Moriah Scott

"Moriah get up please because I don't want to annoy you but we have our first guest over for a brunch in our new home. I think you'll be excited when you see them" Nandy said excitedly as she jumped on the bed like a child. I cuddled into the covers some more as I opened my eyes and stared at the open window and the sun pealing into the bedroom.

"Stop, please stop jumping" I groaned getting a headache and she laughed and jumped on me kissing my cheek as I turned my head feeling suffocated. Her hand brushed the side of my face and I sighed and shut my eyes again.

"Get up, take care of your morning breath and I'll make you a cup of coffee" Nandy offered. I rolled over on my back nearly causing her to fall on the floor. She changed how she was sitting and straddled my lap keeping a pout on her face.

"I'm tired and I don't like company" I stated causing her to continue to look at me. She began rubbing at her eyes and I got this dull and annoyed look on my face. She slowly climbed off of me keeping the sad facial expression as if she was trying to guilt trip me and I continued to stare at her showing it wasn't working.

"I'll make lasagna for dinner because I know it's your favorite" She begged and I blinked causing her to fold her arms. "Fine I'll go next door and have your mom make the lasagna" she mumbled and I smiled and sat up.

Nandy clapped and told me to hurry up as she rushed out of the room. I went into the bathroom and applied toothpaste to my toothbrush before brushing my teeth while releasing my bladder into the toilet.

It must have taken awhile because by the time I got done washing my face Nandy was knocking on the bathroom door. I pulled the door open and she grabbed my arm pulling me out as I flicked the lights off and followed behind her.

"You could put on clothes instead of going down in your pajamas" Nandy nagged and I glanced over my shoulder at her. When she saw my facial expression she sighed and we went down the stairs maneuvering around boxes that needed to be unpacked.

When we got into the dining room I stared at my father and Ajani and Kaine who were sitting at the table. There was a large stack of chocolate chip pancakes, eggs, bacon and a pitcher of orange juice.

There was a boy I'd never seen before that resembled Kaine a bit. He looked up at me as he slowly chewed the pancake in his mouth and sat his fork down.

"Moriah this is Aaron, Kaine's younger brother. He was asking so many questions about you after we told him you love to paint and draw" my father said and I sat down next to Ajani who was cutting up her son's food.

"Did you really paint the picture of my brother? The abstract one that he cherishes a lot?" Aaron questioned and Kaine punched him. Nandy leaned over me and hugged me smiling like a weirdo and everyone stared at her.

"I painted it a long time ago" I said growing tense before pulling the chair out next to me. Nandy sat down in the chair and I stared at her for awhile, silently telling her to calm down.

"I like your home a lot, it's really modern yet classic" Ajani complimented and Nandy thanked her. I looked up at Kaine who was giving me a weird look probably wondering why I'd moved here temporarily.

"Thank you, your home was absolutely beautiful as well. I loved the colors" Nandy said returning the compliment. I turned my attention to Knox who was sipping through a straw of a plastic cup with a lid.

He looked at the grapes on my plate and I stabbed one with my fork before extending the fork with my hand. Instead of grabbing it off like I expected him to he opened his mouth and I awkwardly fed it to him watching him chew before drinking more of his chocolate milk.

I stared at the fork that had his germs on it and everybody started laughing at me. I looked at Knox who held his cup up with both hands offering me some of his milk.

"No thanks, you drink it" I said and he sat it down and started bobbing his head as he waited for his pancakes. I couldn't say I was surprised, I always figured if Kaine and Ajani had children they'd be weird.

"Where's the other baby?" I questioned remembering there was another new baby. my father raised a cup of coffee to his mouth and smirked finding what I said funny.

"Last I saw your mom was giving him kisses and speaking baby language. Kieran had the same look you use to have when you were a baby wanting her to shut up" My father explained. I nodded my head not blaming the baby, my mom could be strange sometimes.

"Was it easy for you to have your children? Did you have to try hard and have a lot of sex?" Nandy questioned Ajani and my father nearly spilled coffee into his lap as I face palmed myself.

