Chapter 11
Ajori
Istood behind the register, mindlessly tapping in numbers, but my thoughts were nowhere near the beeping scanner or the faint smell of produce. Every now and then, I’d blink hard, as if I was trying to snap out of a daze. I just couldn’t stop thinking about the money.
Thirty thousand dollars.
I still couldn’t believe it.
When I got home that night, the first thing I did was lock the bathroom door, dump the money on the floor, and count every single bill by hand. My fingers were literally shaking. I’d never even seen that much money in person before, let alone held it.
Yeah, Marcos seemed cool. But that generous? No way in hell I saw that coming.
The timing couldn’t have been better, though.
It was Kyrin’s 10th birthday.
With his condition, every birthday was a milestone I never took for granted. Life for him wasn’t measured in years; it was measured in moments.
Good days… bad days… and days where I found myself praying he’d wake up with enough energy to smile.
I had to appreciate every smile, every joke, every little victory when it came to him.
I’d already bought Kyrin a few birthday gifts—the kind I never thought I’d be able to give him.
I finally got him his own PS5. He’d been sharing Lainey’s at her house for months, but it was more hers than his, since she bought it and loved playing too.
Now that he finally had one, he didn’t have to wait his turn to play.
I also grabbed him some of the games he loved, and some controllers, not the basic ones either.
I bought the best and coolest designs I could find that I knew his little eyes would light up at.
I even ordered him a gaming chair that looked like you needed a license just to sit in it.
It was being shipped, though. Lastly, I planned to load up his accounts with V-Bucks and Roblox gift cards.
That boy stayed asking for them and I stayed telling him, “maybe next time.”
Well… this time, he was getting all of it.
That evening, I’d finally get to surprise him. Just imagining his reaction made my eyes sting.
Not to be mistaken, I didn’t plan on running wild with the money.
That wasn’t splurge money; that was lifeline money.
I put fifteen thousand away immediately for Kyrin’s surgery, hidden away in a shoe box under the bed.
I didn’t think anybody would steal it. Vanessa might’ve been a party animal, but not a thief.
Still, I planned to find a better hiding spot for it later, in case Kyrin stumbled upon it and started asking questions I wasn’t ready to answer.
But for the time being, just knowing that money was in my possession felt like breathing for the very first time.
The other fifteen?
That went towards Kyrin’s birthday gifts, catching up on the bills that haunted me, getting Kyrin some new school clothes and shoes, buying myself a new laptop for school, and… last but not least, an overdue spa day.
Nails, lashes, a good hair blowout, pedicure, massage… yeah, I needed all of that.
And my next day off, I planned on doing just that. It had been so long since I could spoil myself or my brother. I didn’t know whether to thank God or the devil for that money, but either way, I was grateful.
A customer cleared their throat loudly, snapping me back to reality.
“Oh! I’m so sorry,” I said quickly, grabbing their groceries. “Long day.”
I rang them up fast and handed over their receipt with a smile. As soon as they walked off, I slipped right back into my thoughts.
I made the decision to leave both of my jobs.
Not immediately… I wasn’t stupid.
But I did give a two-week notice at each place. I didn’t know how that traveling job was going to play out. But I did know one thing: I couldn’t keep working myself into the ground. I could barely handle one job, and there I had been juggling two.
***
By the time I made it to the front door of our modest apartment, my hands felt like they were about to burst with the weight of everything I was carrying—grocery bags dangling from my wrists, a beautifully decorated birthday cake precariously balanced on my forearm, and two bright, helium-filled balloons bumping against the side of my head with every breath I took.
I nudged the door open with my hip, and the rich, savory smell of food hit me before I even closed the door.
It took me a second to register what I was smelling.
That wasn’t the all-too-familiar scent of takeout or cheap microwave dinners; it was something far more promising—real food... seasoned and simmering.
For a split second, I questioned whether I had mistakenly walked into the wrong apartment.
But nope… that smell was definitely emanating from our kitchen.
And standing in there wearing one of her silk robes and a wooden spoon in her hand, as she stirred something in a bubbling pot, was none other than Vanessa.
Before I left for work that morning, Vanessa had insisted I didn’t need to drop Kyrin off at Lainey’s place because she planned to stay home with him.
The mere suggestion shocked me, but I didn’t argue.
Still, I worried. Though, deep down, I knew she would never leave him alone.
Vanessa knew how fiercely protective I was over Kyrin, so she knew better than to do some stupid ass shit like that.
