He kissed her then, their lips tangled in a slow, grateful, and desperate kiss. When he pulled back, the smile on his face made her want to capture it and frame it.
A lot had been said today—his grief, her secret, the commitment they’d made. But there was one thing she still needed to hear before she could fully believe this was real.
“I know you said you were scared.” Her fingers played with the necklace around his neck, not quite meeting his eyes. “But are you happy?”
“Damn, my bad. Of course I’m happy. Shit, I’m shocked but I’m more than happy.”
She hated how much the answer mattered. But it did. She finally looked at him and saw the truth in his face.
“Okay.” The word came out soft, relieved. “So what now?”
“Go ahead and tell me everything. How did you find out? When? Doctor appointments, how you’ve been feeling, all of it. I ain’t missing nothing else.”
He kissed her cheek and said, “Start from the beginning.”
She did. She told him about being in Colorado working on the DaVinci Bryns special—how she’d been exhausted, nauseous, couldn’t keep anything down. But Pimento cheese really did it. She shared how she’d taken the test alone that night, hands shaking, those two pink lines appearing six times and making her whole world tilt.
“I haven’t known that long. Like two months. I found a doctor here already, and I have my first appointment next Thursday. I’d like you to come with me.”
“I wouldn’t miss it for the world.” He pulled her closer, his forehead resting against the side of her head.
Chapter Sixteen
Rolani satin Kennedi’s driveway, fifteen minutes early. His mind had been swinging between clarity and mush. One conversation a week ago had literally changed everything for him.
A father.
An honor.
All his moves felt heavy; he couldn’t fuck up. The weight came from the fact that this baby carried his name from the beginning. There was no separation between choice and obligation. This one was his.
Two dozen roses and a gift bag sat in the passenger seat. He’d woken up at 6 a.m. and couldn’t go back to sleep, so he hit the florist when they opened at seven. The woman behind the counter had given him a knowing smile—one that said she could tell he was down bad.
He was. No point pretending otherwise. Before the baby, he already knew he’d nut up on anybody about, behind, and for Kennedi, now he’d take it to hell for her and their child.
Their child.
His phone buzzed. Robin’s name flashed across the screen. He was still locked up, but that hadn’t stopped him fromacquiring a phone that he used sparingly. Today was a big day, and he knew his big brother needed some comfort.
“What’s good?” Rolani answered.
“Tell me something nigga, damn.”
“Man, I’m sitting in her driveway right now. I’m early.”
“Ahh shit, this nigga nervous. Bro, be cool.” Robin laughed, pulling one out of Rolani also.
“I’m tryin’ bruh. This shit got me anxious as fuck.”
“Aye, it’s cool though. First appointment, first time dad, and all that.” Robin’s voice shifted to concern. “What’s on your mind? How you feeling?”
Rolani rubbed his hand down his face. “I don’t even know. One minute I’m good, next minute I’m thinking about everything that could go wrong. What if something’s off with the baby? What if… shit, what if I turn out like Ronald, shit, Tawny.”
Robin sighed. He hated it when Rolani got like this. He also hated when he brought up their bitch ass parents, but they couldn’t escape the truth. Their parents hadn’t shown them the way.
“P, would be slapping the taste outta ya mouth if she heard you. You know where life and death lie. And on that other shit, fuck them. You a stand up nigga Ro. And I probably don’t tell you enough, but you’ve been more of a father to me than some fucking Ronald. I owe everything to you.”
“I know, I know.” He exhaled. “I need to see her. Hear the heartbeat. Make sure everything’s straight.”
