COMING HOME - A Cameron Boyce Love Story

19: be back soon.

"GET YO' STUPID ASS IN THE FUCKING CAR!"

Ada watched from the window as her father dragged a scrawny woman off of a run down porch, bringing her towards their car and yelling at her as she sluggishly and forcefully walked. The other people that sat on the porch watched on, shaking their heads before going back to what they were doing. All of them looked just as dirt-ridden and busted as the woman did.

Ada slightly jumped when her father violently opened the passenger side door. He shoved the woman into the seat before slamming the door shut and walking back to the driver side, flipping off the rest of the people when one of them cursed at him to leave.

"She stank," Anari quietly whispered to her sister, holding her nose. Ada hit her in her the arm, signaling for her to be quiet.

"This what the fuck you been doin'? Huh? THIS WHOLE FUCKING TIME, THIS WHERE YOU WAS AT?" Darius yelled as he began to drive. The lady shook her head as she looked out the window, ignoring him. Darius reached over, grasping her face and turning it towards him.

"I've been looking for yo' ass, driving up and down the fucking streets, and whole time you out here shootin' up with Javon's bitch ass! Fuck is wrong with you? How you think I feel, getting a call from my homeboys, telling me they seen my baby mama selling her ass on Graves Street?! Do you know the shit I've been having to go through, tryna keep..." Darius continued to chew the woman out, shaking his head to keep from losing the entirety of his temper.

The woman continued to ignore him before slowly turning her head to look into the backseat, realizing that someone was back there. Ada squinted her eyes when she finally saw the woman's face.

It was her mother.

She looked so... different. Her face looked like it was sunken in. Her hair was a matted mess, and her eyes were dull and bewildered. Ada couldn't remember the last time she saw her mother, but she was sure she didn't look like that.

"Hey baby... hey," Ada's mother spoke, her voice broken and raspy. Her voice could barely be heard over Darius' beratings. Ada could do nothing but stare at her, not sure of how to interact with the scarily frail and dirty woman she once knew as her mother.

"Nari, hey baby. Y'all lookin' all pretty," their mother slurred, her dry and cracked lips turning up into a small smile as she reached back to touch them, only to be stopped suddenly by Darius. He grabbed her arm, making her face forward.

"Don't even talk to them, don't even talk to them! It's Christmas, and they supposed to be at home, playing with they new toys and shit, AND WE OUT HERE LOOKIN' FOR YO' ASS. ON CHRISTMAS. ON FUCKING CHRISTMAS," Darius screamed, hitting his steering wheel.

Ada's eyes began to water as she heard her father's voice reach a level of anger she never witnessed before. She looked over at her sister, seeing tears run down her face.

"Don't cry Nari," she whispered, trying to soothe her sister, irony present because of the tears starting to run down her own cheeks. She scooted towards her, not only to comfort her sister, but to comfort herself. The girls were in their pajamas, bundled up in their coats after abruptly being told to get in the car while they were in the middle of enjoying their Christmas gifts. Now, the sisters held each other as they watched and listened to their parents argue.

"Ain't nobody tell you to look for me," Niecy grumbled, scratching her scalp as she looked out the window. "How you even find me anyways."

"You out here shootin' up with my foes. I'm out here, BUSTIN' MY ASS TO KEEP THESE FUCKING KIDS ALIVE. Nari damn teeth about to fall out her mouth 'cause she need braces, A don't have any damn clothes left! I'm out slinging dope, dodging these muthafuckas on a regular tryna make sure they don't kill my ass JUST FOR YOU TO BE OUT HERE SNIFFIN' AND SHOOTIN' UP! WITH JAVON. OF ALL FUCKING PEOPLE!" Darius teared up, looking at the love of his life as she stared back at him, her gray eyes cold and withdrawn. She sniffled before chuckling to herself.