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Flashback—Haley was five years old, crouched under her small bed, clutching her four-year-old brother, Michael, to her.The dusty carpet scratched her knees as she pressed her face close to him, trying to make herself as small as possible.Above them, the sound of fists hitting flesh echoed through the house, each thud followed by the crash of something breaking. Andrew—Michael’s father—was beating the hell out of their mother, Damika.Haley squeezed her eyes shut as she heard her mother’s body slam against a wall, the hollow thud reverberating through the floorboards.“Stop! Please, Andrew, stop!” Damika screamed.Haley’s heart hammered so loudly she swore he could hear it. She wanted to help. She wanted to scream. Her tiny fists balled up against the carpet as the thought flashed through her mind like a knife: I’m going to kill him.Michael’s sobs shook his small body. His tears soaked through the sleeve of Haley’s pajama top, but there was no one to comfort her in return. She bit her lip until she tasted blood, crying silently, listening for the moment Andrew’s rage would finally burn out.When the apartment fell quiet, Haley crawled out from under the bed, pulling Michael with her. Her legs trembled, but she held his hand tight—he was her shield. Andrew wouldn’t hurt his own son, she thought.They stepped into the living room. The smell of sweat and something metallic—blood—hung heavy in the air. Damika sat slumped against the wall, one hand pressed to her side. Haley saw the swelling around her mother’s eye, the purple blooming across her jaw.Damika looked up at her daughter and forced a small, trembling smile. “I’m okay,” she whispered.But Haley knew better. At five years old, she already understood that her mother was not okay—and maybe never would be.Present Day—The memory faded as Haley stood in the kitchen of a pastel-decorated event hall, the clinking of champagne flutes and distant laughter from the baby shower guests filtering in from the next room. One hot tear slipped down her cheek before she could stop it.“Are you okay, Ms. Haley?” one of her employees asked gently, resting a hand on her shoulder.Haley forced a smile, wiped her face with her sleeve, and nodded. “Yes. I’m good. Let’s do this.”She grabbed a pan of steaming food, squared her shoulders, and walked into the event room, ready to serve her clients—ready to keep going, just like she always had.After finishing the event and cleaning up, Haley drove straight to her brother’s apartment to check on her nieces. The late afternoon sun was dipping low, casting orange streaks across the parking lot as she walked up to the door.Tia, Michael’s girlfriend, opened it, looking exhausted but managing a tired smile. Haley pulled her into a hug.“How are you holding up?” Haley asked softly.“I’m tired,” Tia admitted with a sigh, “but I’m okay.”Haley stepped inside, immediately hearing the soft whir of the baby swings in the living room. One of her twin nieces was fast asleep, her tiny chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm, while the other blinked up at the ceiling, wide-eyed and curious.Haley set her purse down, washed her hands in the kitchen, then scooped up the awake baby, pressing a kiss to her chubby cheek. She sat down on the sofa, rocking the baby gently in her arms.“Where’s Michael?” Haley asked, glancing toward the hallway.Tia sank into a chair, her shoulders heavy with fatigue. “He’s at work—said he’s working a double today.”Haley frowned, concern flickering across her face. “You look like you haven’t slept.”“I haven’t,” Tia confessed, her voice breaking. “The babies won’t stop crying, and I can’t seem to get a moment to rest.”Haley reached over and squeezed her hand. “I got you. Don’t worry about a thing—I’ll take care of the girls.”“You sure?” Tia asked, eyes glassy with relief.Haley waved her toward the bedroom. “Go. Shower. Sleep. I got this.”Tia nodded, got up slowly, and disappeared into the bedroom. A few minutes later, the sound of running water echoed through the apartment, then silence.Haley got comfortable, soaking in the quiet moment with her niece before springing into action. She tidied the small apartment, washed dishes, and ordered groceries on her phone. By the time the groceries were delivered, she had already put a pot on the stove, filling the kitchen with the warm, savory smell of dinner.After cooking, she bathed the girls, dressed them in fresh onesies, and placed them back in their swings. She turned on soft YouTube lullabies for them, the gentle music filling the room as their eyelids grew heavy.Hours later, with the apartment calm and clean, Haley stepped into the kitchen and called her mother.“Hey, Mama. Can you get the kids off the bus for me?” Haley asked. “I’m at Michael’s, helping out with the girls. I’ll be home in a few hours.”“Of course,” Damika replied, her voice warm. “I’ll call you back once I get them.”Haley hung up, took a deep breath, and looked back at her nieces. For the first time all day, she let herself smile.Hours later, the apartment was quiet. Tia was asleep in the bedroom, the twins dozing in their swings while soft lullabies played on YouTube. Haley’s phone buzzed—her mother, Damika, had sent a photo of Haley’s daughters stepping off the bus, backpacks slung over their shoulders. Haley smiled faintly at the picture, relief washing over her.The sound of a key turning in the front door snapped her out of the moment. The door swung open.Andrew stepped inside.Haley’s blood boiled instantly. Her heart skipped a beat, then began to hammer so hard it echoed in her ears. She forced her face to remain calm, though her fingers twitched against her thigh.He didn’t look at her—he never did. Instead, his gaze skimmed past her like she was invisible.