Page 50 of Nicki's Fight

“Please! We are yourparents, Kaine. We know the difference between you coming home after a night of partying and a night of working,” she said. Mama K just nodded in agreement.

I blushed. Ofcourse,they knew. My parents seemed to know everything.

“I didn’t want you to worry…” I said.

“We know, baby,” Mama K said, reaching across the desk to take my hand in hers. “You have always been so independent. But you are working far too hard, at everything! We want you to take some time off too.”

I was shaking my head before she was even finished with her sentence.

“I need to work, Mama,” I said, insistently. I had my tuition bill coming due soon, and I refused to be one of those kids who graduated with a hundred thousand dollars in student loans.

“We know,” Mama D said, holding her hand up to silence me. “—but that doesn’t mean we can’t help, Kaine.”

“You are our son,mijo,” Mama K said, squeezing my hand tightly to get my attention. “Just as much as Bishop, Lee, or Weaver, or the twins. Each of you may not be our blood, but youareour children. It is a parent’s prerogative to help, and you have been exceptionally difficult about us helping you. So we have resorted to being sneaky and devious.”

Mama K grinned at me, then glanced at Mama D, who placed a crumpled piece of paper in front of me.

“What—?” I asked, picking up the paper and looking at it. The page was from a university bill that I had thrown at Bishop the previous night. There was a date stamp on the bottom, along with the words “Paid In Full” in red marker. Attached to the page was a computer printout that showed my account with the school, which also showed a healthy credit. They had paid for an entire year of school.

“What did you— You can’t—” I stammered again.

“We can. We did.” Mama K said, sitting back and grinning at me smugly.

I stared at my parents in amazement. I knew how my family was, and I had taken steps to prevent this kind of thing from happening. I’d hidden my account numbers and put passwords on my accounts. I didn’t want to owe them more than I already did.

I felt tears welling up in my eyes. My family was not rich by any means, and I knew the amount of money they had spent on me was not easy to come up with. It was one of the reasons I had insisted on working and going to school part-time. I already owed my parents so much. Without them, I would have had a much tougher time of it growing up. They had loved me, supported me, and given me everything I ever needed.

“I’ll— I’ll figure out a way to pay you back,” I insisted, tears choking my voice.

“Oh, baby boy! That’s not the way family works!” Mama D insisted, coming around the desk to wrap me in a hug. “We’re your parents! We love you! Being able to do things to help you is one of the joys of parenthood.”

Mama K came around the desk as well and together they wrapped me in their embrace. I thanked the universe for having brought me to this wonderful family. I didn’t know how I’d ever repay them, but I would figure out a way.

After more sniffles and hugs, the tears finally stopped.

“So you think you can meet with Lee today?” Mama D asked.

I nodded. “I’ll text him a little bit later and see if we can get together.”

* * *

I’d headed home after that, taken a shower and a nap. True to my word, I sent my older brother a message when I woke.

ME: Hey, slacker! Whatcha’ up to?

LEE: Just dropping off some kids. Why?

ME: You want lunch?

LEE: Dude, it’s 3 o’clock!

ME: So? I just got up. Be glad I didn’t call it breakfast.

I could almost hear Lee’s laughter on the other end. He didn’t need to know that I’d been up and taught a class already.

LEE: I could do coffee, if nothing else.

ME: Swing by the ‘rents?