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Iesha is mother to Seven, Kenya, and Lyric, and is King’s girlfriend. She is a sore spot in the marriage of Maverick and Lisa, as his infidelity with Iesha resulted in the birth of Seven. While not technically an absentee parent, as she is close in physical proximity to her children, Iesha is by no means an active mother. Seven, in particular, resents her lack of maternal support, desiring to live with Maverick instead. He refers to Iesha by her first name and chooses not to invite her to his birthday and graduation parties out of immense shame. In this way, Iesha is the complete foil of Lisa, whom Seven views as more of a mother figure.
Iesha is erratic, promiscuous, and selfish. She cares more about partying with King than protecting or mothering her children. Her allegiance appears to be to King first, as she is more willing to put Seven out of the house when he upsets King than risk making King angry. Having built her world around King, Iesha values money, drugs, and partying above all else. She places immense worth in her appearance, wearing short dresses when it isn’t appropriate and showing up to Khalil’s funeral uninvited, looking as though she were in a nightclub. Iesha is consistent in her selfish behaviors through the entire novel, seemingly unaffected by the opinions or needs of her children. Iesha is genuinely upset when Seven says she failed him as a mother and refuses to acknowledge her as such. At first, it seems that she is bothered only in a superficial way, responding out of offense and refusing to take accountability. It isn’t until later, when Iesha distracts King so that Seven and Starr can escape with DeVante, Kenya, and Lyric without harm, that the effects of her son’s words are shown. Her assistance in their escape is Iesha’s first and only selfless act, a decision which she knew would place her under King’s wrath and does ultimately land her in the hospital.
