Psalms 42 || Tori Kelly

The Birds

6:15 PM

Fresh bread and pastries filled the air around Tori as she sat across the small wooden table from her husband. Since the car ride was practically silent, placing their orders broke the barrier between them. "Tori, we can't assume she's having sex," André rationally said. With an eye roll, Tori folded her arms.

"And why not? You're a guy, you losing your virginity is different from a girl. I would know. And what I saw is the same thing that happened to me when I lost mine," Tori replied. André sighed, knowing he couldn't argue with that. If Tori saw what she thought, then she must know what the circumstances were behind it.

"Okay, well what do we do? We can't make this a huge deal, that'll just make her want to do it more. But we can't pretend like we don't know, because then she could get in more trouble," André asked. Tori absentmindedly bit at her thumb as she thought of a good way to approach the sex talk. With Irie it was easy, because she had no interest in having sex until she was married. Abiah, on the other hand, had always been a little more difficult.

"We have to spear head this. Dré, she's 14. We can't treat her the same way we would, Irie. Irie is almost 20 and is in a steady relationship. Biah has never even had a boyfriend. This cannot continue," Tori thought up. She didn't even know why it was hard for her to come up with that. If Abiah was too young to have a boyfriend, she was definitely too young for sex. Period.

7:45PM

While her parents planned, Abiah pushed her spaghetti around her plate. Irie had gotten home in time to make dinner for everyone and get the boys ready for bible study. "Jairus, put your plate in the sink and put a shirt on," Irie bossed as she started to wash the dishes. The seven year old rolled his eyes and did as his big sister said.

"Why do I have to put a shirt on? Mommy doesn't make me wear one to bed," he sassed. Irie huffed and dried off her hand, before taking Sampson's messy dinner mat and plate.

"You have to wear one on bible study night. You know that. I don't know why we go through this every week," Irie replied. Jairus hung his head and ran down to his room to get his tank top. As one boy got settled, the other got restless.

"Out!" Sampson cried. Abiah actively ignored him as Irie scrubbed the Bubble Guppies mat. It was becoming increasingly clear to Irie that something in her house was wrong on this particular night. Normally, Abiah would've been mildly helpful with the boys, but on this night it was like she wasn't even there.

"Hold on, buddy," Irie yelled back, not out of anger, but because her back was to him. "B, can you wipe him down, get his diaper changed, and put a onesie on him while I clean up the kitchen?"  Irie asked as nicely as possible through her frustration. Abiah groaned and forcefully dropped her fork in the half eaten food. As Jairus came up the stairs, he saw Abiah yank their, freshly wiped down, baby brother out of the highchair and basically drop him onto the hardwood floor.

"Hey!" Jairus yelled, catching Irie's attention as Sampson cried harder.

"Oh my gosh," Irie whispered, hearing the thud, but not seeing the act. "Guys!" Irie groaned, turning around to see Jairus' shock and Abiah's lack there of. The poor one year old pulled himself from the floor and was ready to head to his oldest sister for comfort when André and Tori came in the house.

"Mama," Sampson screamed through tears, while making his way towards his parents. Tori immediately dropped her stuff by the door and picked up her toddler.

"Sammy, who did it?" Tori asked in a baby voice. Sampson pressed his head into his mother's chest and shot his tiny finger towards Jairus and Abiah before bringing it back to himself. "Why is my baby crying?" Tori said in a firmer voice to her older children.