😗sorry for any mistakes

Houston, Tx

January 16th

Tuesday

"M-maybe if I talk to them—"

"I'm sorry sweetheart but they said the cameras weren't on that day. There isn't anybody else we can really do" The Caucasian woman thinned her already thin lips together, cutting Caydence off.

Caydence sighed, rubbing her hands down her face and Kapri just mugged the white lady who is supposed to be Quincy's lawyer. Pri rubbed Caydence back in a comfort way "Are you even tryin'?" She finally broke her silence.

Cay internally sighed. She didn't want Pri to say anything since she knew how much her mouth could get.

The lady jerked her head back some, guessing very taken back from Kapri's tone "Excuse me?" She clasped her hands together on her desk with her thin eyebrow rose.

Cay just shook her head "Your supposed to be my uncle's lawyer but isn't helpin' wit' shit. You got my granny and cousin payin' you an arm and leg jus' for you to come back with nothin'. Every meetin' you come back with nothing. What are they even payin' you for?" Kapri scoffed.

Cay didn't say anything because she honestly agreed. All she was able to do was reopen the case which Caydence was happy about but she hasn't done anything besides that. She wasn't helping find evidence, it was starting to become a waste to Caydence but she was really the only lawyer she could afford at the moment.

"I am trying Ms. Holmes. No new evidence hasn't popped up in his case. I can't do anything about that. All the evidence points to him. Have you ever thought he isn't as innocent—"

"Shut da' fuck up!" Caydence finally snapped, not wanting to hear another person try to accuse her father of something he didn't do. The Caucasian woman jumped in fear at the base of Caydence's voice and Kapri shook her head at the lady.

"You know what?" Caydence shook her head, standing up from her seat and Kapri followed suit, standing up from her seat. "You're fired. You're clearly not trying to help an innocent black man get his freedom back. You don't even care, and I hope you rot in hell" Cay spat, looking at the now red lady in front of her who was now clearly embarrassed and scared by Cay's tone.

Caydence didn't even know why she would get a white lawyer in the first place. White people were who had her dad facing life in prison right now. For a crime he didn't even commit, she knew she should've listened to her grandmother but she was too focused on getting her dad out.

Caydence stormed out of the office, very overwhelmed and tired. She didn't have time to sleep now. She had to get on the internet to find a new lawyer and go pick Kory up from school.

Caydence's whole body shook as they stood in the elevator. Kapri could tell her cousin wasn't mentally okay but she knew trying to be there for Cay would only make her push you away even farther.

She would be there for anyone, all you had to do was call but she would never let someone be there for her. She was a very independent person, even when she was younger she always had to do everything herself without help.

You can't depend on anyone but yourself is the mindset she grew up on and what her mother screwed into her head. The two people she did depend on, one turned their back on her and the other was locked up.

They stepped out of the elevator and walked out of the tall building in silence. Too much was rushing through Cat's head at once. Bills were due next week, she was going to put money on her dad's books next week too. Her whole body was sore from last night's work activities that she has to go back to do tonight.

She was so sleepy but she knew it was worthless to go to sleep if she was just going to wake up in one hour. She wanted to break down and cry but she didn't want to be weak nor did she have time to cry. She honestly hasn't cried since the day she left her mother's house.

She had to always be strong, she didn't have time to be weak.

She needs a blunt.

"Dee" She heard Kapri say as they walked to the car in the parking garage. Caydence raised her eyebrow after snapping out of her thoughts "What 'bout him? You want me to take you over there?" She asked, unlocking the doors to her car.

"He can help us get uncle Q out" She stated, going to the passenger side.

"Yeah no," Caydence instantly shook her head, opening the driver's side door and getting inside. She knew asking Dee for help was an option but she knew how dirty Dee gets. She didn't want anyone dying behind her trying to get her father out.

Innocent people didn't deserve that so she didn't want it.

"Cay, we already tried the legal way and all it did was stress you out and put more than what's on your plate" She reasoned. Caydence pressed the start button, putting her foot on the brakes and allowing her car to cut on.

"Okay but that doesn't mean people have to die Pri. I kno' that store lyin' about not havin' the footage but—"

"Nobody has to die, Cay. Nobody will die, it's not needed but we need someone with his type of connections. His help will stop us from running in circles. We have been tryin' ta' get the footage and witnesses to speak up for a year now. It's all been a slap in the face" Kapri stressed as Caydence listened to her and looked at the camera on the dashboard to help back out the parking spot.

Caydence bit on her bottom lip, thinking. "That's all you see him doin'? Killin' people?" Kapri frowned, looking over at her.

Caydence sighed, leaning back in her seat "No but you kno' how he gets when he wants info. Especially because everyone wanna act like they don't wanna give and help. It's like everyone trying to hide shit ya' kno? I don't want him ta' put someone 6 feet inside because of it" Caydence explained, focusing on the road.

If Caydence was being honest, she didn't know what he did. All she knew was that it was dangerous and how fast-tempered he was. She watched him hold someone at gunpoint before because they were playing with him.

