Blessed (gxg)✔️

15. Big Love

Shawnee's POV

"You ready?" I whisper, lifting my baby sister into my arms again. She nods and smiles so brightly that my heart clenches.

"We can be together alllll day?" Her tiny voice asks, gripping my shirt tightly.

"Yes babygirl. Alllllll day." Niquey smiles in response, laying her head on my shoulder as I take my keys out.

The moment the door opens, I walk in with the social worker following me inside. I showed the lady where the bathroom is, since she had to go then go back to the bigger space of the apartment. Niquey lifts her head to look around with a smile on her face. Her eyes catch a glimpse of something familiar and she gasps.

"That's me?" She points at the little yellow koi fish stuffy on the couch by Trina's room door. My face lights up.

"You remember?" I ask, putting her down so that she can walk to it. Niquey picks up the fish and nods slowly, hugging it to her chest.

"I have you and Tweena, y-you guys have me." She mumbles, putting the stuffy back where she found it.

"We keep her safe like you." I tell her, leaning down to boop her nose. She shyly rubs her face and nods.

After a moment she digs into her book bag to take out her stuffies. Both are red and larger than the yellow one that we have, also a little dirtier and worn out. Trina and I also have koi fish tattoos on our backs by the shoulder blades; two large and one small, just like these.

"Mines not that c-c-cwean." She grumbles a little before putting them on the table. She's had them since her first and only overnight visit, repeatedly making sure that she never loses them. I chuckle a little, leaning down once again.

"It's okay, the real one is nice and clean." I tell her, leaving a little smile on her cute face.

"When's Trina get here?" The social worker asks, returning from the bathroom.

"She's already here, just sleeping from working overnight. Why?" I sit on the couch and help Niquey get out of her coat.

"Just asking. I don't have to monitor you guys all day but I do have to make sure to see you both together with her before I go." She replies, leaning on the kitchen counter. I nod and finish up with Niquey.

"Well we're not planning to go anywhere if you have somewhere to be."

"No that's alright. Just trying to make sure for scheduling conflicts. You know how traffic gets." She smoothly says before taking out her phone.

I just nod. I don't really know since most of the time when I'm in a car it's for little jobs. Otherwise, I'm on the subway or bus. Most people don't drive unless they come from money or make a whole lot of it from work around here. I learned for Dre since he's got cars for people to use for him- like I'm doing right now actually.

"You wanna watch something?" I ask Niquey who nods vigorously. I laugh and turn the tv on, showing her what's on the channels here and Netflix which she doesn't have at the group home.

An hour later, Trina wakes up and Niquey jumps off the couch into her arms. Trina stumbles a little, laughing as she regains her balance and hugs Niquey just as tightly.

"Hey babygirl." Trina mumbles, kissing on her cheeks and forehead.

"I missed-ed you." Niquey says as she is placed back on the floor. Trina smiles, repeating the words and before we know it, the three of us are all alone eating breakfast.

"This is the bestest food ever." Niquey mumbles around the spoon, taking a big bite of the quiche Trina made us. On her plate is a nutritious mix of veggies, fruits, eggs and sausage. She has tried Trina's cooking many times, with us bringing her a tupperware container of food on occasion but we don't have to eat outside like this, without worrying about other kids' allergies at the group home.