The Kept Secret (Slowly Editing)

Chapter 4: Morning Lies lead to Death

Chapter 4: Morning Lies lead to Death

Seven Years Later

"Wake Up" I heard a soft, sweet voice screaming at me to get out of bed. I grunt though not wanting to get out of my warm bed. "Come on, get up," she screamed this time pulling at my arm. "Okay, you asked for it" then I felt small feet jumping up and down on the bed making me pop up looking around my still dark bedroom to see my almost seven-year-old daughter standing on my bed. "Now that you're up can you please make me some breakfast," she said, trying to hold in her giggles.

I sighed as I lean over to turn on the bedroom lamp to glance over to see that it was six o'clock in the morning. 'Time to start a new day' I thought getting out of bed. I walk out of the room to see Ayanna now running down the hall and to the stairs before I could even make it out my bedroom door.

As I walked down the stairs, I looked around my home glad for everything I had worked for. Even though I still had the money from my father in the other account I try to stay away from that has much has possible, so I can say I worked for what I had and I wasn't some rich girl who's daddy pays for everything.

After having Ayanna I had stayed with Greg and Julia till she was about one. Around that time I was comfortable with living out on my own that I use the money from my grandmother and went house hunting. When I found this cozy three bedroom house I knew this would be perfect for us, so I signed the papers that following week. After moving it wasn't as easy as I thought it would be but Julia and Carlos came by every day to help out and soon thought I got it down.

The house was simple and small but it was just right for me and my daughter. There were two bedrooms upstairs with a bathroom. Then downstairs you had your normal living room and kitchen, dining room area which was smaller than I was used to, but I made it work. There was also the other bedroom with a half bath with it. I had made that into a guest room. Which Julia inhabits quite a bit when she needed space from Carlos. They had been to together when I had given birth to Ayanna and for the most part were happy in love.

Finely down the stairs in the living room, I saw Ayanna with a picture in her hand talking to it like she did every morning. The picture happened to be the one I found in my room that day I ran off. I still never did find out who had taken the picture of me and Chance at the dinner party, but now I was glad that I had it. If I didn't Ayanna would know what her father looked like. She talked to the photo every morning like if she was talking to him in person. She knew Chance was her dad but didn't know the full truth about everything. She thought he was an important business man and was always gone. I had told her when she was younger that when he did come home, which wasn't ever much, that she was already asleep and was gone by the time she got up the next morning. I know lying to her was bad, but she was still too young to understand. Even though I disliked Chance I didn't want her to think ill of him, so I made him look a great guy who loved her dearly.

"Hey sweetie, what do you want for breakfast?" I asked, walking past her into the kitchen.

"Cereal" she screamed, throwing the photo on the couch where she had been just sitting. She went to the fridge and got the half gallon of milk out while I got her cereal down and made it for her. She sat down at our little round kitchen table has I place the bowl in front of her. "Mama did Daddy come home last night?" she asked which was one of her normal morning questions.

"No, angel, he still away" I answered while breaking some eggs to make my omelet.

"Do you think next time he comes home, he'll stay?" she asked now poking at the cereal inside with her other hand holding her head up, "It's just I can't ever remember spending any time with him," she looked really depressed about this now and this was starting to scare me a little. Normally she doesn't act like this in the morning.