Annie and Edward pull into Skateland just as the parking lot is filling up. Music thumps through the walls, and groups of teenagers and young adults crowd the entrance, laughing and talking before heading inside.
The moment they walk through the doors, the familiar smell of pizza, popcorn, nacho cheese, and freshly polished wood fills the air. Colored lights sweep across the rink while T.I.‘s “You Don’t Know Me” blasts through the speakers.
Annie sits on the bench, tightening the laces on her red skates with white wheels and tiny dice decorating the sides.
Just as she finishes, Rhonda walks through the entrance.
Annie’s face lights up.
She hops up and wraps her best friend in a hug. “Hey, girl!”
Rhonda laughs and hugs her back.
“Hey!”
Edward leans over and kisses Rhonda on the cheek.
“Hey, Ed.”
“Hey, sis!” Edward replies with a grin.
The three of them head onto the rink together.
Almost instantly, they’re gliding across the floor.
Meanwhile, Smoke and Tobias are just pulling into the packed parking lot.
Cars fill nearly every space, and people are gathered outside talking before heading in. They dap up a few people they know on the way through the doors before making their way to the skate counter.
Smoke reaches into his bag and pulls out his own personal skates—black boots with bright blue wheels.
After lacing them up, he stands to his feet and skates toward the edge of the rink.
That’s when his stomach drops.
There she is. Annie.
His heart nearly stops.
She’s out on the floor holding hands with a tall, dark skinned dude with perfect waves.
The dude is handsome. Too handsome.
Smoke’s jaw tightens before he can stop it.
Annie is smiling entirely too hard.
She has on low-rise bootcut Apple Bottom jeans with a silver circle belt resting around her waist. A matching cropped Apple Bottom tank shows just a sliver of her stomach. Her hair is parted into two playful pigtails beneath a twill hat, and colorful bracelets cover both wrists, jingling every time she swings her arms.
She looks…Beautiful.
Smoke notices Rhonda skating beside them, but his eyes never leave Annie.
She’s flying around the rink effortlessly. Fast. Confident.
Like she’s been skating her whole life.
50 Cent’s “P.I.M.P.” replaces the last song.
Annie and the guy let go of each other’s hands.
She spins around and begins skating backward without missing a beat.
As she glides across the floor, her eyes drift toward the wall.
She freezes.
Smoke is already looking at her.
Not casually. He’s staring.
Her stomach flips.
Heat rushes into her cheeks, and she quickly looks away before he can catch her looking too long.
Smoke pushes off from the wall with Tobias.
The two of them shoot onto the floor with practiced ease.
Smoke glides right past Annie.
She can’t help but look.
He’s wearing a Philadelphia Sixers throwback jersey with a matching fitted cap. His red Dickie shorts are sharply creased, just like every outfit he’s wears. A thick gold herringbone chain rests against his chest, while a gold Rolex catches the flashing lights every time he moves. A Sixers sweatband circles his opposite wrist.
He looks so damn good.
Annie suddenly forgets how to breathe.
Beside her, Rhonda squeals. “Oh my Goddd! They came!”
Annie cuts her a look. “You knew they was coming!”
She has to yell over the music.
Rhonda laughs.
“Yeah, girl, I did. I wanted to surprise you.”
Annie shakes her head, laughing.
“You ain’t right.”
The two of them skate off the floor and lean against the railing to watch.
Smoke and Tobias immediately steal everyone’s attention.
They skate like they’ve been doing this since they could walk.
Smoke moves so smoothly it almost doesn’t look real.
It’s like he’s floating across the floor.
He flies backward at full speed without ever looking nervous, weaving around people like second nature.
Annie can’t take her eyes off him.
Edward skates over and stops beside them.
Annie nudges him.
“Smoke’s out there.”
Edward raises an eyebrow.
“Where, sis? Point him out.”
Annie smiles and points toward the middle of the rink. “There he go. The one with the Sixers jersey.”
Edward squints for a second before his eyes widen. “Oh my God, Annie…”
He looks back at her. “He fine as fuck.”
Annie and Rhonda bust into laughter.
From the middle of the rink, Smoke glances toward the sidelines.
His eyes find Annie immediately.
He watches her laughing with the same dude again.
Something twists in his chest.
Jealousy.
It sneaks up on him so fast he almost doesn’t recognize it.
He doesn’t even know this girl like that. So why the hell does seeing another man beside her bother him so much?
Smoke sucks his teeth to himself and shakes the feeling off.
Man… whatever.
He pushes harder, picking up speed as he and Tobias carve across the rink, weaving around other skaters with ease.
Meanwhile, Annie and Rhonda head toward the concession stand.
The smell of buttery popcorn, pizza, and nachos hangs in the air as they wait for their drinks.
A few minutes later, Smoke and Tobias skate off the floor and lean against the wall backs facing the rink.
Smoke casually folds his arms across his chest.
Or at least he tries to look casual.
His eyes never leave Annie.
Her back is turned as she laughs at something Rhonda says.
