Honey (Editing/Rewriting)

Chapter 4

Kai
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Sitting at the bar inside his parents' kitchen, Kai indulged in mouthfuls of his mother's homemade pasta. It had been far too long since he last visited his childhood home, nestled peacefully in the suburbs just an hour away from his place.

"I hope you're taking care of yourself, Kai. You don't come around much anymore. It feels like you're drifting further away. We miss having you around." Nina, his mother said.

"Things been complicated, and I've just been trying to figure it out. I'll try to stop by more often."

Nina's voice carried a bit of concern, "And what about those therapy sessions? Are you still attending those? I want to make sure you're taking care of yourself."

"I'm a grown man, Ma. I can handle things on my own," Kai replied, attempting to dismiss her concerns. "I don't need some therapist in my business. I'm doing alright."

Nina's gaze softened, revealing her motherly worry. "Kai, I just want you to be happy. Don't let your pride stand in the way of getting the help you might need."

Kai's lips curled into a half-smile as he reached out to hold his mother's hand. "I hear you, Ma."

"I understand that Cheyenne moving back in has caused you to stop visiting. Both you and your sister should try to let go of the past and stop being so dang stubborn," Kai's mom suggests.

"That's not on me, ma. It's on her," Kai tells her, feeling tired of always being the one to mend things in every family dispute, even when he wasn't at fault. It had been that way since they were kids, with Kai often taking the blame and punishments for his siblings. Despite being the middle child, he protected Cheyenne as if he were the oldest.

"Kai..." Her words trail off.

"When are you and Dad going to stop pushing Kid away and accept him for who he is?" Kai asks, referring to a different issue.

"We're not discussing that," his mom deflects.

As Mackenzie's voice echoed through the foyer, Kai didn't have a chance to respond. "Aunt Nini! I'm back," Mackenzie shouted, rushing towards Nina for a hug.

Following closely behind Mackenzie was Kai's aunt, Latavia. "Kai, thank God you're here. Do you have some time?" Latavia asked.

Kai nodded, replying, "Yeah, what's up, Auntie?"

"My car won't start, so I had to borrow your mother's."

"Alright, I got you."

After quickly finishing his meal, Kai stepped outside to work on his aunt's car. He was relieved to have a break from discussing reconciling with his sister, whom he hadn't spoken to in two years.

After an hour of working on the car, Kai figured that a new battery was needed. He closed the hood of his aunt's BMW and made his way back inside towards the kitchen where they were.

Now seated at the bar, Cheyenne, his sister, kept her back turned to Kai. Choosing not to address her, he speaks up, "Auntie, you need a new battery. I can go get one and install it," Kai offered.

Nina shook her head. "No need, your father has a new battery in the shed."

"Will it take long? I don't want to hold you up," Latavia asked.