Page 40

Atlas

My mother wasn’t coming for another week, despite her initial urgency. She claimed she had a surprise for us when she arrived. Kairi was anxious about meeting her, and I couldn’t blame her, given everything that had happened. I wanted to ease her nerves, so I planned something she'd never expect. I knew Kairi better than she realized. I’d read every one of her books and followed all her social media accounts under a fake name. I'd taken notes on her likes and dislikes since college. It might sound arrogant, but I was confident I knew how to give her a few days she'd remember.

I spent the morning getting everything ready while Kairi slept upstairs. I ordered breakfast from her favorite spot—pancakes, bacon, scrambled eggs, fruit platters, and pastries. Everything was laid out perfectly on the kitchen island.

I was washing my hands when the doorbell rang. It was part of Kairi’s surprise.

When I opened the door, the two women I’d been waiting for stepped inside. Ebony came first, immediately pulling me into an enthusiastic hug, as if we'd known each other for years instead of minutes.

“Atlas, right? Finally!” she said, stepping back with a bright smile. She was petite but carried herself with confidence, her dark skin glowing beneath her thick twists.

Behind her, Lu entered quietly, offering a polite but genuine smile as she adjusted the heavy bag on her shoulder. She stood tall, moving calmly and deliberately, her natural hair pulled back neatly into a sleek bun.

“We appreciate you doing this,” Lu said gently, her voice soft but sincere. “Though you really didn't need to cover everything. We could've handled our own flights.”

“No, I wanted to,” I replied, watching as they looked around. They exchanged glances and smiles, and I wondered what that was about. Even though I’d just met them, it was clear they were nothing like Ashlen’s friends, who always greeted me with fake politeness before whispering judgments behind their hands. I hated them.

Ebony bounced slightly on her toes, eyes shining. “Okay, so where’s Kairi? Does she suspect anything?”

I smiled, appreciating their excitement. For the first time in a while, I felt certain I’d made the right call.

Kairi came downstairs just as I hid them in the pantry, holding a sleepy-eyed Dion. Her hair was pulled into a messy bun, and her oversized tee slipped off one shoulder. She looked more relaxed than she had since I’d barged into her life. I honestly regretted nothing because it had gotten us to this point, though I wished I'd been a little gentler with her.

“What is all this?” she asked, eyeing the spread on the kitchen island.

Ebony burst out of the pantry, clapping and bouncing. “Surprise!” she announced, grinning widely.

Kairi’s eyes widened, shifting between them and me. “How...?”

“Your baby daddy sent for us,” Ebony said, pulling her into a tight hug. “You’ve got a lot of explaining to do.”

Kairi’s mouth hung open for a second before she laughed. It was the kind of laugh I hadn’t heard in a long time.

The doorbell rang again, interrupting the moment. When I opened it, Mr. Campbell and Mrs. Shirley stood there. Mrs. Shirley moved slowly with her cane. Mr. Campbell gave me a tight smile, and I understood why he wasn’t happy with me. Kairi had told me he knew everything—and I mean everything. Mrs. Shirley’s eyes lit up when she spotted Dion.

“Oh, there’s my baby boy!” Mrs. Shirley beamed, reaching out with shaky hands as Kairi gently handed Dion over.

Mr. Campbell kept his distance at first, but as soon as Dion reached for him, his usually stern expression softened. He lifted Dion onto his knee, bouncing him gently, the rare sight of him smiling not going unnoticed.

Ebony leaned forward, waving her fork as she talked. “Then he was like, ‘Since I bought you dinner, you should come back to my place.’ For thirty-dollar salmon?” She reached over and covered Dion’s ears dramatically. “Stupid ass said that stupid shit too soon—I was gonna hunch him anyway because he was fine.” Everyone at the table laughed as Ebony rolled her eyes. She was a lot, but I liked her.

Lu had her expensive camera out, quietly snapping pictures—of the food, the smiles, Ebony mid-story. I'd seen her pictures on Instagram. She was good.

I moved around the kitchen, filling juice cups and coffee mugs. It felt weird but nice, serving everyone and making sure they had enough.

Lu gently pushed Kairi’s plate closer. “Eat up. You barely touched your food.”

“Relax,” Ebony teased Lu. “She’s fine. I got my eye on her too.”

Mrs. Shirley leaned back, giving me a soft smile. “Atlas, honey, thank you for breakfast. It’s been forever since someone cooked for me.”

“You’re welcome, Mrs. Shirley,” I replied, smiling back.

Mr. Campbell stayed quiet, mostly playing with Dion, but he glanced at me a few times, clearly unsure what to make of me yet. When everyone finished eating, he stood and picked Dion up.

“We need to get going. Shirley’s got a doctor’s appointment,” he said, holding Dion out toward Kairi. “Say goodbye to your momma, little man.”

Dion giggled and waved at Kairi, who stood quickly. “It’s okay, I can keep him. You two enjoy your weekend.”

Mr. Campbell shook his head with a small smile. “Oh, I’m gonna enjoy my weekend—with my grandson. You enjoy yours at the beach.”

Kairi frowned, confused. “Wait, what beach? I’m not going to the beach.”

Mr. Campbell nodded in my direction. “According to Atlas, you are.” He left without another word, holding Mrs. Shirley’s hand and carrying Dion.

It was time to reveal the surprise. “I booked a spa weekend for you and your friends at your favorite boutique hotel in South Beach. We’ll be there just in time for dinner.” I knew I should have let Kairi and her friends go alone, but I wasn’t willing to risk it.

Kairi’s jaw dropped slightly. “But it’s Super Bowl weekend. It’s already expensive when it isn’t. That’s too much, Atlas.”

Ebony waved a hand dismissively. “Hush, we’re going. You need this.”

“I have to pack, and I barely know where anything is,” Kairi protested.

Lu stepped in. “No, you don’t. Atlas had me buy you things for the entire weekend. Trust me, I know your style—you’ll love it.”

Kairi turned to me, her voice hesitant. “For real?”

“Yes. Now, go check out what they picked for you. I’ll handle cleaning up here. We leave at two.”

“Thank you,” she said quietly.

She and the girls headed upstairs, giggling like teenagers, leaving me with the aftermath of brunch. I texted the person I’d hired to clean; they replied they'd be there in five minutes. My stuff was already packed, so I spent the next two hours watching SportsCenter.

When I called for Kairi to leave, the atmosphere had shifted. Lu was stiff and silent, while Ebony kept cutting her eyes at me as I loaded their luggage. When Kairi brought her bag to me, she kept her eyes on the ground. I knew exactly what had happened.

“You told them, didn’t you?” I asked.

She winced slightly but nodded. “Sorry,” she said, stepping closer and rising on her tiptoes to kiss my cheek. “But thank you for this.”

The small gesture soothed me a little, but I knew the weekend was going to be fucking hard.