messages from her.

11.

OMNISCIENT.

"But daddy please! I don't want to go to the white woman's house? What if she runs me over and then sue's you and my momma because she's traumatized!" Alianna exclaimed as she sat on her bean bag chair in the living room in between Edwin's legs as he did her hair. The boys were set to go to a meeting regarding some new singles and they couldn't take a child in the meetings. "Alianna, what?" Edwin asked as he paused in the middle of brushing the front of her hair into a ponytail.

"I watch the news with my momma, but most times she's asleep when we do." She told as her mother did work hard to support her and when she got home she was as tired as any parent of any child would be. "Why? Is something wrong with her?" Austin asked calmly trying to mask his worry for Cecelia as he packed Aliannas lunch and sources of entertainment in the art bag he got her, all the while being in the kitchen.

"No momma just works all day, and she's sleepy like me after practice. As soon as I'm done with school she comes and gets me and takes me to practice before leaving for most of it and then she comes back towards the end and I show her what I learned. When we get home she takes my bag and my Leo's and she puts them away before she plays mermaid with me in the bath and then we eat and THEN we go downstairs and watch tv until she falls asleep and I put the cover on her and go in my room." Alianna said reminiscing on her previous nightly routine with her mother. It had been three whole days since she had done it and she was starting to miss her mother.

"You're such a big girl to take care of your momma like that, Matilda, I'm so proud of you." Edwin prided in his niece as he finished up the simple style. "Thank you, Uncle Eddy." She giggled and hugged his leg before she sprang up.

"Do you think Brandon will like my hair?" She asked as she swooned just from the thought of him as she held her small hands in front of her in a little fist and switched back and forth from the balls of her toes to her heels. "I think so! Why don't you go ask him, he should be up in his room."

"Okay come on, we have to show him." She smiled and grabbed his hand before she 'pulled' him up and she rushed him up the stairs before stopping abruptly just before Brandon's door. She let go of his hand and pushed him in his gut not being able to reach his chest yet. "Wait here, it's so uncool to show up with your uncle!" She told as he nodded fully understanding.

"You're right, you're right, my bad go in there, Matty." He said as lightly pushed her to Brandon's room doorway. She was instantly met with Brandon's phone being pointed in her direction immediately knowing he was recording her. "Heyyy!" She waved and ran to it putting her face close to it before she began to whisper. "Brandon is my boyfriend, and if it wasn't the law of the land, I'd throw my book at whoever wanted him."

"For real?" Brandon whispered back with a light giggle of his own. "mhm. periodt, pOOH." She said yelling at the end causing his light giggles to turn into a loud laugh as the video ended. Once he posted it he shut his phone off to give his new found company some attention.

"What brings you here, Ali?" He questioned seeing as she just giggled her way in. "I wanted to show you my hair! Uncle Eddy did it for me! But now it means I have to go to the white ladies house." She said saying the last part with a sadness filling her.

"Now hey, don't be like that Ansley seems nice, and what's wrong with her?" He asked as she sighed and he lifted her onto his bed. "I'm afraid of her?"

"Oh who?" Brandon asked.

"Ankle! I know who she is and her head just, it's shaped weird so I know she has something going on. And my mom said she's a trump supporter and I'm scared of him too and what he does to people like me and my momma. So if she likes him then I don't like her. Whatever her name is." Alianna said completely shocking him.