Page 26 of Half Sight Whole Heart

ERISS JACKSON

Knocking on my parents’ front door, I slid my hands down my jeans to wipe away the sweat.

Nervous wasn’t the word. They knew all I’d been through with Delion, and here I was bringing Zyro to meet them, hoping they wouldn’t treat him as if he were just like Delion.

My dad had met Zyro briefly at the shop, so bringing him to their house as my boyfriend may shock him.

Zyro gripped the back of my neck gently. “It’s gon be a good visit, baby. They’ll love me and I can’t wait yo Mama.”

I took a deep breath to steady my nerves. “My dad can be a bit old-fashioned. I hope he doesn’t say anything about your tattoos, but ignore him if he does. He means no harm.”

Zyro chuckled, looking so good in his dark jeans and colorful Ralph Lauren polo shirt with the Ralph Lauren boots. He smelled good, too. Real good. “I got you, baby. I’ll be on my best behavior. Promise.”

The door swung open before something nasty slipped out of my mouth, and there stood my mother, her eyes widening in surprise as she took in Zyro’s imposing figure. “Eriss, honey! And you must be Zyro. It’s so nice to meet you.” Her voice was warm and welcoming.

“Nice to meet you, too, Ms. Jackson. “You’re beautiful. Eriss had told me so much ‘bout you and your husband. I’m honored to even be here.”

Even I had to melt. Mama looked like she was in love, the way she grabbed her chest. She beamed, stepping aside to let us in. “Please call me, Lou. Come on in, you two.”

As we stepped into the living room, my father looked up from his newspaper, his expression neutral as he sized Zyro up. He stood, it taking him a moment to rise from having two hip surgeries. I was about to help him up when Zyro reached out instead.

“Thank you, young man,” he said.

“It’s no problem, Mr. Jackson.

My dad hugged me. “This is my baby right here. You taking care of her and my grandson?”

“I sure am. They deserve the world,” answered Zyro.

My father sat back down with a loud grunt. “You still working over at that shop in Love Grove? They allow that with all those tattoos?”

I groaned and looked over at Zyro, who sat down across from my dad, still smiling.

I wanted to bring Ermias with us so bad, so they would focus more on him than Zyro and his tattoos.

Zyro wanted to talk to my parents first and made me drop Ermias off down the street first with my mom’s sister, Lela, who had her grandkids over there.

Ermias was ecstatic because he didn’t see them often.

“I’m actually the owner, sir.”

My father nodded, his eyes lingering on Zyro and his tattoos before meeting his gaze. My father didn’t have any. Always said it was for thugs. Zyro was far from that.

“Ah, that’s right. I think I remember you introducing yourself as the owner. Hard work is something to be respected, and I appreciate you taking care of my girl and my grandson. Family is everything.”

“I agree. Family is everything. We have family reunions, fish fries, and seafood boils at my house from time to time. We’ll invite y’all the next time,” Zyro told them.

“Thank you,” Mama said. “Do y’all want anything to drink?”

Zyro and I both declined. We’d just eaten before we came.

“I hate to ask questions like this in front of your new boyfriend, Eriss, but have you had any problems out of Delion? Have the two met?” My father asked.

I never told them about Delion attempting to keep Ermias from me.

“Um, they’ve met. Of course, Delion threw a fit and even tried taking Ermias from me,” I said.

My dad sat up quickly. Mama gasped. “What do you mean?”

“When I let Ermias visit him, he didn’t want to give him back. Said I would never see Ermias again,” I explained.

My father’s expression darkened, his eyes flashing with anger. “That son of a bitch. I knew he was trouble from the moment I laid eyes on him. How dare he try to keep my grandson away from you?”

“How… How did you get him back?” Mama asked. “Did you have to call the police?”

Zyro’s expression remained calm. “I took care of it. Had to put my hands on the nigga, and I’m glad I did.”

My father nodded, respecting it. “Good. Teach him a lesson. I heard he has another baby on the way by that same girl.”

I shrugged, no longer caring to discuss Delion, who wasn’t even among the living anymore. I knew that much.

“Yeah, I’ve seen her. She even came by my house asking me where Delion was, accusing me of doing something to him,” I said calmly. Inside, my heart was racing.

“Have they lost their mind?” Mama asked softly. “You might need to put a protective order on them, baby.”

“No need for that. I am the protective order,” Zyro chuckled, causing my father to laugh, too.

“I hear you, son.”

Hearing my father call Zyro son was nice. He never called Delion anything close to that. Ever. And he was the father of my son. When my dad got a bad vibe about you, he was usually right. Seeing him laugh and enjoy Zyro’s company really warmed my heart.

“He won’t be causing any more trouble for Eriss or Ermias. You have my word on that,” Zyro told my father, and they held a stare for a moment.

“Good. Eriss, you should have told us. I’m not against getting my hunting gun,” my father said with a grunt.

“And that’s why,” I laughed, causing the three of them to do so as well.

