Knock. Knock. Knock.

I look up from my laptop and frown, looking up at the front door from my place in the kitchen, having just unwrapped a lollipop. I swear my dentist wouldn't be happy with how much candy I've been indulging in but this is basically my version of getting drunk.

I've honestly lost count in the amount of cherry lollipops I've indulged in over the past couple of days but they're the thing that have managed to cheer me up the most without any effort but slowly dissolving by the flood of my saliva as it surrounds the sweet goodness by a warm blanket.

Alcohol just makes me sick when I have too much of it so I stick to candy, even if the result should be the same according to boring people, but really it makes the world a better place. "Who is it?" I call out and there's more knocking so I stand and go pull the door open, pausing at the sight of my oldest sister and her youngest child. She smiles.

Ah, people. Isolation is my way of coping most of the time and by the time I meet with people, I just feel like a timer is starting the countdown to actually facing my problems. Normally when alone, your problems just make themselves known but for me it's kind of the opposite. In a way, because I've been taught to talk to my sisters or mom about my problems, I can only hold it in for so long once I'm the presence of someone that'll listen.

"Hi Sugar." Rickson greets, walking in past me and her heels click against the authentic flooring in my home as she does so, holding her four year old son in her arms.

"Hi Bear." I cross my arms over my chest once I've closed to door then we go to the kitchen and I fetch a jar of strawberries I had in the fridge, offering them to Kane, her son, and he smiles and takes them from me.

"Thank you, Auntie." I nod, then look at my sister.

"You haven't come to three brunches since you returned, including the one from yesterday." Rickson points out, straight to the point and I shrug, not saying anything and she sighs. "If this is about that Prescott guy–"

"It isn't even about him anymore. It's about a lawyer calling me in to 'know more' about my 'biological mom'." My hand strays to my hair, which has been left in its natural form, curly and frizzy, pushing it away from my face while shrugging my shoulders as my throat tightens. There goes the last of avoiding everything as my voice croaks when I say, "I can't do it Rikki." My eyes water like they've started to do these past few days but this time what's being held back refuses to be kept at bay.

Russell Kilpatrick has been calling nonstop, trying to get me to come to the first reading of Connie Prescott's will and even if I'm related to her by blood, I've never given this woman any thought so why should I try to find out more about her now that she's gone? Now that she's dead.

She herself only thought to find out more about me when she was dying.

"It's okay, Sugar." She pulls me into her arms and I fall apart on her shoulder. I've been avoiding everyone and everything, locked away here in my house because ever since I saw Emerson, it hurt that I couldn't ignore it forever anymore but I tried anyways. Why do I owe this to Connie when her husband doesn't want anything to do with me anyways?

All of this is just going around in circles.

"Mom." Rickson breathes and I turn and see her walking over as well. Silently pulling me from Rikki, she wraps her arms around me and I melt into her, brushing my cheek over hair for comfort like I'd do when I was younger and she sways from side to side as my tears begin to slow.

"You got your cockiness from me Jamie." Mom says and I giggle at the randomness of it. "You always know you're right, just like I do as well. I love you enough and you love me enough not to let this be a problem. I'll help you with everything and I swear I don't mind."

"Promise? You're not just saying that but deep down you hate everything because they're my biological family?" I look up at her through blurry eyes and she nods, kissing my cheek and I smile weakly and rest my face against her hair again.

"Grandma!" Kane calls and we all laugh as mom pulls away to scoop the little boy into her arms.

I go back to Rickson and she kisses my temple and rubs my arm.

*****

Green. One of my favourite colours to wear. In any shape or form but I love it. Clothes make me feel better, and I definitely need a mood boost at the moment.

Zipping up my deep green laced and tied up dress, I slip large gold hoops through my ears and then place a matching green blazer over my shoulders, going to pick a pair of heels.

Black polka dot pumps are a bit different to what I'd usually go for, but I go with them anyways and blow dry my hair, messing it up a bit and then I place thick layers of lip gloss on my lips.

I'm on my way to meet with my biological womb holder's lawyer to discuss matters of her will with a few other people, including awful Emerson.

I make my way downstairs and out to where my mom and her driver wait in our limo.

I keep trying to make sense as to why I ended up agreeing but there's barely anything I can come up with besides that my mom is amazing and I love her always and forever as my number one.

"Hi sugar bear." I slide into the car and kiss my mom's cheek, a smile on my face since I'm trying not to show how anxious I am.

"Hi sugar darling." Mario calls and I look at him and smile, waving. He insisted on being here just in case he needed to step in as my lawyer and 'work his magic', whatever that means, but I'll take both my parents because I can never seem to be mad at his absence for too long. Plus right now I need both their comfort anyways because they're my momma and daddy.

We ride in silence, my mom on her phone the entire time while I stare out the window and Mario stares at me, seemingly wanting to say something but he never does.

