First Daughter (RELOADED) COMPLETED

12

BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA
2:21 P.M. CST

"Come here Arianna, you too Ariel." Aliyah said. "Let me show you something. They both stepped up and stood in front of her. Aliyah took out an old picture she photocopied and unfolded it.

"Y'all recognize them?"

"That's you...and him..." Ariel pointed out.

"Recognize the babies?"

"That...this the picture that got cut in half." Arianna said to Ariel. Ariel face lit up with realization.

"So like, y'all our cousins or sum?" Ariel asked. Kentrell smiled and shook his head.

"No...we're your parents." Arianna mouth dropped open and Ariel just stared.

"OH HO HO SHIT!" Everybody turned around to look at the little boy with huge ears standing in the threshold between the kitchen and living room. He had a mini MinuteMaid apple juice in his hand, sipping it through a straw.

"Keylan, getcho-ass-up-then-motherfucking-steps-NOW. Before I call yo daddy. HUR-UP! And ask Kingston is he hungry." Keylan took off up the steps.

"Bruh, KD silly ass ain't gone do nothing to that boy." Kentrell chuckled to his mama.

"A shid, KD be whooping ass now. Keylan know that, ion know why he just tried that shit."

"Why you leave us?" Ariel asked, breaking up the little chat session.

"We got into a lil trouble."

"A lil? Nigga you almost died. It's the reason he in a fuck—freaking wheelchair now. Your daddy had some enemies, and we felt like it wasn't safe if we stayed with y'all."

"So you couldn't call us?" Ariel asked. Aliyah sighed.

"Grandma thought that it wouldn't be a good idea—"

"Wow." Ariel said, walking off. Arianna looked at her in shock.

"I-I'll be right back. I'm sorry." Arianna got up and ran behind Ariel.

"Man, what the hell is your problem?" Arianna asked her sister as she pulled her arm.

"Whatchu mean what's my problem? They abandoned us."

"For a reason, Ariel! It ain't like they left cause they felt like it!"

"I don't care what you say, that's exactly what happened. They went off and had a whole 'nother kid—"

"Life happens, Ariel. We can't change that!"

"And we supposed to roll with that?"

"Look, I—we finally got the parents we been wishing we had since we could talk—and you wanna be mad, be mad by yourself." Ariel just stood there, her expression filled with nothing but hurt.

Meanwhile, inside the living room, the boys were clearly just as surprised. Kentrell had wanted hugs from all of his boys, but frowned up when Kameron hadn't hugged him.

"Kam? You too tough to hug a nigga or what?" He asked, smiling a little.

"Ian think you wanted a hug from me." Kam answered.

"What is you talkin' bout dude? C'mere." Kentrell's strong Louisiana accent strewed into his words.

"My mama said I ain't got the same daddy as them." He came over to where Kentrell was.

"So? You still my son. Even though y'all ain't mine by blood, I still love you and Elijah like y'all mine. Fuck a blood test." Kentrell told him, gesturing to the sleeping child on Aliyah's lap. "Undastand?" K nodded and Kentrell pulled him into a hug.