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SERENITY

T he Arizona sun was barely peeking through the blinds, casting golden slants across my bedroom floor.

Cree was nestled against me, her tiny body rising and falling with soft, rhythmic breaths.

It was moments like this that made everything feel right—even if the reality of my situation was far more complicated.

I had just finished rocking her back to sleep when my phone buzzed on the nightstand. Daddy’s name flashed across the screen.

“Hey, Daddy,” I answered softly, careful not to wake Cree.

“Hey, baby girl. How was Antigua?”

“Good, the kids had a good time.”

“Good, good. I just wanted to give you a call since I knew you were back in the country. I think I found the one.”

I sat up a little straighter. “The house?”

“Yeah. It’s in Mulholland Heights, just ten minutes from our house. It’s a great location, good schools, private street. You’re gonna love it.”

He texted me the listing, and as soon as I opened it, my breath hitched.

The house was beautiful.

Warm, modern, but still homey. Vaulted ceilings, fireplaces, a massive kitchen, a backyard that looked like something out of a magazine. The master suite had its own deck, overlooking a pool and lush greenery. It was everything I didn’t know I wanted.

I chewed on my bottom lip, conflicted. I had told Creed I wouldn’t make any moves until after the summer, but here it was—right in front of me.

I took a deep breath. If my father said it was a good investment, I trusted him.

“If you think it’s good for me and Cree, then I trust you,” I finally said.

“I’ll make an offer today,” Daddy assured me. “I’ll have the paperwork sent over once it’s finalized.”

I swallowed hard. This was real. I was buying a home. My home all on my own, just me and my baby girl.

Telling Creed was the hard part.

I found him in the backyard, shooting around on the hoop he had installed months ago. He was always out there when something was weighing on him, using the rhythm of the ball against the pavement as his way to think.

I waited until he made his next shot before I spoke.

“Can we talk?”

He glanced over at me, before throwing another shot at the hoop. “About what SB?”

“My dad found a house for me in California,” I said, voice steady, but my heart wasn’t.

The ball bounced off the rim, rolling off to the side. Creed turned to face me, his jaw tightening. “You already decided?”

“I trust my dad, Creed. He knows what I need.”

His laugh was humorless, his hands going to his hips as he shook his head.

“So that’s it, then?” he said. “All that talk about waiting ‘til after the summer was just bullshit?”

“First of all, I said I would wait until after the trip. Second of all, I wasn’t looking, he just found something perfect.”

Creed exhaled sharply, his nostrils flaring. “I need some air,” he muttered, letting the ball roll down the court. He bumped past me before storming inside the house. I tried to follow him, but his longer legs were a lot faster than I expected.

“Creed…”

“Leave me alone SB, for real.” he replied, grabbing his car keys and storming out of the house.

I knew he was pissed. But I also knew he needed time to process things, the same way I did.

By the time he came home that night, the house was quiet. I had put the kids down with Trina’s help, and she had already turned in for the night in the guest room.

I was in the master suite, sitting up in bed when the door creaked open. Creed walked in, his face unreadable. He stood at the foot of the bed, arms crossed.

“I know you’re doing what you think is best,” he finally said. “But I’m not gonna pretend I’m happy about it.”

“I know,” I whispered.

Creed ran a hand over his face, exhaling. “I don’t wanna miss time with Cree. For the rest of the summer, I’m gonna be in California with you. Gio too, I’ll ask if Trina doesn’t mind tagging along to help out. I want as much time with my daughter as I can get before the season starts.”

I nodded. That was fair.

“And one more thing,” he added, his voice low and firm. “We can’t do this anymore.”

I blinked. “Do what?”

He locked eyes with me, his meaning clear. “This...whatever we’re doing,” he said, gesturing between us. “I can’t keep pretending like we’re together one minute and not the next. It’s messing with my head. We need to just co-parent. That’s it.”

I let his words sink in, stinging a little more than I expected. Finally, I nodded. “You’re right,” I admitted. “It’s not good for either of us.”

Even though I had been the one pushing distance between us, he was the one closing the door now—and for some reason, that realization hurt.

But this was what was best.

A few weeks later, I was a homeowner. I had stayed in Phoenix while the house was fully furnished, so when we arrived in California, it was ready to be lived in. The house was more than I imagined it would be.

Everything was bright, airy, open—warm enough to be homey but luxurious enough to be exactly what I was used to.

Gio and Cree had their own rooms, decorated perfectly.

Cree’s nursery was soft, feminine, elegant.

Gio’s room was fun, filled with all his favorite colors and characters.

Of course I made space for him, not only for the rest of the summer but going forward.

He didn’t come from my body, but he was mine and as long as I lived to breathe a breath of air, he would have a space in my home.

I found Creed standing in the middle of the living room, taking it all in. “This is really happening, huh?” he muttered.

I exhaled, nodding. “Yeah... it is.”

“Damn SB.”

I didn’t know what to say in response. I knew what he was going through, but it was no longer up to me to comfort him through it. He’d drawn the line, more than I had done. Maybe if I had drawn the line earlier, if I hadn’t been giving him false hope, we wouldn’t be here.

For the next few days, we settled into our new normal. Creed was hands-on with both kids, falling into an easy rhythm. But things between us had shifted.

Instead of sleeping in my bed, he took the guest room. Instead of lingering touches, we kept our distance. We hadn’t been intimate since the trip. And as much as I knew this was right... it still felt like an ending. One I wasn’t sure I was ready for.

