Page 163 of Vega

The mention of Lowe took the smile off of Carla’s face. “I wish the police would find whoever shot my baby.”

I swooned at Carla referring to Lowe as “her baby”, even though she wasn’t even his mother.

Vega had told me that they told everyone Lowe had been caught in a drive-by. She didn’t know the men around the table knew far more than they could tell her.

Renee reached across and squeezed Carla’s hand. “They will.”

The conversation gradually returned, though the concern for Lowe and anger for who had done this to him remained on many faces.

Marcus looked from Vega and me to Wise, Knox, and Prodigy. “Since Vega finally found the one, when the rest of y’all settling down?”

Wise nodded toward Prodigy. “He already settled down. He spends more time with Novi than he does with us.”

Prodigy glared at him as Knox leaned back in his chair. “He ain’t lying. You might as well get over Arielle and move on if you feeling Novi.”

“Wait,” Denise cut in with a smile. “Who is Novi?”

“This woman temporarily living in one of my properties,” was all Prodigy informed her. Then he gave his attention to Wise and Knox. “I like Novi. I’m definitely attracted to her, and I enjoy being around her. But she got a lot going on. Her baby father dead, and she pregnant.”

Renee’s eyes widened. “My God. She does sound like a lot of drama.

Marcus shook his head. “A woman having a child doesn’t make her drama.”

“That wasn’t all he said,” Renee replied.

“I heard him.” Marcus looked at Prodigy. “When I met your mama, she was mourning the absence of your father. I raised another man’s baby with no hesitation because I loved my woman. “And nobody on this earth can tell me Prodigy isn’t my son.”

Denise’s expression softened into a swooning smile at her husband.

Prodigy’s eyes met Marcus’s full of respect and gratitude. “You my pops. Ain’t nobody questioning that.”

Marcus nodded once. “Then don’t let her situation deter you. Novi’s situation might be complicated, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t worth exploring.”

Knox pointed toward him. “That’s all I was saying.”

I watched them all with envy. I envied the history and security someone had always been there to catch them.

Then Renee placed another spoonful of fruit on my plate. “You like strawberries, right?”

My eyes widened then I smiled over at Vega while answering her, “Yes, ma’am.”

“And take some more bacon,” Sal added. “You hardly ate anything.”

Vega looked at my plate. “She got enough food.”

Sal waved him off. “Nobody’s talking to you.”

I smiled as Renee asked me about graduate school and Denise wanted to know what I did for a living. They listened to my answers and praised what I’d accomplished.

I hadn’t grown up with a family like this, but sitting beside Vega while his family fed me, bragged about my education, and included me without hesitation, I realized I might inherit one.

Their closeness didn’t only make me ache for what I’d missed; it also made me grateful for what I might finally have.

29

PRODIGY MORETTI

Since I almost kissed Novi, we’d gotten so close that she had started feeling like a real friend. I could tell her things I wouldn’t bring to my cousins without having to sit through ten minutes of jokes before they took me seriously.