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I smirked slightly, thinking about Serenity, shaking my head.

"Not telling you that yet."

"Why not?"

"Because I wanna keep her to myself for a while."

And that was the realest shit I ever said. Because Serenity? She was mine. Even if it wasn’t official yet, I knew it in my gut.And I wasn’t about to let my mama plant doubt where there wasn’t any.

"Creed, you know how this goes. These girls see a future NBA player, and suddenly they in love?—"

"Nah, Ma. It’s not like that."

"How do you know?"

"Because I know," I said, my voice steady. "And I ain’t about to lose something real just because you think I should stay in a situation that’s comfortable."

She let out another long sigh. I could hear her shifting, probably pacing the kitchen back home like she always did when she was stressed.

"I just don’t want you making the wrong choice," she murmured.

"And I get that," I said leaning back against my pillows. "But this? This is my choice to make."

Another long silence.

"You really done with Gianna?"

"Yeah," I said, exhaling. "I am."

She sighed one last time. "Then do what you gotta do."

And just like that, I knew—this conversation was over. It wasn’t approval. It was acceptance. And for now? That was enough.

9

SERENITY

As the city faded behind us, I could feel the shift. The roads grew wider, the houses larger, the air itself calmer.

By the time we pulled up to the massive, sprawling estate, everyone was stunned into silence as the grandeur of it all seemed to settle in.

"This is... a damn castle," Egypt whispered from the third row. I couldn’t help the smirk that appeared on my face as I glanced at Ari. This was pretty much everyone’s reaction to seeing this place. We didn’t get to come here as often as we wanted to, but especially during my childhood when we needed a break from California and us kids wanted snow for Christmas, we’d travel here to celebrate with each other.

CJ handled our luggage, and as soon as we stepped inside, Juliette, our house manager, greeted us, hugging Ari, and I. It had been a long while since she’d seen us.

“The decorations,” I whispered, glancing around. The familiar scent of cinnamon, nutmeg, and crisp autumn air wrapped around me like a childhood memory.

“Your grandmother had the staff set them up before your arrival,” Juliette smiled.

I felt a pang of warmth. Even from afar, my Nona was always thoughtful. When we mentioned to her that we wanted to do Friendsgiving at the estate, she immediately agreed, they were already in California about to celebrate the holidays with our family back home. I appreciated my grandparents so much for how much they had done for us. They wanted us to live good lives and they sacrificed a lot to ensure it. According to my Poppi, it was what family did for family, and I loved them for that.

“Okay let’s get settled in and we can go over plans before the boys get here.” Ari said as CJ helped the staff bring in our bags. “Juliette, can you show Averi and Egypt to where they will be sleeping?”

“Of course.” Juliette said looking at Averi and Egypt. “Follow me.”

As we made our way up the winding staircase, my cell phone buzzed. Taking it out of my purse, a smile spread across my face.

Creed: Can’t wait to see you later.