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"I'm sorry, Madame Michel," I closed the front door behind myself, walking into my villa.

Madame Michel wasn't the old French woman many would picture when you heard her name. She was pretty young, and actually looked like your typical white American girl. Her dark brown hair and strong eyebrows were the only things that gave a hint that she was something foreign. Madame Michel had been Cielo's nanny since she was first welcomed into our family. She doesn't know much about the cartel itself, but she does know to protect Cielo with her life and to not question anything out of the ordinary here.

"Are you alright? Do you need some water?" she asked gently, her accent heavy.

"No, I'm fine," I sat myself down on the couch, Cielo running into the room. I had more than one living room here at the villa: this one had a large red rug the color of expensive wine, and airy curtains, decorated to give the place a relaxed vibe.

The villa was a gift from my father once I adopted Cielo. I have a room back at da House, and so does my daughter. But...excuse me for not wanting her to grow up at a place crawling with clients and sex workers.

Cielo held her elbows up to me, in a black tutu with her favorite Batman shirt on, her hair in two little puffs. I bumped elbows with her, then reached up to hold our hands together. It was our own handshake-but-not-a-handshake thing. She wasn't really too keen on hugs.

"How did your talking exercises go today?" I asked her, giving her a giant smile.

She ignored me, looking up at her nanny with wide, confused eyes.

"She wants to know...why you're in the state that you're in," Madame Michel stated hesitantly.

"I- Mommy had some special types of drinks. That made her feel a bit weird," I told her, already feeling the need to sleep tugging at the back of my brain.

"I know I've already asked a lot of you, but could you call the backup nanny and tell her to come? I'm really...tired," I said cautiously, remembering that Cielo was there, "and I need rest."

"Will do."

Cielo followed after her nanny, hopping after her.

Hopping was her new favorite thing to do. The only reason why I hated it was because she always wanted me to hop with her and my knees are getting old.

I made my way to my bedroom, ignoring the kitchen. As soon as I made it inside, I felt the need to empty my stomach crawling up the back of my throat with the flavor of something spicy and sweet. I barely made it to the toilet, loose strands of my escaped hair tickling my skin as I clutched the bowl.

"Damn," I grunted, finally spitting out the last of it. I grabbed the end of my shirt and wiped my mouth, looking away from the mess that I made in the toilet so that I wouldn't make a new one as I flushed it. I turned on the sink, washing my mouth out a little, plans of getting in the shower then crawling into the bed on my mind.

"Ms. Kelley?"

I internally groaned as Madame Michel knocked on my bedroom door. I shouldn't be annoyed with her. She had really done much more than she should have today. "Yes," I opened the door a crack, barely able to keep my eyes open. At this rate, I was going to fall into bed dirty clothes on or not.

"I called the other nanny and she's 35 minutes away. I understand that she lives in Galveston. Would you like me to stay until she gets here?"

"Oh no," I waved away her offer. I could see it in her eyes too that she was slightly tired. "You've done enough today. Cielo'll be fine."

"Well...I'm assuming you're getting in the shower. Will you just leave Cielo out and about here while you bathe and sleep? She isn't tired because she took a nap at the wrong timing...and she's too young to stay up alone. Along with the fact that she has certain needs."

"She'll be fine. She's a good girl. She knows not to do anything bad," my words slightly slurred as I held onto the door knob on the other side of the door.

"Ms. Kelley," the nanny said sharply, making me jump a little, "Cielo may be making progress in some things and getting older but she is not an ordinary child. If you neglect her with the things that matter, you won't like the results. You're drunk and someone needs to be watching her at all times. She is still a child and she is still unpredictable."

"I think I know my child, Madame," I argued, opening the door wider as I leaned on the knob.

"I think I'll call CPS if you keep up these behaviors. I've heard about you around the city. You can't be a party girl and a mother, Nyia Kelley."

Madame Michel just might have gotten as close as I'll ever get to receiving a motherly speech.

"Wait until the other nanny comes," I held up my hands in a half assed shrug, "I'll just pay you extra."

"It's not about the money...it's about your child," she sighed, closing my bedroom door for me as I dropped my hand on the knob.

I heard the sound of Cielo hopping as I pressed my hot face against the cold wooden door. I've got to do better. Not only for the future of the Kelley's, but for the future of my daughter.

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