“Neither of us knew our real pops, but our biological mothers were around for a minute. She swore up and down we came fromthe same sack.” Moose narrowed his eyes and gripped the blunt between his fingers. “Jane loved us more than our egg donors ever could, though. She protected us, taught us. My mama relied on men. A string of niggas who didn’t give a fuck about her, me, or helping us unless they got something out of it,” he mumbled, finally taking a tug from the vice in his hand and inhaling.
His tone was low, barely audible on the last sentence.
“Jane was the first woman to love us with no expectations, and she didn’t have to. We weren’t exactly angels. After finding out about her life and how she grew up… she could have easily been the villain in our story, but somehow, she became the one thing I think we all needed.”
“She worked with my mama,” Inari voiced, sending Moose’s head spinning in her direction.
“My mother worked for the unified government. She was in the zoning commission office. They were in charge of surveying properties and a bunch of other boring ass shit she would come home complaining about. I guess Jane had some organization that worked with housing and providing homes to battered families.”
Moose nodded. “Bright Path. She started that organization to help women who were like her mother. Low-income housing, medical benefits, job aid. To her, the system was designed to keep you stagnant. She believed there was corruption behind all of it, so she wanted to create her own network to provide solace for families that went through what we all did at some point.”
“Yeah. My mama had a lot of respect for her. She said she was a force. You only got two sides of her. Sweet or spice, and that was based on how you came at her.”
“That was Jane.” Moose smiled at a memory of the first time he made her smile.
“I remember when my parents died. She sent the most beautiful floral arrangement I’d ever seen. She had Laci hook it up with all my mama’s favorites.”
In that moment, it hit Moose that Inari knew the type of loss that he did. Not just someone you loved, but the anchor to your entire family. That’s who Jane was, and it sounded like her mother was as well. He reached for her, his strong arms locking around her waist and pulling her into his chest. Picking up the remote to turn the TV up, Moose settled with Inari in his arms.
“How old were you when they died?” Moose wondered, the tips of his fingers stroking her soft, almond smelling skin.
“Fifteen. Around the same time I found out I was pregnant with Dane.”
“Damn, that must have been hard.”
Inari stilled, her parent’s faces flashing in her mind briefly before tears filled her eyes to the brim. She tried so hard not to think about them that when she did, it pulled at her emotions, often getting the best of her.
“Even harder when they were both angry and disappointed in me,” she whispered.
“Because of you getting pregnant?” Moose prodded gently.
“Getting pregnant, dating Danilo, who was three years older than me, and dropping out of school,” Inari revealed. “We had a fight the day they died. Told me not to leave the house and that I was grounded forever. I didn’t listen. I snuck out to see Danilo. I was with him at his apartment when the news came on. I still remember that day vividly.”
“I bet your parents are proud as fuck of you, ma. Look what you made of yourself. You a boss, and your son is cool as fuck too. He’s smart and got a good head on his shoulders. You did that on your own too.” Moose reached down and tipped her chin upward so he could search her magnetic eyes.
“Ayla was a lot of help.” Inari sniffled. “I depended on her a lot, and she was just a little kid.”
“That’s what family does, though. I’m sure she doesn’t regret it.”
“Maybe not, but she can resent me. Sometimes I feel bad that I held her back. She lost out on a lot of opportunities because I needed her around to help take care of Dane and the house. As hard as it was to watch her move out, I know I have to let her live her life. She’s grown, and I don’t want to be the reason she has any more regrets in life.”
“I think growing up the way you both did made you stronger. I ain’t never met a woman like you before,” he confessed, sending her heart into a series of skipped beats.
“I feel like I’m waiting on the other shoe to drop now. This heist last night could cost me my job.”
“Why?” Moose frowned. “You didn’t steal shit.”
“Why should anyone believe that, though? Those pieces were expensive as fuck. My boss wants to meet with me in the morning.”
“Come here.” Moose held her tighter and kissed the top of her head. “Don’t sweat that shit. You ain’t do shit wrong. Everything will work out.”
With her head resting against his squared chest, she inhaled his manly scent and closed her eyes. He was right. This was out of her control, so she had to let it all play out. She’d worked at the vault for five years and went above and beyond in her work duties. Mrs. Vernon had to know she took her job seriously and would never let anything fuck up her business. She also knew that Inari aimed to have her own private auction house one day, too. She hoped that she believed she would never jeopardize her career or their relationship. With the beat of Moose’s heart like a melody to her ears, it soothed her right into a peaceful sleep.
