Is it worth it?

I feel safe

I was sitting on the couch watching TV while eating from a bowl of cereal when my mom approached the living room.
"I was in the grocery store yesterday," she told me and sat down next to me.
"That's nice," I told her with my eyes glued to the TV.
"And silly me, forgot to buy some orange juice. Would you be an angel?" She asked as I looked over at her.
I nodded and put the bowl down. She didn't go to the grocery store yesterday, she just returned home from the grocery store now. She tried to hand me some money before I put her hands down on her lap, "I got it," I smiled, grabbing my jacket and headed outside.

I looked around the grocery store before all of a sudden I spotted Danielle. As she was looking my direction I quickly ducked and regretted the decision right away when I had a feeling that she saw me.
"Bobo," I heard a soft female voice say from behind me.
I closed my eyes and bit my lips before looking over my shoulder, "Danielle," I gave her an awkward smile.
"Were you hiding from me?" She asked as my eyes widened.
"No, no," I said, "No, I was just looking at these..." I faced the product closest to me and sighed, "Tampons,"
I stood up facing her, she smiled, "Nice for you to come to the grocery store for your girlfriend to buy her tampons,"
"No," I said a little too quick before taking a deep breath, "No girlfriend,"
"So," she giggled, "You were hiding from me,"
I bit my lips and nodded in shame before she said, "Just like the first time we met,"

*January 1st 2007*

"HAPPY NEW YEAR!" Everyone cheered.
I was celebrating the new year with my mom and Leo, Lucky, Smoke and their mother. We're all one big family, celebrating every holidays together. We had just finished shooting up the fireworks. Me, Leo, Lucky and Smoke were throwing snowballs at each other a bit away from where our moms were sitting and drinking hot chocolate. It ended up with Leo and Smoke play fighting together as Lucky and I went further, still throwing snowballs.
"Go far!" I shouted, taking a few steps back, loading up for a big throw.
Lucky backed up with his hands in the air to try to catch the snowball. I shouted as I threw the snowball as hard as I could when suddenly a girl screamed. Lucky ran away and I hid behind a big pile of snow. I heard footsteps approaching me before stopping. I turned around and my eyes widened when they landed on the most beautiful girl I've ever seen. She had her arms crossed with snow in her short afro.
"Did you throw that snowball at me?" She asked with an angry voice.
"No?" I said as she rolled her eyes, "Then why are you hiding?"
"Because," I said, standing up and crossing my arms myself, "I'm playing hide and seek,"
She looked around and furrowed her eyebrows at me, "With who?"
I sighed, letting my arms down, "Sorry," I pouted.
"It's okay," she said, suddenly smiling which made me smile, "It's okay after I do this!"
She pushed me down on the pile of snow and kicked some more snow on top of me. I looked at her with a surprised look as she was just laughing. 
"Ouch!" I shouted, holding over my left eye.
"What?" She stopped laughing and crouched next to me.
"You kicked some dirt into my eye," I told her.
"Where? Let me see!" She sounded concerned.
"Right..." I removed my hands, "Here!" I tackled her down and sat on top of her while soaking her in snow.
"Stop!" She laughed, trying to push me off.
"Are we even?" I laughed as she nodded in response.
I got off her and we were just sitting in the snow looking at each other while laughing when all of a sudden she gave me a quick kiss on my lips. I stopped laughing and my eyes widened, she was smiling, "Danielle," 
"Bruno," I said smiling back, "But everyone calls me Bobo,"

*Now*

"Aren't you getting a little old to still go by the name of Bobo?" Danielle asked taking a sip from her coffee.
After the grocery store she asked me if I wanted to come over to her grandmother's place for some coffee and catch-up. 
"I don't think so," I told her receiving a confused look.
"You still do that stuff?" She furrowed her eyebrows at me.
"I need to earn money somehow to help my mother out. You know that Dani," 
"I know. But what about a real job where you earn the money legally?"
"Here in Craydon? You've lost your mind," I chuckled.
"You can join me to Rosendale,  I can find you a nice job and apartment for you and your mom," she told me as I rolled my eyes.
"You live there?" I questioned as she nodded in response.
I looked at her, she looked better than before. More happier. I took a deep breath and asked, "Why do you keep a gun?"
"What?" Her eyes widened.
"You heard me," 
"Oh," she exhaled, "You mean that night you shot Bronx and hid behind a bush when I walked out?"
I didn't say anything. I was shocked by how she knew all of that. Bronx was gone before she even got out. I was about to ask her before she said, "When I moved to Rosendale after our breakup, I studied hard and long until I finally became a police officer,"
And that's when my heart dropped. Did she invite me here to arrest me? I stood up and ran my fingers through my hair.
"You moved to the white town and then became one of the people that killed Lucky?" I asked.
She stood up, walked over to me and held my hands, "I moved to the white town to become better than the people that killed Lucky. I arrest bad guys and bad guys only. And hear me when I say that I arrest them, I don't shoot them,"
"I'm a bad guy," I told her.
"Bronx is a bad guy. He killed Leo, that's why you had to let me go. You were only protecting me, but I knew I wasn't safe there anyways, that's why I moved," she said as I was shocked how she knew about Bronx.
I never told her I owed him money, or that he was the one who killed my brother. I gave her a confused look before she explained herself, "After you shot Bronx, he also dropped his gun. I took a sample of the blood that was on the ground and took in the gun before driving to the station. I checked Leo's files and Bronx used the same gun he dropped to kill your brother,"
"You're a good cop," I told her with my eyes widened.
"I'm still learning to be. Like, am I good if I arrest you as a drug dealer? Or let you go because your mom is sick?" She questioned herself.
"You want to meet her?" I asked as she nodded with a smile.

"Mom! You need to see who's here," I yelled through the hall before she appeared from the living room.
"Danielle, sweetheart!" She smiled, rushing over and hugging Dani.
"Hello Maurice," Dani smiled.
"I haven't seen you for so long. Bobo has missed his little girlfriend," mom told her.
"We're not together anymore, I'm just here for a visit," Dani told her.
"You're not together?" She asked as her smile disappeared.
"No, we broke up four years ago. But we're friends," she said, looking at me with a smile.
"Leo is going to be so devastated when he finds out. He really likes you," mom said as my eyes widened.
Dani looked at me with the same expression. This is the first time in three years that she had mentioned Leo.
"What did you say, mom?" I asked, stepping forward.
"Leo," she told me, "I want you to tell him, because I ain't wiping them tears off him," she laughed.
Danielle grabbed my arm and pulled me a couple of steps away from my mom before she whispered to me, "I think it's time for the nursing home to take care of her,"
I clenched my jaw and closed my eyes.
"Maurice, can you please wait for me and Bobo in the living room? We'll be right there," Dani told my mom.
I looked away biting my lips. Danielle placed her hands on my upper arms to comfort me, "You can cry if you need to. And I know you need to get it all out,"
And as soon as I felt one tear stream down my cheek it all just came out. I hugged Dani and she hugged me back as I cried on her shoulder. And I've never felt this safe before.