They went to Pearl’s grave after that. Rolani waited by the truck, giving his brother the space that moment required. Robin was gone longer than expected. When he came back, his eyes were red, but his shoulders were down in a way they hadn’t been all day.
They drove to Rolani’s, making small talk and catching up.
“You ready for this?” Rolani asked as they got closer to his place, where Monroe was waiting on pins and needles.
“Hell yeah, it’s been two years since I laid eyes on my baby.”
“She barely got any sleep last night.”
When they pulled up, Monroe was sitting on the front steps with her backpack still on, like she’d gotten home from school and hadn’t been able to make herself go inside. She’d known he was coming home today. Rolani had told her that morning.
She saw the truck and stood up slow.
Robin got out first. Monroe looked at him for a second, like she was making sure he was real. Two years of phone calls and Robin’s voice telling her he was fine when she knew he wasn’t. Two years of growing up without him in the house, no visits because he couldn’t stand for her to see him like that.
“Daddy.” It came out high and cracked, not the composed teenager she’d been performing all day, just his little girl. Shecrossed the yard fast and ran straight into his arms. Robin caught her before she even reached him, pulling her in, one hand cradling the back of her head, his eyes squeezing shut.
He held on like he was making up for every day at once.
He said something into her hair that Rolani couldn’t hear. Monroe nodded against his chest, her shoulders shaking.
Rolani stepped out of the truck and let them have their moment.
“Ken, baby, I’m home.”
Inside, Kennedi had the house smelling like Luther’s. Robin deserved his own restaurant’s food on his first day home, and nobody was going to argue with that logic. So, he let her have it.
“Did he like the place?”
He wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her cheek. “He loved it. Nigga tried to threaten me to not fuck this up.”
“I hope you listened.”
“You happy, Ken?”
“Yes, of course.”
“Me too.”
She turned in his arms and kissed him until they heard a throat clear behind them.
Robin stood in the doorway with Monroe tucked under his arm. Neither of them said anything at first.
“Told you they were hugged up,” Monroe said with her hand out.
Robin groaned and slapped twenty dollars into her palm. But something settled over his face that looked a lot like relief. In all the years Robin had known his brother, Rolani had never had anyone he looked at like that. Never had anyone to come home to, anyone who took care of him the way Kennedi clearly did. His brother was in good hands.
“Bruh, really. Y’all tonguing each other down over the food.”
“My bad,” Rolani said, not sorry at all.
Robin looked past him directly at Kennedi. “Sup, bestie.”
Kennedi stepped around Rolani and opened her arms. “Finally.”
Robin hugged her and looked at his brother over her shoulder. “I like her.”
“Yeah, aight,” Rolani said.
