, Uncle MC... I love y'all so much and thank you for being here for us, all of us. Mother Dear, thank you for keeping our heads above water. It has never been a time in which we called and you weren't there. You was there for me and now it's time for me to be here for you." Jaliyah handed her a black glitter gift bag.

Mother Dear looked in the bag, removing the orange glitter tissue paper, her favourite colour.

"Oh my god, babygirl. I can't take this." She shook her head.

She tried to hand Jaliyah back the bag of money.

"Nah, that's all you. I love you." Jaliyah bent down hugging her.

"As for you Papa, thank you for making Mother Dear happy. She never has a dull moment and I've noticed that that sparkle in her eyes have never left. Whatever you're doing, keep it up and I hope whenever I find someone to settle own with, we share the same love and chemistry."

Jaliyah continued her way around the room, thanking Frank's granddaughters and great-granddaughters.

"Here's to love, peace, guidance, and life. This is only the beginning." Dave proposed a toast.

"SALUTE!"

Everyone was happy, it was as if the fog had cleared... they were no longer in a Haze.