The bracelets on her wrists jingle every time she gestures with her drink.
Smoke feels that same heaviness settle back into his chest.
She never told him she had a boyfriend.
Did she come here with that dude?
Was she playing him this whole time?
His jaw tightens.
Tobias follows Smoke’s line of sight before grinning to himself.
“Look at you,” he says with a laugh. “Just go speak to her, nigga.”
Smoke cuts his eyes at him and sucks his teeth. “Whatever, nigga. I don’t know what you talkin’ ’bout.”
Tobias chuckles. “You ain’t foolin’ nobody but yo self”
Smoke ignores him, but Tobias already knows.
His homeboy is gone.
Once Annie and Rhonda get their drinks, Rhonda looks across the rink.
“There go Tobias and Smoke. Let’s go say hi.”
Annie immediately shakes her head.
“No, girl.”
Rhonda grabs her wrist before she can protest again. “Come on, scary ass.”
Annie laughs as Rhonda drags her across the floor.
By the time they reach them, Annie can already feel her heartbeat climbing.
Rhonda smiles. “Hey, y’all.”
“What’s good?” Tobias replies.
Smoke nods at Rhonda before his eyes settle on Annie.
Everything around him fades.
The music. The conversations.
The wheels rolling across the floor.
All he sees is her.
Up close, she’s somehow even prettier than she was from across the rink.
Her lip gloss catches the colored lights every time she smiles.
Her cheeks have a soft glow to them.
He lets his eyes drift over her for just a second. The Apple Bottom outfit.
The bracelets. The little pigtails.
Damn. She’s beautiful.
For a moment…he completely forgets what he was about to say.
Annie feels every second of his stare.
It sends butterflies tumbling through her stomach.
She swallows hard before finally looking him over too.
The Sixers jersey. The fitted.
The gold chain. The Rolex.
Lord…he’s too damn fine.
“Sup wit you?” Smoke finally asks.
Annie opens her mouth…Nothing comes out.
Her entire mind goes blank.
Rhonda gently bumps her shoulder.
Annie lets out a tiny nervous laugh.
“Nothing much… you?”
Smoke smiles to himself.
“Nothing. I seen you out there.”
He nods toward the rink. “You know what you doin’.”
Annie giggles.
The sound hits Smoke right in the chest.
He swears he could listen to her laugh all night.
“Yeah,” she says with a shy smile. “I know a little somethin’.”
She tilts her head.
“I see you know what you doin’ too.”
Smoke nods once. “Fo’sho.”
He wants to ask. He really does.
Who was that dude?
But he stops himself.
He doesn’t have that kind of claim on her. Not yet.
And he damn sure isn’t about to sound jealous in front of Tobias and Rhonda.
Before Annie can say anything else, someone skates up beside her.
Smoke looks over. His shoulders stiffen. It’s him.
The same dude. “Annie,” he says with a grin, “you gon’ introduce me?”
Smoke waits.
Annie clears her throat. “Smoke… Tobias… this is my younger brother, Edward.”
Smoke blinks. Brother?
The knot that’s been sitting in his chest all night instantly loosens.
He almost laughs at himself.
Damn. All that over her brother.
Edward sticks his hand out with a grin. “Hello. And I’m her older brother. Don’t let her lie to y’all.”
Annie rolls her eyes. “Ed, stop it. Just ‘cause you believe it don’t make it true.”
The siblings immediately start laughing.
Smoke looks back and forth between them.
He can’t help the small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
Yeah…They’re close.
For the first time all night…He can finally breathe.
Just then, the DJ’s voice echoes through the speakers.
“Alriiight y’all! It’s time for limbo! Everybody who wanna play, make your way to the floor!”
A chorus of cheers erupts throughout the rink.
Annie’s eyes light up. “Come on, Ed!”
The siblings hurry onto the floor, leaving Rhonda standing with Smoke and Tobias.
Workers lower the limbo pole as everyone lines up.
The music switches to something with a Caribbean vibe, and one by one, people begin making their way underneath.
Smoke folds his arms across his chest, watching from the sidelines.
His eyes never leave Annie.
She laughs the entire time, clapping whenever someone falls or stumbles.
Then it’s her turn.
She glides forward confidently.
Without breaking her stride, she leans back, bending lower… and lower…
The crowd erupts.
“OHHHH!”
She clears the pole with ease.
Smoke can’t help but grin. “Damn…”
She really can skate.
Annie pops back up laughing while Edward throws both hands in the air, celebrating like she just won a championship.
Smoke chuckles to himself.
He loves seeing her smile.
A few minutes later, the DJ calls out again. “All fellas! Fellas only! Ladies clear the floor!” Pharrell-Frontin comes on.
The women skate to the sidelines.
Annie and Rhonda lean against the rail, watching.
Smoke pushes off alongside Tobias.
The second the beat drops, the two of them slip effortlessly into routines they’ve clearly practiced for years.
They weave around each other without touching.
One skates backward while the other spins forward.
