A knock on the door startled both girls.
"Come in." Arianna said.
Watching the bedroom door open, seeing it was Lisa calmed them both down some.
"How about that girls night? It'll be fun." Lisa suggested.
"Mom, really? We are having our own week and weekend together. You can enjoy a nice hot bath and drink like you did back at home when Dad wasn't around." Arianna suggested with a small smile.
"I will enjoy the nice hot shower as for drinking probably not wise since I have to take care of you and Kassidy. If you girls need any food or drinks they are downstairs and television is out there too. I will see you two later." Lisa replied with sadness in her voice.
"Arianna, why are you mean towards your mom? She could be fun to hang out with. If my mom was alive I would be valuing every moment with her, I miss her so much as it is." Kassidy responded with her voice cracking and threatened tears.
"No, no, don't cry Kassidy. Mom, Mom, MOM! Hold on, don't go please." Arianna shouted going downstairs in a rush and hugged her mom tightly.
"I wasn't going anywhere and that is a surprise hug after several years of not getting any. Are you okay, Ari?" Lisa asked curiously.
"It's okay, Mrs. Kirkland, I wanted to make sure Arianna held you tight since I don't have a mom, mine passed away a long time ago." Kassidy said, folding her arms to her chest and rubbing her shoulders.
"I am so sorry, Kassidy. Your father told me it has been hard on you not knowing who she was. Is their anything I can help you with that your father hasn't shown you quite yet?" Lisa asked curiously and with wonder.
"No, I know most things and learned to cook, clean and anything else for Dad since he has always been busy with the church. I just wish he'd make more time for me before I go to college and begin my life." Kassidy replied feeling tears threatening again.
Lisa and Arianna hugged Kassidy in a group to make her feel special though it didn't take away the fact that she needed her mom more than anything in this world. At that moment, Lisa encouraged both girls to lighten up by dragging them to the kitchen to bake cakes, cookies, and anything fun to eat. It was so much food that Lisa didn't care one bit.
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Falling asleep to the movie and cuddling with one another that Lisa covered both girls up also gave them pillows for their heads. Lisa really enjoyed having Kassidy around after only being in Maryland for two days. She decided it would be best to sneak out of the house to see Jamal, they've become really good friends that she didn't need anyone to tell her not to be around him and he took her process of divorce in kind words. Though she did question if her daughter is into Kassidy because she seemed so clingy to the girl. Lisa knew that she had to separate the girls after the snow storm because their is no way Pastor Jamal would approve of his own daughter being so close to Arianna. She needed to see Jamal but also wanted to protect the girls from his wrath that he could endure of their friendship that had just begun.
Lisa heard a soft knock at her front door then decided to open it quietly to not disturb the girls. She saw standing in a dark silhouette of Jamal who made her smile.
"Come in, the girls are sound asleep and we just shut off the movie after having fun cooking, baking, and everything else." Lisa explained letting Jamal in.
"I'm so glad, Kassidy has a new friend and a mother figure to hang around, she really misses her mom. I wish Janice would see her beautiful daughter. She would have been so proud." Jamal replied with a tear going down his face.
"I am sure, Janice loved you both." Lisa responded in a comforting voice.
"I've had best head back to the church, I, um, have paperwork to finish and to keep the families warm." Jamal leaned over giving Lisa a kiss on the cheek then exited the house.
Lisa couldn't help being shocked because they aren't supposed to be this close and she looked at Arianna on the couch with Kassidy, she couldn't help how she felt towards Jamal though she is still waiting on the divorce to be done and now she may have more issues. Lisa knew at this point that she had to go relax in her room but before she could Jamal came back and planted a kiss on her lips.
"Sorry, sorry, I better go. See you tomorrow." Jamal said, rushing out of the house.
It took all that Lisa could not to freak out that she had surprisingly been kissed by Jamal, not even her ex husband would do that at random moments. She shook it off once more then calmly walked to her bedroom so she didn't startle either girl from the couch, she would feel bad if she woke them up because of what Kassidy's father just did. Lisa knew nothing should come of it as they just met and their girls are good friends. Grabbing her robe and few other clothes then headed to the shower to relax her mind, Lisa knew that her and Jamal couldn't be anything since they are just getting to know one another and Arianna doesn't need a new father figure in her life since Arianna would be graduating in a few years.
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Arianna woke up to see Kassidy's father kissing her mom that threatened her with tears. She didn't want them to be together, she liked Kassidy and wanted that bond. Arianna wanted to follow her mom to her bedroom to ask what was going on when she heard the shower going. Arianna knew that she couldn't tell Kassidy of what was going on and hoped that her mom wouldn't give Kassidy's father the satisfaction of being together.