All Grown Up

Convos Between Kiddos

"So did you like the flowers?" Erica ask as she braids my hair into four neat cornrows.

"I was wondering who sent him my dorm room number." I sit next to her on the couch.

"Guilty." She smiles. I couldn't help but smile back. She's got one of those infectious smiles, just like a certain somebody else.

"Look at that, two my favorite girls in one place." Shad spoke as he walked into the house. Shai was back at her mom's house for the next three weeks, and King was back home with Erica's mom. So now it was just the adults.

"Shaggy!" I yelled bombarding him with a hug

"Yes, my little Scooby?" He returned the big then went to sit next to Erica who snuggled into his side. She really does make him happy.

"You guys have so many names do each other. What's the story behind this one?"

"Our mom's said she used to follow me around like a lost puppy when she learned how to walk. The only way I could get her to be quiet was if I turned Scooby Doo on. She would always yell 'I Scooby!' So that's what I called her."

"I knew Shaggy was always with Scooby so I just picked up calling him that." I could see in Erica's eyes that she really loved our bond. I'm not sure if it's because she never had a bond like this, or if she was just happy to see Shad in such a different light.

"This is the type of bond I want King to have with Shai." She spoke truthfully. I laughed at her revelation.

"They already do." I kept laughing as they stared at me confusingly. I pulled my phone out to show them a video of the kids. They were in Shai's room, King was by her bedside tucking her in.

"King," Shai called as he gave a small mmhm to let her know he was listening. "you're my big brother right?"

"Of course I am why?"

"Kids at school keep saying you're not cause we don't have the same mommy and daddy." You could hear the sadness in her voice.

"Well you tell them that the next time they say something mean to you they can talk to your big brother. I'll handle it. I'll even ask your dad to take me with him when he gets you from school. You're the sister of a king, which makes you a princess. The king's job is to take care of the princess okay?" He tucked the last bit of her blanket around her.

"Okay." She nodded. "I love you King."

He smiled before kissing her forehead.

"I love you too little sister."  He kissed her forehead once more before getting in his own bed.

Shad and Erica were about to say something, but I stopped them.

"Wait there's one more thing." Shai wiggled out of her well tucked bed, and climbed into King's. He already had the covers open for her, she snuggled closer to him, just like that they went to sleep. When the video ended Erica hugging Shad tightly. I could see a few tears had fallen, but my brother wiped them away quickly.

"Shad, we really have a family. Thank you for giving King and I something we've both been looking for, for so long."

"I gotta talk to my little man, I know y'all in good hands whenever I'm fine if he's here. Babe you did good with him."

I was glad I could show them that little moment between the kids. Both of them have been wondering if their engagement was a good move because the kids seemed so estranged from each other. They were thinking about calling it off, moving to separate homes, and just dating the kids sake. I think that was one of those things they really needed to see.