Promises (Practice sequel)

Chapter One

Kelsie's POV

I walk into the kitchen to check on the pan of brownies I've been baking. Opening the oven, I see that it's still not done. I sigh and close the oven again, turning the temperature up higher. Hopefully it'll bake faster.

"Momma!" Liyah yells, walking into the kitchen.

"Hey, Liyah," I say, turning to face her. "What's up?"

"Nothin', I'm just bored," she says, huffing and sitting down at the table.

"So you come to me when you're bored?" I pout, pretending to be hurt. "That's so mean. You're a meanie."

Liyah giggles. "That's not true! I also play with Daddy when I'm bored. . . and play with my Barbies. . ."

"Whatever." I smirk and we both walk into the living room.

"Can we watch Full House?" Liyah asks hopefully.

I sigh. Liyah's obsessed with that show. "Sure. But only until Daddy gets home. Okay?"

Liyah's face brightens, and I turn the TV on, which had already been on channel 32 from earlier this morning, before Liyah went to school.

As we both relax into the couch, I let my thoughts wander.

It's been five years. He's been with us all this time. Half of me almost thought he was gonna leave. I mean, he loved Nicki. Of course he was gonna go running back to that bitch. The other half of me knew that he wouldn't do that to his family. I have my connections. Nicki and Audrey would have been dead before dinnertime.

Then something happened. And he never left.

I hear the front door open, snapping me back to reality. Drake walks in, smiling. "Hey baby," he says, setting his bag down.

"Hey, handsome," I reply, getting up and pecking him on the lips. "How was work?"

"Same as always. Boring as hell."

"Did you eat before you came home? Because Liyah and I already had some takeout. You came home too late, it's almost nine."

"Yeah, I grabbed some Burger King. You coulda saved me some orange chicken, though."

I laugh just as Liyah jumps from the couch and wraps her arms around Drake's waist. "Daddy!' she exclaims.

"Hey, Liyah! What's up?!" Drake lifts her up and she wraps her arms around his neck, grinning.

"Nuttin'! I'm just happy you're home! Finally!" She wriggles from his grasp and sniffs the air. "What's that smell?"

Confused, I sniff the air too. Something's burning?

"Oh, shit!" I remember the brownies. I race into the kitchen, Drake at my heels, and fling the oven open. Smoke billows from inside of it, making me cough while cursing under my breath."Fuck. Fuck. Fuck."

I rummage through the draws, desperately searching for an oven mitt. "Drake, look for a glove or something and take the shit out before it smells the whole house up!"

"Heads up!" he says, and I turn around just in time for me to catch an oven mitt. I slip it on and pull the tray from the oven, coughing. I set it on the table, shaking my head.

"Dammit." I sigh and stare at the charcoal-colored mess that was once dessert.

"I was looking forward to those," Drake says, coming to stand beside me, a disappointed look on his face.

"We can always make more."

"But what if you burn those too?" Drake smirks at me.

"Then you're gonna make 'em." I glare at him before asking him to hand me a spatula. Then I begin scraping out the burnt bits of brownie.