Janice balled up as tight as she could on Dallas' sectional, staring blankly at the TV. She hated not having her own bed to sleep in the past week. She looked down at the cable box clock. It read 12:30pm. She slipped her sweatshirt over her head, put her feet into her UGGs.
The winter chill hit Janice's chubby face when she got out the door, causing her to clinch her sweatshirt up to her face until she reached her car. Her phone buzzed.
Damien💙💍: I got a call back from Bay Country about us moving in this week.
Janice: k
Damien💙💍: You good beautiful?
Janice: completely fine.
Damien💙💍: I miss you.
Janice locked her phone and went on her way to pick Naomi up from school. She parked in front the school and put herself in front the heater for a few minutes. Her phone buzzed again.
Damien💙💍: How you feeling Jay? How's the baby doing?
Janice: We're fine. Just a little cold today. Are we going to move in there this weekend or not?
Damien💙💍: How's my princess? And I'll rent us a U-Haul truck to move everything. They said we need the security deposit which is just the first month's rent, $375.
Janice: I'll see what I have left in tips.
She turned off the engine and made her way into the school and down the hallway to Naomi's classroom.
"Mommy!" Naomi ran to Janice and hugged her leg.
"Hey baby. Where's your peacoat?" She looked into Naomi's beautiful dark eyes and seen the same sparkle in them that Janice saw when she was born.
"Ms.Palmer said to wait for you to come get before I put it on." Naomi leaned side to side.
"Well baby, I'm here so go ahead and put on your coat." Janice fluffed Naomi's ponytail before she ran off.
"Janice?" Ms.Palmer's vibed voice reached Janice's ears as they met eyes.
"Ms.Palmer." She smiled.
Ms.Palmer was a mocha tone, average height woman, in her mid-twenties and always wore her hair pulled in a ponytail.
"Well, I been trying to get your mom in here to talk about your sister with me for the last few weeks. But she's only sent you to pick her up. Naomi's been having some difficulties with some of our lessons lately." Ms.Palmer turned to a pile of papers and handed them to Janice, "Being her older sister, maybe you could help her with some of them."
"Sister? I'm not her sister, I'm her mother." Janice smirked.
"Oh. Well our files have you as her sister and Alice Freeman as her mother." She looked in her bin for her folder. "See. Mother is Alice Freeman."
"No, her grandmother is Alice Freeman and her mother should be Janice Neal. I didn't fill out these papers and if I did, I must've been on something good to have put that. I need to change this." Janice closed the folder and laughed.
"Well you can't change it, her mother has to." Mrs. Palmer grabbed it from her.
"I am her mother. Goodbye Mrs.Palmer. I'll be back for her folders and everything on Friday. We're moving. Come on Naomi." Janice snatched Naomi's drawing and other work.
"Coming mommy." Naomi jogged behind Janice.
She dialed Damien's number and held her phone up to her ear, waiting for his voice.
"Hello?" He answered on the 3rd ring.
"Rent that Uhaul for tomorrow and I'll call Bag Country about moving in sooner. I need to get away from Denton. My mom is claiming Naomi on paperwork, saying that she's her mother and I don't even know what other documents she might be claimed on. I feel like some legal or custody shit is going to happen." Janice held Naomi's hand and pulled her down the hallway on the phone.
"Mommy! Slow down!" Naomi tripped over her feet but kept her balance.
"I'm sorry. C'mon baby." Janice slowed down and continued her conversation with Damien, "I'm leaving Naomi with Dallas until Thursday so we can move in this apartment somewhat and I can get her in some school down there"
"Okay Jay. I got it. Love you." He signed.
Janice chewed her bottom lip, "Yeah. You too." She hung up the phone as her and Naomi approached the car, "Get in, Chubbs."
She heard Naomi's seatbelt click and she turned on the engine.
"You're going to stay with Dallas for a few days so mommy and daddy can handle some adult business, okay?" She peeked back in her rear view mirror.
"Are we moving mommy?" She asked.
Janice sighed, "Yes baby. We're moving. You're going to have your own room and you can design and decorate it however you want to. Is that okay?"
Naomi nodded her head and stared out the window as Janice headed to World Nails for Dallas.
Dallas set at her regular table six, buffering a blonde girls nails.
Janice sat down in an empty chair next to her table, "Dallas, can Naomi stay with you until Thursday, please? Me and Damien are getting this place together and I just need you to pick her up and drop her off to school, please."
"Y'all been at my house this long so I might as well keep her longer Janice." She sent the girl over to the sink, "And where are y'all supposedly getting this place at?" She asked.
"Cambridge. A three bedroom apartment. He's transferring to that Walmart and I'm trying to get a waitress job at Denny's there or somewhere. Janice leaned against the chair.
"Why did you get a three bedroom? Couldn't you and Damien just share a bedroom or something?" Dallas snapped.
Janice's face cracked into a painful half smile and whispered, "I'm pregnant."
Dallas held her head in her hand, "And whom may the father be Janice?"
She sucked her teeth, "Who do you think?"
"Damien? Again? Have either of you heard of this relevant invention called condoms? They would have helped you out of this situation you're in now." Dallas shook her head as her client came back from the sink.
"Did that condom prevent your recent situation?" Janice snapped.
"You know Janice, I'll watch Naomi. Just go do whatever you need to and get out my face." Dallas snapped back.
Janice kissed Naomi's forehead, "Dallas is going to take you back home. Daddy and I will be back for you, I promise."
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Janice pulled in front of her mother's house and sighed into her hands, heavily. She got out her car and walked into the house, only being greeted by her sixteen and eight year old step sisters, Lauren and Mia then her ten year old step brother, Tristan.
"Hey Janice. Where's Naomi at?" Lauren asked.
"With my cousin." She looked around the corner to Naomi's "bedroom", "Is my mom sleep?"
"I think so." Mia voiced through her Barbie doll.
Janice ran upstairs, only for her mothers door to swing open, "Good afternoon to you too Janice."
She stomped her foot and screamed in her hands, "I just came to get Naomi's clothes and shoes along with my own. Then I'll be out of your.. Lace front forever."
"You're not funny Janice. Where are you taking these things? To Dallas' little apartment? All three and a half of you are staying in that one bedroom?" Her mother laughed.
Janice rolled her eyes and opened her bedroom door, "Actually, me and Damien have an apartment together now."
She laughed harder, "Face reality Janice, Damien doesn't love you and he's going to leave you to pay everything and to raise this baby on your own like he did with Naomi. When will reality hit you? Do you know?"
"No, but I know when reality will hit you." Janice mumbled.
"When?" Alice smirked.
"When you step foot into my goddamn house and you see everything in there that I can call my own and when you see my family living happily." She snapped.
SMACK!
"You watch your freaking mouth when you talk to me Janice." Alice yelled.
Janice ran her tongue across her cheek, "Are you done lady?"