The door opened, and Zyro swaggered in. I didn’t think I could even stand right now to give him the keys. I guess I wasn’t doing a good job hiding the pain because he immediately asked, “You good?”
I squirmed in my seat, stretching my keys to him. “Yeah, it’s just a headache.”
Ermias’ headshot up. “Take medicine, Mama,” he voiced, his brows furrowing.
Zyro didn’t look convinced. His gaze lingered on my eye before I jiggled the keys I held out. He slowly took them.
“I will,” I promised Ermias, who was also still eyeing me.
Pointing behind him with a thumb, Zyro told me that he would look at the car to determine if he could get it started. I watched him walk off, his slightly bowed legs causing me to forget about my headache for a second. He had a nice walk.
“He’s nice, Mama.”
I turned to my son, embarrassed he’d caught me watching Zyro.
“Yeah, he is, baby. He’s trying to get our car working so we can go home. You hungry? Thirsty?”
He shook his head, and his head dropped back to his tablet. Digging in my purse, I pulled out my steroid eye drops prescribed for my condition. I tilted my head back and squeezed a drop into my left eye, blinking fast against the familiar burn. Relief came after a moment, easing some of the pressure. I dropped the little bottle back into my purse just as the lobby doors opened again.
Zyro entered, his expression hard, telling me everything before he even spoke. His brows were pulled together, jaw tight. He held my keys between his fingers.
“It’s not gon crank,” he said to me. “I think it’s more than the battery. I can tow it to my shop and see about working on it first thing in the morning.” I tossed my head back and groaned. “Where do you live?”
“Heartville. I can call?—”
“No one,” Zyro cut me off. “I can take you and lil’ man. I had one of my guys come out already wit’ a tow truck from the shop. My truck is out there, so come on.”
“You’re a lil’ bossy,” Ermias uttered. My eyes widened.
“Ermias!” I hissed, while Zyro snickered.
“I am…a lil’,” Zyro replied. He turned to me. “It’s straight. Homeboy just called it as he sees it. He ain’t wrong.” Zyro’s eyes ran down my frame in the graphic tee and red biker shorts. “C’mon so I can get y’all home.”
I was a little hesitant about letting him know where Ermias and I lived, but so far Zyro had shown that he was good people. Mahlia wouldn’t have called him if he wasn’t. I trusted my girl with mine and my son’s life.
I slung my purse over my shoulders when standing, still side-eyeing Ermias for popping off the way he did. He hopped up and rushed to Zyro’s side, already liking this man too much. I can see it in his eyes.
“Truck’s right outside,” he told me.
The automatic doors slid open, and that big, shiny black F-150 truck on rims was parked outside.
“That’s the truck I saw out your house!” Ermias jumped up and down, yelling excitedly. “Mama, we get to ride in that!”
A light-skinned Black man with 360 waves was hooking my car to the tow truck. He briefly glanced at me and tossed his head back slightly before focusing back on the task.
“That’s my boy, Marco. He’s gon tow your car to my shop. Here.” Zyro handed me my keys, that was now missing the car key. “Marco!” Marco glanced up, standing to his full height. My keys went flying into the air, and Marco caught them.
“I need his booster seat!”
“Calm down. I already grabbed it.” Zyro opened the passenger and back door for me and Ermias. “It’s already in my truck.”
“Oh,” I replied, craning my neck to look into the backseat, seeing the booster seat there. “Thanks.”
I heard Zyro snicker and say, “I gotchu.”
While he helped Ermias climb into his truck, I hopped in the passenger seat and melted into the peanut butter seats. Theseats were cool since Zyro had kept his truck running. I was just ready to get home, take another shower, make some tea, and climb into bed. The pain had subsided for now.
Zyro rounded the front of the truck, and I watched him. When he opened his door, I buckled myself with the seat belt, then turned around to see if Ermias was buckled. The seat belt was around him, and he laughed at something on his tablet. A small smile tugged at my lips.
