I'm all I've got

Acknowledgment

2 weeks later

Giggling mixed with chatter can be heard around Alex's penthouse, as all the kids ran around and talk amongst each other.

Summer had officially Begun and she
Had all the kids over, the sun was out, Angel and Maya we're also there, needless to say, it was a good day.

However, Ava couldn't help but be distant and reluctant to participate in the activities because she knew it was a facade; the smiling, the happiness, all of it, it was fake.

No one could forget what happened just two weeks ago, no one except Alex, who has yet to say a word to Ava regarding the situation, much less acknowledge that it even happened at all.

"Why you sitting up here looking all sad and shit,"  Layla spoke as she sat beside Ava who sat at the top of the stairs

"Nothin, you good?"

"Yeah, I'm good. Just wondering why you left me down there to deal with Isaiah and the rest of their bum asses alone," She sighed, making Ava laugh.

Isaiah was one of the only boys who were their age, the others were all younger than them, but he never fails to make it their mission to bother them to the point of insanity

Ava

"Sorry, I just needed to think," I softly smiled at her

"Oh, I get it. Anything you wanna talk about?"

No" I said a little too quickly

Not wanting it to look weird, I apologized. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that" I explain, knowing I'd feel weird if something was going going on and everyone seemed to be trying to keep it from me. "It's not that I don't wanna talk to you about it...it's just that if I had the choice to not know... I would've chosen that."

I get it," she smiled "Thank you for always trying to protect me, you like the twin I never knew I wanted," she pulled me into a hug.

"I- ,"

"Little boy, back up." Angel screamed, pulling everyone's attention to her.

Looking over the rails of the staircase, Layla and Ava saw a 3-year Jahlil laughing as he chased Angel around the couch, his finger pointing at her as if he was about to wipe something on her

"This why she don't like us," Layla giggled out

"Stop," she shrieked as he caught up to her.

Startled by her scream his little body, jerked, before he quickly looked around to see everyone's eyes on him waiting for his next move. And as expected, he started crying

"I'm weak," Layla doubled over in laughter, holding her stomach

To anybody else, they might've thought Layla was dragging it, but this was a frequent thing, which made it ten times as funny as it should be, especially with how Aunty Angel is.

She loves us, but she doesn't like kids, never did. She tried not to make it obvious by hanging out with us as much as she can, and giving us anything we wanted, but she could only stay around us for so long before it starts showing. Not that we take any offense, we all find it funny in a way.

"I'm leaving...." She quickly ran back to the couch and grabbed her purse, making us all laugh

"Bye, call me when you get home. Be safe," Aunty Maya snickered, while she held Abby

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Meanwhile on the lower East Side sat Alex, Ms. Margaret, and Zyaire in a room. Alex stood by the door in annoyance, seeing as she was tricked into coming here by Ms .Margaret .