Beauty In The Struggle

Our Family In Pieces

Maliyah. I wanna be just like you when I get older, you just have it all together, I don't
She said pouting.

Diamond. Honey how old are you? Like 14 you and your sister have plenty of time to get it  together you just worry about having fun

Maliyah. You think so ?

Diamond. Yes, come back and see me when you are 18
She said giving Maliyah a hug.

Then Lamar came back looking panicked.
Diamond. Babe what's wrong ?
She immediately stood up off the couch.

Lamar. Nothing baby, I just...  I have to go

Diamond. Go where ?
Lamar. I just have to go

Maliyah. Can she stay ?
Lamar. Not this time sorry where's your sister? Aaliyah!

He called out and she came out of her room.
Lamar. I have to go for a little while y'all watch each other
Aaliyah. Where ?
Lamar. Can we not do this right now I have to go, I'll walk you out D

Diamond got a confused and irritated look on her face as she hugged his twin sisters goodbye and walked out the door with him.

Diamond. You wanna tell me what's going on ?
Lamar. I can't right now baby, I just can't, you need a ride home?

Diamond. I'll walk Lamar
She said shrugging him off and walking off.
Lamar. Baby, hey
He gently grabbed her arm to stop her.

Lamar. I love you, I promise we will talk later, give me a kiss
Diamond rolled her eyes and gave her boyfriend a kiss.
Lamar. I love you
Diamond. Yeah I love you too

Walking home gave her too much time to think. Where was he going in such a rush? Was it business? Was it family? Was it a female? The gang ?

Diamond never liked her boyfriend being in a gang but he was already in deep when she met him. They don't talk about it much because usually his sisters are around but she knew it had taken a toll on him. He didn't like for the twins to be involved in any of that. He explained that he did what he had to do.

She pulled out her phone and texted him. He only left 30 minutes ago.

Outgoing text to Lamar
Are you okay?

Now it's the waiting game. Diamond lived with her mother she was 23 but saving up to get a house with Lamar he was 25. He was left to take care of his sisters while his mom was in rehab. Even though he was going to be raising those girls for a long time because she goes and she comes back, relapses and leaves again, since Diamond had been around this was her 3rd time going back to rehab. She was never out for more than a month. She was on some hard stuff an addiction to Cocaine and his dad, locked up, drug possession, intent to distribute a whole mess of charges.

Diamond was finally home and went straight to her room.

Outgoing text to Lamar
Are you okay?
(Read at 1:30)

Diamond. Seriously? Whatever
She rolled her eyes, put on some headphones and laid down. Then this song started playing.

~even when your hustling days are gone, she'll be by your side still holding on, even when those twenties stop spinning and all those gold digging women disappear, she'll still be here~

She smiled she remembered one night she wasn't feeling well, she had been crying about the stressful day she had and Lamar put her on his lap rubbed her back and sang this song to her and she smiled so hard at him. She loved Lamar sometimes he got on her nerves but after four years she was used to the bad days.

She dozed off and fell asleep listening to the song on repeat then a knocking on her window woke her up... it was Lamar.
She got up to open the window for him.