They switch places without saying a word, their movements perfectly timed.
They even break into a few signature footwork combinations that only they know.
The crowd starts clapping.
A few people whistle.
Annie watches with wide eyes.
He makes it look so easy.
Like the wheels are part of him.
Every move is smooth.
Controlled. Confident.
She can’t stop smiling.
Beside her, Rhonda cups her hands around her mouth.
“Okay then, Smoke!”
Annie joins in, cheering and clapping as he glides by.
Smoke hears her over everyone else.
Even with the music blasting.
His eyes find hers for just a second.
He flashes the smallest grin before skating off again.
Annie’s heart flutters.
She can tell he’s been doing this his whole life.
When the DJ announces “All skate!” everyone floods back onto the floor.
This time, Annie and Edward decide to sit down for a minute.
Their legs could use the break.
Rhonda, on the other hand, heads right back out to the rink.
Annie and Edward settle at a table near the edge of the floor with their drinks.
Across the rink, Smoke and Tobias return to their usual spot against the wall. Backs against the wall
It doesn’t take long before a group of girls notices them. Two walk over smiling.
One points toward the rink.
“You wanna skate?”
Smoke shakes his head politely.
“Nah, I’m good.”
Another girl turns to Tobias.
“What about you?”
He laughs. “I’m cool.”
The girls linger for another moment before eventually walking away.
Annie watches the entire exchange.
Something uncomfortable stirs in her chest. Jealousy.
She looks down at her drink.
Of course girls were gonna come up to him.
Smoke was fine as hell.
She’d noticed that from the first day she met him.
And he wasn’t hers.
He could skate with whoever he wanted.
So why does it bother me?
Edward glances between his sister and Smoke before smirking.
“Sis…”
Annie looks over. “Hmm?”
“Don’t be lookin’ like that.”
She furrows her brows.
“Lookin’ like what?”
Edward laughs.
“Don’t even play with me. I can see the jealousy all over your face.”
Annie lets out a nervous laugh and shakes her head. “You crazy.”
But she never actually answers him.
Because deep down…He isn’t wrong.
Just then, the DJ’s voice booms through the speakers.
“Aight, y’all… last song of the night! If you got somebody special, grab ‘em. It’s couple skate!”
The opening notes of Alicia Keys and Usher’s “If I Ain’t Got You” fill the rink.
Almost instantly, skaters begin pairing off.
Some people head for the floor.
Others decide to call it a night and make their way toward the exits.
Rhonda’s eyes immediately find Tobias.
She smiles to herself before skating over to him.
“You gon’ skate with me?” she asks.
Tobias grins. “I thought you’d never ask.”
They roll onto the floor together.
Meanwhile, Annie remains seated beside Edward.
Before she can even think about getting up, a guy she doesn’t recognize skates over.
“You wanna couple skate?”
Annie smiles politely and shakes her head. “No thank you.”
The guy shrugs before skating away.
Across the rink…
Smoke sees the entire exchange.
His heart starts pounding.
This is it.
If he doesn’t ask her now…
Somebody else eventually will.
Before he can talk himself out of it, he pushes away from the wall.
His wheels glide smoothly across the polished floor until he comes to a stop in front of Annie.
She looks up. Their eyes meet.
For a second…Neither of them says anything.
Smoke slowly holds out his hand.
“Come skate wit me.”
Annie stares at his hand. Then at him.
Her pulse races. She glances over at Edward.
Edward looks between the two of them before a grin slowly spreads across his face.
He gives her a small nod as if to say GO.
Annie smiles shyly before placing her hand in Smoke’s.
The moment their fingers touch, a warm rush spreads through both of them.
Smoke gently helps her to her feet.
Without letting go of her hand, he leads her toward the center of the rink.
The music wraps around them.
🎶Some people want it all…
But I don’t want nothin’ at all…
If it ain’t you, baby… 🎶
They begin skating side by side, their hands still intertwined.
Smoke gives her hand a gentle squeeze before smoothly twirling her beneath his arm.
Annie lets out a surprised laugh as she spins.
Her back is now fully against his chest , Smoke slides his arms carefully around her waist.
They begin gliding backward together, moving as one.
Annie suddenly becomes very aware of how close they are.
His hands resting securely around her.
Her heartbeat pounds so loudly she’s convinced he can hear it.
Smoke smiles to himself.
He can feel the nervousness radiating off of her.
He leans closer, speaking softly in her ear so only she can hear. “Relax for me.” His voice is calm. Warm. “I got you.” He pauses. “You don’t gotta be nervous.” A small smile tugs at his lips. “It’s just me.”
Annie lets out the breath she’d been holding. Somehow…Those words settle every nerve inside her.
She relaxes into his hold.
Their movements become effortless.
Their skates glide in perfect rhythm across the smooth wooden floor, weaving through the other couples like they’ve done this together before.
🎶 Some people search for a fountain…Promises forever young..🎶
Annie breathes in. His cologne wraps around her, warm and clean with a hint of spice. It makes her smile without even realizing it.
