"Hey mama."

            She smiled when she opened the door and saw me. She always looked so happy to see me.

Like Jazz used to be.

            "Hey baby." She picked Angel up out of my arms. "You hungry?"

            I nodded.

            "Sup Wallace." He looked away from the game long enough to nod at me and then turn back to the TV. He hated my ass. I could tell.

            I followed mama into the kitchen. She looked good. So much better now that Wallace was around, so I didn't really trip on him not liking me. He was taking care of my family and that's all that mattered.

            "Kenney! Kenney!" The two little ones ran down the stairs buck naked and hugged my legs.

            Charity was right behind them with a towel in her hands.

            "Kenney, don't just stand there! Help me!" She threw the towel at me. Then she rolled her eyes at mama, who was clearly cooking, and sucked her teeth at Wallace, who was apparently off the clock while the game was on.

            Charity snatched up Melissa, and I grabbed Faith and Angel. I decided to take Angel upstairs and give her a bath, too, while Charity was there to help. Charity eyed me while we put the three of them in the tub.

            "Your face looks better."

            "Yeah." I ran a hand smoothly down my jawline. I could still feel the scar, but it didn't stick out as bad now. You could definitely still see it, though.

            "You know they call you Scarface now."

            I gave her the stink eye. "Don't say that shit in front of them." I nodded to the babies, who were splashing around and talking gibberish to one another. They seemed to understand each other, though.

            "Stop acting fucking crazy, and maybe people won't call you that."

            Charity was always trying to tell me what to do.

It annoyed me.

            "Charity...I caught Jazz and Remmey." I looked at her over Angel's head, who I was trying to dry off and keep from jumping back in the tub with her cousins. "In my bed."

            Charity cackled evilly, probably thinking about the time she caught me and Tiana in her bed. "Karma's a bitch, little brother." When I didn't laugh with her, Charity rolled her eyes. "She still messin' wit' him?"

"You knew about that?"

"Yeah, Kenney. Everybody knows."

All I could do was gawk at her.

"What Kenney?" She looked like she felt sorry for my young ass. "Jazz ain't married. She can do whatever she wants to do."

"What?" I said it so loud the babies jumped.

Now it was Charity's turn to look shocked. "You didn't know that, either?" She kind of laughed and sighed at the same time, and then shook her head at me like I was dumb as hell. "You do know Rico ain't really your daddy, right?"

I gave her a warning look to leave that shit alone, and she did.

"Kenney, she didn't even try to keep her and Remmey a secret when we stayed with her." I didn't remember anything like that. She looked at me for a long time, and then said softly, "Well...when I used to stay with her..."

            I nodded and finished putting one of Faith's dresses on Angel. They were about the same size. Angel was still too small for her age. It worried me, but none of us ever went to a real doctor, so I didn't have anyone to ask about it. I took Faith out of the tub and Charity grabbed Melissa.

            "Kenney..." She looked at me like she really wanted me to hear what she was about to say. "Why don't you just move back home? We miss you."

            I shook my head. "Nah." Charity was the only one who missed me. Mama and Wallace didn't give a shit. And the babies were too young to even realize that me and Angel didn't live there in the first place. That was probably why Charity wanted me back home. Mama didn't even know what day it was sometimes, which left Charity to deal with the babies and Wallace all by herself.

I looked at Charity for a minute.

            Wallace better not be fuckin' wit' her.

            I thought it to myself, but Charity shook her head slightly like she knew what I was thinking, and was telling me to change up my thoughts. Then she put Melissa back down on the floor. I put Faith down and picked Angel up.

            "Sis...I love you." I gave her the smile that always charmed mama and every other girl who wasn't related to me, but it never worked on Charity. Or Jazz. She just stared at me. She knew I was about to dip. "Watch Angel for me?"

            She just rolled her eyes and sighed loudly, taking the baby out of my arms.

            "Thanks sis." I kissed the top of Angel's head and left.