"Um it took a few times" Ajani explained quietly and Nandy saw my expression and dropped the conversation. I grabbed a coffee mug and poured myself some coffee not adding anything else to it.

"Kaine what time does your flight leave? I'll take you, there's some stuff I actually wanted to talk to you about" My father stated and Kaine agreed.

"We gotta do it discreetly because if he sees me leave he'll fall out" Kaine said making a gesture to Knox.

"So you draw?" I questioned turning my attention to Kaine's brother as I took a sip of the black coffee. Aaron nodded his head slowly and unzipped the bag by his feet pulling out this drawing book.

"Do you want to see? I started a comic, this is the rough copy but I do most of the work on my iPad" Aaron said extending the book and I took it from him.

I flipped through the art before casually looking up at him as he waited patiently for me to say something. The table became quiet as I closed the book and handed it back to him and he took it and continued awaiting a response.

"I'd read it if you ever finished your comic. That's what you wanna do?" I questioned and he nodded his head quickly.

"That's all I've ever wanted to do since I can remember. I wanna be one of the greatest comic artist of all time"'Aaron smiled as he pushed the food around on his plate.

"You know if you keep looking like that your eyes will get stuck" I said lifting my fork up to my mouth as Kaine continued to squint at me.

"Why are you here? The real reason and not the bullshit one you gave to Ajani, do you have someone to handle? Are you running from the law?" Kaine questioned as he poured himself some orange juice.

"Last time I checked I was a grown man and I was allowed to go anywhere" I said nonchalantly between chews. Nandy looked at me before placing her hand over mine and I slowly looked down at her hand before focusing my attention on the painting hanging behind my fathers head.

"Yeah, whatever" Kaine mumbled giving up on trying to question me. We finished brunch and I helped Nandy do the dishes in the kitchen silently. She kept looking at me like she wanted to ask me something but didn't have enough courage.

I dried the plate in my hands and looked at her causing Nandy to cut the sink off. She used a towel to dry her hands before she sat it on the counter.

"Would it be weird if I asked your niece or your sister to carry our child? There's ways, we just combine your sperm and my egg and the doctors do the rest or something like that. I only googled it a little. But it's not like Jesse and Alijah are going to have anymore kids" Nandy said quickly.

"No. If that was something I was even interested in I'd rather not use my sister or my niece, that situation makes me uncomfortable and rubs me the wrong way. We just got a dog, leave it alone" I stated going to walk away until she grabbed my arm.

"Okay that was a bad idea. That woman Danielle that you're friends with, I bet she can get pregnant" Nandy continued causing me to sigh.

"I don't know, we aren't really friends" I explained attempting to walk away again but she grabbed my arm and stopped me. Nandy pulled me back towards the sink and opened the window up some.

"Moriah, I don't know if I really want that or if I want it because other people have it" Nandy said gesturing to Ajani as she walked on the beach with a baby sling. Knox ran after her holding a ball and our dog Monty chased him playfully.

I looked at Nandy for awhile before my mother came into the kitchen and looked at the both of us. She asked to borrow Nandy for a moment and I excused myself anyway and walked out of the kitchen.

When I walked into the living room I noticed Aaron was looking through my art book. He looked up and saw me before his eyes widened and he quickly closed it.

"You shouldn't touch people's things" I warn and he nodded and quickly sat it down. He stood in an awkward silence and I watched him fidget like I was going to do something to him.

"Kaine told me not to but I did it anyway, are you going to snipe me when I least expect it now?" He questioned fearfully and I kept a simple facial expression.

"If I was going to snipe you why would I tell you?" I questioned picking the book up. I flipped through it and looked over everything before stopping at the first portrait I'd ever attempted to draw.

I stared at it for awhile before ripping the page out and handing it back over to Aaron who took it in both hands.

"You can have it for reference, I have a stack of these drawing books that are all filled up and a couple portfolios. This one will help you with your comics though if you flip towards the end when I actually got good" I said looking at the picture in my hands.

"Thank you, I'll take care of it and give it back to you" he said and I looked up at him for awhile before I shrugged.

