CHAPTER 9
THE RESULTS ARE IN
At 6:43, Zaviyah had checked her email so many fucking times her thumb hurt.
Nothing.
6:44.
Refresh.
Nothing.
6:45.
Refresh.
Nothing.
“Girl, if you refresh that shit one more time, the results might block you.”
Zaviyah looked up.
Malissa sat across from her at the kitchen table eating one of Kyren’s fries.
“Give him his food.”
“He ain’t eating them.”
Kyren immediately reached across the table.
“Mine.”
Malissa looked at him.
“You wasn’t worried about these fries until I touched them.”
“Mine.”
“Greedy.”
Zaviyah snatched the fry from Malissa and handed it to Kyren.
“Stop taking my baby food.”
“Your baby got forty seven fries.”
“He got twelve.”
“Same thing.”
Zaviyah refreshed her email again.
Malissa stared.
“You need a drink.”
“I need results.”
“You need both.”
“I’m not drinking.”
Malissa’s eyebrows lifted.
“Who are you and where the fuck is Zaviyah?”
Kyren looked up.
“Bad word.”
Malissa froze.
Then looked at Zaviyah.
“You taught him that?”
“No.”
“Fuck.”
Kyren pointed.
“BAD WORD!”
Malissa covered her mouth.
Zaviyah started laughing.
For the first time all day, she laughed so hard her stomach hurt.
Kyren smiled proudly.
Malissa leaned toward him.
“You the police now?”
“Police.”
“Don’t teach him nothing else,” Zaviyah said.
“Girl, he already corrupted.”
Her phone buzzed.
Zaviyah stopped laughing.
Malissa stopped too.
Kyren kept eating.
Zaviyah looked at the screen.
EMAIL.
brOWARD FAMILY DIAGNOSTICS.
Her stomach dropped.
“Oh my God.”
Malissa stood.
“What?”
“They here.”
“The results?”
“Yes.”
“Open that shit!”
“I’m scared.”
“You wasn’t scared when you was fucking.”
Zaviyah looked at her.
“Bitch.”
“I’m sorry.”
“No, you’re not.”
“Not really.”
Zaviyah stared at the email.
Her finger hovered over it.
She couldn’t press it.
Malissa walked around the table.
“Give me the phone.”
“No.”
“Then open it.”
“I need a second.”
“You been needing a second since yesterday.”
“Malissa.”
“Okay.”
Malissa sat beside her.
For once, she shut the fuck up.
Zaviyah looked at Kyren.
He had ketchup on his cheek.
One fry in each hand.
Completely happy.
Completely innocent.
Whoever was on that paper didn’t change who Kyren was.
He was still hers.
Still the same little boy she had raised every day for two years.
Zaviyah opened the email.
There was a secure link.
She clicked it.
Entered her date of birth.
Then the case number.
The document loaded.
Her heart pounded so hard she could hear it.
Malissa leaned closer.
“What it say?”
“Hold on.”
“Girl, my nerves bad.”
“YOUR nerves?”
“Yes.”
“Move.”
“I’m not even touching you.”
The report opened.
Zaviyah scrolled.
Names.
Dates.
Numbers.
A bunch of shit she didn’t understand.
“Where the fuck is the answer?”
“Scroll down.”
“I am.”
“More.”
“I AM.”
Then she saw it.
Alleged Father: Rashaad Bell.
Probability of Paternity: 0.00%.
Zaviyah froze.
Malissa read it.
“Oh.”
Zaviyah’s hand started shaking.
“Rashaad isn’t his father.”
Malissa looked at her.
“Nope.”
Zaviyah scrolled farther.
Her stomach twisted.
Alleged Father: Kavon Mercer.
Probability of Paternity: 99.99%.
Silence.
Zaviyah stopped breathing.
Malissa covered her mouth.
“Oh, shit.”
Zaviyah stared at the screen.
She already knew.
Deep down, she had known the second Kavon stood on her porch and smiled at Kyren.
But seeing it written there made everything real.
Kavon Mercer could not be excluded as the biological father of Kyren Raines.
