One Day At A Time

|Chapter 29|

Ava

"Ava, wake up mamas."

I open my eyes and frown when I see my mama standing right there in front of me.

"Get up and get ready. It's 8:15."

"But mama I'm home schooled now. I still gotta wake up early?" I ask, rubbing my eyes to get the crust out.

"Yes. Now get up and don't have me come back in here and you layin down or ima go get the water." She says turning around to walk out my room.

I smack my teeth and instantly regret it when my mama quickly turns back around and looks at me like I'm crazy. I'd only had to learn my lesson about that once.

"I know you ain't just smack your teeth."

"No. I was just tryna get something out my teeth and that noise came out. You know how your gums be all nasty when you wake up."

"Mhm." She says waving her hand around. "And clean this room."

"I can't right now mama. You said get ready." I say, walking towards the door. "I can't do both."

"Lil girl.."

"I'm just playing."

"And that's ya problem right now. You and your daddy always want play."

"Its better than being serious all the time."

She squints her eyes at me once again and I quickly pass her and run across the hall to my bathroom, almost bumping into my daddy. I stuck my tongue out at her when daddy stops her from following me, and close the door behind me.

My mama knows I be just playing, and sometimes she does get mad when I play too much, but its her fault. She always saying 'there's a time to be goofy and a time to be serious', and I understand that, but no one can be truly happy if they're serious and angry all the time.

I brush my teeth and wash my face before cleaning my mess. I look in the mirror and smile to make sure my teeth are clean and then floss. I don't like flossing because it makes my gums bleed, but mama says I have to if I want my teeth to be healthy, so I guess I don't have a choice.

I look in the cabinet under the sink and get my hair bucket. I put it on the counter, putting my scarf in it, before leaving out of the bathroom and going into my room. I put the bucket on my bed and get ready before cleaning up. When my room is clean, I bring the bucket to my mama room, where she sits at the edge of the bed on the phone, waiting for me.

"You done getting ready?"

"Mhm."

I hand her the hair bucket and stand in between her legs. She takes my balls out and makes me turn around, facing her. While she does whatever she doing to my hair, I occupy myself with Ace. My mama and daddy still didn't make up a name for him, but they said they wanted it to start with an A, and since I have three letters in my name I made it fair and gave him three letters too. Just so he won't be jealous or anything because I'm gonna still be their favorite.

"Mama is Ace woke?"

"I don't know mamas I don't feel him right now. He was moving a while ago though."