Soft.
Everything LA wasn’t.
“There go yo’ daddy, lil boy. He’s been saying your name all day,” she said, smiling.
Lil Zay popped into frame immediately, climbing all over her like she was a jungle gym.
“Dada!” he yelled.
That broke something in me.
Not weak.
Just… real. I was doing everything to make sure my son had a brighter future than I did.
I leaned back in the seat, a small smirk pulling at my mouth.
“What’s up, my boy?”
He started talking, words all over the place, excited, loud, happy.
Safe.
That’s what mattered.
Emily watched me.
“You good?” she finally asked.
I nodded once. “Yeah. It’s done.”
Her expression shifted. Not shocked. Not confused. Just… understanding.
She knew what was going on. Before she left for France, we had a long talk. I told her about my family being a secret mafia, told her about my beef with my parents, and told her I was taking over. I had to tell her, so she could know why her life was about to shift, and for the better.
“Yeah?” she said softly.
“Yeah.”
I glanced out the windshield, then back at the screen.
“Old man passed it down.”
Her lips parted slightly.
Then she smiled.
Proud.
“Okay, Big Zay,” she said, like she already knew.
Like she always knew.
Yuna stepped into frame behind her, leaning on the balcony railing, sunlight hitting her different.
She looked at me through the screen.
Calm.
