Thanksgiving was amazing! Having my auntie Harper here was like a dream come true. Her oldest son, Mazikin, even popped up on Thanksgiving Night as a surprise to all of us. I didn't realize how much I needed and missed my family until they were right here.

Now, we were in my cousins G-Wagon headed to visit my dad. We decided not to tell the girls so they could be surprised. My dad wrote to both of them every week and they wrote back. It was cute. I always put little notes in their envelops that he'd respond to but I couldn't write long letters without breaking down. My dad always taught me to be strong, especially when it came to the twins. I wanted to make him proud. I was so nervous I had to go to Instagram to distract myself.

She thought I wasn't gone post that ass! I told you ! Now stop ignoring my text best friend 😩 #MySquishy

😲

😲

😂

Woooow 😐

🤦🏾‍♀️ you soooooooo impatient I swear 😂

...

A girl's first love is always her father 🥰 Papi you still got the key to ya baby girl's heart 💜 I still remember every word from this conversation 😔 but I'll always be strong for you 😌❣️

😘 we got you forever Sunny

...

The prototype 😎

Yassssss fit !

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Last pic with my big bro ☺️ can't wait to take more again

Fam First 💯

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Baby got that eye 📸 😘

Go Best Friend! 🥰

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Never had a pops but I always had you Unc ! Respect ! Always gone take care of family #KingShxt🤴🏽

Call me babe!

Ain't that ole girl pops?!

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Who gone braid me up?! Best friend where you at 👀

Be back tonight bestie boo but I got you 😘

👀

Put some clothes on bruh!

...

My babies waiting on their surprise 🥰 can't wait to see their faces

...

I locked my phone laughing at all the random post from Pharaoh. I looked around and notice everyone sleep but me. Mazikin notice too since he looked at me through the review.

"So how you been Sunny?"

"I been making Mazi. Can't complain. Plus you guys always sending me money"

"Of course but money don't buy happiness baby girl. I can tell you not happy"

"I'm content"

"Look I know it's a lot on you, but you gotta know that we got you"

"Everybody is back there... and I can't go back there"

"You can always come back home"

"It's not home for me anymore Mazi. And as much as I love Slidel... I don't go home to hide from the world. I go to see my family"

"Yeah" he sighed focusing back on the road "But you know I'm just a call away baby girl"

"I know but you running daddy's legacy back home. I couldn't take you away from that"

"What if you weren't?" he smirked in the review mirror "What if big cousin was right here in the A?"

"You wouldn't leave Daddy's company—"

"Who said anything about leaving the company?" He looked at Auntie Harper checking to see if she was sleep, which she was "I'm talking about expanding"

"What?" My mouth dropped

"Remember my best friend Marvin?"

"Vinny? Of course"

"He's been out here a few weeks scoping out shops. A lot of people in Atlanta have luxury cars and we trying to expand the business here. Especially with how many people come here to start a career and flex on people" he laughed "If pops give the blessing then I'm trying to be out here by next year"

"Mazikin please tell me your serious" I felt my eyes water "If you're fucking with me yo I'm—"

"Aye watch that mouth" he glared at me before smiling "And I'm dead ass baby girl. We all agreed we don't want you out here by yourself. Who better to come than me"

"Whose gone run things back home"

"Uncle Marcel got out last year and he's been working with me like he use to pops. You know they started the business together. Plus if pops get out in the A I want him to be able to go back to the work he knows"

"Mazi you really though of everything" I cried and hugged him from behind "I love you big bro"

"I love you too baby girl" he parked the car "Now wipe them tears, we here now"

I let him go immediate and looked around. I got out and took a deep breath. I could see people heading inside and men in the distance watching. It wasn't long before my sisters were on both side of me holding my hands. I knew I had to be strong for them. We left everything but our jackets and identification in the car. Auntie Harper made sure to get the twins IDs when she got to town.

We headed inside and went through the search process. I had only experienced it once but it was definitely not something you wanted to get use to. Once we were all completely through, they lead us to a huge space with family size tables.

"There he is!" Mazikin got hype

I followed behind everyone else taking it all in. I still couldn't see him because my family was on front of me. Mazikin was hugging him before Auntie Harper did. The twins squeezed my hands so I pulled them into hugs kissing there foreheads.

