Page 115

33

SERENITY

The Arizona sun was barely peeking through the blinds, casting golden slants across my bedroom floor. Cree was nestled against me, her tiny body rising and falling with soft, rhythmic breaths. It was moments like this that made everything feel right—even if the reality of my situation was far more complicated.

I had just finished rocking her back to sleep when my phone buzzed on the nightstand. Daddy’s name flashed across the screen.

“Hey, Daddy,” I answered softly, careful not to wake Cree.

“Hey, baby girl. How was Antigua?”

“Good, the kids had a good time.”

“Good, good. I just wanted to give you a call since I knew you were back in the country. I think I found the one.”

I sat up a little straighter. “The house?”

“Yeah. It’s in Mulholland Heights, just ten minutes from our house. It’s a great location, good schools, private street. You’re gonna love it.”

He texted me the listing, and as soon as I opened it, my breath hitched.

The house was beautiful.

Warm, modern, but still homey. Vaulted ceilings, fireplaces, a massive kitchen, a backyard that looked like something out of a magazine. The master suite had its own deck, overlooking a pool and lush greenery. It was everything I didn’t know I wanted.

I chewed on my bottom lip, conflicted. I had told Creed I wouldn’t make any moves until after the summer, but here it was—right in front of me.

I took a deep breath. If my father said it was a good investment, I trusted him.

“If you think it’s good for me and Cree, then I trust you,” I finally said.

“I’ll make an offer today,” Daddy assured me. “I’ll have the paperwork sent over once it’s finalized.”

I swallowed hard. This was real. I was buying a home. My home all on my own, just me and my baby girl.

Telling Creed was the hard part.

I found him in the backyard, shooting around on the hoop he had installed months ago. He was always out there when something was weighing on him, using the rhythm of the ball against the pavement as his way to think.

I waited until he made his next shot before I spoke.

“Can we talk?”

He glanced over at me, before throwing another shot at the hoop. “About what SB?”

“My dad found a house for me in California,” I said, voice steady, but my heart wasn’t.

The ball bounced off the rim, rolling off to the side. Creed turned to face me, his jaw tightening. “You already decided?”

“I trust my dad, Creed. He knows what I need.”

His laugh was humorless, his hands going to his hips as he shook his head.

“So that’s it, then?” he said. “All that talk about waiting ‘til after the summer was just bullshit?”

“First of all, I said I would wait until after the trip. Second of all, I wasn’t looking, he just found something perfect.”

Creed exhaled sharply, his nostrils flaring. “I need some air,” he muttered, letting the ball roll down the court. He bumped past me before storming inside the house. I tried to follow him, but his longer legs were a lot faster than I expected.