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“Getting smart isn’t your way out of here.”
“That’s on you,” Quest shrugged.
“I’m not here for you or even myself. This is about your wife,” I reiterated because, in case he didn’t know, becoming a husband was more than simply sharing a last name. It was putting somebody else above yourself. He might not have cared if he lived or died, but Solana did.
“Y’all really think too highly of yourselves. If I wanted to get back for my brother, I would’ve gotten it. I don’t need to play games or hide behind ulterior motives. I would’ve come straight at each one of y’all.” Quest explained.
“What were y’all thinking getting married?”
“Damn sure weren’t thinking about y’all.”
“Y’all weren’t thinking at all.”
Quest’s shoulders hunched up and down. “Love does that to you sometimes. The risk doesn’t seem as dangerous when you’re looking at the person you love. So yeah, we did what we wanted and decided to worry about the bullshit later.”
“Later has arrived.”
“It’s going to be what it’s going to be. Since I’ve always been straight with you, be straight with me and take care of Princess.”
Quest went back to finishing his food without uttering another word.
Leaving felt like stepping into the unknown, the weight of uncertainty heavy on my shoulders. I made a decision that lingered in the air like an unspoken question mark. Driving toward my parent’s home, I wondered if I had done the right thing. The rhythmic hum of the engine served as a backdrop to my contemplation. With every passing mile, I oscillated between conviction and hesitation. All the cars lining my parent's driveway let me know I was the last to arrive, but for good reason. Making my way inside, Hailo watched the hallway before I even turned the corner, searching my face for an explanation for why I was late.
Everybody was gathered in the living room, including the children. Renni clasped my legs, waiting for me to pick her up, and I did.
“Where have you been?” Dad asked.
“I had something to handle,” I replied vaguely, then kissed my baby girl.
“We’ll take the kids to another room,” Sky volunteered, eager to escape the chaos about to ensue.
“I need you to stay,” I said in response to Hailo reaching for Renni.
Her brows dipped in curiosity.
“I’ll help Sky with the littles,” Aunt Mia said, pinching Cam’s cheek. She really didn’t want to sit through this conversation either.
Aunt Mia and Sky ushered the children down the hallway while Solana kissed her teeth at the thoughts swarming around in her head.
“Do you know how much danger you put yourself in?” Uncle Lucas fussed. It was clear that neither Tyson nor Mack had shared the biggest surprise of their relationship. Still, she sat in the armchair, tuning out his elevated tone and every eye in the room being on her except Hailo. “Quest could’ve hurt you or worse!”
A sarcastic comment was sitting on the edge of Solana’s lips. Hailo saw it likely because there was always one on her lips, too. Today, she advised Solana not to indulge.
“Quest wouldn’t hurt me,” Solana maintained.
“Why? Because that’s what he told you. Men will tell you anything! Wake up,” Uncle Lucas was pacing the living room, fussing, but Solana refused to back down.
“Because he’s not you! He keeps his word.”
Her rebuttal sucked the air out of the room while everybody read between the lines. It was so quiet you could hear the air from the vent circulating.
“Why does he keep his word with you?” Aunt Sophia asked because Lucas was still shocked, realizing his baby wasn’t a little girl. “I’m talking to you, Solana!”
“It doesn’t matter! Everybody seems to know what’s best for me. What I want or need doesn’t matter, so please carry on,” Solana said with a hand gesture.
“Don’t be rude to your mother!” Mom said, playing mediator.
“She’s being rude to me,” Solana rebutted.
