“Yes, I do.” She looked up at him. “The devil doesn’t get busy on things that don’t matter. This is all God.”
He looked down at her. The hard hat was slightly crooked, and she hadn’t fixed it. He reached up and straightened it, his hand lingering at the side of her face for a moment.
“I still can’t believe your pretty ass stuck with me forever.”
She opened her mouth to say something slick, and he was already reaching into his jacket pocket, pulling out a paint pen. He uncapped it, pressed it to the beam, and signed his name.
Rolani Pracher loves Kennedi Pracher!
And underneath it, smaller:For Pearl. And for Pops. Who showed us what to build.
He stood back and looked at it for a long moment. Then he held the pen out to her.
“You sure?” she asked.
“You’re part of this. You’ve been part of this since you started telling the story. Put your name on it.”
She took the pen. Stepped to the beam. She thought about what to write and then stopped thinking and wrote.
Kennedi Walters.
And underneath, because she was who she was and couldn’t help it:And Little LA.
Rolani stared at it. He put his arm around her and pulled her into his side, her hard hat knocking softly against his shoulder.
“Little LA,” he said quietly.
“I had to.”
“Yeah.” He pressed his mouth to the top of the hard hat. “You had to.” A pause. “But we gotta get on one accord with this last name, baby. You spelled Pracher wrong.”
“Here you go.” She tilted her head up at him. “I don’t see a ring on my finger yet.”
“Aight.” His voice dropped, all the way to that register she felt in her bones. “You can have one by the end of the night.”
She smiled and looked back at the beam. Both their names in paint, permanent, drying slowly in the late afternoon air. His people honored. Their son acknowledged.
“You ready?” he asked, scooping her up bridal style and carrying her outside while she laughed.
Chapter Nineteen
“Mommy,no, I’m too tired to come over for Dancing with the Stars after all I gotta do today.”
“Kennedi, why are you working so hard? I’m worried about you.”
“Ma, please. I’m pregnant. Even after ten hours of sleep, I’m exhausted.” She thought about how she hadn’t felt rested in months. Little LA loved a nighttime bathroom break. “I’m fine.”
“I guess I’ll have to get the truth from Rolani when he comes back home. Somebody picked up lying while away from home.”
Kennedi rolled her eyes before they both fell into laughter.
“I love you, but really, it’s all new. Time is flying. I’m falling in love,” she exhaled. “Life is busy. But I’ll come by soon.”
“And bring my son-in-law with you. It’s time for a family meeting.”
She groaned. They were obsessed with each other. It was cute until they ganged up on her.
“Both of y’all are on my nerves so bad, I might go request my own grippy sock stay.” She laughed. “I have to go, though. Spirit just got here.”
