Psalms 42 || Tori Kelly

Only Day One

Monday—September 15th
8 AM

Tori sat in her home studio finishing up a couple of chords when the door burst open and her naked one-year-old son, Sampson crawled in. "Ahh!" He screamed, jolting Tori out of her thought process. The 40-year-old dropped her stuff on her desk and got up from her seat.

"Come here. Where is Daddy and who left the baby gate open?" Tori asked, first beating on Abiah's door, then moving down the hall to her oldest daughter's room. "Irie! Get up! Your class starts in an hour!" Tori needlessly reminded. On the other side of the door, 20-year-old Irie groaned and rolled out of her comfy, warm bed.

She sat up with all intents of getting out of the bed but slowly started to lay back down. Flickers of light flew through her curtains, reminding her that she sort of had a commitment to fulfill. Because even though she spent six hours doing homework, then was awaken at 5 AM when Abiah not so quietly snuck in, Irie had to get on with her future. Quickly, she grabbed her screaming phone to see a FaceTime going in from her church mentor, Izzy. Tiredly, she slid the button across the screen and hid half of her face in her covers.

"Good morning, kiddo! We've got a full day ahead of us and it starts with class and then our Little Saints meeting for the field trip next week. So, get up! I've already talked to mom and she's okay with you skipping babysitting duty for Sampson and Jairus," Izzy said. Irie internally screamed.

"Thank you!" She squealed. The 20-year-old was so thankful that she didn't have to watch her little brothers for the day. It wasn't like the job was hard or anything, Sampson was one so all he wanted to do was watch Goldie and Bear, Jairus was seven so he was obsessed with playing video games, and her mom paid her. It was the easiest 50 she'd make in her life, but sometimes she wanted to go out and live instead of being cooped up making sure Jairus didn't try to throw Sampson off the balcony...again.

"Alright, quick prayer before you go get ready?" Izzy asked, setting her coffee cup on the table before her. Irie nodded and sat up, shutting her eyes and preparing to hear the word. "Dear Heavenly Father, we come to you today thank you for this beautiful morning. Now that you've let us see it, we would like to ask for your traveling mercies for everyone commuting such as myself and Iriella. We pray protection over her family and a spirit of joy in that house. Bless Irie that she may retain everything she needs, to do your will and combat anything that may come against. In Jesus name, Amen," Izzy finished.

"Amen," Irie agreed, before hanging up. While hurrying, Irie threw her phone back on the charger and headed or the showers. It was now 8:15 and she still had to pick up her best friend.

—

On the other end of the hall, Abiah's head popped up from the covers as the sun smacked her straight in the eyes. "What the fuck?" She mumbled, sitting up to snatch her curtains closed. "It is too damn early for this," she groaned, getting out of her bed and heading over to her bathroom. She looked in the mirror at her messy hair and clothes from the night before. She didn't remember putting on sweats or washing the huge black X off of her hand, but they were magically a reality. "Where is my phone?" Abiah whispered, realizing that her lifeline wasn't attached to her. As she brushed her teeth, the 14-year-old navigated through her cluttered room to find the device.

After giving up, not even two seconds into the search, Abiah hit the intercom but that led straight to Irie's room. "Mama, have you seen my phone?" The 14-year-old yelled. With no response, she gave up and headed back to the bathroom to finish her routine.

8:45 AM

Irie came up the stairs in black high waisted shorts, a maroon tank top, and matching floral maroon kimono. With a quick glance, André approved his daughter's outfit and went back to watching Sports Highlights. "Bye, daddy!" Irie called, running towards the door and finally seeing her mother who was on the couch changing— hopefully, the last of— Sampson's diapers. "Bye, mommy. I'm meeting up with Izzy for lunch, probably gonna go bowling with Kya and Reggie, then I'll be home in time for Bible study," she listed. Tori nodded and picked her youngest up off the couch.

"Sounds like a plan. Oh and tell Izzy thank you for the plans for this year's camp. They look solid," Tori smiled. Irie pecked her mother and brothers heads before sprinting out of the house. André turned back, disbelief ridden.

"All I got was "Bye" and you got an entire rundown of the day, not fair," he pretended to whine. With a child on her hip, Tori rolled her eyes and kissed her sweet baby boy's cheek.

"You need some toast with that jelly?" She joked. "You're so worried about me and Irie that I bet you haven't gone to check on your son. He's probably sitting on his bed still waiting for you to help him get dressed," Tori reminded. André's face immediately changed as he hopped up and ran down the stairs as Abiah came up. "You're not wearing that. Change," Tori said without even having to look at her daughter's outfit. As she turned around from dropping the diaper in the trash she saw that her assumption was correct. Abiah stood before her in a tube top and high waisted mini skirt.

"But, mom! Irie and Addi get to wear this stuff!" Abiah argued. Tori switched Sampson over to her other side and came around the island.

"Biah, we go through this every day. Your sister and your cousin are 21 and about to turn 21 years old. You are 14. You cannot wear what they wear or do what they do. Look at me. Do I dress like that?" Tori baited.

"No," Abiah sulked. "But, you're old," she added. Tori scoffed.

"I'm so old, yet that's my shirt. Take it off, put on real clothes, and put my shirt back in my closet," Tori demanded. "Oh and I think I'm gonna hold onto this for a while since you can't seem to come home and stay home," Tori said waving Abiah's cellphone, then dropping it back in her back pocket.

"How the fuck do you even—" Abiah rolled her eyes and stomped her way to the stairs.

"Nope! We do not say words like that in this house! Watch your mouth!" Tori warned, as her daughter stomped herself into oblivion. Or at least that's what Tori thought when the stomping immediately ceased. Then she heard her husband's rough voice speak and knew he was now handling Abiah.

When having kids, André and Tori always thought that they'd raise a bunch of Irie's. And so far they've raised three. But something about Abiah was fighting. She refuses to listen to the rules. She acted out and lashed out with a quickness. She had just become so ugly, since starting high school, and Tori and André can't figure out why.

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To Be Continued...