"Is she always like that?" Grace asked as she sat on my bed. My mother is in the living room just chilling. My mother is usually a nice person but I'm her only child so I can see why she's being petty.

"No," I shook my head. "She's just protective,"

"I guess," Grace shrugged and I groaned. "No, it's fine. I'm just going to make her like me,"

"Good luck with that," I nodded to her as she left the room. I could hear them talking as I roll up, but I have no idea what they're talking about. Soon I hear laughter and glasses clinking.

I walked out of my room to see what they're talking about. They're drinking wine and watching some cooking show. What? How do women change their opinion so quickly?

"Are you guys okay?" I asked with the joint in my hand. My mother smiled at me then patted the seat next to her.

"Still smoking?" She asked me and I nodded.

"Yes ma'am," I took the time to analyze how she looks. She doesn't look too different than how she did when I was a child but she's aged and it's evident.

"I've missed you so much," She pulled me in to give me a kiss on her forehead.

"I've missed you too," I smiled as she let me go. "Want some?" I joked and handed her my joint. She actually took it and pulled a diamond lighter out of her black purse. "What're you doing?"

"Oh Alessandro," She laughed as my name rolled off of her Italian tongue. "How do you think I cope with-"

"Okay," I quickly hushed her and glanced at Grace. She just sat there watching us but I know me cutting my mom off, caught her attention. She glanced at me with her eyebrows furred.

"Excuse me," Grace politely said then got up. She took her wine glass with her and headed upstairs. My mom gave me a look and started sipping her wine.

"You haven't told her about-"

"No," I harshly said then tried to move as quickly as I could up the stairs. Grace sat on my bed sipping the wine and rolling up a jay.

"You didn't have to come up here," She softly said. "If you didn't want me to know then you just don't want me to know,"

"It's just something that I don't want to talk about at all," I sat next to her on the bed.

"It's okay, I left cause it wasn't my conversation," She licked the rolling paper and fixed herself on the bed. "Go catch up with your mom," she smiled at me and lit her jay.

"I'll be back," I smiled at her then went back to my mom.

"Everything okay?" She asked and I nodded. "I've missed you,"

"I've missed you too ma, it's been years," I haven't seen my mother, in person, in about five years. She isn't supposed to leave Italy and if my grandfather found out, he'd be pissed.

"Yeah, I had to come see my baby," She caressed my cheeks then smiled. "You like this girl," she stated.

"Why does everyone keep saying that?" I laughed and I became all jittery inside, as if I'm ten telling my mother about a school crush.

"Honey, I'm your mother. I know these things but tell me why you push her away," My mother sipped her wine as she waited for me to speak.

"I don't know," I leaned back into the couch. "She's been through a lot and so have I. I'm just trying to make her comfortable with me,"

"Seems like she's pretty comfortable," My mom smiled. Each time I look at my mother, I don't know if I should be happy to see her or sad. I'm just glad she's okay.

I shrugged at her statement. Who knows what Grace is thinking at this point, I'm pretty sure she's feeling me but she doesn't want my help with anything.

"I like that she's independent," I told my mom. "She doesn't think she is but I do. She goes to school and has two jobs, trying to better herself for her son,"

"She's just like me," My mom nodded then set the empty wine glass down on the coffee table. "I can see a violence damaged girl from a mile away. Takes one to know one," She muttered the last part then stood up.

"Where are you going?" I asked her and she made a face.

"To see my father then head back to Italy and don't worry, no one saw me. If they did then they're dead," She picked up her bag then headed to the front door. "Take care of her," was the last thing my mother said before disappearing out my front door.

"Grace!" I called for the beautiful woman upstairs.

"Yeah?" She yelled back out. She came down the stairs with clouds of smoke trailing behind her. "You haven't even started yet!" She laughed then pointed to the jay in my hand.

"It's fine," I waved for her to sit next to me. "How're you feeling?"

She shrugged. "I'm high,"

"I see that," I laughed. "But I meant with my mom,"

"She's nice. At first I was convinced she didn't like me but she was just being a mom, I'd probably do the same thing with Rico," She rested her head on my shoulder as she spoke.

"Speaking of Rico, have you found any places?" I asked and she rolled her eyes.

"No," She sounded disappointed in the fact that she hasn't found anywhere yet.

"Well, I hired someone to find houses for you to buy near me," I smiled at her.

"Dro! I can't afford anything near here," She hit my chest. "I also asked for you to not help me,"

"Don't worry about buying it, just worry about the mortgage," I waved her off. "The person owes me his life, the least he can do is sell me that house for free,"

"Lord," She say forward and held her forehead. "You want me to live in a house where the previous owner owes you his life?"

"Yeah?" I don't see the problem in that.

Grace started laughing and her laugh grew louder. It started to grow on me and I started laughing. "So will you?"

"I literally have no other choice," She giggled, still dying down from her laughing fit.

"Really?!" I smiled and she shrugged.

"I can't find anywhere and if all I have to worry about is mortgage, then sure," Grace looked up at me with her beautiful eyes.

"Mortgage isn't too bad either, around $1,200," I told her. She leaned back into my chest and nodded. Her hair smelled like coconut oil and cinnamon. Her skin so smooth it felt like the flat part of a Hershey's bar and her skin complexion resembled milk chocolate.

"Are you done sniffing and rubbing on me? So we can smoke?" She teased me and laughed. I smiled at her because she just doesn't know how beautiful she is.

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