Page 153 of Rah

Now that I was seeing it with my own eyes, I understood what Fabe meant. The kids clung to him like they’d known him forever. Elijah pointed at the water, laughing as Priest leaned down to listen. Essence had a hand around his arm, like she already felt safe with him.

When they reached us, Priest gave Fabe a short nod. “What up, bro?”

“Glad y’all made it,” Fabe replied, before greeting the kids. “What’s up, E? What’s up, Princess?”

Essence grinned wide, showing the little gap in her teeth. “Uncle Fabe!” she squealed, running straight into his arms. Elijah wasn’t far behind, dapping him up like a little man.

This moment was so ironic. I was only meeting Rah’s kids now, after everything that had happened. It was surreal… and a little sad.

Both of their eyes landed on Rahzan, so they acknowledged me. Essence gave me a bashful, “Hi,” and Elijiah waved while staring at Rahzan. I smiled and told them both hello.

“He’s so little!” Essence gasped. “Can I hold him?”

“I wanna hold him first!” Elijah argued, already reaching toward the baby.

Essence frowned, lightly pushing him out of the way. “No, I saw him first!”

Their back-and-forth made everybody laugh. Priest crouched beside them, telling them, “Y’all gotta chill. You gon’make him cry and then neither one of you will be able to hold him.”

Smiling, I handed Rahzan to Essence, who held him like he was her new favorite doll. She studied him for a second, then glanced up at me, furrowing her brows. “So wait,” she said, looking between me and Fabe. “You’rehis mommy?”

I smiled nervously. “Yes, I’m his mommy.”

Essence blinked, clearly processing it. “But Uncle Fabe’s your boyfriend?”

Fabe laughed under his breath, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. “Yes.”

Essence turned to Priest, whispering loud enough for all of us to hear, “So, how she make a baby with my daddy but be Uncle Fabe’s girlfriend? I’m confused.”

Priest bit his lip, trying not to laugh, and even Fabe snorted. My cheeks burned, but I couldn’t help the small laugh that escaped.

Fabe looked at me, smirking. “Guess we got some explaining to do.”

I shook my head, still smiling despite the awkwardness. “Yeah, we do.”

SOLAE

Visitation days were one of the many things that kept me going. I was up before sunrise, ready like it was a date. My khakis were pressed, my white tee was spotless, and my hair was slicked into a low ponytail. By the time they called my name, my stomach was already flipping like I hadn’t just seen my kids.

The moment I stepped into the visiting room, I saw those two flashes of energy that belonged to me.

“Mama!” Elijah yelled. As he took off across the floor, his shoes squeaked against the tile. Essence followed, curls bouncing with a big smile.

I dropped to my knees just in time for both of them to crash into me. I kissed their faces, breathing them in. “Look at y’all! Elijah, you taller than me now!”

I was just teasing. He hadn’t grown that fast, but it made him smile ear-to-ear like I’d intended. “Nah, not yet. But by the time you get out, I might be!”

Essence rolled her eyes. “Boy, you’re the shortest fifth grader in your class.”

I laughed, kissing the tops of their heads. “Y’all miss me?”

Essence smirked. “Of course, but Grandpa said I can’t tell you that every time I see you.”

When they finally let me stand, I saw Priest by the vending machines, feeding in a few dollars. He caught my eye, winked, and gave me that sexy grin that made me weak, even in this dreary place.

He came over carrying a tray stacked with chips, sodas, and a microwaved cheeseburger from the machine. “Lunch is served, shorty,” he said, setting everything down like it was fine dining.

“Hey,” I said softly, leaning in for our hug and quick peck that was allowed.