A. Ealy
Atlanta, GA
"So, your mom..." Rihanna smiled softly.
I lifted my fork to my mouth but paused, looking up at her. I spent my entire afternoon with Mama before it was time for me to come back to Rihanna's house. Although I didn't want to leave, I knew that Mama still had an entire day left in Atlanta before she had to catch her flight the next morning, so I wasn't too upset. I didn't realize how much I actually still loved her until I got around her. She was amazing, and I had an amazing family. Nothing could break my spirit.
"What about her?" I asked.
"How has it been meeting her and the rest of your family? You told me a little bit earlier, but now we can finally have a conversation."
I smiled a little. "It's been real good. I missed her a whole lot, and my family is nice. They're funny."
"That's good. I'm glad that you were able to finally have that experience. I know that they live in Texas, but do you see yourself eventually traveling to see them?" She asked.
"Maybe," I shrugged. "I know that my mama wants to come see me more, but she gotta get approval from her parole officer. I think I will want to go to Texas eventually. Like maybe next summer, I could go and spend the whole summer there."
Rihanna smiled. "That would be nice. We can definitely set that up."
I smiled as well. I continued eating, thinking about everything. I wasn't sure what I was going to do when Mama had to leave, but I planned on spending the whole day with her tomorrow.
"It's okay if I spend tomorrow with her too, right?" I asked.
"That's fine, but your caseworker is dropping by tomorrow morning to do a home inspection and talk to you, so it'll have to be after that," she told me.
I nodded. "Talk to me about what?"
"How you like living here so far, and how your life was at home with your father," she said.
"Oh."
Rihanna nodded. "Yeah. It shouldn't take too long, but it's mandatory. These next few weeks will be pretty stressful and very emotional, so I want you to know that you can talk to me. You got me, Nicki, your mom, and your family. We're all here, and we're gonna help you get through this."
"What's gonna happen?" I asked.
Honestly, I was scared as hell. I didn't want to go back home. My daddy practically kicked me to the curb, and I was just ready to close that entire chapter of my life. I felt miserable at home, and ever since I started living with Rihanna, things have felt so much better.
"I'm not sure, but you'll have to go to court for a few days. Nicki and I will be there every step of the way, so you won't be alone."
"I don't wanna go to court," I sighed.
"I know, but these weeks will fly by. When you're not at court or in your therapy sessions, I want you to spend time with your friends and get your mind off of everything. It'll be a lot, and I don't want you isolating yourself inside of this apartment, bottling everything up," Rihanna said seriously.
I nodded. "Okay."
"I go back to work on Monday, so you can have friends over throughout the week or go hang out with them. Just don't tear my house up, and keep your location on at all times," she said, making me smile. "You're 16, so I trust you. Keep me updated if you leave the apartment, and let me know who's picking you up and dropping you off. No Ubers."
