Ashanti Renèe Robinson, NY 📍

"Jay come on." I said putting Aqua in her car seat. "Come on big girl we gotta go."

"I'm right here let's go."

We were going to the bank to put money in an account for my father in jail. We found out he was sick and the food they gave him there wasn't helping him at all.

"Look she like the wind on her face." Jay said as I drove. I looked in the mirror at her in her seat. She look like she tried to eat the air. I laughed as I pulled into the banks parking lot.

———

"Where's Jo'nae, Demarcus, and Nicole?" I asked Jay. He shrugged.

I put Aqua down on the floor to play with her toys and called Jo'nae.

"Yo."

"Where are you guys?"

"We ran out to the store. Ya want something while we're out."

"Oh nah not me hold on. Jay!" I called out.

"Yea."

"You want something from the store?"

"Nah I'm good."

"Skiddle." Aqua said pointing to her mouth.

"Get Aqua some skittles" I said laughing.

"Yea Demarcus already did that."

"Aight bye see ya when ya get here."

I picked up Aqua and took her to the bathroom for a bath.

"Bae come here."

"Huh?"

"Give me her baby bed time bath out that cabinet."

"Hell nah you not knocking my baby out like that it's only 7."

"Boy shut up you can still play wit yo bestfriend."

He moved the baby bed time out the way and gave me the dove soap. "Boy you don't listen I didn't ask for this."

"I can't hear you." He yelled from the hallway.

I turned back to Aqua and she started laughing.

———

"Bout time." I said walking back in the living room with fully clothed Aqua.

"Sorry. We took a few extra stops." Jo'nae said handing me a strawberry milkshake with my initials in strawberry syrup on top.

"You're annoying." I said taking it.

"No! Mama!" Aqua said touching her mouth. I tilted the cup to her and she took sips of it.

"She gon be off the walls." Jay said laughing.

"I don't know what you laughing for you stayin up wit her."

———

"Aight shut up shut up. Nicole go."

"What was the question again?"

"Would you rather get 100 dollars an hour or everyday?"

"Oh. Everyday."

"She's fuckin stupid!" Demarcus yelled making Aqua laugh.

"De shut up! Why everyday Nicole?" I asked her.

"Because it's more convenient. What the hell would I do with 100 dollars an hour."

"Save it up dumbass!" He yelled again.

"That's dangerous yk how many times you'll be robbed and snaked?" She said.

"That's what the fuck I'm tryna say!" I said jumping up!

"Aight whatever we all have our opinion." Demarcus said. "Aunt Jo'nae, Mommy, and Nicole think it would be better if it were everyday which is dumb." He said holding Aqua. "And ya pops don't know. He's in the middle. We on our own team." He held up his hand for a high five and she high fived him.

We were chillin in Jay's old room upstairs the whole night while we played different games and talked. We were mid conversation when we heard a loud bang.

"What was that?" I asked Jay. He shrugged.

"Is someone knocking?" Nicole asked.

I checked the time it was 12:35am. "They shouldn't be." I responded.

We heard another loud bang followed by glass shattering.

"It's coming from downstairs." Jo'nae said.

"No shit sherlock!" Demarcus said to her.

"Stay here." Jay said turning the light off in the room and slowly walking out. I grabbed his arm and he looked back. "Ma wtf are you doin?"

"I wanna see too."

"You're nosy asl." I walked behind him to the top banister.

Glass was everywhere and there was two men walking around the bottom floor with flashlights but only one had a gun.

"Go back." He whispered pushing me back to the room. He closed the door behind him and started looking through the top drawer of his dresser.

"What are you doin?" Nicole asked.

"Shh. King is here." He told Demarcus handing him a gun.

"Do you always keep them shits on you?" I asked.

He smiled at me as he loaded it. "You can say that."

"Ya stay here." Demarcus said.

"Nah fr. Bae you, Aqua, Jo'nae, and Nicole go in the bathroom closet and sit there don't make not one sound until ya hear us say ya clear to come out."

"Daddy!" Aqua said reaching her arms out.

"Go witcho momma." He said pushing her head back. She laughed.

Jay and Demarcus disappeared out the door and we all went to the bathroom closet.

———

"What do ya think they doin?" Nicole whispered.

"We don't know. All I here is muffled voices." I answered her.

"I'm not feeling good." Jo'nae said putting her head in her knees.

"What's wrong with you?"

"Jus my stomach."

"Momma." Aqua whispered.

"Hum?"

"DeDe got died?" Jo'nae and I snickered.

"No baby not yet."

"Bitch wth you mean yet?" Jo'nae said. "We gon get caught bro we can't do shit w/o laughing."

Suddenly we hear gun shots ring through out the house. I hold Aqua's head to my chest to cover her ears.

"Mama." She said in a worried tone.

"It's okay bby."

"It's just coco melon." Nicole said.

"Coco?" Aqua asked.

"Now why tf would you tell her that!" I told her.

"Sorry I jus wanted to take her mind off of it."

We heard footsteps upstairs now but no voices.

"We gon die bro."

"Nicole shut up." I said moving Aqua behind me.

It was dead silent now. The footsteps sounded like they stopped in front of the bed. Nicole let out a deep sigh.

"Bitch do you ever shut the fuck up!"

"What she do?" Jo'nae asked.

"Bitch gon breathe."

"She stay doin some annoyin shit."

Sorry. Nicole mouthed as I shook my head. The footsteps came to the entrance of the bathroom joined by another pair.

"Aight ya clear." We heard from the other side of the door.

I cracked the door open and peaked out.

"Come on ma damn." Jay said washing his hands in the sink.

I pushed it open and took Aqua from behind me.

"What ya do?" Nicole asked.

"The regular." Jay responded as the blood washed off his hands.