Chapter 19
Chapter Nineteen
“Mommy, no, I’m too tired to come over for Dancing with the Stars after all I gotta do today.”
“Kennedi, why are you working so hard? I’m worried about you.”
“Ma, please. I’m pregnant. Even after ten hours of sleep, I’m exhausted.” She thought about how she hadn’t felt rested in months. Little LA loved a nighttime bathroom break. “I’m fine.”
“I guess I’ll have to get the truth from Rolani when he comes back home. Somebody picked up lying while away from home.”
Kennedi rolled her eyes before they both fell into laughter.
“I love you, but really, it’s all new. Time is flying. I’m falling in love,” she exhaled. “Life is busy. But I’ll come by soon.”
“And bring my son-in-law with you. It’s time for a family meeting.”
She groaned. They were obsessed with each other. It was cute until they ganged up on her.
“Both of y’all are on my nerves so bad, I might go request my own grippy sock stay.” She laughed. “I have to go, though. Spirit just got here.”
“Okay, love you and my little baby. Call me later.”
Kennedi disconnected and set her phone on the counter.
Rolani had been gone for three days, and it had been a week since they’d actually seen each other.
She was learning what it meant to miss someone — not the casual I wish you were here kind.
This was deeper. A quiet pull she couldn’t ignore. Yearning.
The doorbell rang, pulling her from her thoughts.
She moved smoothly across the floor in her house shoes.
This place had become her second home since she’d agreed to help with Monroe.
She’d been giving Georgie a break. More than that, she wanted to take whatever she could off Rolani’s plate.
She was determined to show up for him the way he’d been showing up for her.
The door swung open, and there stood Spirit with two iced coffees in hand and the biggest grin splitting her face.
“There she is!” Spirit’s eyes dropped immediately to Kennedi’s belly, then snapped back up. “Oh my God, look at you! You’re really pregnant. Like, really, really pregnant.”
Kennedi laughed, stepping aside to let her in. “Seven months and counting.”
“And you look amazing.” Spirit handed her the decaf, eyes still roaming over her like she was cataloging every change. “Glowing and everything. I hate you.”
“Liar. I look exhausted.”
“Exhausted and glowing. Both can be true.” Spirit opened her arms wide. “Now get over here.”
Kennedi walked into them, and Spirit held on a beat longer than expected, like she needed a second to confirm that what she was seeing was real. She pulled back and looked at her, not at the belly, at her face.
“You good?” she asked.
“Yeah.” Kennedi smiled. “I’m really good.”
Spirit nodded once, like that settled something. Then her eyes dropped to the belly, and the grin came back full force. “Okay, sis.”
“Come in, come in. I got us set up in the living room. Charcuterie and everything.”
“Oh, so you fancy now? All domesticated and shit. Let me find out.” Spirit teased, following her inside.
“Shut up.” Kennedi laughed, leading her to the living room. “But yeah, maybe I am.”
“Damn, sis.” Spirit settled onto the couch like she’d been there before, one hand on her hip, eyes sparkling with mischief. “But anyway, I see I got some tea to sip on. You done gone and did it now.”
Kennedi laughed, grabbing her coffee before sinking into the cushions beside her. “I know. But I gotta leave by 1:40 to pick up Monroe from school, so we gotta make this count.”
They settled in, Spirit already reaching for the brie while Kennedi turned up the music—smooth R&B that let conversation breathe but still left room for karaoke moments if needed.
“Okay, where do we start?” Spirit leaned back, coffee cradled in both hands. “You being pregnant, or the fact that you didn’t listen to me when I said run from that man?”
“Let’s start with I’m glad I didn’t listen to you.” Kennedi’s hand moved instinctively to her belly, fingers tracing the curve. “That’s my man, and I’m sticking beside him.”
The teasing left Spirit's face. A genuine smile took its place. “I’m happy for you, friend. Seriously. Rolani is family, and he’s good to his people.” She tilted her head. “So y’all like official or what?”
“Very official.” Kennedi couldn’t stop the grin spreading across her face. “He made sure of that.”
“I bet he did.” Spirit laughed, knowing. “So what’s it been, like a month? Two?”
“Not even that long, really. But it feels...” Kennedi paused, searching for the right word. “Right. It feels right.”
“Look at you, all soft and in love.” Spirit took a slow sip of her coffee, watching her friend over the rim. “It’s beautiful to see.”
“It is.” Kennedi grabbed a grape, popping it in her mouth. “But enough about me. What about you? You said you’re done with the old life. What’s that mean?”
