Page 66 of When Love Takes Root

Skye whispered, “Kayden acting like security again.”

“Skye,” I warned.

Josiah’s mouth twitched, but he kept moving toward the back. He didn’t rush through my shop or treat my children like obstacles. He moved around them with care. Not nervous. Not performative. Just aware.

If I didn’t love anything else, I loved a Black man who respected a mother in motion.

A few minutes later, the bell chimed again, and Onyx walked in with one of his daughters skipping ahead of him while Jamilah sat high on his hip, clapping her hands and babbling against his shoulder.

“Where my little scholars at?” Onyx called.

My kids erupted. “Uncle Onyx!”

His daughter ran straight to Zuri and Skye, and all three girls hugged like they hadn’t seen each other in years instead of a few days.

“Uncle Onyx, we have homework first,” Zuri said like she wanted credit for suffering.

“That’s right. Tell him again,” I said.

Onyx grinned. “Celly, I’m just the transportation ministry. You’re the academic board.”

Josiah came from the back at the sound of Onyx’s voice, and the two men dapped each other up.

Kayden noticed. “You know him?”

Onyx looked at my son. “Yeah. Siah’s good people. He helped me and Aunt Leilani when our lights were acting funny at the house. He came through, fixed the issue, didn’t try to tax us, and explained everything so I didn’t feel slow, and bonded with your godsister.”

Kayden’s shoulders eased a little. Not all the way. But enough.

Jamilah reached toward Josiah, babbling with her hands opening and closing.

Josiah bent right away, his whole face changing. “Hey, baby girl. How you been doing?”

She pressed both palms against his forearm and made a bright, excited sound.

Skye stepped closer. “That’s our godsister, Jamilah. She’s nonverbal.”

I watched Josiah carefully. Moments like that told the truth about people.

He didn’t flinch. Didn’t overdo it. Didn’t talk around her like she wasn’t there.

“I’ve met her. This my little friend I bonded with, and that’s okay,” he said gently. “She has her own language. She just communicates differently.”

Jamilah smiled so big it looked like sunshine had found a face. Something warm loosened in my chest.

“Did Leilani get out?” I asked.

Onyx lifted Jamilah higher on his hip. “I sent her to the spa and paid for it myself. I told my pregnant wife don’t call me unless the building’s on fire. I’m taking all the crumb snatchers tonight.”

“Uncle Onyx!” my kids fussed.

His daughter giggled behind her hand, already used to her daddy embarrassing everybody with a pulse.

“What? Crumb snatchers is a term of endearment,” Onyx teased.

“No, it’s not,” Maya said, laughing for real.

“It is in my ministry,” he retorted jokingly.