Kay’Lo was my baby boy. My heir. My pride. And I was not going to let anyone, not even a therapist he barely knew, put something like that on his record.
If my son was struggling, then I would help him my way. I would make sure the world never put a label on him that would follow him for the rest of his life. If I had to move money, call in favors, or shake the ground under that therapist’s office, then so be it.
On paper, my son would not be schizophrenic.
He would be exactly what I raised him to be.
A Mensah…
Treasure turned around in my arms and touched my chest lightly. “Whatever you are holding in,” she said softly, “just know you do not have to handle it alone.”
I kissed her forehead and let my hands slide down her waist. “I know.”
But she could not help me with this.
This was a father’s burden.
A king’s burden…
A man trying to protect his legacy even when he knew it might cost his son more than he realized.
I held her a little longer, thinking about Kay’Lo’s eyes when he told me that diagnosis, thinking about how strong he had been in that moment and thinking about how I failed him without meaning to. I kissed her once more and said, “Let me get my jacket. We need to go.”
Treasure nodded, unaware of the storm rolling in my mind.
She did not know that before dinner was over tonight, I would already have someone pulling the therapist’s entire file. She did not know that by morning, I would have her credentials, her supervisor, her background, and every weak point in her system. She did not know that I was planning to call her office with a smile and an offer she would not dare decline.
As far as I was concerned, I was protecting my son…
Eboni Keep in Nzuri Hall
When we reached my brother’s estate, I stepped out of the car already knowing this night was going to be different. It had been a long time since the six of us had sat together without our sons around and without the weight of legacy pressing down on the table. Tonight felt like one of those rare moments where the old guard could breathe, laugh, and remember who we were before our names became empires.
Kojo was already outside when I walked up, a glass in his hand, standing with that calm confidence that always set him apart from the rest of us. He was my oldest brother, the one who had always gone first. He was the first into success, first into war and first into decisions that changed all our lives. Kojo had seen more than he ever spoke on, and that quiet in him wasn’t softness. It was experience. He had survived things that would have broken lesser men, and every scar he carried was worn with purpose. When he looked at me, there was history there. It was blood, loyalty and the kind of understanding you only have with someone who has stood beside you when the world was trying to tear everything you built apart.
Asa stood beside him, laughing loud about something I had missed, his voice carrying across the patio. Asa had always been like that. He was the kind of man who could make light out of darkness without ever losing his edge. People thought he was all jokes until they learned the hard way that Asa was just as dangerous as the rest of us. He had fought beside us, bled beside us, and buried secrets beside us. That humor of his wasn’t carelessness. It was how he survived. Asa watched everything around him even while laughing, his eyes always scanning, always ready, because men like us never truly relaxed. Not after everything we had been through together.
Being here with my brothers, I felt the weight of decades press against my chest. We had come up together. We had defended each other’s families, protected each other’s names, and built something that people outside our circle could never fully understand.
Treasure stepped out behind me and wrapped her arm through mine, her hand squeezing gently like she could already feel the tension rolling off me. Nyori came out a second later, smiling wide as she walked toward us, her energy warm andwelcoming. She kissed Treasure’s cheek and hugged her like family because that’s exactly what we were.
Abeni emerged last, dressed effortlessly elegant, her posture straight and her expression calm, but I knew her well enough to recognize the fire behind her eyes. Abeni never walked into a room without control. She didn’t need to raise her voice or command attention. It came to her naturally.
“About time,” Asa said, clapping his hands together. “I was about to start drinking without y’all.”
Kojo smirked and lifted his glass. “I already did.”
We laughed as we moved inside. Once we settled around the long dining table, the staff moved like they already knew the rhythm, sliding crystal glasses into place and pouring dark liquor that cost more than most people made in a year. Bottles were uncorked without labels needing to be shown because we all knew what was being poured, aged cognac, rare whiskey, and wine pulled from cellars most people would never step foot in.
The food followed right behind it, plated clean and intentional. Grilled lamb cut so tender it fell apart under the fork, lobster tails brushed with butter and herbs that filled the room with a rich, savory smell, and small dishes of seared tuna, truffle rice, and roasted vegetables seasoned just right.
This wasn’t a stiff dinner where everyone sat upright and polite. It was loud voices, hands moving as we talked, glasses clinking together, and that rare comfort you only feel when you’re sitting with people who knew your past and still chose to sit at the same table with you. These were the moments we allowed ourselves to breathe, even knowing that danger, war, and unfinished business were always waiting just outside the gate.
Asa leaned back in his chair and took a long sip. “So,” he said, dragging the word out. “I hear Kay’Lo done went and got married.”
Treasure smiled softly. “He did.”
I felt my jaw tighten but I kept my face neutral. I had promised myself I would not turn tonight into a battlefield.
