Majeston #3
For a long moment nobody spoke. Nobody knew what to say. I mean what do you say after that? How do you undo years of pain with a conversation? How do you fix damage that’s become part of somebody’s foundation? You don’t. All you can do is acknowledge it.
“Look, clearly this isn’t going to be solved in one day. But I just want you to know, Ysis, if I had known about you, I would’ve never left you in the system. I would’ve raised you. I would’ve loved you. I would’ve given you every piece of myself I had to give.”
My eyes shifted briefly toward Yuki before returning to my daughter.
“From the bottom of my heart, baby girl, I’m sorry you had to go through that shit.
” I meant every word. The crazy part was Yuki had the nerve to be crying.
If I wasn’t trying to keep the peace, I would’ve dumped her head in a bucket of mop water myself.
“My hope is that you’ll give me the opportunity to make up for the time we’ve missed.
I know I can’t get those years back, undo the hurt or rewrite the past. But I have been in the dark about this just as much as you.
I’ve waited my whole life to be somebody’s father, and if you’ll let me, I’d like the chance to try. ”
Tears streamed down her face as she stared in my eyes. I prayed she could feel the sincerity radiating off me because God knew I wasn’t lying. Everything that happened was the result of choices made without my knowledge, and now it was time for us to figure out how to make this shit right.
“So Cazmir is my godbrother. Did he know?” The question caught me off guard.
“He came to me about his suspicions, but Yuki confirmed it.” I intentionally downplayed his role.
The truth was Cazmir had practically assembled the puzzle himself, but the last thing I wanted was bad blood between him and Kade over information that couldn’t be changed now anyway.
Judging by the look on Kade’s face though, I could tell that nigga wasn’t buying what I was selling.
Not one bit. Thankfully he kept that observation to himself.
“I make no promises,” Ysis said after a long pause. “But we’ll see what the future holds.” It wasn’t forgiveness, but it wasn’t rejection either. At that point, I’d take it.
“Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m tired and need to lie down.” Nobody stopped her as she stood and made her way out of the dining room. We all watched her go, each of us trapped inside our own thoughts until Kade pushed his chair back and stood.
“Well, that was about what I expected.” He exhaled before looking toward me. “Let me walk y’all out. Majesty, I wanna chop it up with you real quick.”
Walking outside, Yuki didn’t even bother saying goodbye.
She climbed into the passenger seat and slammed the door.
Judging by the look on her face, she knew better than to interrupt whatever conversation me and Kade were about to have.
Because now that the family meeting was over, it was time for a man-to-man.
The second we were alone, Kade shoved both hands into his pockets and looked out across the property.
Men like us learned a long time ago that silence could tell you just as much as words.
Sometimes more. There was no need to rush into conversation.
We’d both spent the last few hours navigating emotions, revelations, and wounds that had been buried for years.
A little silence wasn’t uncomfortable. It was necessary.
“I appreciate you respecting my house.”
“I respected the invitation.” His eyes shifted toward me before returning to the horizon.
“Still.” I understood what he meant.
“I would’ve handled it differently under different circumstances.” A smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth.
“I know.” Of course he knew. The boy wasn’t stupid.
Matter of fact, the more time I spent around him, the more I understood why Ysis loved him the way she did.
He wasn’t the loudest man in the room, and he wasn’t the oldest either.
He didn’t need to be, there was something about him that naturally commanded respect—the kind of confidence that couldn’t be faked, the kind that only came from surviving hell and somehow making it back with your soul intact.
I studied him for a moment before shaking my head.
“You got quite the reputation, young blood.” His expression didn’t change.
“So do you.” That one earned a genuine laugh from me.
“Fair enough.” For the first time since we’d met, some of the tension eased between us.
Not completely. There was still too much history, too much damage, and too many unanswered questions for that.
But enough for two men to acknowledge each other honestly.
Enough for respect to begin replacing suspicion.
“I meant what I said in there,” I told him after a moment. “If I had known about Ysis, things would’ve been different.”
Kade didn’t answer right away. He looked out across the yard for a moment before rubbing his beard thoughtfully. He wasn’t looking for weakness. He wasn’t trying to catch me in a lie. He was measuring the truth.
“You know how many times I’ve heard somebody say that?” he asked.
“Too many?”
“Way too many.”
“Difference is, I ain’t lying.”
“I can tell.”
I looked over at him. “You can?”
“Yeah.” He nodded. “I’ve met enough ain’t-shit men in my life to recognize one when I see one. You don’t strike me as a nigga who would’ve left his kid in the system if he knew she existed.”
I felt some of the tension leave my shoulders as the thought lingered between us.
Because it was true. Ysis wasn’t looking for apologies anymore.
Life had moved beyond that point. Apologies were easy and so was regret.
Anybody could say the right words when guilt caught up to them.
What she needed now was consistency, trust and proof.
Things that took years to build and only seconds to destroy.
“I appreciate that.”
“Don’t.”
“Why not?”
“Because I ain’t giving you points for shit you were supposed to do. I believe you, but believing you doesn’t magically erase what happened.”
“I ain’t asking her for forgiveness. I just want a chance.”I leaned against the railing and looked out across the property.
“Then earn it.” He said it simple. No bite behind it, just fact. I let it sit for a second, because he wasn’t wrong. A nigga my age had no business expecting grace just because I’d finally shown up wanting it.
“You got kids?” I asked, mostly just to hear how he’d answer. Kade didn’t answer right away.
“Twins coming. Never had one before her though.” He nodded back toward the house.
“So nah, I can’t tell you what it’s like watching your kid grow up without you.
” His jaw tightened. “But I know what it’s like watching your own daddy walk past you like you’re furniture.
Marius wasn’t real big on being a father either, if that surprises you. ”
It didn’t. The man built an empire off cruelty. Wasn’t no reason to think he’d spared his own blood from it.
“Difference is,” Kade continued, “I never got a second chance to fix that with him. Whichever way this goes with Marius, he’s already dead to me. You still got yours. Don’t waste it feeling sorry for yourself.”
“Trust me,” I replied. “I don't plan to.”
“Good.” Then a grin pulled across his face. “Cause if you hurt her after all this shit, I’m legally obligated to beat your ass.”
I laughed so hard I almost choked. “There he is.”
“There who is?”
“The nigga everybody keep telling me about.” That got a genuine laugh out of him.
“Yeah well, Ysis makes me do irrational things.”
“Trust me. I’ve noticed.”