Taylor

"Mr. Thompson asked us to summarize our life in to one word and the word I have chosen is perfect" I say with confidence being met with giggles from my friends in the back. I love my private school I really do, but its curriculum leaves a lot to be desired in the way of electives hence the reason I am forced to stand in front of people I have known since pre-school and give a speech that I forgot to write.

"I say perfect because I was blessed to be born in not only America, but my family. I am very fortunate to have been born to the most loving and devoted parents on this side of the Mississippi if not all of America. My daddy as you all know is a Calvin King the founder and owner of King Records and my mom is a song writer. I am the youngest of four kids and unfortunately the only girl."

"Your point Miss King?" Mr. Thompson asks using his exasperated voice, which I truly believe he reserves solely for me.

"I am getting there I promise" I answer. "Right now across the ocean there if another girl my age who is suffering from hunger, being forced into marriage or being deprived an education. (When in doubt go with the global gender equality.) So even though my hair dryer broke yesterday, my phone won't hold a charge past a day, and I have failed my driver's test for the third time, my life is perfect. Thank you."

I curtsey as my classmates' claps and cheers, none louder than my boyfriend Graham. He kisses my temple as I take my seat between him and his best friend Anthony. My best friend Kara sat behind me laughing.

"As… colorful of a performance as ever Miss King" Mr. Thompson said shaking his head. "Class dismissed. Miss King a word." I rolled my eyes as I gather my things walking to the front of class. Out of the corner of my eye I see Graham waiting for me next to the door.

Graham is amazing, we have been dating since the fourth grade and it has been incredible. We have been in the same school since Pre-K and friends since our mothers met in mommy and me class. I am so happy that we are finishing our sophomore year. This summer is set up to be completely insane. First is my families legendary Fourth of July bash followed by my long awaited sixteenth birthday! It will be the party of the year by far; mom has hired the sickest DJ and the absolute best party-planner. Just five more weeks of school, five more agonizingly slow weeks.

"Your report was ridiculously short, Miss King" Mr. Thompson peers over his glasses at me. His comb over does absolutely nothing to hide the fact that he is balding and his white button down reveals the bucket of sweat that seems to cover his body everyday all day. My looks are usually like black Amex, I never get denied EVER, with my waist length auburn hair which is naturally curly and unruly and my eyes that are naturally two different colors (one sky blue while the other is a stormy gray) I know I am attractive. Add in my private school uniform with its plaid skirt (always rolled a few inches higher than regulation) and you have every straight man's kryptonite… except for Mr. Thompson. I can usually Miss America my way with any of our teachers, but Mr. Thompson is difficult for no reason.

"It was sweet and to the point" I say as innocently bleeding as much of my accent into my words as I can. I can tell by his glare that it is not working. "Look I could have stood up there and listed all the trips my family takes to prove how adventurous my life is like Carly, but that's bragging and my mother taught me better than that."

"What am I supposed to do with you?" he says in exasperation.

"Hopefully pass me so I won't have to take your class next semester" I say hopefully. "Mr. Thompson I cannot fail this class. My daddy will kill. The tuition her is too high for him to be paying for me to fail out of school, his words not mine. Look I hate public speaking just as much as you hate hearing me speak, but it is a requirement and there is nothing we can do about it, trust me I tried, but that doesn't mean we have to drag this out into a second semester."

"I will give you a C if and only if your final oral report is at least three minutes" he bargains sighing in defeat.

"If you make that a 'B' I will make it four minutes and I won't even use the words like, umm or my daddy."

"Five and you have a deal" he says holding out his hand and as much as it pains me I shake it. I make a quick exit before he can change his mind.

"So what's the verdict?" Graham asks as he pushes off the wall. I swear he is the most attractive guy in the world. He has the most beautiful hazel eyes, thick brown hair and perfect teeth. I am literally mesmerized by his smile. His daily football training and post junior high growth spurt has him at 6' 4" and 232 lbs. Yeah, my baby is BIG. People are always looking at us because we are complete opposites. Standing at 5' 4" sans heals and weighing in at 112 on a good day we are like night and day. Add in the fact that he is black and we live in the small town of Asheboro North Carolina and we tend to be the odd couple out, but that just makes us love each other harder.

"So I need you to help me with my final oral presentation" I say smiling with all of my teeth. "Baby, please. I have to pass this class. If I fail daddy will make me go to summer school and cancel my party then we can kiss our summer goodbye. Let's not forget the thing we promised we'd do after my party…"

"Sold, sold, and sold" he interrupts me before claiming my lips in a sloppy kiss causing me to giggle. We made a pact when we were ten that we would wait until both of us were sixteen before losing our virginities to each other; his birthday was three months ago and he has been patiently waiting mine. Secretly I have not been as patient, all my friends have taken the leap and they say how much closer it has brought them to their boyfriends and I can't wait to embark on this journey with the love of my life. Just as Grahams hand wanders down my back and over my ass we are interrupted.

"Okay you too break it up" Anthony snickers. "I am driving us off campus for lunch."

"Oh I want sushi" I say trying to pry Grahams' hands off my ass. "Baby stop I am hungry."

"You are always hungry" Kara laughs. "I don't know where you put it."

"It's all right here" Graham laughs as he smacks my ass before squeezing it harder.

"Stop you're going to wrinkle my uniform skirt" I whine half-heartedly as we make our way out of the school building.

Like I said my life is perfect.

Ana

Sitting at my desk I can't help, but glance at the latest picture of Teddy and Phoebe. They have grown up so fast I feel like I blinked and my baby boy was off to college and now it is time for my baby girl to leave the nest. Teddy is the spitting image of his father personality and all, it is scary actually. I use to hold him for hours when he was first born just to see if I could find a piece of myself on his face besides my eyes. I remember glaring at Christian every time he held him for the first few weeks because I felt left out. But all of that was fixed when we had Phoebe. She looked just like me sans eye color, but even how expressive her gray eyes were was from me. I danced with so much joy the day she was born.

I rail in the happy tears just in time to have them replaced by tears of sadness. Just behind the pictures of my children is the only picture of their little sister. A 3D ultra sound taken during my third trimester is the last picture taken of her before she died. We hadn't been trying for a child when I became pregnant with Katelyn Mia Grey. I didn't even get a chance to hold her before she was taken away. She was born with a lung condition that caused her to be rushed immediately to the NICU after her birth. Christian held me as we waited for word on her condition and he cried with me when they told us she didn't make it. I couldn't even bare to look at her. I begged Christian to check on her, hold her and make sure she knew she was loved. We cried together for days.

It was most difficult having to tell the kids than anyone else. Phoebe was so excited to getting a sister, but she was only two and didn't comprehend why the plans had changed she just knew that they did and that made her sad. Teddy on the other hand helped decorate the nursery and pick out the name, he was wholeheartedly invested in his baby as he called it and was heartbroken when we told him she was called to heaven to watch over him. We had her cremated and her ashes buried under a tree in the backyard. Three more months until the anniversary of her death, every year we go to that tree and leave flowers.

"Ana, Christian is outside waiting for you" Hannah's voice comes through my speaker.

"Okay, I am getting ready to head out" I wipe the last of the stray tears, gather my belongings and head out to meet my husband.