"So what's going on?" Jayda asked. She had just called Angel and Nevaeh to the kitchen after the concerning expression that Heaven was giving off. Jayda hated being lied to, and she hated being kept in the dark about anything.

"What you mean TT?" Nevaeh frowned, now sitting on her knees in the chair that she was sitting in.

"Yeah mama, what's wrong?" Angel asked, tightening the hoodie around her head. Angel loved hoodies;no matter how hot it was outside, she wore one.

"Alright let's stop acting confused and spill the truth about what happened at the school." Heaven stated. Honestly Heaven didn't care about keeping the secret, because anything could happen. Jayda needed to know the truth about what was happening at school.

Nevaeh sighed, looking at Angel. She knew that the secret was about to come out, and there was nothing she could do about it. She just hoped that Angel wouldn't be mad at her for doing the right thing, which was helping.

"Angel open your mouth and speak." Jayda said, with sternness laced in her voice. She was tired of the exchanged looks between the two girls.

Angel's lips started to tremble as she finally made eye contact with her mom. Her fingers started to tremble as her anxiety started to rise. The truth was, Angel was scared. Not scared of her mom, but scared of what would happen if she snitched on the girls who bullied her.

"TT some girls at school bully Angel because of how skinny she is. They call her names like twig and stick. The real reason I got suspended was because the same girls knocked her lunch tray out of her hand and I ran to her defense. Don't be mad at us for not telling you, we just thought we could handle it ourselves." Nevaeh explained.

Jayda's face softened as she looked at her daughter, who's head was now resting on the table, cries flowing from her daughter's mouth. "Angel...lift your head and look at me."

"Come on Nevaeh, let's give them some time." Heaven stated, standing to her feet. She stopped by Angel and leaned down whispering. "TT loves you, we gone get all this handled." She said, before kissing the top of her head. "Believe that."

Once they were out of the kitchen, Jayda went to take a seat right next to Angel. "Baby, look at me." She said in a soft voice. Jayda was honestly astonished. She would've never thought that some girls would pick on her daughter because of her physique.

Angel lifted her head, with teary eyes. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you." She sobbed.

"Mommy, daddy made me curse a girl out at the park." KJ, Jayda and Cane's shared son, cheesed running into the house with cotton candy all over his face.

"Not right now KJ. Let me talk to your sister." Jayda chuckled. KJ was five years old and reminded everyone of his cousins, Daloni and Zaloni. He was mean as ever, but loved his family.

"But I want to talk." KJ mugged, crossing his arms over his chest.

"What's wrong with her?" Cane immediately asked, seeing Angel now wiping her face. Over the years he had became Angel's father figure. Her biological dad, Anthony, no longer claimed her since he had a whole new family.

"Yeah I need you to stay, and KJ to go. KJ, go wash your face and brush your teeth." Jayda replied. They all watched as the little boy stomped out of the room with a full-blown attitude.

"What's the matter Angel?" Cane asked again.

"S-Some girls at school keep picking on me because of how skinny I am. I just want them to leave me alone, but they won't no matter how many times I ask them to." Angel explained. She told her bullies numerous of times to leave her alone, and she even told her teacher before, but nothing changed.

"First of all, they hating bad as fuck." Cane mugged. "You beautiful as fuck. I tell you that every single day Angel. Don't let them girls get in your head baby, they dead on the inside that's why they found the most prettiest girl in school to pick on."

"But they call me mean names, and it hurts my feelings." Angel sniffled.

"Angel listen to me, and I want you to listen good. People gone talk about us for the rest of our lives, that's just something that's gone happen. Like your daddy said, them girls ain't happy with themselves. When people bully others, it's because they're looking for attention. They're not happy within themselves." Jayda explained to Angel. "I bet you the chain around your daddy neck that you living better than them girls."

"My chain? Why you gotta bet my chain?" Cane frowned. He stood Angel up from her chair, sat down and pulled her back into his chest. "Angel you know I love you right?"

"Yes sir, I love you too." Angel nodded, wiping her face completely from tears.

"Alright, I'm ten toes down behind all y'all. Now how you want to handle this situation?" Cane responded. Honestly he wanted to fight everybody involved.

"I don't know. Mama what do you think?" Angel asked.

"Shid I'll answer for you Jayda. Call they ass up and ask them for a location. Fuck they talm bout, let's see if their hands match they mouth." Heaven uttered, barging back into the kitchen.

"Yeah Angel, get they lo." Nevaeh hyped up, punching her hands. "Yes, I been itching for they head." She nodded. "Lawd, I been waiting on this day."

Jayda only laughed loudly at their energy. She was down to fight whoever about her daughter, but she wanted to make sure Angel was comfortable first. "Let me know what you want to do." She said.

"We can fight." Angel nodded.

"Alright I'll text them, what's their IG?" Nevaeh asked, pulling out her phone.

"No, Angel gone text them. Ask them if they want to throw hands and can they meet us at the park by y'all school?" Heaven replied.

"Let me go get dressed." Jayda said. Jayda was a silent fighter. She never argued with anybody, but when it came down to fight you could count on her. Her hands weren't registered, like Heaven's, but they could do some damage.

~

Solai's cries could be heard as soon as you stepped off of the elevator, making Solana speed up the pace in her walk. Solana was spending the night again with Solai. This time she was going to be spending time looking at birthday themes with Solai.

When Solana finally got to Solai's room, she entered watching a total of four nurses trying to hold Solai down. "Wh—What's going on? What's happening?" She asked.

