Tiani laid under Bear as they watched a Christmas movie. After the harsh two months of being broken up she was happy they were recovering.

She was just a little upset that her best friend was was hurt.

"What's wrong with your friend?"Tiani sucked her teeth.

"Aye that's their business. Who the fuck knows what's wrong with him"Bear shrugged his shoulders.

Tiani didn't say nothing she just turned back around watching TV.

Charmaine was sitting in the audience full of other parents. It was Malani first dance recital. It was a jazz routine. Charmaine was glad she signed her baby up cause she seemed to like to dance.

A smile was worn on Malani face the whole time. Charmaine was proud of her daughter. She was dancing with the first and second graders. Her dancing was on point.

"She gets it from me."
The dance was coming to an end so Charmaine packed all her things up. They had a hair appointment after this. Charmaine was getting her hair trimmed and Malani was getting her hair washed and braided up.

Charmaine was doing well financially wise but the money she had in her pocket wasn't going to last forever so she had to get on the roll and find a job.

She got up making her way around so she could get Malani. When she seen her Malani was bossing the other little girls around telling them which order to stand in. "Is that your mama?"the little white girl asked  her.

Malani turned around and smiled when she saw her mom.

"Come on"Charmaine held her hand out.
Charmaine walked by her mother side.
"You did good. I can't wait to see your next one"
"Next time it's going to be even better"Malani bragged as they made their way out.

"Yeah?"Charmaine asked holding the door open for her. Malani only nodded her head

It was lightly snowing and Charmaine wanted to get in and out the salon as quick as possible before it starts snowing heavy.

Music was playing low enough for the both of them to hear as Charmaine drove.

That quick she was able to get her self a new car. It was a twenty sixteen
Honda accord. Charmaine was passing by the bad side of town. She spotted Kain car and a few other people she knew who worked for him.

"Mommy there's Kain!"Malani pointed out. Charmaine still hasn't told her daughter that they were no longer seeing each other. Kain became a male role model in her life. That was the down fall of dating guys while she was a single parent.

She didn't want he child becoming too attached to her spouce cause in a situation like this it made it hard to explain.

"I know. He looks busy"

"Are you sure this is what you want to do?"Lilly Charmaine hair dresser asked.

"Positive"Charmaine nodded her head. Charmaine had a 3b hair type that was almost sixteen inches long but, she was ready to cut it. She had never chopped her hair. She always
Got it trimmed. She could feel the scissors against her hair. She was cutting off a whole six inches of her hair.

She could see her hair fall to the floor. Malani was sitting across from her getting her braided into a beaded ponytail as she requested.

Charmaine wasn't a bit nervous about cutting her hair short. She thought it would look better if for anything.

Kain sat in his car with his brother. His ads wasn't gonna be standing in the snow passing around a black. Shit he didn't even smoke those nasty shits.

"You ready to get shit popping?"Kyle asked. Kyle wanted to follow his older brother footsteps. The same way Kain wanted to follow his older brother footsteps but,Kain made it very clear that they wasn't going to follow his footsteps. He wanted them to stay in school and stay focused.

The streets was nothing pretty. Some shit just suited some people. The streets suited Kain but, his brothers wasn't even cut for it.

They would fold too quick.

"Yeah i'm always ready"he rubbed his hands together.

"Aye man if you ever ne-"
"I won't be needing your help. The only thing I need you to do is stay in school and keep them young niggas off Kalilah back when I ain't around."Kain said.

Kyle kissed his teeth. He heard that over and over again from Kain. Yet he acted like he ain't know.

"Listen man I ain't got shit to lose. You do and you don't got a reason to be in these streets."

"You don't either"Kyle said getting bold
"You right. I didn't have a reason to. Pops didn't tell me the shit I be telling you. He didn't tell me to stay in school. That nigga wanted me to follow in his footsteps. Its to late to turn around ,this shit is far from fun. I'm watching over y'all,my lady and myself twenty four seven making sure ain't no fuck shit popping off. I'm always fucking paranoid. You ready for that shit? Yeah the money cool and shit but the only thing you get out this shit is a bunch of fake ass love and bullets with your name on it. You know how many warrants I got out for arrests. I got one time. One fucking time to slip up and I'm done. I knee deep in this shit. Be grateful you got somebody like me to keep you on the right path."Kain said.

Kyle only sat back to what his older brother was telling him.
"I love you mane. I want to see you do great things"

"I love you too"

Kyle was going to continue to Perdue his dream as a professional boxer.