"Maybe if dey stop playin' on my baby top, he wouldn't have to lose his home training" Kapri rolled her eyes.

Caydence laughed lightly. One thing about her cousin, she was always going to defend her man. Right or Wrong, nobody couldn't tell her anything when it came to Dee. Caydence honestly loved that, they gave her bonnie and Clyde vibes, just without them dying at the end.

"Okay. I'll ask him." Caydence nodded. She wanted her dad with her, she was going to do anything to get him with her. As long as nobody got hurt in the process.

She wouldn't be able to handle that in her mind.

_________________

Houston, Tx

January 17th

Wednesday

"Yeah. Me and my friend Stephanie made these friendship bracelets. They're only colorful rubber bands but they're super cute!" Kory rambled on to Quincy. They sat in the close to an empty room on the hard and silver tables during their weekly visits.

Quincy and Caydence just laughed at her. She was such a cheerful little girl. Always brought a smile to everyone's face, just from her always being in good spirits. She never stopped smiling.

Caydence hoped to keep her little sister smiling. That's why she works so hard every day.

"Wow pumpkin, you didn't make me a bracelet" Quincy jokingly faked a sad look on his face. Kory gasped and grabbed his face "O.M.G! You wanted one? I can make you one, and sissy can have one too" She cheesed, making him smile as well.

"Bring it next week. I want blue and white" He nodded, his head.

"Like the American flag? We aren't American daddy" She curled her little nose up and pinched her little eyebrows together.

Quincy blinked his eyes a few times at her "What are we den Pumpkin?" He asked confusedly. Caydence tried to hold in a laugh, already knowing what she was about to say.

"Aliens. Duhh. Sissy said we're aliens from mars" She nodded and looked at Caydence to see if she was right. Caydence just busted out laughing and Quincy chuckled a little.

"Why would you tell her that?" He still laughed and Kory looked between the two, wondering what was so funny.

"Becausee, one day we saw this pregnant lady and she asked where kids come from. So I told her mars and how all black people are Aliens" She laughed even harder, putting her hand on her chest.

Kory definitely needed a parent in her life because Caydence will tell her anything fit. She wasn't ready for the birds and bees talk or the random questions. Kory loved asking questions too, she wanted to do what everyone else did so she asked questions.

She was a repeater too. Caydence always had to watch her mouth around her or Kory was going to repeat what was said, loud and proudly.

Quincy laughed at his daughters "Well I changed my mind. I want green and white. Like the alien flag" He chuckled.

"Okay! I'll put the best dad in the wholeeeeee world on it too" Kory cheesed, showing her gap and one of her bottom teeth missing, making them all smile. Although she had their mother's face, she had Quincy's smile all the way.

"Can I get a snack please?" She asked, he nodded, picking her up from his lap. "Go see out much it is first Bookie," Caydence said, pointing to the vending machine on the side of them.

Kory nodded before she started skipping over to the vending machine. "You want something?" Caydence asked her dad as she took her clear case off of her blue iPhone 13 max pro. She always carried a few 5's when they came to visit just in case Kory did get hungry.

Quincy nodded "I'll jus' get whatever cookies she gets" He chuckled, looking over at Kory who was counting on her little fingers and looking back at the vending machine.

"What I tell you about not sleepin' bubbles?" He raised his eyebrow looking back at Caydence and calling her by the nickname he always did since she was a kid. Since she could start talking, she had a weird obsession with bubbles. She always had to have them or she threw a fit. She used to stress Quincy out on Halloween by complaining about wanting to dress like a bubble.

He's been calling her bubbles ever since.

"I can't sleep. I only sleep for an hour and wake back up. I'm fine tho" She shrugged and Kory came back over to the table.

"I want the Doritos chips, it's $1.75 and I want the Oreos, which are $1.50." She said, Caydence nodded, giving her the $5 bill after doing the quick math in her head.

"Get daddy some Oreos too," She told her. Kory nodded then just stared at her, "What about you?" She asked.

Caydence chuckled "I don't want nothin'. I ate befo' I came to get you" She lied, not wanting Kory to press her not getting anything. She knew they would fuss all day about it.

Kory nodded, skipping back over to the vending machine.

"You still workin' at that club?" Quincy wondered. Caydence looked off to the side then shamelessly nodded her head, not wanting him to be disappointed in her. She didn't care about anybody's opinion but her father's opinion of her meant a lot.

She knew it wasn't ideal to hear your daughter dancing half naked on a pole. Caydence used to be a straight-A student, valedictorian, and number 1 in her class. She focused hard on her studies while being captain of the dance team and maintaining a 4.3 GPA. She had scholarships raked up but declined because she had to raise Kory.

She knew from a parent's point of view, that seeing a child with bright dreams like that become a stripper wasn't so great.

Quincy reached over to grab her hand, she looked at him seeing him smiling at her. "You gotta do what you gotta do ta' provide so I understand. But Why don't you use that money in that account I have?" He asked, referring to the half a million dollars in an account that Caydence never touched.

