Five Years Later
"Mama!" Cameron shouts up the stairs. "Ari won't gimme my toy!"
Alyssa groans and rolls out of the bed, slipping on one of Chresanto's t-shirts before walking down the stairs to see her children playing a game of tug-of-war with one of Cameron's toy trucks. "The two of you are going to make Mommy go crazy with all this fighting."
"She started it!" Cameron accuses, pointing at his sister.
"Did not! You took my Bratz doll first!" Arielle argues back.
"Captain America needs a girlfriend!" Cameron defends his actions.
Feeling as though she's heard enough, Alyssa sternly states, "Stop it, both of you. Now, Ari, give your brother back his truck, and Cam, leave your sister's dolls alone."
Looking down at the ground, both twins reply in unison, "Yes, ma'am."
She begins to walk toward the kitchen, now fully awake. "How do you two feel about birthday cake pancakes, eggs and sausage for breakfast?"
"Is Daddy going to eat with us, too?" Arielle questions her mother, following her into the kisomen.
For months now, all Arielle ever asks about is her father, and the only response Alyssa can answer with is the same. "Sweetie, we've talked about this before."
Saddened by her mother's answer, Arielle looks down at the ground. "Does Daddy hate us?"
Alyssa gets down to her daughter's height and lifts her head up, heartbroken as she watches a tear fall down the five-year-old's face. "No, baby. Your Daddy loves you and your brother very much. Never forget that." She kisses the tears away before standing up and walking over to where the pots and pans are.
Before she can open the cabinet, the doorbell rings, causing her to walk to the door and pull it open; standing on the other side is Dahlia with her four-year-old, Bailey.
"Auntie Aly!" Bailey exclaims, wrapping her arms around Alyssa's legs. "Can Ari stay at my house tonight?"
"If it's okay with your mom and dad, it's okay with me," Alyssa responds, looking up at Dahlia. "She's in the living room playing with her dolls, why don't you go join her?"
Bailey nods and runs past Alyssa, leaving the two women alone. Dahlia weakly smiles at her friend as she moves aside and allows her to enter the house. "I hope we aren't interrupting anything."
Alyssa shakes her head. "The twins woke me up to play mediator... again." The women share a laugh before silence falls over them. "So, what brings you by the house at ten thirty on a Tuesday morning?"
Dahlia looks down and starts to play with her hands. "They think they've found his body..."
Alyssa's breath gets caught in her throat. "W-What?"
"They thi-"
Alyssa cuts her off. "I heard what you said. I'm just trying to process it."
"I'm sorry," Dahlia says, placing a consoling hand on Alyssa's shoulder. "Two detectives came to the house this morning and told us."