The California sun poured in through the massive windows of my home, bathing the living room in a soft, golden glow. Cree was on her play mat, babbling at her stuffed animals, her chubby little fingers grasping at the pink plush elephant that had quickly become her favorite.

She was six months old now.

Six months of late nights and early mornings. Six months of watching her grow, change, and become this tiny, beautiful force in my world.

She had Creed’s face. Those same honey-brown eyes that always saw straight through me, those thick lashes and that soft caramel skin. But her curls? Those were mine.

Being back home in California after so much time just felt right; being able to experience it with my baby girl made it ten times better.

Sevyn had become a permanent fixture in my home, practically living in my guest room despite having his own apartment in downtown LA.

I couldn’t say I minded. He spoiled Cree and helped me with her as much as he could since Creed and Gio left.

Family was important.

Despite everything, Creed and I had found our rhythm.

He was back in Phoenix for training camp, but he never missed a moment with his baby girl.

FaceTime calls every night, making trips out whenever he could.

We had learned how to co-parent without crossing lines—even when we both wanted to.

Even when our eyes lingered too long, when the tension crackled in the air between us.

But we stuck to our agreement. No blurred lines. No more confusion. Just two people raising their kids together.

I had no idea my life was about to shift again.

I sat in a sleek conference room in Beverly Hills, a floor-to-ceiling glass wall showcasing the hazy LA skyline in the distance. Across from me were Dan Folgers and Marissa Machovski, two of the executive producers of Birds of a Feather.

To my left, my mother. Sienna sat with her legs crossed, exuding elegance, power, and ease.

She wore an emerald green pantsuit, her curls framing her face, her energy commanding the entire space.

I was used to seeing her like this. The icon.

The actress. The mogul. But sitting beside her now, as her peer, felt surreal.

Dan clasped his hands together, leaning forward with a smile.

"Serenity, your arc on the show was one of the most well-received storylines in the last three seasons," he said. "The audience loved you, the critics praised your performance, and honestly… you proved a lot of people wrong.”

My brows lifted. “People doubted me?”

Marissa laughed. “Oh, definitely. Not us, of course. But you came into this as an unknown actress with no experience, following in your mother’s footsteps, playing her younger self. That’s a lot of pressure.”

I swallowed. They weren’t wrong.

When I first stepped on set, I felt like an imposter. I had no business being there. No real training. But then… something clicked. And now, I couldn’t imagine not acting.

Dan’s smile widened. “That’s why we want to take it a step further.”

Marissa slid a manila folder across the table toward me. “We’re developing a prequel,” she announced. “A spin-off based entirely on young Dailie Chevalier. Your character.”

My stomach flipped. Sienna smirked beside me, already knowing how I’d react.

“A prequel?” I repeated, slowly opening the folder. Inside was a mock-up title card with the words:

THE COVEN

Dan nodded. “A full series. Ten episodes for the first season. You’d be the lead.”

I blinked. “Wait, what?”

“You’d be the star, Serenity,” Marissa said. “We’d center the show around young Dailie and her sisters Elle and Frankie.”

A thousand emotions rushed through me. Excitement. Shock. Fear. This was real.

“I—” I exhaled, trying to process. “Where would the show film?”

“We’re deciding between Atlanta and LA.”

I shook my head immediately.

“I need you to strongly consider LA,” I told them. “I want my daughter to have stability. I’ll travel when necessary, but LA is home.”

Dan and Marissa exchanged glances before nodding.

“We can make that work,” Marissa confirmed.

“And one more thing,” I added. “I want to help with casting.”

Dan raised a brow. “You want to help cast your sisters?”

I nodded. “I need good chemistry with them. I won’t do it if the casting isn’t right.”

Marissa grinned. “We were hoping you’d want to be hands-on.”

I sat back, my heart pounding. This was happening. I was starring in my own show.

Weeks passed, and I sat through dozens of auditions. None of the women felt right. The chemistry was off. I needed people who felt natural to me.

And then, one night over wine while they were visiting me and Cree, I looked at Averi and Egypt and an idea hit me.

“You two should audition.”

They both laughed immediately.

“Girl, be serious,” Egypt scoffed.

“I am serious,” I said. “Neither of y’all thought I could act either, but look at me now.”

Averi bit her lip. “Serenity…”

“You don’t have to commit. Just come in and try.”

They exchanged uncertain glances before finally agreeing. Days later, they killed their auditions, our chemistry so beautiful, so authentic, so real. And just like that… we were cast.

On the night of my 23rd birthday, I sat at a private dinner surrounded by family and friends.

Creed wasn’t there, but he had sent gifts, just like last year. Beautiful jewelry, another 23,000 for Cree’s trust fund, and a note that simply read:

Happy Birthday, beautiful. Always rooting for you .

As I smiled at the message, Sienna stood at the head of the table.

“We have an announcement,” she said, raising her champagne glass. The room quieted. My mother’s eyes found mine. “The Coven has been green lit.”

The table erupted into cheers. I covered my mouth, tears burning my eyes.

Averi and Egypt grabbed me, screaming. I turned to my mother, and for the first time in a long time, I saw nothing but pride in her eyes.

I got up from my seat and walked over to her, pulling her into my arms as tears fell from my eyes.

“Thank you Mommy.”

“This is all you my beautiful girl. I’m so proud of you.”

This was real. My life was changing again. And for the first time in a long time… I was ready for it.