Mariah smiled. “This is my goddaughter.”
“What’s your name, baby?”
The little girl smiled so big. “Silver.”
Something inside my chest just warmed. She was so beautiful. I smiled back, but my mind scrambled. There was something familiar about her. Her smile and the way she tilted her head. It was like I’d seen her before… or she reminded me of someone I knew. I searched my memory, trying to place it, but nothing came.
“Well thank you for coming, Miss Silver,” I said, hugging her little body. “Make sure you get all the snacks you want tonight, okay?”
She nodded before grabbing Ty and Mariah’s hand. I stood up slowly, still feeling that strange sense of recognition tugging at me. But Kairo was already standing in the entrance, placing the bow on her truck for the big reveal, so I shook the thought away and hurried to catch up with him
He turned the second he felt me walk up beside him.
“You good?”
I nodded. “Yeah.”
Before I could say anything else, the doors swung open and Coffee came rushing outside, heels in one hand, drink in the other.
“The DJ is about to announce for everyone to come outside!” she said dramatically. “Y’all better get ready!”
Kairo laughed. “Alright, alright.”
The photographer hurried over next. “Mr. and Mrs. Givelle, can I grab a few shots before the crowd comes out?”
We looked at each other and nodded. “Of course.”
The truck sat behind us under soft lights, ribbons tied perfectly across the hood. The pink shimmered even prettier at night. We stood together in front of it, smiling as the camera flashed.
“Closer,” the photographer said.
Kairo wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling me against him.
Click.
Click.
Click.
Then, from across the parking lot, Coffee screamed at the top of her lungs. “KISS HER AND GRAB HER BUTT, KAIRO!”
I doubled over laughing.
Kairo shook his head looking at the photographer. “She’s drunk.”
But he did it anyway. His hand slid lower, squeezing my ass while he kissed me. I laughed into his mouth before pulling back, still smiling. Instead of letting me go, he kept his hand on my waist.
He looked at me like he was looking at my soul.
“I know… over the years you’ve had a lot on your plate. Balancing everything. Being a mom, holding our house together, loving me even when I was gone more than I should’ve been…”
“I appreciate you,” he continued. “And I see you, Khloe.”
My eyes immediately filled with tears.
“I hate that it took me so long to really see you,” he said softly. “But I do. I see how hard you’ve been loving us… loving me. I’ll spend the rest of my life showing you how much I appreciate you.”
Those were the words I’d been waiting on for years. My throat tightened as emotion rushed through me.