Maybe a year or 2 before Quincy got locked up, he inherited half a million dollars from his great, great grandfather after his passing. His great-great-grandfather left 1 million dollars behind and It was split between Quincy and Kapri's father. Quincy never shared that information with Shelby because he knew she had a spending problem. He kept the money to himself, never touching it, and planned to use it for Caydence and Kory's future or if he or Shelby ever unfortunately died.

He was going to give the money to Shelby after he was locked up but something in his gut told him not to trust her with that type of money. He loved her with all his heart and would do anything for her but he never not listened to his gut feeling about things.

He was glad he listened.

He told Caydence to use the money after he found out about his now ex-wife abusing the children but she refused.

"I can't. That's your money from when you get out of here. You can get you a house for you and bookie and—"

"Bubbles, I'm not gettin' out of here. I already accepted my fate. It's not fair but it's—it's my reality." He sighed, shaking his head.

Caydence felt like a hundred knives were being thrown at her. "No. No" She shook her head not wanting to hear that at all "I'm goin' to find you a new lawyer and you're going to get out. You-you can't give up" Her voice cracked and tears started to burn her eyes.

She needed her dad more than ever. Kory needed him. She didn't want to give up and she didn't need him to give up. She knew it's been some years but she needed him to keep fighting this just like her.

"It's been almost 6 years, Bubbles. I'm tired of fighting, I'm too weak now." He said, sounding exhausted. She knew he was tired of it all. All the fights he got into while being inside, all the discomfort people made him feel.

"But— I'mmmm backkk" Kory cut Caydence off, skipping over to the table with their snacks. Caydence quickly wiped the tear from her eye and cleared her throat a few times. They never said they wanted to talk about the case or him getting out in front of Kory.

She was too young to understand and Cay never wanted to get her hopes up as she did to herself over the years.

"Thank you Pumpkin" Quincy smiled at the Oreo cookie package she put on the table. "It's my p-l...uhh" She scratched her head trying to remember the word people always said at Chick-fil-A.

"Pleasure" Cay chuckled.

"Oh yeah. It's my pleasure kind sir!" She smiled, climbing back into the bench beside Quincy. Her smile started to fade away the more she looked at Caydence "You okay sissy?" She frowned at the sad look Caydence had on her face when she was staring into space.

Quincy lowly sighed looking at the tear Caydence was fighting so hard not to spill. Caydence gave the fakest smile she could come up with and fixed herself "Of course, tell daddy about the vanity that one of Dee's friends got you for Christmas" She said, referring to the cute purple vanity Kyro got from Kory and it just delivered to the house yesterday.

It was so adorable to watch Dee's friends spoil Kory. They barely knew her but that didn't stop them from surrounding their Christmas tree with gifts last month.

It warmed her heart seeing them care for Kory. She needed all the love she could get.

Caydence declined every time they asked to help her with Kory. She didn't trust them like that or had been around them long enough to put her sister's life in their hands yet.

Caydence chuckled at Kory talking Quincy's ears off about all the Christmas presents everyone got her. She was going to let him give up but that doesn't mean she will.

She was going to fight until she couldn't anymore.

_________________

Houston, Tx

January 19th

Friday

"What's so funny? I think he looks nice" Kacey frowned in the facetime call with Kyro who was currently in tears from laughing.

"Mann, why does he look so sad? Why you ain' get a pit or sumthin'?" Ro laughed. Kacey scrunched his face up and looked down at her 10-month-old pocket beagle puppy he just adopted today.

"I didn't want a big dog. They all looked aggressive beside him" He shrugged, slightly smiling at the dog going to sleep in his lap.

At first, when he went to the shelter, he planned to get a pit bull but all the ones he viewed were mean-looking and barking so loud that he had to turn his hearing aid off.

The dog he has now was the only one sitting in the corner being quiet. He felt like this was the dog that fits his aesthetic and vibe. The people always told him that he would grow into a small dog form which he wanted.

"His name is Benji. And you're an uncle now" Kacey smiled into the camera. Kyro tucked his lips from laughing and failed by busting out laughing.

Kacey huffed, his feelings now hurt that his brother kept laughing at him like he was a joke. He hung up on him and threw his phone on the other side of the couch. He rolled his eyes after hearing the dinging more, already knowing it was the group chat since he sent a picture of Benji a while ago.

"Don't listen ta' him Kacey, he jus' mean" Ms. Mary came back into the living room with the water bottles. Kacey just shrugged as she sat down next to him. "Thank you" He mumbled after she gave him the water.

"So this why you came over? To show me, Benji?" She asked, grabbing the remote to turn down the family Freud playing on the box tv.

He nodded "Y-you think he will help me?" He asked hesitantly and looked down at Benji. Ms. Mary was his licensed therapist after he got out of his coma. She was a retired therapist but she still helped Kacey because he didn't want to go to anyone else. She knew what he did for a living and didn't judge, she also has known him mostly his whole life so it made it even better for him to speak to her.

"I hope. I'm not for such but only if you try then it will help. I'on want ta' get any more calls late at night of you needing help gettin' off da' floor Kacey. You hea' me?" She pointed her finger at him.