Page 26 of Rose

His voice cracked slightly, raw and real.

“Will you marry me, Ahzii Rose?”

She didn’t hesitate.

“Yes, baby! Yes!” she cried out through her tears, laughing and sobbing all at once.

William slipped the ring onto her finger, his hands steady despite the emotion in his eyes. Behind them, Kyre broke into cheers, wiping at her face with both hands, and even A’Mazi clapped—his smile soft, his own eyes shining with unspoken pride.

William stood, sweeping Ahzii into his arms as if she weighed nothing, spinning her around beneath the golden glow of the setting sun. He kissed her deeply, softly, with a reverence that silenced everything else.

“Happy birthday, Beautiful,” he whispered against her lips. “I love you forever.”

“I love you too,” she said back, voice thick with love and truth. “Forever... and even after.”

Their eyes closed as their lips met again—this time slower, fuller. They stood wrapped in each other, completely consumed by the kind of love that doesn't ask for permission.

Only presence.

Only forever.

Tears mixed with the sweat streaming from her forehead as her feet pounded the pavement, lungs burning with effort—but it wasn’t the run that had her gasping for air.

It was the grief. She wasn’t running for fitness.

She was running toward something that no longer existed.

Running back to that day. Back to that love. Back to him.

But the faster she ran, the further it all slipped away.

Today was her birthday—but it felt like just another day in Hell.

Two years ago, on this very day, the man she loved more than life dropped to one knee on a sun-kissed beach and asked her to marry him.

And without hesitation, she’d said yes. That day was the beginning of everything.

Of laughter. Of light. Of forever. William had been her center—her peace.

And when she said yes, she promised forever wouldn’t be long enough.

But forever ended way too soon.

The ring bounced softly against her chest with every stride, suspended from the gold chain she never took off. She used to wear it on her finger, smiling every time it caught the light. Now it was a weight. A memory. A ghost of what she lost.

She was thirty today. A milestone. But instead of waking up to William’s voice, kisses from her daughter, and breakfast made with love, she was running—trying to escape the suffocating ache inside her chest. Trying to run back to a time when everything still made sense.

Trying to outrun the loneliness that wrapped around her like a noose.

“I vow to keep choosing you, to hold you through every storm, and to be your calm when the world feels too loud.”

The words echoed in her mind, ripping her open all over again.

She could still hear his voice—smooth and sure—singing their song, promising a future that was stolen too soon.

She could still feel the Miami breeze brushing her skin, the warmth of his love soaking into her soul like sunlight.

She could still see the look in his eyes—full of reverence, devotion, and truth.

She begged for that moment back. She begged to feel that safe again.

But no matter how fast, or far, or hard she ran, she couldn’t get there. That place was gone.

Her body stopped before her mind did. She doubled over, sobbing in the middle of the sidewalk, lungs heaving with pain she couldn't breathe through.

It was still early—no one was around to see her break.

Ace curled at her feet, nuzzling her leg as if to absorb some of her hurt, a silent protector in her storm.

“You said you wasn’t gonna leave me, baby,” she whispered through trembling lips, voice cracking as the weight of her reality crushed her.

She closed her eyes, begging for him. For even a trace of him. For his voice. His arms. His peace.

But there was only wind.

And the sound of her heart breaking all over again.

Like a wave crashing and receding all at once, numbness washed over her.

She finally stood and wiped her tears. Her love was gone.

Her husband, her baby girl—gone. And they weren’t coming back.

Each year she aged only widened the gap between who she used to be and what she’d lost. William wouldn’t whisper Happy Birthday, Beautiful.

Willow wouldn’t toddle into her arms screaming Happy Birthday, Mommy!

The people she wanted to live for—needed to live for—had been taken from her, and no amount of sobbing would ever bring them back.

So she did what she always did. Survived.

She started the slow walk home, knowing she was returning to an apartment filled with silence. No birthday kisses. No love. Just cold walls, grief, and the unbearable emptiness where their laughter used to live.

She passed the front gate of her building and greeted the security guard with a soft, practiced smile, the kind grief teaches you to fake.

“Happy birthday, Ms. Rose,” Nick said with a cheerful nod.

“Thank you, Nick.” Her voice was light, pleasant—polished.

“Hope it’s a great one,” he added as she stood by the elevator.