"Whatever" I chuckled walking towards the front of my home. I pulled on a light jacket before going outside where it was a little windy. My father was helping Kaine move his bags into a different car.

Knox came running on the side of the house barefoot and Ajani called out to him wanting him to stop running. When he heard her tone he immediately stopped nearly tripping until I caught him by his shirt.

His ball bounced away and he looked up at me with a pout as I helped him stand up straight. Ajani appeared holding a pair of socks and shoes and she made him sit down before attempting to squat down with the baby attached to her.

I casually took the socks and shoes from her before sitting on the front steps. Knox extended his sandy covered feet and I wiped them off before placing his socks and shoes on.

"So, do you know your ABC's?" I questioned and him and he looked to Ajani who nodded her head before he smiled showing teeth.

"A-B-C-D-E-" he sung before pausing as he bit his lip and picked up a twig on the ground and tossed it. "All done" he said and I patted his head.

"Not exactly but that was a good try" I said watching him get up and go running to his father. He hugged his legs tightly trying to pick him up and Kaine chuckled and stood on his tippy toes to make it look like he was doing something.

"That could be you but you're playing" My uncle said sitting next to me and I did a double take not expecting it.

"What are you doing here? When did you even get here?" I questioned noticing he was opening up a newspaper.

"I'm everywhere, thought you knew that already?" He questioned as he used the lighter to light the blunt in his mouth.

"Yeah, everywhere but at your house" I said as he looked at me after getting the lighter to flick. He pulled the blunt away from his mouth and stared at the scene in front of us before he looked back down.

"You're dead set on not being happy. Why?" He questioned me and I grew annoyed and looked in the opposite direction.

"Are you really trying to give me advice on happiness? You cry over my mom every thanksgiving" I remind and he smacked his teeth.

"Just because I cry don't mean I'm not happy and the only reason I cry is because I end up eating a lot of dinner and not having enough room for deserts" He said trying to play it off.

"Yeah, right. Do you know where Kaine is suppose to be going to anyway?" I questioned my uncle who's begun admiring his Rolex.

"To meet with some Cubans, why? Do you have a bad feeling about him leaving too?" O questioned and I raised an eyebrow.

"You have a bad feeling to? I just don't think it's smart" I said more to myself than to him. He nodded his head before taking a puff from the blunt.

"Maybe you should say something to him before he leaves then" He said nudging me. I stood up and walked over to where Kaine and my father were talking and when they saw me they seemed to pause as they looked my way.

"Why don't the Cubans come here? I don't think you're actually thinking right now" I said with a shrug as Kaine looked at me weirdly.

"So you think going to Cuba is a bad idea too? I'm just trying to make a deal" Kaine stressed and I chuckled.

"Well then maybe it's a sign that your organization isn't as strong and powerful as you think. We don't have to travel anywhere, they come to us" I said before giving a simple shrug.

Kaine chuckled as his eyes roamed towards Ajani and he nodded his head a little before he took a step back and opened the trunk.

"You're right they should come to us, especially under the circumstances of what's going on. I honestly didn't think you cared enough though" He said and I stared at him for awhile.

"I don't think I really care very much, but your son does adore you so you gotta start thinking about how your choices could affect everyone's future" I said and he nodded.

"That sounds weird coming from you. Maybe you should listen to your own advice as well" He retorted as he began moving some of the bags from the car again.

"I'd hate for you to accidentally get locked in a closet. You should be careful" I warned pretending to be concerned and he squinted his eyes at me.

"Uncle Mo stop, you know Kaine is scarred for life. We aren't allowed to have any locks on the closet doors in our house" Ajani laughed and Kaine cut his eyes towards her.

She gave me a look before she noticed Kaine was removing his bags back into their car and she questioned him about it wondering why.

"You said if I had a bad feeling about going then I shouldn't go. I thought you'd be happy I decided to stay behind" Kaine said.

"I am happy it's just I know work needs to be done bwoy. Did you come up with a solution to the drug problem?" Ajani questioned.

