Chapter Five The Ache That Never Left
That night, the house felt too full and too empty at the same time.
The kids were home—loud, wild, beautiful, and completely unaware that their world was shifting beneath their feet.
Sunni stood in the hallway, just watching. Not moving. Not breathing right.
Dexter was on the floor with his headphones, pretending he was a YouTuber.
Bunny and Natty were doing cartwheels in the living room.
Prince sat in the recliner watching a basketball game, lip poked out ‘cause the Grizzlies were losing.
Kane was in the kitchen, washing dishes, humming a gospel song like she was the mama.
For a split second, Sunni smiled. The kind of smile that comes with guilt—because she wanted to freeze them like this. Before the truth came knocking again.
“Dinner’s almost ready,” Kane called out. “You want me to fix their plates?”
Sunni shook her head, finally stepping into the light.
“No, baby. I got it.”
She walked into the kitchen and took over. Hands on autopilot. Rice. Chicken. Corn. Five plates for the kids, then one for herself.
She paused.
Six plates. The number should have felt complete.
Her hand hovered over a seventh plate. Out of habit.
Marcus used to eat last. Always wanted his plate hot. She’d always wait for him to get home, even if it was 10 p.m., just to warm it up right. Fold the napkin just so.
Now she was plating for a ghost.
Except he wasn’t dead.
He was alive.
Alive and making plates with another woman.
Sunni gripped the counter.
Her eyes stung.
“Mama?” Kane asked quietly.
Sunni didn’t answer.
Prince came in next. “You okay?”
Still silence.
“Mama, you crying?”
Sunni turned around slowly, tears streaking down her face, but her jaw was tight.
“Y’all ever miss Daddy?” she asked.
The kids exchanged glances. Then came the flood.
Natty nodded first. “I miss his big hugs.”
Bunny piped up. “He used to do the robot dance with me!”
Dexter grumbled, “He used to let me eat candy after nine.”
Prince didn’t say nothing, but his eyes dropped.
Kane walked over, put her arms around her mama. “We miss him every day.”
Sunni looked at each of them. These five pieces of her heart. And all she could think was—how the hell do I protect y’all from a lie I can’t even process yet?
She wanted to scream. Wanted to throw something. Wanted to pack them all up and drive somewhere far where grief couldn’t follow and love didn’t lie.
Instead, she did what mothers do.
She kept going.
She wiped her face, sat at the table, and served up chicken like the truth hadn’t just slapped her across the face.
But later that night, after everyone was asleep, Sunni stood in the doorway of Prince and Dexter’s room. Prince was snoring, one sock off, mouth open. Dexter hugged his pillow like it was alive.
Then she moved to the girls’ room. Natty curled up in a ball. Bunny’s arm sprawled across the bed. Kane was already halfway awake, as usual.
“Can’t sleep?” she whispered.
“No,” Kane answered. “Something wrong?”
Sunni bit her lip.
Then knelt by the bed.
She looked her daughter in the eyes.
“Baby… what if I told you Daddy might be alive?”
Kane’s eyes went wide. “For real?”
Sunni nodded, slowly. “But… not the way we hoped.”
Kane’s voice broke. “You mean he left us?”
Sunni didn’t answer.
Didn’t have to.
The silence said enough.