“Mike asked me to come over and watch the girls for a little while,” Andrew said flatly. “I didn’t know you were here.”Haley’s jaw clenched, but her voice stayed steady. “I was helping Tia. She’s asleep now. If you want to take over, you can—I need to get home.”She stood, grabbed her bag, kissed each of the girls on the cheek, and left before her anger could speak for her.Outside, she all but ran to her car. Her hands shook as she gripped the steering wheel, and she had to take a few deep breaths before pulling out of the parking lot.When Haley got home, she went straight to the shower, letting the hot water wash the tension off her skin. She changed clothes, greeted her daughters with hugs and kisses, then went downstairs to check on her mother.Damika was lying in bed, her face pale, one hand pressed against her side.“Do you need anything?” Haley asked, quickly tidying up her mother’s space.“I’m in pain,” Damika admitted softly. “I think I’m going to take my meds and try to sleep.”Haley sat on the edge of the bed, hesitating. “Okay. But—” her voice broke a little, “I saw Andrew. Mike sent him over to watch the girls, so I left.”Damika groaned, covering her face with her hand.“I cannot stand that man,” Haley said, her chest tightening. “I can’t believe he’s still breathing.”Just then, Diana—Andrew and Damika’s younger daughter, five years younger than Haley—walked into the room. “Who are you talking about?”Haley shot her a look. “Who you think? Your bald-headed-ass daddy.”Diana rolled her eyes. “Here we go with this again.”Haley’s temper flared. “You just walked in here, interrupting me. I’m talking to Mama.”“Yeah,” Diana snapped, “but you always act like you and him have beef. You’re still mad about something that had nothing to do with you.”Haley let out a sharp, bitter laugh. “Honey, please. Shut up. You barely made it here because your daddy tried to beat you out of Mama, so have several seats. You don’t know the man you call Daddy. And honestly? It sounds like you’re defending him. Again.”Diana crossed her arms, irritated. She had spent years trying to build a relationship with Andrew, clinging to the image of the man she wanted him to be.But Haley knew the truth. Men like Andrew didn’t change.Haley left her mother’s room before Diana’s words pushed her too far. She could feel the heat rising in her chest, the sharp retorts forming on her tongue. Instead, she swallowed them and walked away, heading to her daughters’ room.She spent the next hour helping them with their bedtime routine—reading them a story, brushing hair, tucking them in under soft blankets. The simple, everyday moments with her children calmed her, grounding her in something good.When the house was finally quiet, Haley climbed into bed. Her phone buzzed.“Hello?” she answered.“Hey,” Michael’s voice came through, tired but warm. “I just wanted to say thank you for helping out today. I didn’t know you came over. If I had, I would’ve told Dad to stay home.”“It’s cool,” Haley said, though her stomach tightened at the memory.There was a pause on the line.“Thanks for the groceries too,” Michael added. “It’s been hard for us lately. I’m just trying to get back on my feet.”“I get it,” Haley said gently. “You know I help when I can.”“Yeah,” Michael hesitated, “do you think you could let me borrow ten or twenty dollars? I get paid next week—I just need gas and a couple other things.”Haley sighed softly, opened Cash App, and sent him $20. She had expected the request—Michael was always asking for money, and he already owed her more than $500—but she never really expected him to pay her back.“I got it,” Michael said after a moment. “Thanks, sis. I promise I’ll pay you back.”“Don’t worry about it,” Haley replied, her voice flat. “Just… get back on your feet.”Whatever that meant. Michael was almost thirty, only eleven months younger than Haley, but he had never really stepped up as a provider or a man.“I’ve got an event early tomorrow,” Haley said. “I’ll talk to you soon.”“I love you,” Michael said quickly.“I love you too.” The words felt heavy on her tongue. It hurt, knowing he usually only said them after he got what he wanted—but by now, she was used to it.She was about to hang up when Michael spoke again.“Hey, do you think you can cater my birthday party?”Haley forced a smile, even though he couldn’t see it. “Sure. How many people are we talking about?”“Well,” Michael said, “I want Ma and Dad there, my siblings, and some of my friends.”Haley sat up in bed, her heart skipping. “Your dad?”“Yeah.”Haley let out a long, slow sigh. “You know how I feel about being around him.”“Well, that’s my dad regardless,” Michael replied, his tone firm. “I don’t get why you don’t like him.”Haley’s voice rose, sharp and incredulous. “Really?!”“Yeah,” Michael said, his tone now edged with annoyance. “What did he ever do to you?”Haley’s laugh was bitter. “You and Diana get on my damn nerves, acting like everybody just forgot about him beating our mama.”Michael scoffed. “Like I told you before, I don’t remember him hitting Mama. Granted, I saw him hit other women, but he never did anything to her.”Haley’s whole body tensed. She pressed her lips together, groaned hard, then said, “Okay, Mike. I’ll talk to you later.”Before she could explode, she hung up.Haley ended the call and tossed her phone onto the bed, her chest tight. The room felt too quiet, too heavy, like the walls themselves were closing in.She tried to lie still, but Michael’s words kept echoing in her mind, each one reopening an old wound she had spent years trying to scar over.Just as she started to drift toward sleep, her phone buzzed.It was a text from Tia.Tia: Are you awake? Michael and Andrew are arguing. I don’t know what’s going on, but it’s getting loud, and I’m scared the babies will wake up.Haley sat straight up in bed, her pulse thundering in her ears.Tia: Please call me.Haley’s fingers hovered over the screen, heart pounding. She knew she had a choice to make—stay home and protect her peace, or go back and face the very man she swore she’d never be near again.She grabbed her keys.Whatever was about to happen, it wasn’t going to end quietly.

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Blood Remembers

Ayanna0528

Ayanna Edwards

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Things We Pretend Not To See

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Ayanna Edwards

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