Zyro rubbed my back in circles. I know he was silently telling me I told you so.

A week later

The body of former Love Grove deputy, Harold Porter was found in his home after neighbors noticed an unusual and persistent smell emanating from the residence.

Authorities were called to the scene, where they discovered the deputy’s lifeless body, riddled with bullet wounds.

The circumstances surrounding his death suggest a targeted and brutal attack, indicating the deputy was likely overpowered and unable to defend himself.

The community is in shock, and an investigation is underway to determine the motive and identify the perpetrators. Tragic.

That happened in Love Grove, and I wondered if that was the same deputy who tried to have Zyleek hurt.

While sitting at the kitchen table, sipping on my coffee, I decided to open up Facebook.

When I did, I had a friend request from Delion’s baby mama.

Ignoring it, I also saw I had a message from her.

I clicked on it, and there was a news article.

I clicked on that too, and it sent me to my internet browser.

In a startling turn of events, an intense fire engulfed an abandoned house deep in the woods, sending plumes of smoke visible for miles away.

Firefighters were called to the scene, but by the time they arrived, the structure was engulfed in flames.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

The house, which has been vacant for years, is located in a secluded area, making it a mystery as to how the fire started and who might be responsible.

Authorities speculate that it may have been deliberately set on fire. But why?

I swallowed. Is this what Zyro had done to Delion?

Burned him inside that house in the woods?

I leaned back in my chair, my mind racing as I stared at the article.

My mind raced to see if I could remember a time when Zyro came over smelling like smoke.

I could only remember the time when his fists were bruised.

I peered back over to the date on the article, and it matched up.

I knew Zyro had killed Delion. I just never knew how.

Was I scared of him? Did I think he would harm me and Ermias…

no. He protects us…in his own way. Was I twisted in the head for having a sense of gratitude?

As I sat there, the weight of the truth settling over me, Ermias padded into the kitchen, rubbing his eyes. I shut Facebook down and ignored her. I would hate for her to continue being persistent about a man who didn’t give a damn about her.

“Morning, Mama,” he yawned.

“Good morning, and happy sixth birthday, baby boy.” I stood and met him halfway, pulling him into a hug. “You’re just growing up on me. Are you ready for today?”

Zyro had booked an indoor water park in Love Grove just for Ermias. His and my side of the family were invited.

My son beamed up at me, his crusty eyes sparkling with excitement. “Yes! I can’t wait to go to the water park!”

“Good, now go wash your face while I fix your breakfast.”

Ermias scurried away, bringing me to snicker.

Zyro had stayed at home last night, so he could be sure everything was perfect up there.

Mahlia had stayed the night at his house.

She was grabbing the cake. They were determined, just like I was, to make this a special birthday for Ermias.

Zyleek was calling him nephew, and his kids and Ermias called each other cousins.

Instead of just toast, I fixed him pancakes, eggs, and bacon. He couldn’t have all that fun on an empty stomach, and toast wasn’t going to cut it.

A call came in on my phone, and when Ermias came back into the kitchen, I answered and propped it up.

“Happy birthday, my boy!” Zyro loudly said. “You’re a man now, right?”

I rolled my eyes playfully while Ermias nodded and replied, “Yes.”

Zyro nodded. “We’re getting everything ready for you. Your cousins are ready.”

“Okay!” Ermias mumbled with a mouth full of pancakes.

“Get on the phone, mama.” I slid over, and he licked his lips when I came into view. “Beautiful.”

“Thank you. You look good, too, with that fresh cut,” I told him.

Zyro ran a hand down his waves. “Well, you know… My woman likes this type of shit, and she can’t seem to stay off me when I’m fresh.”

We laughed. Ermias looked over at me with big eyes.

“My bad, homeboy! Your mama has that effect on me.” My face warmed. “Let me get off this phone ‘fore it turns into some other shit,” he chuckled, pulling at his chin hair. “I love you, Eriss.”

That caught me off guard because we hadn’t said that yet.

“She loves you, too!” Ermias replied for me. “Don’t you, Mama? Say it back.”

“I…I love you, too, Zyro. It’s only been a short time, but I wasn’t expecting you to say it first.”

He snickered. “I’ll see y’all later.”

“Okay,” I squeaked out, and ended the call.

I put the phone on the table, and couldn’t help the flutter in my chest. Zyro had said he loved me, and it had taken me completely by surprise. I glanced over at Ermias, who was grinning from ear to ear, clearly pleased with himself for prompting me to reciprocate.

“Mama, you and Zyro are in love, right?” he asked me in his tiny voice.

I ran a hand through his curls affectionately. “Yes, baby. I think we are in love. Zyro is very special to both of us.”

Ermias nodded with a serious expression. I wanted to laugh because he was so young to be so serious. “I like having him around. He’s fun and takes care of us.”

I pulled him into a tight, well-needed hug. ‘That’s because Zyro is a good man, Ermias.”