She can’t believe this is happening.
Just the other day they were exchanging letters.
Now…They’re here. Holding each other.
She tries to fight the smile growing across her face. She loses.
Smoke notices immediately.
Seeing her smile because of him fills his chest with a warmth he’s never experienced before.
He lowers his head slightly into her neck, catching the soft scent of her Pink Sugar perfume. Sweet. Light. Completely her.
He closes his eyes for just a second.
If he could freeze this moment…
He would. Nothing about this feels rushed. Nothing feels forced.
Holding Annie this close simply feels…
Right.
Standing near the sidelines, one of Monica’s friends spots them skating together.
Her eyebrows lift. “Oh…”
A knowing smirk crosses her face.
She already knows exactly who’s going to hear about this before the night’s over. Monica.
Back on the rink Smoke has the urge to kiss her. It’s what he’s wanted to do since the very first moment he saw her. He goes back and forth about it and then he makes his decision.
Smoke lifts his hand and turns Annie’s head toward him to look at him.
She leans a little to the left.
🎶 Some people want it all
But I don't want nothing at all
If it ain't you, baby
If I ain't got you, baby
Some people want diamond rings
Some just want everything🎶
Smoke stares in her eyes while they continue to glide.
He leans his head in and kisses her lips softly and then the kiss deepens.
Their tongues dance slowly.
As they continue gliding around the rink, the rest of the world seems to melt away. The music…
The lights…The conversations…
None of it matters.
For these few minutes…
It’s just the two of them.
They never break their rhythm skating even while kissing.
Smoke tastes her lips gloss. It tastes like peaches. Annie tastes the mint on Smoke’s tongue.
Rhonda and Tobias look at each other while they skate hand in hand and laugh at them.
Edward Smiles from the sidelines.
They keep kissing, neither of them wanting to break it. Smoke moans a little and Annie feels the vibration against her mouth. Finally he breaks the kiss. And Annie’s chest heaves.
She smiles big at him.
The song slowly comes to an end.
Neither of them wants to let go.
Even after the music fades, they remain hand in hand as they skate off the floor.
Rhonda and Tobias meet them near the benches, both wearing knowing smiles. Nobody says a word.
They don’t have to.
The four of them sit down and begin unlacing their skates.
The sounds of wheels rolling across the floor, lockers slamming shut, and people saying their goodbyes fill the rink as everyone starts heading toward the exit.
Once they’ve changed back into their shoes, they walk toward the front doors together.
Just before Annie steps outside, Smoke gently reaches for her hand.
His touch stops her in her tracks.
“Let me talk to you for a minute,” he says.
Annie looks up at him and nods.
“Okay.”
Edward glances over his shoulder.
The second he sees Smoke standing there with Annie, a grin spreads across his face.
He doesn’t interrupt.
Instead, he keeps walking outside with Tobias and Rhonda, giving them a little privacy.
For a moment…Neither of them says anything.
The music from inside is muffled now.
People continue walking past them toward the parking lot.
Smoke looks at Annie, trying to gather his thoughts.
There are a hundred things he wants to say. Only one comes out. “I really wanna talk to you.”
He smiles a little.’”And when I say talk…” His eyes meet hers.
“…I mean I wanna hear yo’ voice.”
Annie immediately knows what he’s asking.
A soft giggle escapes before she can stop it.
Smoke smiles to himself. “Since you don’t wanna be the one to call me…”
He rubs the back of his neck. “Can I call you instead?”
Annie studies him for a second.
He suddenly doesn’t seem nearly as intimidating as she thought.
He almost seems…Nervous.
Smoke chuckles quietly.
“Please?” His smile grows.
“You don’t gotta be shy wit’ me.”
He pauses. “And even if you are…”
He shrugs. “I like it.”
Annie’s cheeks warm.
“I wanna hear those pretty words leave yo’ mouth instead of just readin’ ’em on a page.”
A blush immediately spreads across her face.
She lowers her lashes before smiling.
“Okay.”
The smile that spreads across Smoke’s face is different from all the others she’s seen. It’s genuine.
Bright.
The corners of his eyes crinkle, golds flashing
And then…She notices them.
Dimples. Deep ones.
Her heart skips so hard she nearly forgets to breathe.
Lord…How he get even finer?
Smoke tilts his head.
“So…”
A playful grin tugs at his lips.
“Can I have yo’ number, Annie?”
She finally looks back up at him.
“Yes, Elijah.”
Hearing his real name on her lips sends a warmth through his chest.
He quickly pulls his Nokia cell phone from his pocket.
“Go ahead.”
Annie softly recites her number.
Smoke types each digit carefully, making sure he doesn’t miss a single one before saving her contact.
He slips the phone back into his pocket. “I’m gon’ call you.”
He points at her with a grin. “So make sure you answer for me.”
Annie smiles. “I will.”
She nods once. “I promise.”
Smoke’s grin widens.
Without thinking too hard about it, he leans in and presses a gentle kiss to her cheek. “Have a good night.”