Still… the last thing I expected was to waltz into our kitchen and find her cooking a multi-course meal.
Vanessa glanced up from her culinary endeavors when she heard me setting the bags down. “You’re just in time!" she exclaimed, beaming. “I made baked chicken, rice, cabbage, mac and cheese, and cornbread— the birthday boy’s favorite.”
I blinked in astonishment, my eyebrows shooting up. “You… cooked?”
“Don’t act like it’s that shocking,” she teased, lifting a brow.
“It is, Ma,” I kept it real.
She laughed, then drifted over to peer nosily into my bags. “I know it’s Kyrin’s birthday and all, but where did you get the money for all of this?”
“Ma, I work. Actually, I have two jobs, remember? I might even throw in a third one if things keep up like this. Who knows?” I shrugged, trying to sound casual.
She rolled her eyes dramatically before responding, “You spoil that boy too much.”
“Well—” I began, ready to defend myself.
“But,” she gently interrupted, “I appreciate all you do for him, and I’m sure he does too.” Her smile softened, something almost vulnerable flickering in her eyes.
I froze for a moment, caught off guard by this rare glimpse of tenderness from my mother.
“Go on and give him his gifts,” she said quietly, her gaze turning toward the hallway. “I’m sure he’s waiting to see you.”
The way she emphasized the word “you” didn’t feel snide; it had a subtle air of guilt… but I chose not to address it.
I crept down the narrow hallway toward the shared bedroom me and Kyrin occupied, dragging the bags quietly behind me so they wouldn’t alert him too soon.
As I reached the room, I caught sight of Kyrin curled up in his bed, hoodie snugly pulled over his head, engrossed in watching Rush Hour on the small TV.
Chris Tucker was mid-rant, and Kyrin was cracking up so hard that he had to pause the movie just to catch his breath.
I gently dropped the bags just outside the door and slipped inside.
“Jo!” he shouted, instantly springing up and dashing into my arms.
“Hey, sport!” I giggled, ruffling my fingers through his soft, curly hair. “You’re watching your favorite movie, I see?”
“Yup!” He grinned up at me, his face illuminated with pure joy. “You missed the best part—Chris Tucker trying to sing Michael Jackson! I rewound it twice!”
I chuckled softly. “You feeling okay today?”
“Mm-hmm.” He nodded vigorously.
“Good! Because I plan to make your day just a little better… birthday boy!”
“Aww! I thought you forgot!”
“Never!” I stepped out to grab the bags and returned with them, feeling a thrill of anticipation. “I got you a few things.”
Kyrin’s eyes widened, seemingly about to pop out of his head.
When he spotted the PS5 box, he gasped as if he’d just encountered Jesus and Spider-Man at the same moment.
“No way! No way! NO WAY!”
Then came the unveiling of the games, alongside V-Bucks and Roblox cards.
Kyrin was hopping on his toes, practically vibrating with excitement. “Jo… are you serious?! I can buy skins! Real skins!”
He was obsessed with the controllers. “Oh my gosh! These are the coolest controllers ever!”
Seeing pure joy on his face was enough to make me want to drop to my knees and thank somebody—anybody.
“Can I play now? Please? Please, please, please?” he begged, practically bouncing on the balls of his feet.
From the kitchen, Vanessa’s voice floated down the hall. “Food’s ready in five!”
I laughed. “After you eat. We don’t want to make Mama think she cooked for nothing… especially since this is a rare occasion,” I whispered that last part.
“Right,” he replied, rolling his eyes playfully, a grin still plastered on his face.
We walked into the kitchen, and Kyrin immediately started telling Mama about his gifts.
Vanessa smiled, genuinely. “You have the best sister that anyone can ask for.”
“You can say that again!” Kyrin agreed, leaning on me.
“But I’ll have you know that I cooked your favorites… and I baked you a cake.” Vanessa glanced at the store-bought one on the counter. “I see Ajori bought one too, so I’ll understand if you—”
“No, Ma,” Kyrin interjected, shaking his head fast. “I’ll eat both. Thank y’all both. This is the best birthday ever.”
Vanessa and I looked at each other… smiling. And for a moment—one rare, fragile moment—we felt like an actual family.
How long would that last, though? That was a different question entirely.
***
“Today was the best day ever!” Kyrin exclaimed as he climbed into bed after his bath. “Thanks to you… and Mama.”
I smiled at him. “I aim to please,” I kidded.