Jav carries him, his arms steady, voice low as he tells me how Ben asked questions about space pirates and hoverbike races the whole ride in.
“You okay?” he asks, catching the quiet in my steps.
I nod, brushing hair out of my eyes. “I’m working on it.”
He doesn’t push.
And I love him for that.
We reachour building just as the wind picks up. Jav lifts Ben gently into his bed, pulling the blanket up over his shoulder. I stand in the doorway, watching.
There’s no speech. No dramatic music. Just a quiet peace that feels too good to touch.
But it doesn’t last.
Not for long.
The door buzzer buzzes.
I frown.
Jav’s brow furrows. “Expecting someone?”
I shake my head and move to the screen. When I tap the button, my breath hitches.
Maliek.
In a sharp black coat. Expression cool. Eyes unreadable.
My stomach twists.
I open the door a crack.
He lifts a file folder and says, “Can we talk?”
Jav steps behind me before I can speak. I feel the tension bleed into the air like static.
“This isn’t a good time,” I say.
Maliek looks past me at Jav. Then back at me.
“I figured. That’s why I brought paperwork.”
He holds out the folder.
I take it, hands trembling.
“What is this?”
“Custody petition,” he says. “I’m filing for shared parental rights.”
I feel the floor drop out from under me.
Ben stirs in his room.
I grip the doorframe. “You’re kidding.”
Maliek’s smile is thin and cruel. “You should’ve told me the truth, Kairo. Instead, you lethimplay house. Now the law gets to sort it out.”
