“Don’t be jealous, Romey,” Reagan said as she laughed.
“Roman, don’t be a hater,” Mel responded to me, and I laughed.
Mel laughed at Nan. “I see ’em, and they cute, but why they draped across Roman’s couch?” She snorted. “Y’all not slick. And you know I get off early Fridays now—district trainings.”
Nan shot back, “You said you wanted to see what he gon’ wear with our girl. They ain’t dressed yet, chile.”
I shook my head, adjusting my watch. “Y’all really doing roll call on FaceTime?”
“Boy, hush,” Mel said. “When you roll out with my girl, I’ll scoop the twins. We’ll keep Nan company, watch movies. I'll bring snacks; y’all bring vibes.”
Reagan and Reece started cheering like somebody announced Christmas early.
“You sure? You done worked all week,” I said.
I didn’t take help or love lightly. I’d carried too much for too long to treat support like it was guaranteed.
“I’m positive,” Mel said. “Go on your lover-boy date. Bestie better tell me everything. I’m rooting for you, new brother. I’ll grab a few things, come back for Nan and the girls, and you can pick ’em up when you drop off bestie boo tonight. We got it.”
New brother.I liked how that sounded. It felt like the circle was making room for me because my intentions were pure.
I turned to Solé and nodded down the hall. “Use my bathroom, baby. Fresh towels under the sink. Take your time. I’m not rushing you.”
“Thank you,” she said, heading that way with her bag.
I watched her go and breathed through the urge to follow. I wasn’t crossing lines. Being near her just felt right, like my nerves recognized peace and wanted to stay close.
I hit the guest bath, showered quickly, then paused under the water with my eyes closed. Pops’ voice drifted back the way it did when something shifted.
You’ll know when you meet her, Son. Not ’cause she perfect. ’Cause your spirit gets quiet, and your mind stops arguing.
I thought about Solé at the game, in the truck, in my passenger seat, without flinching, like she belonged. My mind wasn’t warning me off. It was stacking evidence.
Call me crazy as hell, but I just knew.
I dried off, wrapped a towel around my waist, and headed back to my room to grab my clothes.
She was already there, sitting on my chaise with lotion in her hands, rubbing something sweet and warm into her skin. Vanilla and something softer drifted through my room as if it belonged there.
I stopped in the doorway for half a breath. “You smell good, Connie.”
The words came out rougher than I meant because that scent hit something primal—comfort, sweetness, cleanliness, care.
She looked up and blushed. “Thank you.”
There it was again, those freckles brightening like they had their own heartbeat. Her eyes dropped like she was trying to hide how she felt, and I loved that. I was not trying to embarrass her. I wanted her to feel cherished.
I grabbed my clothes and forced myself right back out before I forgot what boundaries were. I dressed in the guest room in a silk red button-down, dark slacks, clean dress shoes, and checked my phone. A text from Terryn popped up; her name wasstill in there from old habits. I stared at the screen for a second, then locked it.
I would meet her soon in public, say what needed to be said, and close that book completely. There would be no more late-night calls and no more mixed signals. I had no room for halfway when I knew exactly who and what I wanted now.
When I came back, Solé was standing in front of the mirror, fully dressed. That red dress on her looked better now than it did in the store. I swallowed, walked up, and held my hand out.
“Spin for me, baby.”
She twirled slowly. I took in every detail—the smooth fall of the fabric, the way it hugged her curves without begging for attention, the open back showing just enough to make my mind go quiet and loud at the same time. Her hair framed her face like it knew its job. Her posture stood proud, but her eyes still carried that shy little flicker, like she wasn’t used to being admired without having to defend herself.
“You are gorgeous. Let’s go show you off, beautiful.”
