I got to Lakeda’s house and rang the bell. My nephew, Miles Jr., answered the door. “Aunt Rain,” he yelled and jumped in my arms like he always does. I kissed him on the cheek.

“How’s my little man doin’?”

“I’m fine. But I miss you,” Miles Jr. said and my heart melted.

“Who’s at the door, Miles?”

“It’s Aunt Rain, mommy,” he said and grabbed my hand and dragged me to his mother.

“Hello, Rain,” Lakeda said.

I could tell she wasn’t glad to see me. The bitch never is. You would think that since I support her ain’t-never-had-a-job ass, that she would show me some respect. At least she could show some appreciation for the fact that I pay all of her bills, and send somebody to give her worthless ass money every fuckin’ week, but I guess it don’t work that way for her.

I knelt down and looked at my cute little nephew. “Why don’t you go play. I need to talk to your mommy,” I said and hugged him. After he ran off, I sat down ’cause I knew the rude bitch wasn’t about to offer me a seat. “You heard what happened to Miles?” I asked, even though I knew she hadn’t. Lakeda hadn’t forgiven Miles for the affair and hadn’t spoken to him or been to see him, since the day he shot Jeff Ritchie. Millie takes the kids to see him in jail.

“No.”

“He got stabbed.”

Her expression didn’t change.

“He asked me to come by here and make sure that you and his children were safe.”

Lakeda stood up. “We’re fine, so you can go.”

“It ain’t that simple, Lakeda. The people that stabbed Miles might come after you and the kids. So what I need for you to do is pack up some stuff for you and the kids and come with me.”

Lakeda looked at me and sat down. “Miles got stabbed over something you did. That’s it, isn’t it? What did you do?”