Chapter 2 Semaj ‘Semi’ Holland
Semaj ‘Semi’ Holland
“Daddy, you burnt the toast again.” Semerah wrinkled her nose at the black toast I called myself fixing for her breakfast.
“It’s called flavor, Peanut. You too young to understand greatness.”
She folded her arms, with a smirk on her pretty little face. “It should be called nasty because that’s what it is.”
“Damn, Peanut. That’s how you do your ol’ man.” I feigned hurt.
“Stick to cutting hair ’cause cooking ain’t it.”
I couldn’t do shit but laugh at her because she was telling the truth. I couldn’t cook worth a damn, but I tried for her. Some things I could fix with ease; other times we were eating out or at my mama’s house.
“Bet… now get your stuff so we can get outta here.”
By the time we hit the car, she was humming some TikTok song I couldn’t stand. I caught her in the rearview and smiled at my baby girl. She was my twin, and I thanked Big G every day for that. She was my biggest blessing, and I’m forever grateful for that.
“You got your homework?”
“Yes, Daddy.”
“Lunch?”
“In my bag.”
“Attitude?”
“Left it at home.”
“My girl.”
I parked and turned back to her. This was non-negotiable. No matter what I had waiting for me after I dropped her off… we never missed this part.
“Rules,” I said, holding out my fist.
Her small fist met mine before she spoke again. “Work hard… stay focused and don’t let nobody play in my face.”
“That’s my girl.” We hit our handshake before she got out. “Always us?” I recited.
“Always us, Daddy.”
She hopped out the backseat and headed straight for the doors that led inside.
She met up with her friends, and they walked in together.
I stayed watching until I could no longer see her.
That was my blood… my heart walking around outside my body.
Everything I built, every move I made—it was so she never questioned who had her back.
I was simply Daddy to her, and I took pride in making sure she never doubted it.
***
I pulled up to the shop and parked right out front.
The glass caught the sun, and my name stretched bold across the front of the building―Semi Cutz.
It wasn’t just a sign… it was a brand. I’d built this brand steady, one head at a time, and now it was planted in the middle of Diamond Cove.
My books were already full, and people were waiting for me before I even got here.
I had a little over a million followers on Instagram, so the word spread fast about my relocating and setting up shop here.
I stepped out my car and took in the space from the sidewalk.
I didn’t have to picture what it’d be—I already saw it in motion.
Inside, the echo of my steps carried until they met Case’s laugh. He was leaning against the counter with his arms folded, like he’d been waiting for me all morning.
Case had been my best friend since we were kids.
When I lost my mama at fourteen, his mama took me in and raised me like I was her own.
Blood didn’t tie us together… loyalty did.
And now, standing in this new shop with him already posted, it didn’t feel like I was just relocating my business.
It was about me being side by side with my brother again that was most important.
“’Bout time, nigga,” Case said, straightening from the counter with that smirk. “You forget you got a grand opening to get ready for?”
“You act like I’ain got a kid I gotta get ready for school and shit. You’on do shit but run yo’ gah damn mouth,” I clapped back.
“I got a kid, too. Fuck you mean?” He frowned.
“I meant just what I said. You probably let CJ walk out the house looking like a baby YN. I’on know why Maya has that much faith in you. You can barely get yourself dressed.” I laughed.
“Man, watch out.” He laughed. “You ready for this shit?”
“Always.” I leaned against the opposite counter, matching his stance. “We got chairs ordered, mirrors coming in tomorrow. Only thing left is staff. Shop this size can’t run on just me.”
Case rubbed his jaw, thinking. “You said you wanted four more barbers, right?”
“Yeah. People already been hitting me up for interviews, but I’on wanna just sit across from a bunch of muthafuckas listening about how good they can cut. Niggas can make anything sound good, but I need them to make the shit look good, too.”
“So make ’em show you.” He smirked. “Bring in some heads and let the clippers do the talking. Line up a couple grown men, maybe a few kids who need a cut, and let these dudes work. Think of it as a real-time audition.”
