Troy got home from school a few days later and heard fighting coming from upstairs. He followed the voices upstairs to the bathroom in time to hear Lucille. "Lilliana just let me help."

The little girl shook her head. "No I want Troy."

"He's not here and he doesn't know how so just let me help you."

"No I can do it myself, I don't need your help."

He knocked on the door seeing that his mother was getting extremely frustrated with her daughter "What's going on?" Lilliana ran to him and gestured to be lifted up, he complied and she gripped him, burying her face in the crook of his neck. He rubbed her back before turning to Lucille. "Is everything ok Mom?" The woman shook her head and went to walk out but was stopped by her son. "Lil, can you go to my room and I'll meet you there in a minute, I just need to talk to Mommy for a second."

"Ok Troy."

With the little girl out of the room, Troy wrapped his mother in a hug where she confessed. "I just want her to let me in."

He frowned slightly. "I know Mom, I know it's been a while and you don't feel like you're getting anywhere but she's struggling right now. This is the first time in her life as far as she's concerned that Gabriella's been away from her and she's struggling with that. Her and Gabriella grew up having to push everyone away, it's all they know to do so try to cut her a little slack. And she doesn't like confrontation remember? It's a lot for a six-year-old to deal with."

Lucille sighed and shook her head. "You're right Troy, gee when did you become so wise?"

He shrugged slightly. "I've probably sent too much time with Gabriella. I'm gonna go check on Lil but I love you Mom."

"I love you too Bud." Lucille smiled.

Troy left the bathroom and went into his room, finding Lilliana on his bed with her knees hugged to her chest. He sat down beside her and pulled her onto his lap where she leant against him. "Do you want to tell me what happened?"

"I was practising doing my hair for our presentation tomorrow. I wanted to braid my hair like Bria does but Lucille was trying to make me let her do it. I didn't want to because I know how to do it myself, I just like when Bria braids my hair."

"Did you tell Mommy that?"

"I tried to but she wouldn't listen."

Troy sighed. "She's trying her best, she just, she really wants to be there to help you and she really wants to be your mom."

"I'm not stupid Troy."

"I never said you were Lil."

"I know everyone thinks I'm immature and that I cling to Bria too much because I'm scared or nervous but I'm not. I know when I'm being clingy and I do it because I want to stay with Bria because she doesn't treat me like I'm a little kid who doesn't understand. She only does it in front of other people because they don't know. I know Jack and Lucille are fostering Bria and that she will have to live with her cousins when they stop fostering her and I don't want her to leave."

Troy looked at her surprised. "How do you know all of that?"

She shrugged. "Bria tells me the truth unless she thinks it's something I'm too young for. She says we've gone through too much to lie and that she'd rather explain things to me than for me to find out a different way that could upset me."

"Wow, I didn't know that."

"Bria and I tell each other everything. That's why I wanted you, she said that if I ever need anything when she's not around, that I can come to you."

He smiled. "I'm glad Lil and you can always come to me." His mind caught up to the first part of her statement and the boy looked at her anxiously. "When you say you tell each other everything, does that mean -"

"I know you and Bria are boyfriend and girlfriend." She watched his eyes widen. "Please don't be angry at Bria, I never tell Bria's secrets and she told me why you can't tell anyone especially Jakie because of Lucille and Jack."

Lilliana continued to shock Troy. "I'm not mad at her Angel, but you understand why and you're not confused about us dating?"

She nodded. "Lucille and Jack will be angry that you're together because you live in the same house and they think it'll confuse me and Jakie but it doesn't. Lucille and Jack are your parents and they're not Bria's so you can be together." She saw the look that Troy gave her and looked down. "I know Bria's not really my sister because we don't have the same mom and dad."

Troy smiled sadly and hugged her. "She's still your sister Angel, regardless of not having the same parents. She's always been your big sister and she always will be." Lilliana grinned and hugged him tightly, thanking him. "You don't have to say thank you, it's the truth."

When she pulled away, she asked a question. "Troy, could you ask Bria if she's going to be there for the presentation, I really want her to see it."

"Sure Lil." He pulled out his phone, pressing the speed dial button but got no answer. "Alright, I'll just text her instead." He wrote out the message: Lilly wants to know if you're coming to the presentation tomorrow, she really wants you there and sent it. He waited a few minutes before he got a response, opening it and reading it out loud. "I'm not sure, tell Lilly that I'll try my best."

Lilliana scrunched her eyebrows. "Bria doesn't call me Lilly."

"No she doesn't, does she?" He typed out a message and sent it. "If she responds weirdly to this, we're gonna see what's wrong ok?"