"Yeah I'll talk to him and see what's up and if they can come here. It's hard to make deals when all of our connects are dying" Kaine said and my father gave me a look.

I avoided his gaze already knowing what he was going to suggest but it wasn't happening. He gave me a nudge and I continued to pretend like I had grown distracted by something.

"Mo you know what needs to be done, they're practically family" my father stated sternly and I glared straight ahead.

"I can't make that call without talking to Calvin or Zaire, you know that" I remind and he sighed and looked at me before he glanced at Kaine who was looking back and forth between us.

"We can talk about it later, I wanna show you something so let's go for a drive" Kaine suggested and my father gave me another push knowing I'd say no.

Remaining silent I turned around and walked towards the house to shower and prepare myself for the day.

-

Kaine pushed open the door to the strip club revealing a few women on the poles scattered around. A couple of men who looked like they were on lunch break tipped them and enjoyed cups of alcohol judging by the business attire and construction uniform some of them sported.

"Yo, you'll go around the corner and get me something to drink. Get an Arizona tea" Kaine said handing a five dollar bill to one of his workers who agreed.

"How many strip clubs do you own?" I questioned looking around. He paused and thought about if for awhile unsure of what to say.

"Should I have more than one? I own a club with Angelo, Raheem and Harlem too. But with all the drug money coming in this is just an added bonus" he explained and I nodded my head.

"And when this is all done with? What are you going to do?" I questioned him as Kaine motioned for me to follow him up the back stairs.

"I can do anything, but I really want a landscaping business. I'm young and I'll more than likely retire young so I don't wanna just sit around and do nothing. I wanna be that dad that works and carpools or attends all my son's future events wether it's sports, creative shit or academics" Kaine said putting a lot of thought into his answer.

"That's good. You know, I never wanted to be a drug dealer. I went to the best art school and thought about being an artist for awhile but it's a hobby now" I vented only to become caught off guard that I'd said it out loud.

"Yeah and I looked up to you a lot because of that. I use to think that we'd never be equals but we are now, you're still like a father figure to me but we're both men now" Kaine said before a scantly clad woman grabbed his arm and pushed him onto the couch.

She straddled his lap while she held a cup of alcohol and began to slur her words while grinding into him. I chuckled watching Kaine squirm growing uncomfortable and confused and he eventually got her off of him trying to avoid spilling the alcohol on himself.

"Daddy where are you going!" She whined grabbing onto his belt and after awhile he found the situation as humorous as I did as the woman fell onto the ground still tugging at his belt.

"I just wanna taste it" she whispered and I couldn't hold back my laughter as I walked away. Kaine eventually broke free and unlocked his office door before he flipped the lights on and looked around.

"I tried to make it like your office, only better" he smiled and my eyes drifted to a really bad finger painting that was sitting on his desk.

He even had a small zen garden like I had and I played around with it for awhile. When I looked up he was sitting behind his desk giving me a pitiful look.

"Mo if we combined our organizations we'd be untouchable. Everyone's on good terms now thanks to O so I don't get it and I know you guys are dying to start working with Jamaica again because they have good product and that's something I have that you don't" Kaine tried to reason.

"Actually, Ajani and Calvin came up with a deal and they're doing business together. You being married to her means nothing, this is business" I remind and he seemed taken aback as he leaned forward growing upset.

"Just because you're married to your boss doesn't mean you can run her business and tell her what to do. Things are political and you know that" I remind and he nodded slowly still seeming tense.

My phone beeped and I frowned and looked at the text from Nandy asking if we should have sex that night. I stared at the phone for awhile feeling second hand embarrassment for her but played it off.

When I looked up Kaine was giving me a devilish smirk and I wondered why he was being a fucking weirdo.

"Getting special texts from your woman? We're both adults now Mo, are you guys into role play too?" Kaine questioned curiously and I made a face.

"Stop being a fucking creep and I really don't wanna hear about your sex life with my niece to be honest" I responded and he smacked his teeth.

"So the real answer is you both aren't having sex at all. Droughts in marriages are normal sometimes you just gotta come home from a long day of trapping and just fuck her brains out while pulling her hair and