I had Solae on a video call while Moses drove. When we landed in Chicago that morning from Atlanta after two days of shows, he told me we were grabbing food and spending time together. That sounded like a great idea to me, since we had been going nonstop with a crew constantly around us.
“I can’t believe he’s gone,” Solae replied. But there was no sadness in her voice, only disbelief.
“Me either. How do you feel?”
“Honestly?”
“Yeah.”
She sighed with relief. “Like the shadow that used to follow me finally disappeared.”
I had felt the same way when Moses got the call that Rah was killed. I was relieved. Moses felt the same. He hadn’t shed a tear or missed a beat.
“Anyway, how long are you all going to be in Chicago this time?” Solae asked with a smirk because she already knew the answer.
“Girl, like a day. He has a show in New York the day after tomorrow.”
Solae laughed, knowingly.
“Eli’s opened so many doors Moses didn’t even have to knock on,” I told her. “He got my man booked everywhere. He’s been doing appearances at clubs all over the country. And now they want him to open for a big tour!”
Solae’s eyes widened. “Wait, what tour?”
I paused for effect, grinning. “Zay Savage.”
Her jaw dropped, and then she screamed so loud I cringed. “Zay Savage?! Bitch, stop playin’!”
In the driver’s seat, Moses was chuckling at Solae’s exaggerated response.
I nodded at the phone. “I’m dead serious! King D was supposed to open for him, but he got shot, so they reached out to Eli for Moses.”
She threw her hands up like she was in church. “Oh my God! Do you know how big that is?! That man is selling out arenas!”
“Girl, I’m still tryna process it!”
Solae was grinning from ear to ear. “No, ‘cause this is huge, Kahlani! King D doesn’t even take openers unless he respect their pen. Oh my God, this is major!”
“I know!” I was still squealing, though we had gotten the news two days ago. I still felt the goosebumps all over my skin when I said it out loud. “It’s crazy, girl.”
Her eyes lit up. “That’s so dope. I’m so happy for you, Moses!”
Driving, he grinned, “Thank you.”
“They play his songs in the dayroom all the time,” Solae said. “Everybody in here knows who he is. Everybody thinks I’m lying when I tell them he’s my cousin-in-law.”
I laughed again, still in disbelief of the happiness I was feeling. Sometimes it still didn’t feel real. The way our lives were changing. I turned to look at Moses, behind the wheel of his new matte black G-Wagon, with one hand gripping the steering wheel and the other resting on my thigh. The sunlight from the windshield bounced off the gold around his wrist. He looked good, confident, and finally free in a way I hadn’t seen before.
Moses had always made sure I was good. He never let me pay bills, and he always took care of home. But the money he’d been making since the success of “The Songs of Moses” was different. He’d told me to quit my job weeks ago. He’d transferred Trent to a private daycare that actually had a tuition. And now, between the money coming from shows, features, social media, and streaming, he was spoiling me like it was a sport with shopping sprees, and vacations. Whatever I wanted, he made it happen.
As I glanced out the window, the view started to change. The city faded away into quiet streets and gated neighborhoods, the kind with trees that actually looked landscaped and driveways long enough for three cars.
I frowned. “Moses, where are we?”
He smirked without looking at me. “You’ll see.”
Solae was still talking through the phone, but I’d stopped listening. “I thought we were going to eat,” I said, sitting up straighter as we turned into a cul-de-sac lined with beautiful houses.
He didn’t answer. He just slowed to a stop in front of a huge two-story house with dark brick, black trim, glass doors, and a “Welcome Home” sign tied to the mailbox.