“That’s not a bad idea.” I stroked my beard, already coming up with the details in my head.
“Not bad? Bro, that’s genius.” He spread his hands. “You’ll see who got skills… who can hold a conversation with the clients and see how well they treat the clients. Like a mockup workday.”
“Aight,” I agreed. “We’ll run it that way. Free cuts for the volunteers, and the best four barbers get a chair. The rest can get the fuck on.”
“Told you, man. You stick with me, you can’t lose.” Case smirked.
“Yeah…I’on know ’bout all that.”
We both laughed, the sound bouncing off the empty walls.
Case was still talking through the interview setup when something out the window caught my eye.
A green Charger slid into the spot across the street, loud enough to make heads turn, clean enough to demand respect.
I leaned off the counter, curiosity pulling me toward the glass.
The driver’s door opened, and a woman stepped out with a bag slung over her shoulder and her bright red hair catching the light.
She was a fine chocolate thing that couldn’t be no more than five-foot-five with a handful of titties, small waist but thick hips and fat ass to make up for what she lacked…
which wasn’t much. She moved with that confidence that didn’t ask for attention but took it, anyway.
“Aye, you know her?” I asked Case.
He came up beside me, followed my line of sight, and smirked. “Oh, that’s Zora. She owns that salon.”
I didn’t answer right away… I couldn’t. My eyes stayed locked on her as she stepped onto the sidewalk. I couldn’t take my eyes off the spread of her thick hips and the way her ass sat up in those jeans if I wanted to. Shorty didn’t even know me, but I was already intrigued.
“Semi.”
I blinked, turned, and found Case grinning like a damn dummy.
“What?” I muttered.
He shook his head, smug as hell. “Nothing. I was just saying… far as I know, she’s single.”
“How you know?” My brow lifted. “And why the fuck you think I needed to know?”
“’Cause Maya gets her hair done over there,” he said, shrugging like it was the simplest thing in the world. “And the look on your face just now told me.”
I chuckled, low and reluctant, trying to shake off the way my chest still felt tight.
We laughed it off, going back over the shop plans, but even as I nodded through Case’s words, my mind wasn’t all the way in it.
Ms. Zora had already forced her way inside my head, and it was a matter of time before I forced my way into hers.
“We’ll run the interviews your way,” I said, knocking the counter once. “Free cuts for whoever volunteers. Best four barbers earn a chair; the rest can kiss my ass.”
Case smirked. “Exactly. Let the clippers do the talking. The shop will run itself if we get the right crew in here.”
I checked the time on my phone, already knowing I needed to be heading out so Peanut wouldn’t be waiting for me. “I’m out. Gotta grab my girl from after school.”
“Yeah, go handle that,” Case said, pushing off the counter. “I’ma lock in with Maya and CJ, then swing by Mama’s later.”
I slapped hands with my brother before I started for the door. Once I pulled off, my eyes cut across the street one more time. The image of Zora was still stuck in my head, and I couldn’t shake it. Shorty would be meeting me real soon.
***
The drive across town gave me just enough time to reset before pulling into Peanut’s school’s parking lot. She spotted me quick, then ran over to my car.
“Daddy!” She slid into the backseat, already starting. “We played dodgeball today. I was the last one on my team, and guess what?”
I caught her grin in the mirror. “What happened?”
“I won! I dodged every ball. They couldn’t see me!” She did a little dance in the backseat that had me cracking up.
“That’s my Peanut. Shake them niggas..” I pulled out of the lot, shaking my head with a smirk.
“Are we going to MeMe’s tonight? I’m starving,” she asked, looking at me through the rearview mirror.
“You tryna say I’on feed you, Peanut?” I feigned hurt.
“I’m saying you can’t cook, Daddy, and you know this.” She giggled.
“Wow… that’s fucked up,” I muttered. “I try hard to cook that food.”
“You need to try harder,” she laughed.
