Page 141 of 4 Corinthians

“I did,” he replied. “I know you were excited at the thought of expanding and were nervous about whether you could. I wanted to show you not only that you could, but that you would succeed. Those numbers have been run through every program Nine could think of. I triple-checked the numbers and everything.” I flipped through the pages as he talked. “Marketing and promotion as well as an offer from Stone ENT to be brought on as their team barber. And Citrine wants to add a barber to every one of his hotels and is offering for you to run that department and oversee the barbers.”

“Uri…” I couldn’t even finish my sentence. The more I read, the more overwhelmed I became. He’d thought of things I hadn’t even tried to wrap my mind around. I wanted to have a successful business, but this would be setting up for my great-great-great-grandkids to benefit and succeed.

“Yeah?”

I looked up at him and smiled. “Thank you,” I earnestly said. “You didn’t have to do this for me. You could’ve just looked at my reports and told me I was doing good.” I looked down at the folder. “This is a game changer.”

“I’ve only ever wanted you to succeed and be happy, Cori,” he said. “No matter what it was, how it looked, how hard you thought it was going to be. Every time I wanted you to succeed, and I did everything I could to make sure that happened.”

“What do you mean?” I looked up at him, confused.

“The last page,” he said, nodding at the folder.

I flipped to the page and saw the company I’d gotten the grant through, the one that opened my shop years ago. They’d dissolved the grant, and at first, I was nervous, but my lawyer, Morning, explained that there was a clause in my contract stating that if the company dissolved, I would own my building outright. He handed me the deed to my building, congratulated me, and left.

“You owned the company that I got the grant through?” I asked in disbelief.

“I did,” he answered with a nod. “It was a small company, created for you. When I found out your plan for after you graduated, I started making plans of my own. I knew you would never accept a building from anyone, so I started a business. Ran it for a few years, offered a few scholarships here and there, and then grants for first-time business owners. I made sure the right people got the information and then pushed you to apply.”

My head tilted to the side. “What if I wouldn’t have applied?” I asked.

“I had already talked to one of your professors. She was going to sign you up herself if you didn’t. No matter what, you were getting this building, or whatever one you fell in love with.”

“Why?” I asked. “I mean, I know you already said why, but why Uri?” I laughed and sat back. “We weren’t talking. I hadn’t seen you in years. Well, except that one time when we were teenagers at the hospital. I didn’t know what to do when I saw you. I wanted to hug you and never let you go, but you looked so scared and then angry. I stood there, frozen.”

“I was always close,” he smiled.

“I heard,” I said, nodding, and his brow went up in surprise. “Bug told me how you were always there.”

“Are you mad?”

“About this?” I pointed to the folder. “Or the always around thing?”

“Either.”

“No,” I answered with a laugh. “I’m not mad.” I shrugged. “I guess I always hoped you would be, like, just there, free of Robert and his shit. I thought I saw you a few times, but I always thought it was my mind playing tricks on me.”

“Nah,” he said, shaking his head. He nervously licked his lips. “For a minute I was losing it, trying to find Robert, to keep you safe. I had to walk away, not from you but to get my head right. It was after you graduated from college. I tried staying away for a minute. To see if I could, and then some shit happened with my family, and I had to stay away. When I came back, you were pregnant, and I was stuck.” He rubbed his hands over his face. “That shit fucked with me. Seeing you pregnant. I knew I needed to stay away because you were happy.”

“You weren’t around for my pregnancy?” I asked, and he shook his head. “None of it?”

“No, when I came back you were pregnant. I assumed you and your baby daddy were going for the long run. Marriage, more kids, all that.” He shrugged. “I can't say I’m mad that nigga ain’t around.”

“Uri, I umm…” I sat back in my seat and exhaled. “About Judah’s daddy, it’s complicated.”

“Honestly, it doesn’t matter. He’s not around; I’m here. If I gotta kill that nigga to get him to sign over his rights, then I’m cool with that.”

“If it were only that easy,” I said, shaking my head.

“What’s up?” his brow went up. “That nigga causing you problems?” He sat forward. “I been around for months and that nigga ain’t showed his face once. Hell, if you want to be honest, I’ve been around heavily since Cross and Nine got back together. I ain’t ever seen him.”

“His father is umm…” I turned and looked out of the window. I knew that if I told Uri his father was likely Judah’s daddy, he would never forgive himself. But I couldn’t keep this secret from him any longer.

“Who is he, Cori?” he asked. He got up, rounded my desk, and stepped into my line of vision. He cupped my jaw and made me look at him. “Where is he?”

“I don’t know,” I answered him. It wasn’t a lie. I didn’t know for sure who his father was or where he was. I licked my lips. “I don’t know.”

My phone rang, and Uri let go of my face. I picked it up, swiped the screen, and put it on speaker.