“I’ll try,” she answered with another thin smile before stepping inside with Ace faithfully at her side. She pressed the button for her floor, her eyes blank as the numbers lit up.

But the moment she stepped off and neared her door, everything shifted.

Chatter. Laughter. The smell of food.

The sounds and scents hit her all at once, halting her in her tracks.

Music floated through the hallway. The savory scent of breakfast—seasoned sausage, buttery biscuits, sweet syrup—drifted through the air.

Her brows pulled tight as her heartbeat picked up.

She hadn’t invited anyone over. No deliveries.

No security alerts. When she left earlier, her home had been still and empty—just like she left it.

So who the hell was in there?

Ahzii’s keys trembled slightly in her hand as she stood frozen at her front door, staring, confused, guarded, unsure whether to be afraid, annoyed… or hopeful.

Because someone was in her home.

And for once, it didn’t feel like grief was waiting behind that door.

She clutched Ace’s leash a little tighter as she stepped deeper into her apartment—only to freeze again at the unexpected sight before her.

Her mother was at the stove flipping pancakes, humming along and swaying to Beyoncé’s voice filling the kitchen. Kyre stood beside her, sliding crispy bacon onto a plate while dancing with a spatula in hand, clearly in her own joyful world.

Ahzii’s nerves eased. Her grip on the leash loosened as Ace slipped free, happily trotting toward his water bowl.

“So we breaking into my house now and invading my kitchen?” she called out, making her presence known.

Kyre spun around, eyes wide with excitement as her face lit up. “Happy Birthday, Bestie Boo!” she squealed, waving the spatula like it was part of a celebration parade.

A soft, surprised smile touched Ahzii’s lips. “Thank you.”

Kyre rushed over and pulled her into a hug just as Bianca turned away from the stove, her face glowing with motherly warmth.

“You didn’t think I was gonna miss cooking my babies breakfast for their birthday like I do every year, did you?” Bianca said as she wrapped her arms around her daughter. “Happy birthday, my Shugga,” she whispered, her voice warm in Ahzii’s ear.

Ahzii melted into the embrace before she could stop herself. It had been a while. She hadn’t seen or spoken to her mother in what felt like forever, too busy burying herself in work, avoiding the very feelings her mother always had a way of dragging to the surface.

“Thank you, Ma. But… babies?”

As if on cue, A’Mazi walked in from the balcony, a bag of ice in hand.

“Hey, Shug. Happy birthday.” He leaned down to kiss her cheek.

“Thanks. Happy birthday to you, too.” She smiled back as he carried the ice into the kitchen.

“Go wash up—you smell like outside,” Bianca said to her. “Food’s almost ready.”

“Sincere and Sarai are on the way too,” Kyre added while texting, completely casual.

Ahzii’s body tensed. Her heart stuttered at the mention of their names—not because of them, but because of who they were connected to.

She hadn’t seen or spoken to Savior since that night.

The night he fixed her tires.

The night they kissed.

The kiss that crawled under her skin and lingered long after she swore it wouldn’t. That kiss had felt like something real… and that was exactly why it terrified her.

“Just them two, right?” she asked, trying to sound casual, but her voice betrayed her, shaky and unsure.

Kyre barely looked up from her phone. “Yes, girl. Who else would be coming?” she said, thumbs still flying across the screen. “Taylor wanted to pull up, but she’s stuck with classes and buried in work.”

Ahzii nodded, already knowing how Taylor got when school had her in a chokehold. She’d sent a long, heartfelt message earlier that morning, wishing her happy birthday and reminding her how much she loved her. She even promised to bring her gift to the shop tomorrow.

And knowing Taylor? That gift was bound to be over the top.

Before Ahzii could answer, Bianca’s voice cut in. “MiMi, you burning the bacon.”

Kyre yelped and spun back to the stove, narrowly rescuing what was left of the pan. MiMi was her mother’s nickname for Kyre, short for her middle name—Miani. It was a small reminder of how close their bond had become—Kyre was family.

Ahzii used the distraction to slip away, silently grateful she didn’t have to say his name out loud.

She headed upstairs, her mind still swirling. She’d expected this birthday to be quiet, heavy, hollow. But apparently, her family had other plans.

And maybe, just maybe, a distraction was exactly what she needed.