CHAPTER 9 #2
“Why?”
“Because I’m talking to you.”
“He needs to know.”
“I know.”
“Answer.”
“No.”
“Viyah.”
“I’ll call him when I leave.”
Samaria stared at the phone.
Then at her sister.
“Put him on speaker.”
Zaviyah frowned.
“What?”
“Call him.”
“You sure?”
“No.”
“Mari.”
“Call him before I change my mind.”
Zaviyah hesitated.
Then called.
Kavon answered on the first ring.
“Zaviyah?”
His voice sounded nervous.
“Hey.”
“You got them?”
She closed her eyes.
“Yes.”
Silence.
Samaria stood beside her.
Kavon asked quietly, “And?”
Zaviyah swallowed.
“Rashaad is excluded.”
Nothing.
Then she heard Kavon breathing.
“And me?”
Zaviyah looked at Samaria.
Her sister stared straight ahead.
“99.99 percent.”
Kavon went completely silent.
“Kavon?”
Nothing.
Then she heard him sniff.
Her chest tightened.
“Say something.”
His voice cracked.
“He’s mine?”
Zaviyah’s eyes filled.
“Yes.”
A sound came through the phone.
Half laugh.
Half cry.
Then silence again.
Zaviyah covered her mouth.
Samaria closed her eyes.
Kavon finally spoke.
“That’s my son.”
“Yes.”
“My son.”
“Yes, Kavon.”
“Can I see him?”
Zaviyah looked at Samaria.
She didn’t know why.
Maybe because some part of her still felt like she needed permission.
Samaria saw it.
And that pissed her off.
“Don’t look at me.”
Zaviyah looked away.
Kavon heard her.
“Samaria’s there?”
“Yes.”
More silence.
“Can I talk to her?”
Samaria shook her head.
“No.”
Zaviyah said, “Not right now.”
“I understand.”
Then Kavon asked again.
“Can I see Kyren?”
Zaviyah looked through the balcony door.
Kyren was driving a toy car over Jalisa’s leg.
“When?”
“Now.”
Her stomach tightened.
“Kavon.”
“Please.”
“You just found out.”
“Exactly.”
“Kavon.”
“I’ve already missed two years.”
That hurt.
Samaria heard it too.
Zaviyah could tell.
Her face changed.
Kavon continued.
“I’m not asking to take him anywhere.”
“Okay.”
“I just want to see my son knowing he’s actually my son.”
Zaviyah wiped her eyes.
“Come to my house in an hour.”
“Thank you.”
“Kavon.”
“Yeah?”
“Don’t bring a bunch of shit.”
He laughed through his tears.
“I wasn’t.”
“Good.”
“I was gonna stop at Target.”
“KAVON.”
“Okay.”
“No toys.”
“One toy.”
“No.”
“Zaviyah.”
“He has toys.”
“I missed two birthdays.”
Her heart cracked again.
“One toy.”
“Thank you.”
“And no more fucking pancakes.”
He laughed.
“I’ll see you in an hour.”
The call ended.
Zaviyah looked at Samaria.
Her sister was crying.
“Mari.”
Samaria wiped her face.
“I gotta go inside.”
“I’m sorry.”
“I know.”
Samaria opened the balcony door.
Then stopped.
“Viyah.”
“What?”
“If you sleep with him.”
Zaviyah froze.
Samaria looked directly into her eyes.
“Don’t lie to me about it.”
“Mari, I’m not planning to sleep with Kavon.”
“I didn’t ask what you planning.”
Zaviyah stared at her.
Samaria’s voice went quiet.
“I’m asking you not to make me look stupid twice.”
Then she walked inside.
An hour and fourteen minutes later, Zaviyah
opened her front door.
Kavon stood there.
No pancakes.
No flowers.
No bullshit.
Just him.
And one small blue gift bag.
Zaviyah looked at it.
“I said one toy.”
“It is one.”
“What is it?”
“You gonna inspect it?”
“Yes.”
Kavon smiled.
Then his eyes moved past her.
Kyren was sitting on the living room floor.
Kavon’s smile disappeared.
His entire face changed.
Zaviyah stepped aside.
“Come in.”
Kavon walked inside slowly.
Kyren looked up.
His face lit up.
“Pancake!”
Zaviyah covered her face.
Kavon laughed.
“Hey, little man.”
Kyren stood.
Kavon crouched.
Zaviyah’s heart pounded.
This time was different.
Yesterday Kavon had been a stranger.
A possibility.
Today he knew.
Zaviyah knew.
And soon Kyren would understand too.
Kyren walked toward him.
Kavon’s eyes filled.
“Hey.”
Kyren pointed at the bag.
“Mine?”
Kavon laughed.
“Yeah.”
“See?”
Kavon looked at Zaviyah.
She nodded.
He handed Kyren the bag.
Kyren dropped to the floor and started pulling out tissue paper.
Kavon watched him like he was witnessing a fucking miracle.
Inside was a little red toy truck.
Kyren screamed.
“TRUCK!”
Kavon laughed.
“You like it?”
Kyren nodded hard.
“Thank you!”
Then without warning, Kyren hugged him.
Kavon froze.
Completely.
His hands hovered in the air.
He looked at Zaviyah.
Like he needed permission.
She nodded.
Kavon wrapped his arms around his son.
And broke.
His face buried against Kyren’s little shoulder.
His body shook.
Zaviyah turned away because seeing a grown man cry was one thing.
Seeing the father of her child cry because he finally knew his son was something completely different.
Kyren pulled back.
“You cry?”
Kavon wiped his face.
“Yeah.”
“Why?”
Kavon laughed.
“Because I’m happy.”
Kyren touched his cheek.
“Happy?”
“Very.”
Kyren smiled.
That dimple appeared.
Kavon touched it gently.
“Yeah.”
His voice cracked again.
“That’s mine.”
Zaviyah’s chest tightened.
Kyren looked confused.
Kavon looked at her.
“Did you tell him?”
“Yes.”
“What did you say?”
“That you’re his daddy.”
Kavon closed his eyes.
That word almost took him out again.
Kyren looked at him.
“Daddy?”
Kavon opened his eyes.
Zaviyah stopped breathing.
Kavon stared at his son.
“Yeah.”
His voice barely came out.
“If you want to call me that.”
Kyren thought about it.
Then held up the truck.
“Daddy play?”
Kavon covered his mouth.
Zaviyah started crying.
“Jesus Christ.”
Kavon sat on the floor.
“Yeah, man.”
He wiped his eyes.
“Daddy can play.”
Zaviyah stood in the kitchen doorway watching them push that little red truck across the floor.
For the first time since Tampa, something inside
her settled.
Kyren had his answer.
Kavon had his son.
And she finally knew the truth.
Then her phone vibrated.
SAMARIA.
Zaviyah looked at the message.
Is he there?
She typed.
Yes.
Three dots appeared immediately.
Then stopped.
Started again.
SAMARIA
Okay.
That was it.
Just okay.
Zaviyah stared at the word.
Then another message came.
SAMARIA
I’m trying, Viyah.
Zaviyah’s eyes filled.
She typed back.
I know.
Across the room, Kyren laughed.
Kavon laughed with him.
Same squinted eyes.
Same dimple.
Same damn laugh.
Zaviyah smiled.
Then Kavon looked up.
Their eyes met.
And the smile slowly disappeared from her face.
Because there it was again.
That look.
The same look from Tampa.
The same one Samaria had already warned her about.
Kavon held her eyes for a second too long.
Zaviyah looked away first.
Fuck.
Finding Kyren’s father had been the easy part.
Keeping herself from fucking up everything else was about to be the real problem.