PAIGE
“What the fuck is this!” Pierre's shout woke me up.
I looked up to see Braylen waking up as well. I turned to my brother, standing over the bed, snarling at me. “What type of shit are you on? Got this nigga laid up with you in Ma’s house.”
I rolled over on my back, “Shut up! Like you said, Ma’s house. Now, get out!”
Braylen stood from the bed. “Don’t fucking yell at her. She’s not your child,” Braylen told Pierre.
Pierre burst out in laughter. “Mayne I’m already going through enough shit. I’m not Leek, now get the fuck—”
“Pierre!” my mom shouted. “First, you’d better stop all that cussing in my house,” she said as she came into my room. She looked at Braylen and me, then smiled. “I made breakfast, come on.”
Braylen slid his coat on, “I’m going to leave,” he muttered.
My mom walked up to him. “You sneak your ass in my house, and now you can’t show respect by having breakfast?”
Braylen glanced at me as I snickered and shrugged. He looked back at her as his jaw clenched. “Yes, ma’am, I can have breakfast with you.”
She smiled. “Good, come on.”
Pierre looked at Braylen and me. He shook his head as he walked out. I got out of bed and walked toward him, “I think it would be good for you. Let me show you what having a family is like. Happy birthday, baby,” I told him.
For a split second, I almost thought I saw a glimmer of happiness in his eyes. I knew there were things I didn’t understand, but if I could do nothing else, I wanted to make the one day that was meant for him special.