After putting Khloe to bed, Kierra walked into the living room where Danielle was sitting on the couch, clearly unsettled. Kierra could tell something was off the moment she entered the room—Danielle's arms were crossed, her posture tense, and she barely looked up as Kierra joined her.
Taking a deep breath, Kierra decided it was time to bring up what had been weighing on both of them. "Are we going to talk about it?" she asked, her voice soft yet steady.
Danielle's head snapped up, and she let out a frustrated sigh. "You mean the fact that Jordan apparently doesn't think I'm good enough to be around Khloe? Yeah, let's talk about that."
Kierra winced, her heart sinking. She'd known this conversation was inevitable after Jordan's latest outburst. "Danielle, you know he's just... protective. It's not fair, I know, but he's struggling with not being around Khloe every day, and sometimes he takes it out in the wrong ways."
Danielle shook her head, her frustration simmering just below the surface. "I get that he's protective, but what did I ever do to make him feel like I'm not good enough? I've been nothing but loving and supportive with Khloe. I treat her like she's my own. But somehow, he's decided that I'm not the right person to be in her life?"
Kierra reached for Danielle's hand, but Danielle pulled back slightly, hurt still evident in her eyes. "Dani, please. You're incredible with her, and I know that. But you have to understand—Jordan and I have a complicated history. He's struggling to adjust to the idea of someone else being a major part of her life, especially someone he didn't choose."
"That's not an excuse, Kierra," Danielle replied, her tone sharper than usual. "You chose me. Khloe's happy when she's with me. Isn't that what should matter?"
Kierra's shoulders slumped. "It is what matters to me. But to Jordan, this is all new and hard for him to accept. He's still holding onto his idea of what Khloe's life should look like, and it's just going to take time."
Danielle looked away, exhaling deeply. "I just wish he'd actually get to know me instead of making judgments from a distance. I'm here, trying to be a positive influence for Khloe, trying to be a part of this family. But he doesn't see that—he just sees me as someone who's standing in his way."
Kierra leaned forward, placing a hand on Danielle's knee. "I know, Dani. And I hate that he's making you feel this way. But please don't let his issues put a wedge between us. You mean the world to me, and I'm not going to let anyone make me question that."
Danielle softened, her gaze finally meeting Kierra's. "I just don't want to feel like I have to constantly prove myself to be part of this family, Kierra. I'm here because I love you, and I love Khloe. I want Jordan to understand that, but I don't know how to make him see it."
Kierra nodded, a look of determination crossing her face. "I'll talk to him. I'll make it clear that you're here to stay, and he needs to respect that. You've been nothing but supportive and loving, and he needs to acknowledge that."
Danielle offered a small smile, though a hint of sadness lingered in her eyes. "Thank you, Kierra. I just want us to be a family without feeling like I'm somehow in the way."
Kierra squeezed her hand. "We are a family, Dani. And nothing—and no one—is going to change that."
Kierra and Danielle sat in silence for a few moments, letting the weight of the conversation settle between them. Kierra gently rubbed Danielle's hand, trying to reassure her, but she could still feel the tension lingering.
Danielle finally broke the silence, her voice softer but still edged with frustration. "It's just... this isn't what I thought it would be like. I knew there'd be challenges, but I didn't expect to feel like I had to keep defending my place in your life."
