The Sinclair Brothers ✔️

(30) Peaches

Can't believe we made it to chapter 30! Thank you all for sticking with me :)

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"Who are you here for again?"

Makennah leaned in closer to the speaker that pronounced her voice to the other side of the glass where a corrections office looked at her like she grew another head. "Thomas. Candy Claire Thomas."

"Honey, she ain't here."

"She is. She's my mom. She's been here since May. She'll be here for another year at least," Makennah explained, trying to keep her cool. Normally, there was never an issue finding her mom.

The corrections officer sighed and walked away from the speaker, talking into a walky-talky strapped to her shoulder. Her hair was tied up in a tight bun at the base of her neck. Her neat eyebrows, caramel skin, and pretty eyes told the story of her ancestry - she was Hispanic. Beautiful. But nasty. Not a smile to be seen in a ten mile radius of this place.

She walked back to the speaker and pressed the button. "I'm looking for her, but I'm telling ya. She ain't here."

Makennah smiled kindly. "I'll wait."

Shoving her hands through her hair, Makennah walked back to the waiting cell and leaned against the wall. She was going to text Theo and tell him there was a little confusion that might take a few minutes to resolve, but she was interrupted by a familiar voice.

"Peaches?"

Makennah raised her head and looked around, spying the woman who called to her from across the room. "Tammy!" Launching herself across the room, Makennah fell into the correction officer's arms who waited for her across the waiting cell. All of her gear and guns got in the way and jabbed Makennah in the stomach but she didn't care. She didn't know it would feel so amazing to see a familiar face.

"Well I'll be...look at you!" Tammy held Makennah at arm's length. "You are beautiful as ever, peaches!"

Makennah smiled as her heart filled with warmth. "It's so good to see you. Thank you."

Tammy was a police officer before she turned to corrections after she lost her job. She was edging on the side of fifty but still kicking it. Her six kids kept her young as well as her handsome very tall husband whom Makennah had the pleasure of meeting once. Although it hadn't been that long, this profession aged Tammy's coarse hair to a finer grey. The laugh lines around her chocolate eyes added a few years to tell the story of a hard life. But none of those things mattered because Tammy offered the best hugs in the whole world.

Three years ago, Makennah earned the name peaches after she got burnt on a summer trip to the lake with a best friend who wasn't such a best friend anymore. Tammy teased her relentlessly, saying she looked like a peach especially compared to Tammy's dark chocolate-y skin.

"What are you doing here, sweetie?" Tammy looked confused.

"I'm here to see my mom."

The light disappeared from her eyes, but she tried to maintain her smile. "You ain't heard from her?"

"No, I figured I should check in." Makennah's gut told her something was wrong. She tucked her hands into her jean pockets and awkwardly shuffled her feet in the nice fall boots she owned.

Tammy winked and brushed her hand over Makennah's hair. "Let me go check on that for ya, Peaches. I'll be back."

Nibbling on her lip, her legs paced back and forth in the limited space they offered her. Half of her heart desperately wanted to get this over with, and the other half told her to run the opposite direction. Her mother never cared about her so why should Makennah care about her mom?