She smiled softly with thoughtful eyes.
“Of course. We’ll plan it together. Once we go over it a couple of times, you will be good.”
I let out a shaky breath as relief washed over me. My mother’s calm made me feel braver.
“Okay.” I nodded my head up and down reassuringly because her words of affirmation helped for sure.
She squeezed my hand one last time before letting go.
“Alright, Maliah Browne… let’s get you ready to tell your father that you got yourself a little boyfriend. Just remember, whatever happens, I’ve got you.”
ETERNITY BROWNE
The kids were tucked in their rooms for the night. I stepped out of the shower, wrapped myself in my bathrobe, and sat at my vanity. The soft glow of the lamp illuminated the small water droplets I missed while drying off, still clinging to my skin. I picked up the lotion and rubbed it over my arms. I was enjoying the warmth and the moment of calm before the chaos of my thoughts took over. I heard the bedroom door creak open, so I looked into the mirror to get a glimpse of who was entering the room behind me. Malik slowly stepped inside as if his footsteps would disturb me. He lived his life always wanting to put me at ease, and even after all these years, my chest constricted the second I saw him.
His presence always had a way of grounding me. He paused when he made it through the doorway and just looked at me for a moment before closing the door behind him and then making the space between us become nonexistent. His eyes were soft as he leaned in to kiss me gently on the lips. His hand brushed my cheek as if we were the only two people in the world. To me, it always felt like we were.
“Hey,” he murmured at the end of our kiss.
His low voice still carried that steady, calm weight that I’d grown up loving.
“Hey, yourself,” I whispered while smiling.
He moved to the dresser to gather his things, presumably heading for a shower, and I watched him as he moved around the room, tall, strong, and effortlessly. Even now, he made my heart race. I let my mind drift, as it sometimes did late at night. And where did it end? No place other than on my firstborn daughter’s step. I thought about her immensely, abouthow stubborn and fiery she could be, just like I had been at her age. And then my thoughts wandered back to nights when I was eighteen and fresh out of juvie—trust me, that’s a story for another time. That precious age could be oh so deadly if you let it. Back then, at that age, is when love made you reckless and when your heart didn’t care about rules or consequences. I remembered my time too well. It felt like it was just yesterday, but in all actuality, it was decades ago.
In those days, I lived my life consumed with danger. I could remember the rush, the thrill, and the fear, all in the name of love. My childhood and Maliah’s were totally opposite, though. She would never possess the street smarts that I did because, well, Malik and I had raised our daughters sheltered. With MJ, things were different. Malik felt like he could know certain things about our past just because he was a boy. To put it plain, my daughters were green to the game. Maybe that is why Maliah felt the need to sneak around for so long before even coming clean.
I thought about the security cameras in the house, the ones I’d quietly deleted footage from whenever Maliah snuck out. She was never in any real danger. My stalking her location from her phone assured me that. Most evenings, she was at the nearby ice cream shop or sitting in the Walmart parking lot. So, as a mother, what did I do? I covered for her sometimes without her even knowing it. Nobody had to know. I understood exactly what it was like to be young, to love fiercely, and to do what your heart told you, even if your parents forbade it. I hadn’t told her, and she didn’t need to know. My job was to protect her.
I shook my head to push the intrusive thoughts aside and return to the present. I hadn’t even realized that Malik was already out of the shower. He turned toward me with his towel slung over his shoulder, and his low-cut hair was still damp. The water beads sat gently on his waves. He caught my gaze with acalm intensity that always made me forget the world. I looked down below his waist and was greeted with the most beautiful sight ever. You would have thought that this was my first time seeing such beauty. Strong chocolate dick lay in between those toned thighs. When I made eye contact with him, he smirked at me.
“If you want it, just say that.”
Him flashing his pearly whites at me caused me to involuntarily blush. When he started to slowly walk in my direction, I quickly shifted my body in the chair I was sitting on.
“I have to tell you something,” I said carefully. I was trying to steady my voice.
He raised an eyebrow as the corner of his mouth lifted slightly.
“Should I be worried?”
I laughed softly while shaking my head.
“No, just promise me you won’t get mad.”
His eyes softened, and he reached out to take my hand.
“Eternity, I’m not going to get mad. Just tell me.”
In the past, we had our fair share of secrets. All of which we had overcome. He looked nervous about whatever I was about to say. I took a deep breath because my heart was pounding in my chest.
“It’s about Maliah… She’s in love.”
Malik froze for a split second and then gave me that quiet, measured look that I knew so well. It was the one that said he was listening, thinking, and processing all at the same time. He walked over to his nightstand, got a pair of underwear, and then put them on before opening his mouth.
“In love?” he questioned.
“Yes, with a little boy named Trigga.”