Once we reach the firm where we'll be meeting, the door opens for us when we reach the firm building and I climb out after my mom and Mario, tensing noticeably at the sight of S.H to the point of wanting to turn around and get back into the car.

"What is he doing here?" I demand from my mom but she barely spares the masked male a glance.

"Security." She answers simply and I sigh, grab hold of her hand then we go inside. My mom is dressed similarly to me except her dress hugs her to her knees where mine stops at my thigh. Our blazers are however the exact same just in different colours.

I glance over my shoulder and meet Hitter's gaze, not saying anything but just looking at him. He raises his eyebrows in acknowledgement and I turn back around, following my mom up a flight of stairs and to the lobby where we were told to wait before being fetched for the meeting.

.....

After about an hour of waiting, Jamie, Yasmine and Mario, along with a team of three lawyers, walk into the meeting board room where Emerson already sits, along with a few other unfamiliar faces and Yasmine's hand slips into her daughter's reassuringly as they take their seats.

"Name?" The commissioner asks.

"James Davenport." Yasmine says and Emerson looks to Jamie, who stares right back at him, making him fear the knowing glint in her gaze. He looks away quickly.

"Great, just the person we've been waiting for. I am Russell Kilpatrick and I was the lawyer of Connie Davenport, along with her will handler before her passing days. Everyone in this room was called per her instructions to be present at this time of the reading. Any questions?"

Everyone stays silent.

"Great. Let's begin, this first part is meant for everyone." Kilpatrick stands and grabs a remote, turning on a projector that's pointed at a white board and an image of a beautiful woman with striking resemblance to Jamie, just with slightly darker skin and curly dark hair appears.

Kilpatrick presses play. Jamie tenses and Yasmine begins rubbing her hand over her knee in attempt to make her relax.

"Hi everyone." The woman in the video speaks and when Jamie looks up, everyone is staring with mostly clear eyes except for Emerson. Torn and heartbroken. Jamie thinks to herself, noticing how his eyes have already started to fill with tears. The woman laughs. "I wanted to put a little something together before I was washed out and in my weakest state just in case so...here I am. I miss you, first of all. So much. But I wanna tell you that I love you. Mom, dad, auntie, cousin Jay-Jay. I miss you my sweet Emer and I'm sorry Jamie for not missing you enough sooner... I hope you're here."

All eyes turn to Jamie, who has been looking down, playing with her mother's hand in her lap silently.

"Okay...this is me saying I love you. Don't be sad! Just smile!" The woman laughs again, tears shining in her eyes. "I didn't know what more to say. Goodbye."

By the end of the video, everyone is slightly teary eyed now but Jamie remains straight and blank faced.

"Okay, then there are these notes that everyone has to read in their own time. That's all that I was told to do at once, I'll contact you all a return date where we'll discuss the rest of the will."

Standing on shaky legs, Jamie storms to the double doors and pushes them open, putting one foot in front of the other while holding her breath.

Passing Hitter along the way, she barely manages to him to let her mom know that they'll speak to them again tomorrow but she needs to be alone right now.

Silver Hitter texts Yasmine on his watch, that Jamie left and he'll tail her, but then he jogs forward and grabs her wrist, surprising them both when he slams a hand against the door of the emergency stairwell, shutting the door behind them and giving her time to catch her breath.

"Are you okay?" He asks softly, his dark eyes narrowed slightly as he watched her cautiously and Jamie looks up at Hitter and shakes her head, stepping forward and wrapping her arms around him tightly and he rubs her back. "You did good by being there."

Jamie doesn't speak, only rests her cheek on his shoulder and finally lets the tears come, all over again right onto his hold. "I really look like her, s-sound like her too." She sniffles and Hitter rests his chin on the top of her head. "I have another letter from her but I don't know what to do with it because now I just—seeing that video did something to me."

"I'll help you read it." Hitter holds his hand out and Jamie slides the envelope into his palm, his arms remaining around her as he holds up the letter and opens it behind her back. "Ready?" Jamie nods.

"To Jamie,

I can't think of a time I didn't regret giving you away. I never thought the guilt would strike me this hard even if it's what I knew was right at the time in order to keep you safe but it did and I'm so sorry.

Two years postpartum, I was in a depressed state and all I wanted was you back...but you were gone.

There were many conclusions I jumped to about why you were so M.I.A that sent me near insanity but the one I wished for, the one I held onto like a tether was a loving family who adored you and a life moved on.

I love you. I held you for the first fifteen minutes of your life and it was the best fifteen minutes in my entire life by far. I love you. I don't know you but I love you with all my heart, my sweet girl.

Love, Connie,"

Closing the envelope, Hitter slips it in his jacket pocket and lowers himself and Jamie to the ground as she grips him harder, turning her face up to brush her nose with his, craving the contact even through his mask as silent tears continue to slide down her cheeks.

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