STEP DADDY 2: FAMILY TIES (COMPLETED)

#7: Roses Are Red...Is Violet True?

Houston, Texas

Neveah's POV

The first few nights in Houston were terrible. My restless mind would not stop thinking about Athena and if she were okay. I tossed and turned for hours, surprised that I didn't wake Freddie after he had finally laid down. I turned on my right side to read the time, it was 5am on the dot. I inhaled deeply and decided to get up. There was no sense in fighting insomnia anymore. I gently tossed the cover off me and walked inside the adjacent master bathroom and ran me some hot water to wash my face. I closed the door to have some privacy, the bruises on my face were slowly fading and the scars from being hit with the butt of the gun were in the beginning stages of healing. I had black and blue bruises going down my side from my fight with Rocko. Battle wounds, something that I would later explain to Athena when she's older to understand. To show her the lengths I went through to make sure she was safe. To show her what a mother really does when her daughter is in danger.

I exited out of the bathroom and slowly walked past the bed. I almost made it out the door before I heard, "Where are you going?" In a groggy voice.

I thought this fool was sleep. I thought to myself while I stood still by the door. "I'm going downstairs to make me something to eat. I can't sleep."

"Alright." He responded before turning over on my side of the bed. "I'll be up in a minute."

"Yeah. Yeah." I replied and walked out the bedroom.

The house was still dark with an exception sunlight trying to come through the shades. Kareem's bedroom door was closed, so I assumed he was still asleep. I headed into the kitchen and opened the stainless-steel refrigerator and gathered all the ingredients I needed to make a breakfast burrito for all of us and began preparing.

I expected Freddie to climb out the bed when the aroma of the food made its way to the bedroom. As I cooked, my mind escaped, and I imagined Athena running around the house with a toy in her hand with a big smile on her face. She glances over at me and said, "I love you, Mommy."

I snapped back into reality from the sound of the front door opening.

It was Kareem. He was dressed in a wife beater and basketball shorts, drenched in sweat.

I noticed the knife tightly gripped in my hand and placed it on the counter.

"My bad scaring you, I went for a morning run." He walked over to the refrigerator and grabbed a cold water. "Smells good in here what you cooking?"

"Breakfast burritos." I replied while browning the sausage meat.

"Freddie up yet?"

"Nope, but he will be in the next five minutes."

"Well, I'm going to share this with you and let you tell him, but his friend Violet got people watching us."

"What you mean watching us?" I paused cooking.

"Two Hispanic guys were sitting outside the house when I first went on my run at 430 this morning and they are still sitting outside. I kindly introduced myself and asked them what's their business and they said it was us. They were ordered by Violet, to sit outside the house and watch us."

"Maybe they are backup just in case something—

"Neveah?"

"Alright, I'll ask him about it but after breakfast. Let's start one morning off without the bullshit."

"Kareem nodded but not really accepting my answer, "I'm about to take a quick shower."

"Breakfast will be done by the time you get out."