Dangerously In Love

Chapter 1: Old friend

22 years later

Toni and her sister's walked back and forth from the kitchen to the dinning room to put the food and plates on the table.

"Is everything on the table?" Evelyn their mother asked as the girls all replied with 'yes' and 'yip'.

"So can we sit and eat now?" Tamar asked their mother as she was busy with her phone.

"Yes." Their mother replied as they walked back towards the table and sat down. There were three empty chairs but they didn't mind it, its always been like that.

They held hands as their mother said Grace.

"Dear father God we thank you for the food we are about to eat and we thank you for the hands that made the food. Amen!" Evelyn shouted.

"Amen." Everyone else said.

"Now can we eat?" Jasper asked, he was Traci's 4 year old son. "Yes," Toni chuckled, placing her hand on his shoulder.

He looked up at Toni and smiled.

"What do you want to eat Jas?" Traci asked as she grabbed his bowl.

"Umm some mashed potatoes and green beans... but could auntie Toni please dish for me?" Jasper grinned facing Toni.

"Sure." Toni smiled, as she took his plate from Traci's grasp.

"Everyone just loves auntie Toni." Kailee their youngest sister said, cutting her steak. She was 17 years old.

"Yes. You should really have kids Toni." Trina said as everyone nodded their heads.

"Please, I don't even have a man. I'm just focused on my career." Toni said, "and plus what man could honestly take care of me?" Toni asked, the girls stared at her before the doorbell rang.

"Who could that be?" The girls all asked in unison. They looked at one another and then at their mother.

She was smiling. "I'll go see." Traci said getting up to get the door.

The girls sat there as they all heard Traci scream with excitement.

"Towanda!!!" She shouted, causing the girls to all smile except Toni.

"Towanda?" Toni mumbled. "What is she doing here." She spat.

"Towanda what are you doing here?!" Tamar asked squealing as the girls expect Toni took turns hugging their sister.

"I moved back with my husband and daughter." Towanda said proudly with a smile on her face showing her left hand as the ring sat in her ring finger.

"You're married?" Their mother Evelyn asked in shock as all the girls looked at their sister.

"Sounds like something she would do." Toni said nonchalantly shrugging her shoulders and walked back to the dinning area.

"Come inside so we can talk about this." Their father Michael said very upset that Towanda decided to get married without informing the family, he felt as though he wanted to be the preacher at all his kids weddings seeing that he was a pastor.

"Who is this?" Trina asked as a man came in wearing a black suite and tie with a girl that looked no other than 13 stood next to him, Toni couldn't believe her eyes there in front of her stood her first love and first heartbreak. Kenneth Babyface Edmonds.

"Ken." She whispered taking a step forward towards him but didn't get far as Towanda stood next to him, Toni scrunched her eyebrows in confusion until Towanda said something that crushed her heart.

"This is my husband Kenneth and my daughter Bianca." Townada said smiling as Toni cleared her throat and quickly blinked her tears away.

'He's not worth it.' She kept telling herself in her head.

"Can we eat now?" Toni asked a bit to harsh as everyone nodded and went to their seats.

"So why did you decide to move back?" Their mother Evelyn asked Towanda as they passed the food around the table to one another.

Kenneth couldn't help himself, but each time that he would look at Toni... and he must say that she has matured since the last time he saw her, she looks even more beautiful. He remembered that day like it was yesterday although it was 22 long regretful years of his life.

"Well Kenneth just got promoted to this side to one of the best real estate company's here, so I decided to come back and pay you guys a visit and introduce him and our daughter before we head to our new house." Towanda said with a brag looking directly at Toni.

It's like all their life Towanda has been competing with Toni but Toni didn't have no idea, Towanda always wanted to outdo her sister and she thought that this time Toni couldn't outdo her because she was married to a rich man and she was a house wife. The only thing holding her back was her ugly secret that couldn't be exposed or she would not live the lavish life that she's living.

Toni scoffed and rolled her eyes annoyed at the presence of her sister and her ex boyfriend.

"Mom what did you have to tell us?" Toni asked her mom hoping she would say whatever she needed to say so she could go home and be alone like every other night for the past 22 years.

"What does mom have to say?" Towanda questioned as Toni glared at her.

"For those who have been living here with their family and not disappearing randomly actually care so you can save your so called sympathetic look and leave. We've been fine without you, I don't think you were missed." Toni spat coldly looking at her sister with a frown.

Everyone let the two sisters be, this was the usual bickering and back and forth with the two. They never got along and no one knew why.

"Can you girls just get along for one night. Just one." Their father sighed as Towanda nodded and Toni continued eating her food not bothering to respond. Their father knew that was impossible that's why it was best when Toni moved out and Towanda left.

"I'm glad you decided to move back Towanda, because I need all you girls by my side right now." Their mother said. Now she had everybody's attention.

"I have cancer." Their mother breathed out as the room fell silent and everyone sat in shock still processing what she just said.

This was only the beginning of many challenges that are about to be faced, could Toni handle all of this with the only man she ever loved back but he was married to her sister. She couldn't get a break and it all happened in one night.

"What?" They all asked on the verge of tears. "Mommy!" Tamar and Kailee said in unison before breaking down into tears.

They girls all got up except Toni and went to hug their mother. Toni and Kenneth made eye contact before she slowly got up and tried to keep her balance as she walked up to her mother.

"No. That's not true." Toni said wrapping her arms around her mothers neck and crying against her shoulder.