Climbing the steps to her dad's office, Grace pressed her ear against the door to see if he was on the phone before stepping inside.

Isiah looked up at her momentarily, before directing his attention back to the computer screen in front of him, "Grace?"

"Hi dad."

The tapping sound of him pressing the keyboard never stopped as he waited for her to tell him what her reasoning was for coming into his office.

Grace played with the ring on her finger, something she always did when she was nervous, while trying to come up with a way to ask her dad for help.

She didn't do well with rejection. At all.

It had held her back from a lot of things in life, but when you're already struggling with self-worth, the smallest rejection seems like the end of the world.

A caring father would have noticed how uneasy she looked and maybe tried to help her by initiating the conversation.

Isiah kept typing.

"I was wondering how the intern process works at the office?" Grace finally stated, posing it as a question.

She'd decided that since Mason went to rehab for her, she would do something that would make him proud of her.

It also helped that she knew she needed to do something with her life anyway if she wanted to move out and stop living off of her parent's money.

And then Lia could kiss her ass.

Isiah paused and made eye contact with his daughter, "They fill out an application and wait until the previous cycle of interns are finished. If they get chosen, congrats. If not, try again."

They stared at each other, his eyes boring into hers as if he didn't know what she was truly asking.

Grace had come to the conclusion that she'd figure something else out when he spoke again, "But if that's something you're interested in, I'll see what I can do. I know the guy who owns the company."

That was the first time she'd heard him make a joke in years.

Even though it wasn't that funny, she laughed anyway, "Thanks."

Isiah nodded and returned to his typing.

• • •

"I thought you just said her period was on." Josiah asked in confusion while staring at Hassan.

He refused to make eye contact with his older brother, "That's what she said. The doctor said some about it might've been spotting."

Josiah went to Hassan's night stand opening it and taking out the box of condoms he knew was in there, and mushed it against his head, "How fucking hard is to put on a condom?

"I pulled out." He defended himself.

"How?!" Josiah asked, "How you pulled out and she pregnant?"

"I guess I moved too slow."

Josiah went and sat on his bed, running a hand over his face, "Hassan we already ain't got shit. How we supposed to take care of a baby?"

"I'll get a job or some. I was looking at job openings and the Subway up the street hiring."

Staying quiet, his head remained in his hands.

A few months before school gets out and he does some shit like this.

It wouldn't have been that bad since people get pregnant all the time, but the whole purpose of he and his sister helping Hassan was so that he could focus on school only, focus on being a teenager.

Now he's talking about getting a job.

At least he's not running from the responsibility, Josiah thought.

He wasn't extremely mad since shit happens, but he also wasn't happy either.

No matter how he felt about it, he was getting a niece or nephew.

"You gon' tell mama for me?" Hassan questioned, sounding like every bit of the child that he was.

"Hell nah. Go ask Riah. You know she'll do it."

With perfect timing, she appeared in their doorway, nosily wanting to know what they were yelling about, "Ask me what?"

"Somebody gotta tell mama she got a grandchild on the way."

Neriah shook her head, "I'm not telling her. You fucked up, you do it."

"Man y'all know that lady extra. She gon' try to get the pastor to come pray over me or some."

"That's exactly what you need. Running around here sticking your pee-pee in that girl and now she pregnant."

Josiah and Hassan laughed at her, "Lemme tell you some Riah, it ain't no pee-pee in these pants. Issa dick."

They paused their conversation when Hassan's phone rang, "Wassup Fae?"

The quietness helped them hear her tearfully explain that her mama had told her she couldn't stay there anymore.

• • •

Lia dreadfully watched her children pile Faelyn's things inside their too small apartment.

She was already upset that she was pregnant, but to have her move in as well? She was beyond angry.

If looks could kill, Hassan and Faelyn would've been gone the moment she heard about it.

"It's not even that bad ma." Neriah stated, seeing her mama stand tensely with her arms folded.

Lia turned her daggers unto her daughter, "I'm glad you feel that way since she'll be sleeping in your room."

The look that crossed her face almost made Lia laugh.

Almost.

"What you mean my room? Hassan and Jo gotta whole room."

"Do you really think I'll be contributing further to what they're doing?"

Josiah had come in with another bag and caught the tail-end of their conversation, "I mean he almost grown mama. And she pregnant now so It really ain't no point in them sleeping in different rooms."

"As long as they're in my house, nobody will be sharing a room with the opposite sex. Period."

"You can sleep in my bed then Riah. Give her your bed and I'll sleep on the couch."

Neriah's nose turned up, "Man mama you be doing too much just let the-."

"The conversation is over." Lia interrupted angrily as she walked down the hall into her room.

"She get on my fucking nerves so bad." Neriah ranted lowly so that Lia couldn't hear, "Jo we need to move the fuck outta here and leave her miserable ass by herself."

Josiah didn't respond, walking towards her room, "What all you want me to get?"

______

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