Spirit set her cup down, fingers drumming against her thigh. “It means I’m done with the boardrooms and contract negotiations. Coming back home is twofold, I guess.”
“Get to talking, Spirit.” Kennedi leaned forward, fully invested. “What’s going on?”
“It’s all good—great, actually. I’m moving back home and focusing on a new venture. One that just... happened overnight, you know? Like it’s been building for years, but it’s finally tangible.”
“Okay...” Kennedi drew out the word, waiting.
Spirit took a breath. “I’ve been writing romance novels.
Under an alias. And I just love it, Ken.
I need to give it a real shot, not treat it like some side thing I do when I’m bored.
And I feel like I need to be in one place for a second, you know?
I feel how you felt. Shit, maybe love will find me too. ”
“Whew, honey.” Kennedi sat back, processing. “So much to unpack there. Let’s start with bitch, I need the link, and why are you not yelling this from the mountaintops? I’m proud of you.”
“I don’t know.” Spirit’s voice went quieter, more vulnerable. “I guess I wanted to keep it to myself until I knew it wasn’t a hobby. Until it felt real enough to claim out loud. And thank you—I can’t believe this shit is actually happening.”
“What inspired you to do this, sis?” Kennedi’s eyes lit up. “Oh, and do they be fuckin’?”
“They definitely be fuckin’, sis.” Spirit laughed, some of the tension easing. “But my other reason for being home...” She trailed off, fingers picking at the edge of a napkin. “I stayed away from this place because heartache consumed me for years. I need to release that shit for real.”
Kennedi’s expression shifted, concern replacing excitement. “Sis, I love you, and this takes courage. He really did a number on you.” She paused. “Is he still around?”
“You could say that.” Spirit’s smile didn’t quite reach her eyes.
“Being back is making me confront some hard truths, but I’m good.
Ready to do this. Ready to be an auntie.
” Her voice brightened, pushing past the weight.
“It was fun doing what I was doing, but this writing thing? This is my gift, you know?”
“I know.” Kennedi reached over, squeezing her hand. “I know.”
For the next few hours, they talked through so much.
Spirit stretched out on the couch, one leg tucked under her, while Kennedi curled into the opposite corner, her hand never straying far from her belly.
Between them, the charcuterie board slowly disappeared—pepperoni vanishing first, followed by cubes of sharp cheddar and handfuls of grapes.
They talked about work—Kennedi’s podcast, the documentary series she was building, and preparing for motherhood.
Spirit admitted she was scared to be back home, her voice going quieter when she said it.
Then she pulled up her author page on her phone, finally letting Kennedi see the three books she’d been hiding for a year.
One release had turned into three, and she was home to work on telling her own story through fiction.
She went into each one—plot, characters, the worlds she’d built—while Kennedi added them to her Tbr with genuine excitement.
Kennedi checked her watch: 1:15 PM. Right on cue, her phone buzzed. Rolani’s name lit up the screen, and her whole face changed.
Spirit noticed immediately. “Look at you. Can’t even see his name without smiling.”
Kennedi started gathering her things—keys, phone, the new Stanley cup Rolani bought her because he said she didn’t drink enough water.
“Shut up.” But she was grinning as she answered. “Hey, baby.”
“Hey, doll baby. You straight?”
“I’m good. Hanging with Spirit. About to head out to get Monroe.” She tucked the phone between her ear and shoulder, still moving around the room.
“I appreciate you, for real. I know I keep saying it, but—”
“Rolani.” Her voice went flat, but the smile stayed. “You’ve thanked me every single day since you left. Multiple times a day. I got it, baby. For real.”
Spirit covered her mouth to keep from laughing, but also melting at the exchange. She knew Rolani not only needed this but also deserved it.
“My bad.” His tone shifted, dropped lower. “I miss y’all. Miss you especially. I ain’t never had to do this before.”
“We miss you too.” Kennedi glanced at Spirit, then turned slightly away, voice going softer. “When are you coming home?”
“Tomorrow night. Late, probably. But I’ll come straight home. You gon’ be there?”
“No place I’d rather be.”
There was a pause, heavy enough to feel even through the phone. Then his voice came back quieter, more intimate. “You know what I been thinking about?”
“What?” But she already knew from his tone where this was going.
“How good you gon’ look bent over the arm of the couch, looking back at me, telling me not to stop.” His words were deliberate, spaced out like he was savoring them. “I’m eating that pussy from the back too.”