Zaviyah whispered, “He’s his daddy.”
Malissa slowly sat back.
“Kavon?”
Zaviyah nodded.
“Kavon is Kyren’s father.”
Kyren looked up.
“Daddy?”
Both women froze.
Zaviyah immediately locked her phone.
“No, baby.”
Kyren frowned.
“You say daddy.”
Malissa looked away.
Zaviyah’s throat tightened.
“I was talking to Auntie Lissa.”
Kyren went back to his fries.
Malissa whispered, “You gotta tell him.”
“I know.”
“Which one first?”
Zaviyah stared at her.
“What?”
“Samaria or Kavon?”
Fuck.
She hadn’t even thought about that.
“Samaria.”
Malissa nodded.
“Yeah.”
“She needs to hear it from me.”
“Definitely.”
Zaviyah grabbed her phone.
Then stopped.
“What?”
“I can’t text this.”
“No.”
“I gotta go over there.”
Malissa looked toward Kyren.
“I’ll keep him.”
Zaviyah shook her head.
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because Samaria loves him.”
“So?”
“I’m not hiding him like he did something wrong.”
Malissa studied her.
“Okay.”
Zaviyah stood.
“I’m going.”
“What about Kavon?”
“I’ll call him after.”
“Rashaad?”
“He can wait.”
“Jalisa?”
“She can definitely wait.”
Malissa grabbed another fry.
Kyren slapped her hand.
“No!”
Malissa stared at him.
“Damn.”
Zaviyah grabbed her purse.
“Come on, baby.”
Twenty minutes later, Zaviyah pulled up outside Samaria’s apartment off Sunrise.
Jalisa’s Range Rover was still there.
Of course it was.
Zaviyah sat in the car for a minute.
Kyren kicked his feet.
“Auntie house?”
“Yes.”
“Auntie Mari?”
“Yes.”
He smiled.
Zaviyah’s chest hurt.
She got him out.
Before she could knock, the door opened.
Jalisa stood there.
“You got the results.”
Zaviyah frowned.
“How the fuck you know?”
“Your face.”
Zaviyah looked past her.
“Where’s my sister?”
Jalisa stepped aside.
“Living room.”
Samaria was curled up on the couch in shorts and an oversized shirt.
Her eyes went straight to Zaviyah.
Then Kyren.
Her face softened.
Kyren ran toward her.
“Auntie!”
Samaria opened her arms automatically.
“Come here.”
He climbed into her lap.
She hugged him.
Zaviyah watched.
Whatever was happening between them, that love was still there.
Thank God.
Samaria looked at her.
“You know.”
Zaviyah nodded.
Jalisa closed the door.
“Who?”
Samaria looked at her.
“Let her talk.”
Jalisa sat down.
Zaviyah remained standing.
“I got the email about twenty minutes ago.”
Samaria’s face tightened.
“And?”
“Rashaad is excluded.”
Jalisa exhaled so hard it sounded like she had been holding her breath all day.
Then she immediately looked guilty for looking
relieved.
Zaviyah understood.
Samaria looked down at Kyren.
Then back at Zaviyah.
“So Kavon.”
Zaviyah nodded.
“99.99 percent.”
Silence.
Samaria closed her eyes.
Kyren played with the string on her shorts.
Jalisa looked at her friend.
“Mari.”
Samaria shook her head.
“I’m okay.”
Nobody believed that shit.
Zaviyah sat across from her.
“I’m sorry.”
Samaria laughed softly.
“For what?”
“All of it.”
“You didn’t make the test say he’s the daddy.”
“I know.”
“You didn’t know.”
“I know.”
Samaria looked at her.
“But he is.”
“Yes.”
Kyren looked up.
“Who daddy?”
Zaviyah’s stomach dropped.
Samaria’s eyes filled immediately.
Jalisa looked away.
Kyren looked between them.
“Daddy?”
Zaviyah moved closer.
“Baby, remember Kavon?”
Kyren smiled.
“Pancake.”
Jalisa snorted.
Samaria almost smiled.
Zaviyah nodded.
“Yes. Pancake.”
Kyren laughed.
