Friday Night Lights.

"Daddy, be careful!"

Naomi instructed to her father, James Pritchard, who was carrying her TV in his arms. Naomi hurried to pick up her pair of ballet slippers which her father almost stepped on. She clutched them closely to her chest, as if the shoes themselves were ancient and sacred. To Naomi these pair of ballet shoes were sacred, and possibly ancient. They were hand-me-downs when she had first gotten them when she was 9.

Naomi didn't care that they were used goods. They were her goods. Of course she couldn't fit them now, they barely slipped past the top of her feet. They were old and worn out, more worn out than before, due to her excessive dancing and practicing. No, she couldn't wear the shoes anymore but that didn't mean she couldn't keep them as a momento.

They reminded her of the past. Which was good for her, she wanted to be reminded of where she came from--Atlanta, Georgia. Surprisingly, Naomi hadn't obtained a southern accent. However that didn't mean it wouldn't pop up in her speech time to time. The hot 'n humid A-town was in her blood. Half of her family originated from different parts of Georgia.

Her father gave a low grunt as he lifted a knee to push up on the bottom of the TV, making it more secure in his hands. "Why on Earth would you get a TV this big?" he said playfully scolding his only daughter as he decided to just set the large TV down on the floor.

" You bought it for me, remember." Naomi retorted with a soft laugh as she placed her ballet shoes in a box which read 'Fragile'.

Her father grunted a response as he sat down on the coffee table. "I'm old," he said wiping a small bead of sweat from his forehead. "I can't remember everything. Who are you? Who am I?"

Naomi only lovingly rolled her eyes at her father who was grinning, rather amused with his little joke.

"Mi-Mi," her father called, using her childhood nickname. "Come sit with ya old man."

Naomi eyed the small coffee table, wondering where there would be room for her as well. Her father patted his jean covered knee as a sign. Naomi raised an eyebrow, quirking her mouth to get ready and tell her father that she wasn't 5 years old.

"Humor me." Was all he said.

Naomi let out a small huff as she crossed her small apartment over to her father and sat down on his knee. She immediately felt like a child again.

"Dad--"

"Ah, ah," he interrupted putting up a hand. "I know this feels baby-ish, but you are my baby. So deal with it."

James Pritchard took his daughters silence as an understanding.

"Now look," he began as he glanced up at her. "I know you're all twenty 'n everthing and you don't need me holdin' your hand, but I'm gonna do it anyway."

He glided his hand down her hair. Naomi truly did look like her mother. He knew this personally, whereas Naomi only had pictures. Barbara-Ann had run off when Naomi was only 3. She had sent a birthday card the next year. But James threw it out, deciding that if they weren't allowed in her life, Barbara-Ann wasn't allowed in theirs.

Naomi was the only girl out of the three children they had together. So of course there was a natural instinct to protect her a bit more than the boys--Raymond and James Jr, (J.J).

"Naomi, I just want you to be careful," he said softly, pure parental concern in his voice and tired eyes. "You've only visited New York, you ain't never lived there. There's danger everywhere, but there's a different kind of danger up there in the city."

Naomi pursed her lips to interject, but again her fathers large hand popped up stopping her.

"Let me finish now," he said. "You're a beautiful girl and ugly things can happen to girls like you. I want you keepin' that good head on your shoulders. I don't even know what me 'n your brothers would do if anything..."

Naomi wrapped her arms around the large and strong man which was her father, he mimicked her movements and embraced her as well. The two sat silently in the cramped and nearly empty apartment, just sitting and hugging.

Naomi could've sworn she felt something wet hit her tank-top covered chest. Her suspicions becoming confirmed once the two let each other go and her fathers hands quickly went to his face wiping at his eyes. Naomi had seen her father cry before, when her grandmother had suffered a heart attack. He cried right there in his bedroom, and then cried some more, but of happiness when she was declared alright.

So, Naomi had witnessed her father's tears before, but it still didn't make it any easier to see. Her father shifted beneath her and she took that as her cue to stand. Her father blew out a large breath as he rubbed his big hands on his face. Naomi stood there, silent, not exactly sure what to say or do.

James Pritchard looked up catching the torn look on his child's face. He smiled warmly at her as he stood to his feet, walking around Naomi to pick up the TV in one swift motion.

"You tell your brothers about that and I'll disown you." his tone along with his face was cheery and playful, his mouth set in a grin. One which Naomi returned.

They heard running footsteps on the stairs and then soon enough, the sweaty duo of J.J and Raymond were standing in the doorway.

"Well, would ya look at the timing," he chuckled glancing at Naomi who already knew what was about to be said next. "One of y'all can take this here TV."

The oldest, Raymond, scoffed. "Why can't Naomi do it? We're doin' everything else."

"Because I said so," Was James Sr.'s response as he dropped the TV into the arms of Raymond. Which caused both J.J and Naomi to snicker. "Now c'mon, move it."

Raymond glared at his younger siblings, mouthing a nice ' fuck you ' to the both of them when their fathers back was turned.

"I saw that."

Naomi and J.J fell into one another laughing at Raymond's stroke of bad luck. As soon as James Sr.'s back was towards the two of them, they began making faces and taunting the eldest. Naomi of course making sure to repeatedly give Ray the bird.

"Look!" Raymond exclaimed. "They're doing it too."

Of course, as soon as their father turned around the two were busy putting more small items into the box, giving the false appearance of innocence.

"I don't see nothin'," he responded, causing Raymond to stomp out huffing and puffing. "What'd I do?"

James Jr. extremely amused slapped his father on the back. Boys, Naomi said to herself rolling her eyes. "Nothin' pop, you didn't do a thing." J.J gave a laugh as he picked up one of the heavier boxes and exited out, his laughing echoing through the halls.

Naomi herself giggled when he father turned to look at her, confusion evident all in his face. She stooped down to scoop up the box at her feet and walked up to her father. Kissing his scruffy cheek before leaving out and making her way down the stairs.