na'

cked the door and toed off

were paying off I thought as I smiled at myself. Thundering footst

r up and peppered her face with kisses and she rewarded me with giggle

had her when I was 24 and I live for her because I know deep down that without her, I'd probably be gone by now. She is my reason for staying alive and the only

t hair that looked as kinky as my African roots but eyes as blue as her father's and that made me shiver

when she gave me

are the best at everything, I know you can do it." she completed with so much hope in my capacity to put back her too

and you won't get a dollar and some candy." I replied and she phys

h Fairy to take my tooth.

s are united with it because you took good

I can't have c

dollar too, you can buy anything you want. Isn't there something

u gave me on my birthday." she muttered before burying her face in

n now. Isn't that good?" she nodded. I kissed her forehead.

d her thumb. It was at that point that I remembered t

er head. "I'll cry if you don't. You know I get sad when you're mad at me."

issed her cheek again before repl

n chattering about what happened in school and how she did finger painting. I wen

er cheek and she rewarded me with a smile and a hey baby,

s excited as she did whenever food is involved. I reached behind me and unfastened my bra so that I could eat without restrictions since I didn't have the opportunity to get

e up before I did. "Amari what's the first

ssed her hands together and closed her eyes an

t like eating without blessing the food, and she didn't like it when blessings weren't proper

ri ran off midway through dinner and a minute later, I was presented with the result of

d from being tired and sitting all day but I put on a smile for her. She didn't need to know how tired I was. I was eternally grateful for my job because it paid more than enough. I wanted her to have everything I never had. I earned enough to pay for a good school, I got th

as I gave her her Winnie the Pooh Bear and she lo

mach. No matter how much I wished the day she'd ask that question w

..

o take them home and let them ride their backs. Evey

ut and touched her cheek. Liar. Heaven my fat ass. I hope he rots in

he

." He was lower than the scum

ook lik

ave his eyes and

a new daddy do you thi

y hands and we said her night prayers and I kissed her good night, dimmed the light and left the door open and made my way

ook my head to clear the images that began floating back into my head. I looked at the woman that looked back at me from the mirror. She looked stronger and better than she did years ago. She had more self es

wrong reasons stared back at me. I traced the CS scar from Amari's birth with the tip of my finger and her face and toothy grin floated back into my mind and I loo

nt to be but I'm no lo