"I told y'all I had a good surprise" I whispered before pushing them forward

I watched as my father, who I last saw at my mothers funeral and last hugged at my first visit to him behind bars when I was sixteen, engulf my sobbing little sisters in the most protective loving hug a father could give his daughter. It was in that moment that I felt everything.

Every emotion I tried to hold in to be strong. Every ounce of pain I felt from the day he left to my mother dying. I felt it all and I was breaking as I stood there with tears falling. Mazikin stood in front of me trying to calm me down but I couldn't hear anything he was saying.

"Mazi... move" my father spoke

Mazikin steppes to the side and there I was face to face with my heart and soul. My protector. My father. In a flash I was the same little girl who cried for her daddy the moment happiness left her body. He touched my hands and pulled me into the hug I've missed so much.

I broke down in my fathers are crying my eyes out. He kissed my cheek and my forehead then held me like I would slip away if he let go.

"I missed you so much Sunshine" he whispered "I love you baby girl"

"I'm sorry daddy!"

"For what?" He pulled away holding my face in his hands with a look of concern "Why baby?"

"I'm not strong anymore daddy" I sobbed "I promise—"

"No baby I'm sorry" he kissed my temple "I should've never ask you to be strong. I want you to let that go baby. I made my decision. Aight? I'm here because I did the right thing for my family whether the law agrees or not. I should've killed the bitch if you ask me"

We both laughed before he hugged me again. He pulled the twins in and we just embraced like we used to when he would come home from work. He let us go and we went to his table. He talked with the twins first, letting them talk his ear off about school and everything else that came to mind. When it was my turn I just shrugged and smiled.

"Come on baby girl" my dad grabbed my hand "Talk to me"

"It's nothing to talk about Papi. I've just been doing my classes and taking care of them"

"She got a boyfriend" Isis giggled

"A what?!" Mazikin and my dad shouted

"Down!" A guard called out

Inmates started shhing their families but my dad just shook his head.

"What nig—"

"Mazi chill" I laughed "I promise y'all I don't have a boyfriend. I'm not talking to anybody. Nothing. She's talking about this guy that I'm friends with"

"You ain't never been friends with no nigga before" Mazi raised his eyebrow

"We have mutual friends. He's cool people I promise but that's all it is. Homie you a girl and everything"

"That don't mean shit" my dad laughed "Mommy had a whole dude when we met"

"Papi!" The twins laughed

"She hated this story" he smiled looking out the window "She went to a different school and we had a game against each other. I played ball but got a two game suspension so I was just chillin. I check her out cheering on the side. Halftime come, I go make my move. I'm marking Mommy hard" he laughed "This ole swole Incredible Hulk looking nigga roll up trying to buck but I'm chillin"

"Then what happen?" The twins eagerly asked

"He tried to fight me but I just walked away. Being the mature young man I was"

"Lies!" Auntie Harper laughed "He walked away because he would've gotten expelled for fighting for like the fifth time in a month!"

"Whatever! Point is I walked away, but not before slipping Mommy my number. About a week passed before she hit me up. I was super geeked. Mommy was gorgeous and a firecracker with the attitude"

"Mommy said she called you because she had a dream about you"

"Yeah" he looked at me "She dreamt of the day we had you. When she told me that dream, I knew she'd be mine forever. It's like we fell in love after that conversation because we saw what our future was"

"But I was an accident" I laughed "I—"

"Just because you weren't planned doesn't make you an accident Sunshine!" He kissed my cheek "We always knew you were in our future, just didn't know it was going to be a year later that we got you"

"That's sweet Papi" the twins said

"Yeah" he sighed "E was my fairytale"

I could feel my daddy's energy shift and him become sad. I decided to change the subject and randomly talk about the girls dance classes. Papi immediately was happy again when I showed him clips on my phone.

We continued to talk and even play random board games they had available for hours. It felt amazing being with my daddy again. He was so happy to see us and even more happy when Mazi revealed his master plan. I didn't realize Papi had no intention on going back to Louisiana once he got out. I was happy to know we would all be in Georgia together.

When it was time to go, the girls cried harder than expected. Papi eventually compromised to them coming to visit the second weekend in the month and on holidays. I agreed to follow the same schedule unless I really needed to see him. He still didn't want us there much but I know it meant just as much to him to have us for those four hours.

The ride home was silent and peaceful. I slept dreaming of my fifteen birthday with my family. It was one of my last purely happy memories and it meant everything to me.