Annie smiles so hard her cheeks begin to hurt. “You too.”
They finally walk outside together.
Smoke stands near the entrance, watching Annie make her way over to Edward.
The siblings exchange a few quiet words before a car pulls up to the curb. They climb inside.
Before the car pulls away, Annie glances back through the window.
Smoke is still standing there.
Still watching. He lifts one hand.
She smiles and gives him a small wave.
Then the car disappears into the night.
Smoke lets out a slow breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding.
A smile spreads across his face as he looks down at the phone in his hand.
He finally got what he’d been wanting since the day they met.
Her number.
And somehow…
He has a feeling this is only the beginning of something different.
As Tobias walks up beside him, Smoke shakes his head with a quiet laugh.
“What?” Tobias asks.
Smoke slides his phone back into his pocket, still smiling to himself.
“Nothin’.”
But he knows. This has been one of the best nights of his life.
I really tried to squeeze this into two parts. This is why the third part is so short. I’m so mad. 😩😭 Tumblr needs to change this shit. 😂 Mannnnn we used to have a time at Skateland every Friday night. I miss skating real bad.
She simply slides her hands into her jacket pockets.
Then…her fingers brush against folded paper.
She pauses. Confused.
She frowns and slowly pulls it out.
A neatly folded note.
Her heart immediately begins to race.
On the front, written in pretty handwriting, are four simple words.
To You…
From Me…
Annie’s eyes widen.
A smile instantly spreads across her face.
He wrote back. He actually wrote back.
She turns the letter over in her hands.
Wondering…When did he put this in here?
She doesn’t remember seeing him do it.
She laughs softly to herself.
He really found a way.
For a split second she’s tempted to open it right there.
But Melissa and Lindsey are still standing nearby. Watching.
So instead…She carefully folds it back up.
Slides it into her pocket. And rests her hand over it. As if protecting it.
A few moments later, her father’s car pulls into the parking lot.
Annie climbs inside, but the entire ride home she keeps touching her jacket pocket just to make sure the letter is still there.
The moment she gets home, Annie hurries through the front door.
“Good night, Daddy,” she says as she climbs out. “Love you.”
“Love you too.”
She barely waits for him to answer before hurrying inside.
She practically skips upstairs to her bedroom.
She closes the door. Kicks off her shoes. And flops onto her bed.
For a second…
She just stares at the folded paper.
Smiling. Then she carefully opens it. Cologne hits her nose.
The first thing she notices…
Is that it’s written as a poem.
A grin immediately breaks across her face.
“Of course…” She whispers.
She’d written him a poem…
And he’d answered her with one.
Somehow that makes her happier than anything else.
As she reads each line, her smile grows.
He answers her questions.
Tells her little pieces about himself.
Asks a few questions of his own.
The words are thoughtful. Honest.
And beneath the confidence she always saw in him…she catches something else.
Curiosity. The same curiosity she’d been feeling.
By the time she reaches the end, Annie presses the paper against her chest.
She lets out a quiet, happy sigh.
“So… you really are feeling me.”
She laughs softly to herself.
The nervousness she’d been carrying around for days eases just a little.
She wasn’t imagining the looks.
Or the smiles. Or the way he’d watched her.
It was real. He was just as interested in getting to know her as she was him.
Annie carefully folds the poem back along the creases. Then opens her bedside drawer and places it inside like a treasured keepsake.
She turns off her lamp and curls onto her side with a smile she can’t seem to wipe away.
For the first time since meeting Smoke…She isn’t wondering anymore.
Now she knows.
Whatever this thing is between them…
They’re both feeling it.
✏️📚✏️📚✏️📚✏️📚✏️📚✏️📚✏️📚✏️
The next day at lunch, the cafeteria is as loud as ever.
Students crowd every table.
Someone is beating on the lunch table with a fork while someone freestyles. Another group argues over the latest rap album. The smell of pizza, fries, and chicken nuggets hangs in the air.
Annie sits down beside Rhonda, Ebony, and Devin.
She barely gets settled before Rhonda grins. “So…”
Annie already knows where this is going.
“What?”
Rhonda points a fry at her. “Did you talk to Smoke yet?”
Annie smiles to herself. “Not exactly.”
The girls immediately lean in.
“What that mean?” Devin asks.
Instead of answering, Annie reaches into her backpack. She carefully pulls out the folded letter.
Rhonda’s eyes get big. “He wrote you back?”
Annie nods. “He slipped it in my jacket pocket at work.”
“What?!” Ebony says. “Girl!”
“I didn’t even know it was there until I got off.”
Rhonda is practically bouncing in her seat. “Lemme see!”
Annie hesitates. “Don’t laugh.”
“I ain’t gon’ laugh.”
“You promise?”
“I promise.”
Annie hands her the letter.
Rhonda unfolds it carefully. “Ohhh…”
“He got nice handwriting.”
She clears her throat dramatically.
“Ahem.”
The girls laugh.
“Girl, just read it!”
