Page 158 of When Love Takes Root

His eyes narrowed. “I know.”

JJ coughed into his hand.

Maya looked at the ceiling.

Zuri whispered loudly to Skye, “Kayden is doing his man voice.”

Skye whispered back louder, “It’s not working.”

Celeste pressed her lips together, but her eyes gave her away.

I didn’t laugh.

Grief had handed him a grown man’s assignment with a teenage boy’s tools.

Celeste touched his arm. “Kay.”

He looked down at her, and the hard line of his mouth eased by a fraction.

She said, “I wanted y’all to meet him because he’s important to me.”

The salon changed without going silent.

Kayden looked back at me.

This was the introduction that mattered.

I stepped closer, but not too close. “I respect that.”

Kayden’s jaw tightened. “Respect what?”

“Being important to your mother means I don’t get to be careless around your family.”

His stare held mine.

I kept my voice even. “I’m not here to take anybody’s place. I’m not here because I need y’all to make room for me before you’re ready. I’m here because your mother matters to me. That means everything she loves matters too.”

Celeste’s eyes shined, but she stayed where she was.

JJ watched Kayden. Maya stopped sketching. Zuri and Skye looked between all of us like they knew something grown was happening but didn’t know where to put their hands.

Kayden swallowed. His shoulders stayed squared, but the fight in them lost some of its edge.

“Okay.”

One word.

Enough for now.

I nodded. “Okay.”

Zuri lifted her hand. “I’m ready.”

Celeste blinked. “Ready for what?”

“For dinner.” Zuri pointed at me. “Is he coming?”

Skye bounced on her toes. “Can he come? I want to show him my real S.”