TC was waiting in the living room when Simone walked in the door.

“ Simone! We need to talk.”

” I can’t go another round of you yelling at me, Daddy. I’m going to see Mom, whether you like it or not.”

” Well, I don’t like it. I don’t like it at all.”

” See, I knew I couldn’t talk to you.”

” If Whitney hadn’t of calmed me down last night, I was going to call the Police. That can’t happen, Simone.”

“ I don’t care if you did call them. I was with the parent who loves me!”, Simone yelled, running up the stairs.

” Simone! SIMONE!” TC heard her door slam. He sat down at the desk, looking at a picture of his daughters, with tears forming in his eyes. He counted down from 100, like the therapist had told him to. He then went up the stairs and knocked on the door.

“ Simone….Sugarbear, please open the door.”

It took a few minutes, but finally Simone opened the door.

“ I’m sorry, Simone. We need to talk.”

” What’s there to talk about, Daddy? You don’t want me here, and I don’t want to be here. So, I’ll go where I’m wanted.”

” Is that what you want, Simone? To move out?”

“ Yes! Because I know Mommy loves me.”

TC went over to Simone and put his hands on her shoulders. “ Simone, I love you. You have no idea how much. I’m so sorry that I’ve let you down. If anyone would have told me that my own child would believe I didn’t love her, I would have called them a liar. Simone, I don’t want you to go.”

” Liar!”, Simone said, tears in her eyes. “ You only want Whitney. Stop lying to me!”

“ Sugarbear, I’m not lying to you. I’m your father. I loved you since you were in your mother’s womb.”

” Who? The ‘lying tramp’ that I come from?”

TC winced. The therapist made him realize that by being so hateful towards Eve, he was creating a wall between him and his daughters. That, on some level, being women, they saw themselves as physical and emotional representations of their mother, and if TC expressed such open hate for their female role model, then he must hate them too.

“ I was wrong to say those things about your mother.”

” Why? I know you meant them. You were only being ‘honest’, Father. “

“ Because, Eve is your mother. I should have never disrespected her, especially in front of you and Whitney. I’m just realizing how my attitude has been hurting BOTH of my girls. “

“ I don’t believe you. You just don’t want anyone to know how much you hate me. You don’t want everyone else to know the truth. I know the truth. You hate me, and wish I was gone. Well, you’re getting your wish. I’m outta here.”

” Is this your mother’s idea? I bet she planned it all. Planned it all about how she was going to take you away from me! Well, it’s not going to happen. SHE is the one who abandoned you for MONTHS! And, you better believe the judge is going to find out!”

” Fine. Try and keep me from Mom. It won’t work. I’m not living here, anymore.”

” Oh yeah. Well, I’ll call Sam and Grace, and tell them not to let you in their house.”

” Man, are you so late. You think I was talking about the Bennetts? It’d be pathetic, if it wasn’t so pathetically true.”

” What do you mean, you won’t be going to Sam and Grace’s. Where else do you think you can go?”

” Where I’m wanted.”

Simone closed her suitcase, and was moving towards the door, when TC grabbed her arm.

” I SAID WHERE THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU’RE GOING?!”

Simone jerked her arm away.

” Where I know I’m wanted.”

Simone dropped her suitcase on TC’s foot and ran out of the room and out of the house.

TC ran down the stairs, trying to catch up with Simone, but she was gone. TC couldn’t get rid of the chill in his spine at remembering Simone’s words. He picked up the phone and dialed a number.

“ Grace. I need your help.”
 

Simone got off the elevator. She was so happy that Eve had given her a key to the apartment. She just wanted to talk to her mother. She entered the apartment quietly, and heard voices.

“ So, Eve, do you understand the strategy for the divorce?”

” Yes. I told you what I wanted. I’m not out for this to be a protracted battle. I have no intentions of being in court for years with TC. I want this over and done with, ASAP.”

” And the custody arrangement?”

Simone’s heart soared. She KNEW her mother loved her.

” I told you. I want TC to have custody of Simone.”

Simone’s eyes popped from the shock. She shook her head. She couldn’t have heard right.

“ I think it will be an unexpected move, not putting custody on the table. It’s something that they will expect.”

“ I think Simone should live with TC.”

The tears began streaming down Simone’s face as her anger built as she walked deeper into the apartment.

“ I THOUGHT YOU LOVED ME! YOU DON’T LOVE ME! YOU WANT TO GET RID OF ME, JUST LIKE HE DOES! HE HAS WHITNEY, SO HE CAN THROW ME AWAY. NOW, YOU HAVE YOUR PRECIOUS CHAD! I HATE YOU, TOO. I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU!”

Eve looked at her daughter in shock. “ Simone, honey, I can explain.”

” NOTHING to explain. You’re all talk. You left, had a good time. Now that you’re back, you can’t be bothered with me. Don’t worry, Eve. I won’t be a problem for you anymore.”

Simone threw the key at Eve, and got on the elevator. Eve ran after her, but the elevator closed. Eve pushed for the other elevator. By the time she got to the lobby, the doorman said Simone had run out like a bat out of hell.

Eve made it back to the apartment, and Alexis Davis was standing there, telephone in her hand.

” It’s your husband.”

Hakim is counting the money from his latest criminal efforts, when there is a knock on the door. He pulls out his gun and approaches the door.

Then, he hears Simone’s voice. “ Hakim? Are you in there?”

He puts away his gun and opens the door. “ Simone. Whatcha doin’ here, Baby?”

“ I have nowhere else to go.”, Simone cries, running into the apartment, sitting down on the couch.

“ Baby, what do you mean?”

“ I mean, my parents don’t want me. I thought my Mom did, but she’s a liar like my father. He only wants Whitney. My Mom only wants my brother. Nobody wants me.”

Hakim smiled slightly, then recovered, easing over to Simone, pulling her into a hug.

” You know, I love you, Baby. You know I’m down with you.”

“ Are….are you, Hakim? You want me?”

“ Oh yeah, Baby. I want you.” Hakim got off on the couch, and pulled Simone up with him. “ Let’s go where I can show you how much I want you.”

Simone went with Hakim into the bedroom.
 

Eve and Alexis made it over to the Bennett House. Grace answered the door.

” Hello, Eve.”

“ Grace. This is Alexis Davis. My attorney.”

” Something’s wrong with our daughter, and you bring a lawyer?!”, TC raged, from inside the Bennett House.

“ TC, shut up! I’m so tired of your bellowing and threats. You said you were worried about Simone. Either you are or aren’t.”

” Of course, I am. She ran away from me.”

“ She ran away from me, too.”, Eve said softly.

“ You have no idea, how sad I feel about this. I wanted Simone to be with you.”

Eve shook her head. Facing TC after all this time wasn’t going to be easy, but Simone is worth it.
 

“ Hakim, are you sure about this?”, Simone asked.

“ Yeah, Baby. I think it’s time we left Harmony. We can get a better life for us somewhere else. You with me?”, Hakim asked, pulling Simone into a passionate kiss.

“ Yeah, Hakim. I’m with you. I’ll go anywhere with you.”

Hakim turned the car on. “ That’s all I needed to hear.”

The car pulled away.