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Shaina winced, looking at Selene. I watched Selene’s whole expression change. She dropped the knife, and her shoulders dropped. Every ounce of anger disappeared that fast.

“What? Why don’t my baby want to go with me?”

“Because she doesn’t want to leave her father, Selene. It’s just that simple. Every six months, you move out, then come back. Stop doing this to those girls.”

“And you,” I said, pointing to Khalil. “Go see about your daughters. They are in my car.”

He opened his mouth to say something but shut it fast as hell. I was mad at them both, but if it came down to it, right or wrong, I was riding with my sister. He walked off, mumbling under his breath, but that shit didn’t move me.

“Selene… It comes to a point. Either stay and fix this shit for real or leave and be done with it. Go to therapy if you have to. But constantly uprooting these kids is insane. You should be tired! He should be tired. You’re hurting them.”

Shaina grabbed Selene’s hand, holding on tight and looking at me with tears in her eyes. Even our big sister was over this shit. Usually, she handled these kinds of problems. She would call me for damage control after she took care of it. This had to be something deeper.

“I’m not tryna hurt my babies,” Selene whispered, her voice breaking down.

“I know, Lene. But you are. They need their mother whole. They need their father too. Y’all gotta figure this out. I’m not gonna stand around watching it no more.”

“I wanna take my kids and go,” Selene muttered, grabbing her purse off the island.

“Slow down, Lene,” Shaina said, grabbing her arm. “I’m not packing up all this shit if you’re gonna come right back. Grab a few outfits for you and the girls. We’re not doing this again.”

“She’s right, Lene. Take what you need for a few days. Figure out what the fuck you actually wanna do before you uproot everybody again,” I said, grabbing her hand.

Selene’s head dropped, and more tears flowed down her cheeks. “Okay.”

Shaina went upstairs to grab the girls’ backpacks and duffel bags. I stood there watching Selene dig through totes. I stayed quiet as she wiped her face every few seconds. Pain was written all over her body. Tonight, she was gonna start talking. To keep dragging us into their marriage, then two days later tell us to mind our business, was wild. I didn’t expect her to tell us every detail, but she damn sure would never be able to tell me to mind my business after they had my nieces standing in the cold.

“I don’t need everything, but I need enough to understand what the fuck keeps happening. I’m hauling bags, breaking up knife fights, and consoling my nieces in the middle of two grown ass mothafuckas who can’t get right.”

“I know, Sav. I’ll talk. Just let me grab some stuff for Eastlyn and Everly, then we can leave.” She kept her eyes down.

Shaina came back with the bags. Selene packed them up, then we were out the door. When I stepped outside, I finally noticed how many totes were in their front yard and on their porch. Selene was tripping. I turned around and glared at her, but she looked away. She and Khalil didn’t even look at each other when they passed. Essence was standing outside my truck, looking right at her mom. When they locked eyes, she came barreling toward her.

“I’m sorry, Mommy!” she cried.

“It’s alright, Mini. You didn’t do anything wrong. Mommy is so sorry. I’ll pick you up from school tomorrow, and I’ll bring you back here to your daddy, okay?”

That was the first decision Selene had made this whole time that felt like it was about her kids and not her anger toward their father. She kissed Mini’s head and whispered that she loved her, but she held onto her. I knew she wanted her baby to go with her, but her wants weren’t important at that moment.

“Hug your sisters, then go inside,” Selene said, kissing Mini’s face.

Mini swung open my trunk door and hugged her sisters so tight. Because I knew what it was like to have sisters, my pain ran deep for my niece. Sisters fight all day, but they’re your best friends. And this was the first time she’d ever been away from them. Listening to them cry and hear them say they loved each other made the tears burning in my eyes finally fall.

Khalil walked to the other side, hugging them too. I was irritated, but I let them have this moment. When I glanced at Selene, she was staring off, completely disconnected from everything around her. Both Khalil and Mini closed my truck doors and walked back to the house.

“Call me later tonight, Mini. I love you,” I called after my niece.

“Okay. I love you.”

Shaina hugged me, and then she hugged Selene. “Let me know once y’all are settled.”

Selene and I got inside my truck and pulled off. The neighbors stared into my truck, trying to see through the tint as we passed by. I revved up my engine and peeled out of their development. I knew today would be a long ass day.

Selene cried the whole way to one of her properties. Usually, Everly and Eastlyn would be asking me to turn on some music, stop them by McDonald’s, or just talking my ears off about school and whatever kid drama they were in. But they hadn’t made a sound. I pulled into the driveway and stared at Selene. She looked back at me, defeat in every inch of her face.

“East and Ev, the code is 4753. Go inside. I need to talk to Auntie Sav,” Selene said.

The girls got out and went inside the house. As soon as the front door closed behind them, Selene broke down. I let her feel all she needed to feel, but I wouldn’t let her feel it alone. I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her close. That only made it worse, but I didn’t let her go. Her shoulders bounced up and down as she tried to catch her breath. Selene needed this cry.