Zaviyah’s eyes burned.
She had imagined this conversation so many times.
Just never like this.
“Kavon is your daddy.”
Kyren stared at her.
“Daddy?”
“Yes.”
He thought about it.
Then looked at Samaria.
“Auntie daddy?”
Silence.
Jalisa covered her mouth.
Zaviyah wanted the floor to swallow her.
Samaria’s face broke.
Kyren had heard her call Kavon her boyfriend before.
Maybe seen him around.
Maybe his little brain was trying to connect shit nobody in the room could explain.
“No, baby,” Zaviyah said gently.
“Kavon is your daddy.”
Kyren smiled.
“Daddy pancake.”
Zaviyah laughed through her tears.
“Yes.”
Apparently Kavon’s entire fatherhood identity was going to be pancakes.
Fine.
She’d take it.
Samaria stood suddenly.
Kyren slid from her lap.
“I need air.”
Zaviyah stood too.
“Mari.”
“Please.”
“I’m not trying to upset you.”
“I know.”
Samaria walked onto the balcony.
Zaviyah followed.
Jalisa stayed inside with Kyren.
Samaria leaned against the railing.
Cars moved along Sunrise below them.
For a while, neither sister spoke.
Then Samaria asked, “You gonna be with him?”
Zaviyah’s eyebrows pulled together.
“What?”
“Kavon.”
“No.”
“You answered fast.”
“Because the answer is no.”
Samaria looked at her.
“You got feelings for him.”
Zaviyah sighed.
“Mari.”
“You couldn’t tell me you didn’t.”
“I remember him.”
“That ain’t what I asked.”
Zaviyah looked away.
Samaria laughed bitterly.
“Exactly.”
“Feelings don’t mean I’m gonna do something.”
“So you do have them.”
Zaviyah rubbed her forehead.
“I don’t fucking know what I have.”
“Figure it out.”
“I’m trying.”
“Well, figure it out away from him.”
Zaviyah looked at her.
“That’s hard when he’s Kyren’s father.”
Samaria’s eyes flashed.
“I know that.”
“I’m not trying to hurt you.”
“You already are.”
The words landed hard.
Zaviyah went quiet.
Samaria wiped her face.
“I hate this.”
“So do I.”
“I hate that every time Kyren says daddy, I’m gonna think about you and Kavon fucking in Tampa.”
Zaviyah flinched.
“Mari.”
“I know it was before me.”
“Then why keep saying it like I cheated?”
“Because my feelings don’t give a fuck about the timeline!”
That shut Zaviyah up.
Samaria’s voice cracked.
“I loved him.”
Zaviyah stared at her.
“Loved?”
Samaria looked away.
“I still do.”
“Oh.”
“Yeah. Oh.”
Zaviyah leaned against the railing.
Samaria continued.
“And now what?”
“I don’t know.”
“He’s gonna be around.”
“Yes.”
“Birthdays.”
“Yes.”
“Christmas.”
“Probably.”
“School shit.”
“If he wants to be involved.”
Samaria laughed.
“He wants to be involved.”
Zaviyah nodded.
“I think so too.”
“And you two gonna be together all the fucking time.”
“No.”
“Enough.”
Zaviyah had no answer.
Samaria looked at her.
“I don’t know how to be your sister through this.”
Zaviyah’s eyes filled.
“Then we figure it out.”
“What if I can’t?”
Zaviyah swallowed.
“Then I’ll give you time.”
Samaria looked toward the apartment.
Kyren was visible through the glass door, sitting on the floor with Jalisa.
“I don’t want to lose him.”
“You won’t.”
“You can’t promise that.”
“Yes, I can.”
“How?”
“Because whatever happens between us, you’re his auntie.”
Samaria looked at her.
“You mean that?”
“Yes.”
“I could hate your ass tomorrow.”
“You probably will.”
“I kinda hate you today.”
“Fair.”
Samaria almost smiled.
Almost.
Then Zaviyah’s phone started ringing.
Both sisters looked down.
Kavon.
Samaria’s face immediately hardened.
Zaviyah declined it.
Samaria looked at her.