I tried to stay serious, but her laugh got me too. “Aight, you got that.”
By the time I pulled up at Mama’s, Peanut was already unbuckling her seatbelt. As soon as her feet hit the ground, the front door opened, and Mama’s voice carried out.
“There go my baby girl,” she called, arms open before Peanut even hit the steps.
“MeMe!” Peanut ran straight into her arms, getting scooped up like she hadn’t just seen her the other day.
Mama kissed her cheeks, both of them giggling. “You hungry?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Peanut said quick.
“Good, ’cause I fixed enough to feed an army.” She set Peanut down and looked past her to me. “Semaj, what took you so long?”
I laughed, shaking my head as I came up the steps. “You always gotta find a way to fuss, huh?”
She gave me that look, letting me know not to start no shit. “Don’t start with me.” She warned before walking inside with me trailing behind her.
We followed her in, Peanut already talking a mile a minute about her day. Mama listened like it was the most important conversation in the world, nodding and fussing at the same time.
“Lord, this girl don’t stop. Sit down, baby, and eat while you tell me the rest,” she said, guiding Peanut to the table before her eyes flicked back to me. “You too, Semaj. Don’t just stand there grinning.”
I slid into a chair, a smirk tugging at my mouth.
Peanut was already digging in, humming while she chewed, Mama still fussing with her napkin like she needed her hands busy.
It felt like it always did in this house…
steady and easy, like time slowed down just enough to remind me what mattered.
Mama set my plate down, then sat across from me, eyes warm but sharper than her smile.
Peanut was busy chewing and humming as she ate.
“Semaj, you heard from Morgan?” Mama finally asked.
“Nope.” My tone was flat, but Mama wasn’t the type to let shit slide.
“Not even a text?” She asked with a raised brow.
I exhaled through my nose, leaning back. “Same as it’s always been. She’ll shoot a text here and there about seeing Peanut, but she never follows through. She can keep her ass where she’s at for all I care.”
Mama shook her head in disappointment. “That girl never knew what she had. She loved the illusion of having your baby but didn’t want the responsibility.”
“Yeah,” was all I said. “Morgan wanted freedom more than she wanted the responsibility. After having Peanut, she said she felt trapped. I told her to go if that’s how she felt. I wasn’t about to beg nobody to stay in my daughter’s life.”
Mama’s eyes watered a little, but she didn’t let the tears fall.
“And you been carrying it all since then. I’m proud of you, baby, and I know Sarah would be too.
” Just the mention of my mama had me in my feelings, but that’s nothing new.
My mama taught me what real, unconditional love was. That’s why I loved as hard as I did.
I shrugged. “I ain’t carrying it… it’s what I’m supposed to do. Peanut’s my priority… always has been. She don’t miss what she never had, and I’ll make sure she never feels that void.”
Mama reached across the table, laying her hand over mine. “You’re a good father, Semaj. Better than most. I just wish Morgan had half your heart.”
Before I could respond, the front door opened, and Case’s loud ass mouth could be heard before we saw him. “Wassup, family?”
“Uncle Case!” Peanut shot out of her chair and nearly knocked CJ over as he came barreling in.
“Wassup, baby girl?” He picked her up and kissed her cheek before putting her back on her feet.
Maya followed behind, leaning in to kiss Mama’s cheek. Case tried to do the same, but Mama swatted his arm before he got close.
“Cason, why did that school call me and say my baby was late being picked up from school the other day? What were you doing that you forgot about your child?” she fussed.
“I was in traffic, Mama. I was on the way, so I’on know why they called you like I abandoned his bad ass or some shit.” he explained.
“Uh huh. I know they better not call me again.”
This was the type of shit that I loved. The type of shit that grounded me…
my family. I wouldn’t trade this shit for nothing in the world.
Even with all of this surrounding me, my thoughts drifted to Zora and the way she carried herself when she stepped onto the block.
There was something about her that wouldn’t let me shake her off, no matter how hard I tried.