I wake up at 7:00 in the morning to start breakfast. I get up and brush my teeth and wash my face before heading down to the kitchen. 30 minutes later Jack comes down to help.

"Hey D?" Jack asks

"Yea?" I kinda know what he is about to say

"Why won't you tell the others about your music?" And there it is

"I don't know. You're the musician in the family. Plus, then they might want to know where I preform and I'm not about to tell Mr. Big Brother Bobby that I work in a bar."

"I understand, but I just didn't want you to be ashamed because you are awesome." He hugs me and I hug him back

"Thanks Jackie."

"Anytime, I wish you would join my band. We would be awesome then." He and I laugh

"I told you I'm not gonna spend my time on a bus with a bunch dudes doing…" My sentence trails off as I hear Bobby and Angel yelling. I look at Jack and he just shrugs. I was gonna leave it alone until I heard a voice that makes my blood boil.

"Loco Ono ain't staying in this house." I hear Bobby say

"Bobby! Cállate pendejo (Shut up Asshole)!" I know Angel did not bring her into this house. I look at Jack and then storm out of the kitchen into the living room with Jack behind me.

"What the hell is going on?" I scream standing next to Bobby in front of the stairs where Angel and Sophie are. Angel is looking scared, Bobby is looking smug, and Sophie is just standing there.

"Well, Angel decided La Vida Loca is gonna stay here." I whip my head from Bobby to look at Angel.

"Excuse me? Did we not have this conversation last night? But not only have you bought this trick into mom's house, but she's staying here? Hell no! Angel take her out of here." I tell him completely serious

"Dyonne calm down please." Angel tries to reason

"This is Angel's house too." Adds Sophie

"Did we ask you to talk? You don't speak. This is a Mercer family conversation. You stay out of it." I tell her pointing my finger at her.

"Can we please just please talk about this?" Angel asks

"No, we can't. Get La Vida Loca out of here." Bobby says and he and Angel start to argue. I tune them out as I see Sophie walking down the stairs in front of me

"Your brother is such a maldito bastardo (motherfucking bastard)." I soon as she said that all I saw was red. I got all the way in her face.

"A puta's (Whore's) opinion doesn't matter." She slaps me and my head whips to the side. Bobby and Angel stop arguing and all eyes are on me and Sophie. I whip my head back to face her.

"You are definitely gonna regret that." I slap her and she stumbles back. Before I can go at her again Bobby grabs me and Angel grabs her.

"Alright that's enough." Bobby says. We are still clawing for each other. "I said that's enough!" When Bobby screams I freeze and I'm immediately thrown into a flashback.

15 years ago

I was sitting on the stairs watching my parents go at it like always. I sat there while clutching Sunshine with tears running down my face.

"You stupid whore! I know you were with that nigga last night." My father yelled, and then he threw my mother against the wall. She fell and started crawling toward me.

"I wasn't with him you jealous idiot! It's called work, something your lazy ass wouldn't know anything about!" My mother yelled as she reached me and picked me up. She ran with me to her room with my father running behind us. She reached her room and slammed the door and locked it. She pulled me into the corner of the room and hugged me as my father beat on the door.

"Open the fucking door! Right now, bitch!" My father kept screaming as he punched and kicked the door. I sat with my mom in the corner sobbing loudly.

"Go away Darnell!" My mom screamed. After a few minutes the noise died down. I couldn't hear my father on the other side of the door. My mom got up and put me in her closet. She squatted down to talk to me.

"Ok sweetie, mommy needs you to stay in this closet until I tell you. I love you very much." She said to me as she kissed my forehead and closed the door. She didn't know she left it open a bit and I could see through. She walked up to her and opened it. As soon as she opened it, she was met with a fist.

"You thought I left." My father chuckles and kicks my mom in the stomach. "You thought you could go around and screw whoever you want. I won't be with a whore." He kicks her again and she spits out blood. She gets up and stares him down.

"Fine, I cheated. Are you satisfied or are you gonna continue to bitch and moan? Maybe if you had done you're job, I wouldn't have to screw other niggas." After she said that he punched her in the face again. "Is that all you got? You think you're a man now? Just because you hit a woman."

"Enough." My father says and I can see him getting fed up with her, but she wasn't listening.

"Enough? Enough what? What are you gonna do? Hit me again? Do it! That's the only way you are a man! Nigga please, I'd…"

"I said, ENOUGH!" My father yells, cutting my mom off, and he runs into my mom. She grasps his shirt and falls to the ground. Only then did I make out the knife in his hand with my mother's blood all over it.

I'm standing frozen in the middle of the living room with Bobby holding me. Thinking of my first mother's death, brings chills down my spine and I need to get out of here.

"Let go of me." I say to Bobby hoarsely, trying to stop my tears.

"What?" He asks

"LET GO!" I scream and he lets go of me. I fall to the floor with my head down trying to regain control of myself. My brothers rush over to me to help me, but I put my hand up stopping them in their tracks.

"I'm fine." I slowly get up and see the concerned faces of Bobby, Jerry, Angel, and Jack. I walk past them up the stairs and when I reach the top I turn around. "I'm going to change for the meeting with mom's lawyer." I turn my attention to Sophie and point at her. "When I get done, I want her gone." I don't wait for a reply, I just run upstairs.

When I get to my room, I go to my closet to get dressed. I pull out jeans, a red v neck shirt and my black jacket. As I go to leave my room, Bobby walks in.

I sigh "Yes Bobby?"

"I just wanted to make sure you were ok." He says

"I'm fine. I just had a little flashback." I answer

"About what?" He asks walking until he is in front of me

"About my biological mom's death, you said what my father said before he killed her" I reply, not looking at him

He tilts my chin up to look at him "I'm sorry, Sweetheart. I had no idea." He hugs me

"It's ok. Plus, I'm pissed I got stopped from beating that skank's ass again." I say and we laugh "Now get out because I have to get dressed and we need to meet with mom's lawyer." He nods

"Ok. Hurry your ass." He says and leaves

Once he closes the door, I sigh and reach for my notebook. I write down a couple of lyrics before getting dressed and heading downstairs. I know the search for mom's killers is gonna begin.