Rhonda starts reading.
As she reads each line, the girls get quieter.
The teasing disappears.
By the time she reaches the end, every one of them is smiling.
Rhonda slowly folds the paper back up. Then looks at Annie. “Oh… he like you.”
“I told you!” Devin blurts out.
Rhonda grabs Annie’s arm.
“Girl, this is so cute.”
Annie blushes. “You think so?”
“Think so?”
Rhonda shakes her head.
“He didn’t just write you back…” “He wrote you a whole poem.”
“And he answered your questions,” Ebony adds. “He actually read what you wrote.”
Devin nods. “He ain’t just trying to flirt. He really trying to get to know you. He said you beautiful.”
Annie smiles down at the letter. “I liked that part too.”
Rhonda nudges her shoulder. “He matching your energy.”
“He really is,” Ebony says. “And that’s rare.”
“No games. No corny pickup lines.”
“He actually put thought into this.”
Annie carefully smooths the folded paper with her fingertips. “I was so happy when I read it.”
“You better be,” Rhonda says. “So…”
Annie looks up. “So what?”
“You writing him back.”
Annie smiles nervously. “I don’t know what to say.”
Devin laughs. “Girl, yes you do. You been writing since forever.”
“You on the newspaper. You write poetry. If anybody can write a letter back, it’s you.”
Ebony nods. “Tell him about yourself this time.”
Rhonda grins. “And ask him some more questions.”
Devin adds “Keep it going.”
Annie laughs softly. “I guess I could.”
Rhonda points at her. “Not ‘could. You will.”
The girls laugh.
Annie shakes her head. “Okay.” She smiles. “I’ll write him back.”
“There she go!” Rhonda says, clapping her hands once. “I knew you would.”
Annie carefully folds the letter back along the same creases Smoke made and slides it safely into her backpack.
Her fingers linger on it for just a second.
She can’t remember the last time someone made her this excited to write.
And somehow…She has a feeling this won’t be the last letter they exchange.
♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️
That evening, Annie is stretched across her bed with her notebook open in front of her.
The bedside lamp casts a soft golden glow over the room while a gentle breeze drifts through the cracked window. The sounds of her younger siblings arguing downstairs fade into the background.
She stares at the blank page.
Chewing on the end of her gel pen.
Thinking. Erasing. Thinking again.
A knock sounds on her bedroom door.
Before she can answer, Edward pushes it open.
He peeks his head inside. “What you doing?”
Annie quickly throws her hand over the page. “Nothing.”
Edward laughs. “Girl, please.”
He walks over and flops across the foot of her bed. “You only hide stuff when it’s juicy.”
Annie smiles. “It ain’t juicy.”
“Mhmm.”
Edward reaches for the notebook.
Annie snatches it away. “No.”
His eyebrows shoot up. “Ooooh.”
He grins. “Who we writing?”
Annie sighs dramatically. “Smoke.”
Edward’s entire face lights up. “My boy!”
Annie throws a pillow at him. “He is not yo boy.”
Edward catches it, laughing. “He wrote you back?”
Annie nods. “He did.”
“And?”
“And…”
She smiles without meaning to. “It was really sweet.”
Edward notices immediately. “There go that smile.”
“What smile?”
“The one you get every time you mention him.”
Annie rolls her eyes. .”I do not.”
“You do.”
She laughs and finally hands him Smoke’s letter. Edward sits up against the headboard and reads quietly.
Every now and then he nods. “Mmm.”
By the time he reaches the end, he’s smiling too. “I like him.”
Annie raises an eyebrow. “You don’t even know him.”
“I know enough.”
He taps the letter. “He paid attention.”
“What you mean?”
“He answered your questions.” Edward looks at her. “He listened.”
Annie smiles softly. “I noticed that too.”
He hands the letter back. “So…”
“You writing him?”
Annie nods. “I’m trying.”
“What’s wrong?”
“I don’t know what to say.”
Edward laughs. “Since when?”
“I’m serious.”
She taps her pen against the notebook.
“I don’t wanna sound corny.”
“You won’t.”
“I don’t wanna scare him off.”
Edward looks at her for a second.
Then smiles. “Annie.”
“What?”
“Just be you.”
She sighs. “What if that’s not enough?”
Edward reaches over and bumps her shoulder. “If he likes your mind enough to write a poem back to you.” He shrugs. “…then let him get to know you. Answer his questions.”
Annie sits quietly.
Because… That actually makes sense.
Edward nods toward the notebook. “Don’t try to impress him. Talk to him. As if you’re on the phone. The same way you talk to me.”
Annie smiles. “I guess.”
“Nah. I know.”
She laughs. Okay, Mr. Editor.”
Edward grins dramatically.
“Thank you.”
“I accept that title.”
Annie finally puts her pen to the paper.
She writes for a few moments.
Then stops.
“What if I tell him too much?”
Edward shakes his head. “Tell him enough that he wants another letter.”
She looks over.
“Not enough that he knows everything.”
Annie laughs. “So keep him curious?”
