𝑻 𝑯 𝑬 𝑵 𝑨 𝑵 𝑵 𝒀 (18+)

twelve.

    AMARA

"I don't want to wear that," Josh stomped his foot and turned his nose up at me. We'd been going back and forth with each other for a good ten minutes at this point and if he didn't get his act together I would just force him into whatever I saw fit. Not actually. He wouldn't hesitate to tell on me if I even so much as tried to get him to wear something he didn't want. He was being grumpier than usual this morning but this time I took all the blame. I had him up way past his bedtime and I knew he'd give me a hard time this morning because of it, but we had to clean up his room since there would be no time today. His father was already running back and forth helping Tiffany find last-minute things for the shower and I had nothing to wear. Nothing Zaira gave me was appropriate enough for this kind of affair and I didn't own any fancy dresses or dress pants at that.

Today was not the day for Josh to be having a temper tantrum.

"If you can wear that then I can wear this," he held up his t-rex t-shirt and groaned. I wouldn't have cared if Dominic didn't already give me the run down about how particular his sister was with her affairs. She wanted everyone in all white, semi-formal. No ifs and or buts about it.

"Josh you know I'd let you wear whatever you want otherwise but your aunt wants all white. Just for today could you please?" I pleaded with the seven-year-old for what seemed like the tenth time today.

"What's in it for me?" His eyebrow raised in amusement.

"Your desire to wager everything is concerning. How young did your father start you?"

"I don't know what wager means, Amara." He ran a hand through his tangled hair and jogged over to his closet, pulling more clothes he wasn't supposed to be wearing onto the floor before tossing them on his bed. I put my own sleep at risk to help him clean his room last night and it was all for nothing. Dominic didn't pay me enough for this.

"Knock, knock." He tapped on the door lightly before entering, two teal-colored bags in his hand.

"Ugh, thank God," I whispered under my breath.

"Josh I need you dressed in five minutes if not you're not going with uncle Dan this weekend." He crossed his arms at his chest and leaned against the frame of the door. Wearing his 'this means business face' he lowered his head and glared at Josh who only returned the death stare.

"Is mommy going to be there?"

Dominic shrugged, "I don't know kiddo. You have to ask uncle Dan."

Weighing his options Josh rocked on his feet before waving his white flag. "Fine, Amara can you brush my hair?"

Smiling I nodded my head and handed him his outfit, "of course I can."

"Now that that's settled, Amara can I talk to you outside for a second?" Dominic nodded his head toward the empty hallway. Josh preparing to change shooed us both out of the room and closed the door after us. "I guess we didn't have a choice huh?" I laughed rolling my eyes at the door.

Dominic handed me the bag and motioned for me to look inside it. "I know you were worried about not having anything to wear so I picked this up for you. I'm assuming it's the correct size, I'd be a massive dick if it wasn't." He spoke nervously.

I checked the tag on the white dress and smiled to myself. How he was able to guess my size was a mystery I was willing to sit with. "It seems like the right size, I'll have to try it on to confirm though, and—" I sighed and held the bag behind my back, "thank you for this Mr. Gray. You didn't have to, I would've come up with something." It might not have been semi-formal but it would've at least been white.