Ditched Cheating Alpha, I Led My Daughter to Life's Peak novel Chapter 30

There, it would've been a left to get to the kitchen from the bottom of the stairs. Now it's a right.

Somehow it makes me sad that in just a few more days, I'll forget the change. I'll get used to the steps. I'll let go of the railing and trust myself in this new place like I'd never known any other home or town or place. And in a year, I'll do the same thing when I leave here. I've mastered the art of moving, and I hate it somehow.

I nearly step on Charlie's legos. They're littered all across the hallway.

"Mia, that one," he smiles and reaches his hand out.

I shake my head and laugh. "Aren't we supposed to be eating?"

"But Megan's not down yet," he pouts.

I do as he asks, bending down and grabbing a red piece.

"Blue!"

"Oh, sorry," I reach for a piece not far away from me. I stand up and walk towards him.

He shakes his head violently. "I changed my mind. The red is better." He smiles innocently.

This is how it always starts. I hold onto the blue lego and grab the red one as well. I bring the red one to him.

He narrows his eyes. "... Mia, are you stealing my lego?"

Omg. "No, I'm holding onto it in case you change your mind."

"In your pocket?" he quirks his head to the side.

I didn't realize I was under interrogation. I cross my arms. "I'm not stealing it," I say indignantly. "I'll give it to you when you need it. I just didn't want to have to walk back and forth."

He keeps his eyes narrowed and raises his hand towards me, the one without the red lego. "Mhm. Well I need it now."

I can't believe this boy. So much for family. "Do you need anything else?" I ask half-heartedly, walking around him towards the kitchen.

"I think I'm amazing," he says, his eyes still looking at me, skeptical. That's his new way of saying I'm good. He says good isn't good enough when it comes to construction. None of us, besides Michael, has had the heart to tell him that it doesn't quite have the same meaning.

"Okay," I say. "Suit yourself."

She nearly smacks him with the wooden spoon. "I said that because I thought it would take you forever to get off of Morph, and Megan forever to get off of facetime, and Charlie forever to get done with his spaceship, and you," she points at my Dad, "to get home from work, and Mia forever to get done with her playlist."

Dad tries to sneak another plantain.

I shake my head, trying not to laugh. Mom sounds just like Dad when he's cooking breakfast.

Megan walks down with her hands on her hips, standing firmly. "What is going on here?"

Mom looks at all of us, disappointedly, and steps to the side. "Fine, eat your raw food." She doesn't move fully to the side though. She grabs her own bowl and starts grabbing. "Me first!" She smiles.

We all gasp, shocked. Taken advantage of. We look at each other and pounce. Michael hands out bowls, Megan snatches utensils. Charlie calmly seats himself expecting to be fed, the prince he is. Dad falls for it. Sucker.

I grab a plantain, some bouillon, and take a bite standing up. I want to cry. It's so good. This is just what I needed.

If dinner time was just what I needed, going to school the next morning was just what I didn't. I want to groan as Michael pulls into the parking lot. I try to keep it in so he doesn't worry. It wasn't serious. That's what I said, so I better act like it.

"Alright, you are a strong independent Black woman who don't need no whatever made you upset yesterday," Michael rubs my shoulders like I'm a boxer in the corner.