Edward points at her. .”Exactly.”
She nods slowly.
“I like that.”
The room grows quiet except for the scratching of Annie’s pen across the paper.
Every so often she reads a sentence out loud.
Edward makes a face.
“Nah.”
She crosses it out.
“What about this?”
He nods. “Better.”
A few more minutes pass.
Annie leans back and smiles at what she’s written.
“I think I got it.”
Edward reaches over and ruffles her hair.
“I knew you would.”
She smiles up at him.
“Thanks, Ed.”
“For what?”
“For always helping me.”
Edward shrugs like it’s no big deal.
“That’s what big brothers do.”
Annie laughs.
“You younger than me fool.”
Edward gasps dramatically. “And? I’m still yo big brother.”
She shakes her head. “You so extra.”
“I know.”
He stands and heads toward the door.
Just before he leaves, he turns back around. “Oh…”
“What?”
“When y’all get married…”
Annie’s eyes get huge. “Edward!”
“…I better be in the wedding.”
She throws another pillow.
He ducks out of the room laughing. “I’M SERIOUS!”
Annie laughs until her stomach hurts.
Then she looks back down at the letter she’s writing.
For the first time since putting pen to paper tonight…The words come easily.
🦀🦞🦀🦞🦀🦞🦀🦞🦀🦞🦀🦞🦀🦞🦀🦞
Wednesday arrives.
Annie gets to work a little early.
The evening air is cool as she steps out of her dad’s car with her purse over one shoulder and the folded letter tucked safely inside. Her stomach flutters the closer she gets to the employee parking lot.
She spots Smoke’s truck immediately.
A smile tugs at her lips.
She glances around to make sure nobody is watching.
The parking lot is quiet except for a few employees making their way inside.
Taking a deep breath, Annie walks over to his truck. Her hands feel clammy.
She carefully slides the folded letter beneath the driver’s side windshield wiper.
She presses it down just enough so the wind won’t carry it away. For a second, she just stands there. Smiling. “Please don’t think it’s corny,” she whispers to herself.
Then she hurries inside before anyone sees her.
The shift flies by. The dinner rush comes and goes. Just like always, Annie and Smoke steal quiet glances whenever their paths cross. Neither of them says much.
They don’t have to. Somehow…The looks have become their own little conversation.
By the end of the night, Smoke grabs his keys and heads toward the parking lot.
He’s halfway to his truck when something white catches his eye beneath the windshield wiper. His steps slow.
Then a grin spreads across his face before he can stop it. Another letter.
From Annie. He shakes his head. “Damn…”
He carefully pulls it free. Just holding it makes him smile.
She wrote back. He slips it safely into his pocket instead of opening it right there.
He wants to take his time with this one.
Later that night, Smoke is sitting on the in his bed. The house is quiet.
The television is on, but muted.
A blunt burns slowly in the ashtray beside him, forgotten.
His attention is somewhere else.
He unfolds Annie’s letter carefully, smoothing out every crease.
Then he begins to read.
Dear Elijah, 09/20/2004
You asked me questions, so here’s my reply,
I hope these words satisfy your curious eye.
I’m eighteen years old from Kansas City’s south side,
Still trying to figure out life and how to ride this ride.
You asked about dreams and what I hope to pursue,
Mine is becoming a writer… but I’ll save the details for you.
Some mysteries are better when they’re uncovered slow,
So you’ll have to keep writing if you really wanna know.
When work isn’t calling or school’s got a hold,
You’ll find me at games when the weather gets cold.
Football on Fridays, basketball too,
I’m loud in the stands when I’m cheering them through.
You asked what makes me laugh.
That’s easy to say.
People with humor who can brighten my day.
Life gets so heavy, so laughter’s a gift,
The right joke at the right time can give me a lift.
You asked what makes me cry.
That answer runs deep.
Sometimes I carry more than I should keep.
Like the weight of the world rests square on my back,
And no matter how hard I push… I feel like I’m losing track.
You asked how I’m loved, what speaks to my heart.
I’d say gentle touches are where feelings start.
Holding my hand, pulling me near,
And words that remind me somebody is here.
A simple “I’m proud,” or “ Are you doing okay,”
Can brighten a dark and overwhelming day.
Now here’s my confession…
And yes, it’s true.
I’ve never met somebody quite like you.
I’ve never really talked to an older man
So please be patient with me if you can.
You make me nervous.
I won’t even lie.
Every time you look at me, I forget how to try.
I wanna flirt back.
I really do.
But then I catch those sleepy brown eyes looking right through.
So if I look away, please don’t think I don’t care.
Truth is…
You’re just so damn fine that I forget how to stare.
I hope you’re different from the one in my past.
His promises faded… they just didn’t last.
He wasn’t good to me, that much is true,
So I guess I’m hoping for something different in you.
Your actions seem to match up with the words that you write.
That alone makes my heart feel a little more light.
So here’s my answer, honest and true.
You asked if I got feelings for you…Hell yeah I do.
