Page 303 of When a Soul Cries

Aunt Trice.

Roman.

Eastview.

Somewhere between all that fear, crying, healing, and starting over, my best friend had fallen in love.

Now I was sitting in an SUV with her daughter beside me, Roman’s crazy-ass brother driving, and their mama fussing from the front seat while we headed toward a wedding none of us had known about when we woke up this morning.

I glanced at Halo.

She had one hand wrapped around the little toy clipped to her car seat, completely oblivious to the fact that her mama was about to get married.

And not just married.

Married to the man she'd started calling Dada.

That thought made my smile fade into something softer.

I remembered the Sol who had gotten off that bus from Pinehaven with one suitcase and barely anything to her name.

The Sol who had been scared, pregnant, hurt, and trying to figure out what the hell she was going to do next.

The Sol who had spent years believing she had to survive everything by herself.

I never would've imagined this.

Not Roman.

Not Eastview.

Not Halo falling in love with him right along with her mama.

And definitely not us flying down the highway to some unexpected-ass wedding in Dahlonega.

My phone buzzed again.

**SOL:** Where are y'all???

I smiled as I typed back.

**ME:** On the way. Don't marry his ass without us.

Her response came immediately.

**SOL:** ZARI 😭

I laughed and locked my phone.

Kai glanced at me through the rearview mirror. “She tripping?”

“Bad,” I answered.

Sugga waved a hand from the passenger seat. “She'll be all right. Tell her Sugga coming.”

I leaned my head against the seat and smiled.

A few months ago, I didn't know where any of this was going.