Page 226 of When Love Takes Root

Kayden shrugged. “You walk like you got equity.”

Juice bent over, wheezing. “He said you walk like you got equity.”

Josiah pointed at Kayden. “Cornhole. Now.”

Kayden grinned. “You’re about to pull a muscle in front of your company.”

Fifteen minutes later, Kayden was losing.

Badly.

Josiah stood beside the cornhole board with the calm arrogance of a man letting the scoreboard testify.

Kayden threw his beanbag and missed.

JJ winced. “That was ugly.”

Kayden pointed at him. “You’re not helping.”

Josiah picked up his last bag. “Homeowner knees, huh?”

“Don’t start.”

Josiah tossed it.

It slid straight into the hole.

The entire yard erupted.

Skye ran in a circle screaming, “Equity wins!”

Zuri held up an invisible microphone. “Mr. Josiah, how does it feel to defeat a minor?”

Josiah folded his arms. “I moved with wisdom, patience, and properly functioning joints.”

Kayden laughed, real and loud, head tilted back, shoulders loose.

I stood near the patio with my hand over my chest.

That laugh.

My baby’s laugh.

It had been coming back in pieces, but standing there, watching him laugh with Josiah instead of bracing against him, something inside me unclenched.

Maya sat beneath the tree, sketching the scene with a purple pencil Lyric had given her. Josiah walked over after his victory tour and crouched beside her.

“You drawing my good side?”

Maya glanced up. “I’m drawing the chaos.”

“That includes my good side.”

She smiled. “You’re in the corner, holding the beanbag like a villain.”

He looked at the page, then at her. “Accurate.”

She angled the sketchbook so he could see. It was beautiful, all movement and family and little details most people would miss. Jamilah with the bubbles. Onyx pretending not to cry. Aunt Hilary guarding the macaroni. Kayden mid-laugh. Me near the patio, watching everything like I was afraid to blink.