Getting no answer, she swallowed the lump in her throat before opening her mouth again. "Stop it! Stop it right now!" She shouted, feeling one of her most traumatic flashbacks creep up on her. "Let her go!"

"They're trying to replace the feeding tube in her." Ms. Georgia explained with a sigh. They had been trying to get Solai to sit still for over thirty minutes, but nobody could.

"Did you not hear me? I said stop!" Solana yelled, making all of the nurses stop in their tracks. "I'm sorry for yelling, but you guys just triggered a very traumatic moment in my life." She apologized.

"Pinning someone down is very traumatic. It gives them no control of their own body. You don't know what she had to go through living with her parents, so you may have just traumatized her even more." Solana sighed, walking over to Solai who was sobbing under her covers.

"Can you guys come back in like twenty minutes?" Solana asked.

The nurses all looked back at Ms. Georgia. Ms. Georgia nodded her head. "Come back in a hour." She replied. The nurses took off their gloves, disposed them, and left the room.

Solana walked over to Solai's bed, while putting her natural hair into a ponytail. She pulled the covers back from Solai and pouted seeing her in a fetal position sucking her thumb. "It's okay sweetie. I won't let them hurt you." She softly whispered, bending down to Solai's level.

Solai crawled to her knees reaching her arms up. Solana happily scooped the little girl up into her arms and sat back down on the bed. "See this is why I told them to stop, she's literally trembling." Solana sighed, softly.

"I'm so glad you walked in when you did. Maybe they'll let you assist them this time. I didn't want to tell them no because she needs the feeding tube, but I honestly feel horrible for not remembering the traumatic events she was put through. I'm so exhausted." Ms. Georgia stated.

"I just know how it feels to be pinned down, and not in control of your body." Solana mumbled. She looked down at Solai who was playing with the buttons on her shirt.

"You're so good with her." Ms. Georgia complimented. Solana was the only person Solai interacted with. Solai wouldn't let anybody, but Solana hold her.

Solana remembered her conversation with Heaven and Jayda. She didn't want anybody else to adopt Solai, so it was now time to put her big girl underwear on. "So Ms. Georgia I wanted to talk to you about some things."

"Okay." Ms. Georgia nodded, now taking a seat on the familiar couch that she slept on every single night.

"So I wanted to look into the adoption process. I know it's probably too soon, but my mind is made up and I know that this is what I want. I want to look into adopting Solai." Solana explained, nervously. She was scared of Ms. Georgia's response.

Ms. Georgia smiled, nodding her head. "Well let me just keep it straight with you. I think you'll be the perfect match for Solai, but her case is very complicated. Now you and I both know that her parents shouldn't be reunited with her, but that's the goal of the system. I just want you to know that this can be a very emotional ride. You ready for that?"

Solana looked down at Solai again, and smiled. "Yes ma'am, I'm ready."

"So I suggest that you apply to be a foster parent first. Foster parents almost always gets the first chance of adopting a child than a non-foster parent. You'll need to come down to the board and apply. Then you'll need to enroll in pre-service training and orientation. Like other foster parents you'll go through a home study, and if everything checks out you'll be certified to foster and adopt." Ms. Georgia explained, getting down to business.

"Okay what if her parents or another relative tries to get her back?" Solana asked, rubbing small circles on Solai's back. She noticed her still trembling.

"And that's where the emotions start to roll in. So like I said the goal of the foster system is always reunification. If the judge sees that the parents aren't eligible then the parents are immediately terminated to be reunited. That's when we start looking for another biological relative. If they complete the home study and all of the requirements then Solai will be placed with that relative." Ms. Georgia replied, with a sigh.

Honestly she hated how the foster system worked. She felt like the parents shouldn't get a second chance to be reunified if they were drug addicts.

Solana nodded. "Have you found another relative yet?" She asked.

"Yes, two. We found a cousin in Louisiana, and a aunt in New Jersey." Ms. Georgia responded.

Solana sighed."Where do I go to sign up?"

"You'll go down to the foster care's main building and ask for an application. It's about four pages long. Then you'll immediately want to enroll in those classes. If you are granted to be her foster parent it'll take up to six months to finalize everything."

"Okay. Thank you Ms. Georgia. I just want her to have a chance at a better life. I know that I can give her that." Solana mumbled. "Can I have a birthday party for her?"

"If you're approved before her birthday you sure can. I'll just have to be in attendance." Ms. Georgia replied. "Solana I see the look on your face. I know that you're scared, but I got your back. I'll do everything in my power to try and keep you two together."

~

helloo!!!

I'm loving how y'all being consistent with the votes and comments! Let's get this chapter to 150 by tonight and I'll publish another tomorrow!

so Nevaeh was the one to spill the truth about the bullying..do y'all think Angel will be mad at her?

So Jayda and Cane actually had a talk with Angel together? how do you guys think they did after finding out? I feel like Jayda was sad, but just didn't show it.

do y'all agree with their resolution? fighting? y'all think Angel should fight her bullies?

let's switch gears for a minute!

how do y'all feel about them nurses holding Solai down to replace that feeding tube? Y'all think they could've used another method?

Solana seeing them hold Solai down actually triggered a very traumatic moment in her life, how do y'all feel about her reaction towards the nurses?

y'all think they traumatized Solai even more?

Solana brought up the adoption process! y'all think she'll be emotionally ready for this entire journey?

how y'all think she'll react if another relative is granted guardianship over Solai? Could y'all see that happening?

and last but not least...y'all think Solana will be able to juggle being a full-time hairstylist, taking fostering classes, and having time to visit Solai?

Give me some nicknames for Solai!!!

vote, comment, and Share!!

-JassyOut