Letting Him In | BWWM

Chapter 10

**A/N: These past two weeks I went through and revised the previous chapters as well as add some new parts. Just a heads up if you want to reread the beginning but it's not mandatory. Nothing major changed.**

Audrey's POV

                   I yawned while pretending to be busy by clicking on the computer screen and typing long words like barbecue and Alabama as our supervisor walked across the floor. I looked over at Ms. Yolanda who was on a call at the moment like I should've been but I had purposely left out the call queue for two minutes.

I hate customer service but the pay is decent so oh well.

Once our Supervisor was out of sight, I turned to Ms. Yolanda just as she finished her call.

"Is there a reason why you keep staring over at me?" She asks without looking in my direction and typing something up. She had a smile growing on her face so I knew she wasn't being impudent.

"Oop. Feisty." I joke as she chuckles.

"I just know you only look over at me like that when you have something to say. What is it?" She turns to me. She knew me well because she was right.

I sighed. "Should I feel worried with Elijah labeling hisself as the man of the house? I mean our dad is around."

She looks at me and her eyes soften. I'm sure she's recalling the conversation at Elyse's softball game when Elijah declared he has been the man of the house since their thirteen birthday.

"Let's go get some coffee." Ms. Yolanda says as she removes her head set and stands up.

I nod and follow after her as we go into the break room and/or mini kitchen. Unlike the hotel, the call center break room is much smaller with only a fridge, a microwave above the sink and a coffeemaker.

"Yes, your father is around but when was the last time he stayed around for a whole month?" She questioned rhetorically I presume as she continues. "Elijah has a right to feel that way as the only boy in the house majority of the time. It doesn't necessarily have to be a bad thing, though. You should be proud that he is willing to step up and look after his sisters."

"I guess." I sighed. "I'm just worried he'll have some resentment towards our parents, you know? The twins were only five when our mom left. They vaguely remember her now."

She shrugs. "That may be true but what can you do? As their big sister–unfortunately, there is not much you can do but talk to them and support how they feel. I fear that sometimes you try to take on the role as their mom and dad to fill that void but it isn't your place."

I wanted to scoff. It became my place the second my mom decided she no longer wanted to be a parent or when my dad decided to view the world through an empty Rum bottle. I was the one that had to get up early mornings to get the twins ready for school or forge our dad's signature so that Maleah could go on school trips.

'Til this day, if I don't work the way I do then our bills wouldn't get paid. My dad helps but it's always fickle. Just like how he gave me extra money after North Carolina, this month he came up five hundred dollars short.

"When you do that, you allow your parents to be off the hook for the pain they caused. You shouldn't," She paused while shaking her head. "You've done a lot for them and they will forever love you for it. But as their sister you can't take away how they feel. You can only be their source of support when they want to talk about it."

I nod as she rubs my arm and smiles softly.

"You're right and with basketball being over he's going to be looking for something to occupy his free time." I joke to lighten the mood.