I frowned. “He ain’t answered me either.”
That sat wrong.
Griz wasn’t the type to miss calls. Especially not on a day like this. He knew that I was coming home today, that was the purpose of him volunteering to head back home early. Maybe he was just tired from the traveling and overslept.
“I’m sure he’s good,” my father said, but I could hear the doubt under it.
I didn’t respond. My instincts were already moving ahead of the conversation.
After letting the family get another look at the baby, and we said our goodbyes, it was time for us to head home. My mom acted like she wanted to snatch him and take him with her. I literally had to pry him away from her. I could see the hurt in my mother’s eyes from us not living in the same city with her. All that I could do was promise her that we will visit soon.
Now, that we were away from the noise and I sat in the car with silence, I had a nagging feeling in my gut.Where the fuck was Griz?
—
The driver pulled up to our destination so we could board our jet, and everything shifted into motion. I lifted Tre carefully, making sure he was secure in the car seat while Malani climbed out the truck. One hand carrying my son, the other steadying my wife, I moved with a focus I didn’t even have in a war. My life was dedicated to protecting them.
On the jet, I got Malani settled first. Blanket. Pillow. Water within reach. Then I strapped Tre in beside her, checking everything twice.
She watched me with tired eyes and a soft smile. “You nervous?”
“Never. Just still in disbelief.” I said honestly. “We going home to a whole new life. It’s not just us two anymore. Shit, maybe I am nervous now that I say it out loud.”
Once the plane lifted, I leaned back, exhaling slowly.
I had a family.
That thought kept replaying in my head like my mind didn’t trust or fully believe it yet.
Malani had gone through hell—pain, fear, loss before gain—and still looked at me like I was worth choosing. That humbled me in a way no gun or empire inherited ever could.
I reached over, brushed my knuckles against her cheek. “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For not giving up on me.”
She squeezed my hand. “You ain’t give up on me either.”
That sealed it. The love I had for my wife was like nothing I ever felt. And to think, this was only supposed to be an arrangement. Life was really crazy as hell when you just sit back and think about shit.
?
When we landed, the feeling shifted. This was it. The whole ride home, I prayed that I would be everything that my family needed me to be. I didn’t know how to be a father, nor did I have a guide to this shit. I just prayed I would get this right. I already loved my little man so much, I just had to make sure I didn’t let him down. Seeing him come into this world made me wanna be a better man. I had to start moving different.
The house was quiet.
Too quiet.
Griz had left early yesterday to set everything up for Tre that I didn’t get the chance to. I told him that he didn’t need to worry about that, and that I would pay to get it done when we made it back, but he insisted. This was something that he really wanted to do. He’d promised the crib would be assembled, securityadjusted, everything ready so we could just focus on getting the baby settled in.
None of it was touched. When we walked into the house, boxes were still near the door and had never been taken to the baby room.
No lights on. No movement. No sign of him anywhere.
My chest tightened.
Griz didn’t miss steps. He never volunteered to do anything and not go through with it.
