𝖲𝗍𝗋𝖾𝖾𝗍 𝖠𝖿𝖿𝖾𝖼𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇

𝟦𝟧 | 𝖥𝖠𝖬𝖨𝖫𝖸 𝖬𝖠𝖳𝖳𝖤𝖱𝖲

CORINNE WAS AT A FAMILY DINNER FOR Coriah's birthday where she was the chef. "So you moved out on momma?" Lorenzo asks over FaceTime because in Kenneth's words "He got that shit."

"She told me if I went over there, I couldn't come back." Corinne tells him. "So what y'all doing over there?" Kenneth asks. "Nothing. We just been kicking it."

"Yeah, yeah. You better not come out of quarantine pregnant." Toot says. "I'm actually on my period right now. Thank you very much." Corinne says. "Why?I been told you to get the shot." Coriah asks. After Coriah had Jacobi, she got back on Depo and hadn't seen a period in almost two years.

"Cause I am?" Corinne responds, when she knew the reason was the Plan B she took that fucked up her cycle again. She was contemplating taking her sister's advice. Corinne puts the homemade mashed potatoes in food trays and on the plates for herself, her mother, sister and brother-in-law.

"Treale finna come to the door to get the plates." Kenneth says. Corinne nods her head, putting them in plastic bags. "Now you know I didn't mean that. You can always come home." Nicole says when Corinne sits down.

"Ma, you tell me not to say stuff I don't mean so how come you can?" Corinne asks. "I know that was hypocritical but Ion think you should be living with that boy. You too young." Nicole tells her.

"I'm not living with him. We just quarantining." Corinne says. "Corinne..." Nicole deadpans. "Please mommy? Just till quarantine over and you can pop up whenever."

"If I pop up and I don't like what I see you coming home." Nicole mutters. "Okay." Corinne smiles before leaning over to give her momma a kiss. "Un-uh. Girl, Ion know where yo lips been." Corinne rolls her eyes standing up. "Don't roll yo eyes at me no more, lil girl. I'll still whoop yo ass." Nicole threatens. "You ain't never whooped me before though." She laugh picking Jacobi up from his bouncer. "You wanna FaceTime Big Stink, little stink?" Corinne asks the baby FaceTiming "🤍."

His trap phone got to be "stinkk 💋"

"Wassup nephew?" He answers the phone completely ignoring Corinne. Jacobi starts babbling when he focuses in on Demon on the screen.

"Tell yo momma happy birthday for me." Demon tells the baby as they continue to have a conversation while Corinne just holds Jacobi.

"Who he talking to?"

"Adonis." Corinne tells her brother in law making him take her spot. "I feel disrespected."

$ $ $

"I'm finna quit." De'Anna tells her kids as the group FaceTime. "I thought you loved that job." Katrina says softly although she wouldn't mind being able to see her mother in person again. "I do but fifteen people die alone on my floor everyday and I can't take it no more. I hate having to make those calls and tell folks that they people dying and they can't say goodbye. I can't keep doing this." De'Anna admits.

It was taking a mental toll on her and she was craving drugs but she had a lifestyle that she had to maintain. When it came down to it, De'Anna was doing what she should've done when she snorted that first line of cocaine and putting her kids first. She was constantly fighting and restraining herself from the substance that she used "to get through the day" by remembering that it ruined her life.

"It can't be that bad." Demon says.

"I wanna start using again, bubba. If I keep coming here everyday to a job where I'm supposed to be saving people only for them to die in a situation where I'm helpless, I know I'mma start using again and I don't want too."

De'Anna always was honest with her kids ever since she got joint custody of them after getting clean and graduating nursing school. Being honest was the only way they were going to trust her.

"So quit. I'll book you a hotel for two weeks and you can go there." Demon tells his mother. "And I'll make Daddy bring you chicken. Like the ones they got at the club." Katrina adds.

"I told momma I was gone quit and she told me not to."

With De'Anna being an essential worker in the middle of a pandemic, she had to isolate herself from her family and friends so she had no idea that her baby daddy was out. "Cause she letting Juwan stay at the house." Demon tells her. He had went by to see if she had came to her senses per Corinne's request and he was still there.

"Juwan?" De'Anna asks, her nerves immediately building up. Even after fourteen years, she still vividly remember every moment of physical and verbal abuse. "She letting him stay at the house?" She continues to question when her kids nod.

"I'mma call y'all back when I leave." De'Anna says hanging up to call her ex-husband. "What you need, DD?" Vic answers the phone. D.D. used to be her initials when they were married and he hadn't grown out of the habit of calling her that. "He out." She says shakily. "Who? Kaiser? Or Scooter?"

"Wan...Juwan out and my momma got him staying with her." De'Anna speaks slowly. "What you want me to do?" He asks. Even after all he put her through, the least he could do was come through when she needed it. "Figure out why. Bubba jumping to conclusions but my momma hate him. She not gone willingly let him live in her house."

De'Anna feared for her mother's safety. People weren't doing their jobs right. His parole officer probably hadn't even gotten to his name yet. He could be back on drugs and back to his abusive ways. "I'll let you know what I find." Vic tells her. "And don't tell-"

"I'm not tell Bub. He don't need no more bodies. Especially that one." He nods. "Thank you." She whispers softly. "I'll do anything for you. You know that right?" Vic asks. "I know." De'Anna nods. "I miss you." He says. "You have a wife."

"You never cared about her before." Vic tells her. "I was young and stupid. Jackie not the best person but she ain't deserve that the first time and she don't deserve it again." De'Anna mutters. "We know I always get what I want, DD but let me call you back later when I get some information."