Thatalmostmade me smile.
“I remember the first time I held you.”
That caught me off guard.
My brows pulled together slightly. “You were there for my birth?”
“Oh, yes! I didn’t stay long, but I remember that moment clear as day.”
I didn’t say anything or interrupt. For some reason, I wanted to hear this.
“You didn’t come out crying like most babies, and even once you got settled, you were just looking around… taking everything in. When the nurse placed you in my arms…” he paused, letting out a slow breath. “I remember thinking how something so small could feel so… important.”
I shifted slightly, my arms tightening around myself, not defensive, just holding onto something.
“You ever think about what could’ve been?” I asked before I could stop myself.
“Every day,” he replied with a hint of guilt in his tone.
I nodded slowly, looking down for a second, then back up at him.
“Well…” I exhaled, my voice softer now, “We’re here now.”
It wasn’t forgiveness or closure, but it wasn’t nothing either. It was… a start.
He gestured toward my plate, ending that conversation. “Finish your food before it gets cold. We’ll talk later.”
When I got back to the room, Lainey was already up, stretched across the bed, phone in her hand, snapping yet another selfie. Then there was Kyrin. He was laid out with his eyes closed pretending to be asleep, but the slight smirk on his lips gave him away.
Lainey peeked over her phone the second she saw me. “Well, well… look who survived Breakfast with the Boss.”
Kyrin cracked one eye open. “Was it awkward,” he asked, voice still raspy from sleep, “or awkward-awkward?”
I folded my arms, looking between both of them. “So y’all wasn’t asleep, huh?”
“Girl, no,” Lainey said, waving me off. “I been up. You tiptoed out like you was in a horror movie.”
Kyrin sat up slowly. “I heard everything; you just didn’t say anything loud enough for me to be nosy.”
I shook my head. “Well… to answer y’all curiosity,” I said, walking further into the room, “it wasn’t bad.”
Before either of them could dig deeper, there was a knock at the door. I turned and opened it, only to come face-to-face with the same staff member from earlier, standing there like he hadn’t moved since the last time I saw him.
“Miss Ajori,” he said politely, giving a slight nod. “Your father asked me to let you know he’d like to spend the day with you. He’s arranged for a driver and would like to take you shopping.”
Lainey shot up so fast one would’ve thought the mattress had electrocuted her.
“Shopping?” she repeated, eyes wide, her voice climbing an octave. “Wait—does this apply to her guests as well? Because I came with her in spirit…” she looked down at her outfit, smoothing it dramatically, “…and in outfit.”
The staff member let out a small chuckle, clearly used to personalities like hers. “It applies toallparties, ma’am,” he confirmed smoothly.
Lainey gasped loudly. “Oh, I knew I felt a financial blessing in the air this morning!”
I giggled. “We’ll be ready in an hour,” I informed him.
He dipped his head politely. “Very well.”
Once he walked off, Lainey slid out of the bed and came straight over to me, already grinning.
