I Hate Love✅

4. Family

Her mother?

What in the hell? She looked over the note, front and back. That was all it said.

She studied those words over and over. Her mother? How did her mother know she was in town? How did her mother know what room? And why was she finally trying to reach out to her after all these years?

She jumped up, slipped her shoes back on, and rushed down to the front desk.

Bethany was there with a smile on her face.

"Bethany! Have you told anyone I was staying here?"

Bethany shook her head, red hair flinging around. "No. I respect your privacy, Ms. Ginger. I know how you are."

"Someone did! I had a psycho slipped a note under my door." She waved the slip of paper in front of Bethany.

Bethany took the note and looked it over. "Oh cool, your mother. I forget you guys were from St. Louis because you rarely talk about it. Did your mom come to visit you while you were out?"

"I don't have a mother! This must be a psycho."

"Oh." Her lips formed the "O" and stayed like that.

"Did you tell anyone what room I was in?"

"No, no, no but...I just clocked in a short while ago. Maybe another attendant saw your name and...though I would hope they would not invade your privacy like that. I can find out if-"

"No worries, just...please, I can't have every psycho and fan harassing me during my stay. I like your hotel and want to give it rave reviews."

A smile plastered over her cute, freckled face again. "Great. But uh...if I may ask, do you have any family in town? Why would you stay here when you could...stay with them?"

Big Red must not be that big of a fan if she did not know her life story. Though she was mostly quiet about her background, she made it no secret she was a foster kid that never found a forever family. The closest she had was her play brother Anthony and his parents, though they were fucked up and she disowned them years ago.

Maybe it was one of them, her foster mother. She did force her to call her "mother" while she lived with them from ages ten through fourteen and a half. It was at that age that M'Liyah's mother was granted guardianship over her and she could move to Atlanta with them because their trio had signed with a record label there.

She was never close to that woman. All she was to her was a monthly check.

Then again, she did more for her than the woman that gave birth to her.

Could it be?

She looked at the note again. Hand-written, on Four Season's letterhead. How?

Back in her room, she sat afraid of what to think. She had only been back in St. Louis a few days and now this? Her phone buzzing made her jump. She looked down, it was Kitty Facetiming her. That made her smile.

"Bitch, what's up?"

"Hey, girl."

"I'm shocked you called me, I mean, with three little ankle-biters clawing at you."

She giggled, and she loved that her girl was in a good mood.

"Icee has me locked in the house like a criminal. That mother fucker is dead, thanks to me, let me live my life now."

She loved when Kitty Kelly went gangsta. Not the little church girls she first met two years ago.

"So you good? Do I...need to tiptoe around..."

"No bitch, please. I'm fine. Kryssy's fine and my little girls are fine."

It still amazed her that Kitty delivered twin baby girls through all that. She was a survivor for sure.

"I need to get some snuggles from them soon."

"Yo ass in the Lou and didn't tell me? When are you coming to see me?"

"I just thought you needed alone time, you and your family. I'm here just chilling out, having some fun, and..." She looked down at the note in her hand. "Maybe looking up some old people."

"If Icee lets me out of this cage, maybe I can ride up there."

"No Kitty, really. Stay home with them babies, they need you. I'll let you know when I can drop by. Gotta go, girl. Love you!"

"Love yo crazy ass too, byeeee!"

Kitty was a hoot.

And as for that note, she balled it up in her hand. Family was the mother fuckers that stayed around and loved you no matter what. Whoever was trying to come back into her life, fuck them.

A/N: I know y'all ready for the reunion with her mother. It's coming!