Sincerely~
Annie
The room is still oddly quiet
She really answered every question.
Honestly. Without pretending to be somebody she wasn’t.
He smiles at her telling him she’s eighteen and from the south side. He really can’t believe she’s only eighteen. He’s never talked to someone who was still in high school. The thought kind of scares him. But then again age is a state of mind to Smoke, as long as she was the legal age of consent then Smoke was still interested. She was definitely mature, he liked that most about her.
He smiles even bigger when she tells him she dreams of becoming a writer.
He read that part twice. A dream. She has a dream. Something she’s chasing.
Something bigger than where she is now. He likes that. No…He loves that.
Too many people drift through life with no direction. But Annie? She has purpose.
She just isn’t ready to share all of it yet. And strangely…He likes that too.
It makes him want to earn the rest of her story.
He rereads the letter. She likes Football games. Basketball games. Her love of laughter. He chuckles when she admits she likes people with a sense of humor.
“Good,” he thinks. “I can make you laugh.”
Then he rereads the part about what makes her cry.
His smile slowly fades.
“Sometimes I carry more than I should keep… Like the weight of the world rests square on my back…”
Smoke stops reading.
His eyes stay on those lines for a long moment.
He leans back against the headboard and exhales slowly. “So that’s why…”
Now he understands. There’s something behind those eyes. Behind that sweet smile. He’d noticed it before but couldn’t quite place it. She always looked like she was thinking about something. Like she carried responsibilities most eighteen-year-olds didn’t.
Reading those words…he feels something tighten in his chest.
He hates that she feels that way.
He doesn’t even know everything she’s dealing with.
But somehow…He wishes he could take some of that weight off her shoulders.
He shakes his head. “You don’t even know this girl.”
Maybe not. But every letter makes him feel like he knows her a little more.
And every answer somehow makes him want to open up too. He keeps reading. Then he gets to the part where she calls him fine.
Smoke laughs quietly to himself.
“So that’s why you keep looking away…”
He remembers every time she’d dropped her eyes when he caught her staring.
At one point he’d wondered if she wasn’t interested. Now he really knows better.
He reaches the end.
“You asked if I have feelings for you… hell yeah I do.”
Smoke reads that line twice. Then a third time. He folds the letter carefully and rests it in his lap.
For the first time in a long time…
He isn’t thinking about who he’s going to call. Or where he’s going this weekend.
Or what business needs handling tomorrow.
He’s thinking about a girl who writes poetry. A girl with big beautiful brown eyes. A girl with dreams bigger than the neighborhood she grew up in.
A girl who feels the weight of the world…Yet still finds room to smile.
Smoke looks down at the folded letter and grins to himself.
“I definitely gotta write yo ass back.”
And for the first time since they started exchanging letters…
He isn’t just curious about Annie anymore. He’s becoming invested in her.
✏️📚✏️📚✏️📚✏️📚✏️📚✏️📚✏️📚✏️📚
Thursday Afternoon…
Gym class is finally winding down.
The squeak of sneakers echoes across the hardwood floor as students finish their laps around the gym. A few boys are still playing basketball while others sit against the wall trying to catch their breath.
Annie and Rhonda collapse onto the bleachers, breathing hard after running.
Annie wipes the sweat from her forehead with the bottom of her T-shirt.
Rhonda fans herself dramatically. “I’m tired as hell.”
Annie laughs. “You always tired.”
“Because Coach be trying to kill us.”
They both laugh.
After catching her breath, Rhonda nudges Annie with her shoulder.
“Aye.”
“What?”
“Let’s go to Skateland tomorrow night.”
Annie looks over but stays silent.
“You off, ain’t you?”
She nods. “Yeah.”
A smile spreads across her face.
She loved Skateland. Ever since she was little, Saturday Gospel Skate had been her favorite. As long as she’d finished her chores, helped cook, and made sure her younger siblings were taken care of, her parents would let her go. Now that she was older, they’d even started letting her go on Friday nights.
R&B Night. Seven to eleven. Her favorite. The whole city showed up.
Good music. Good skating. Good vibes.
Best of all…Hardly any drama.
“I’ll go.”
Rhonda squeals. “Yesssss!”
She claps her hands together.
“We finna have so much fun.”
Then she smirks. “So…”
Annie already knows. “What?”
“Did you give Smoke his letter yet?”
Annie smiles to herself. “Yeah, girl.”
Rhonda immediately bumps her shoulder. “Ooooh. Look at you making progress.”
Annie laughs.
Rhonda keeps smiling. “I can’t wait till y’all start talking on the phone.”
Annie shakes her head. “You more excited than me.”
“I am.”
Rhonda laughs. “I need updates.”
Annie rolls her eyes. “You so damn nosey.”
“I know.”
She grins. “Now make me proud.”
Annie starts laughing.
“What does that even mean?”
“You know exactly what it mean.”
The two look at each other.
Then busts into laughter.
🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃
Down in the city…
Smoke is behind the wheel of his truck.
He’s been making stops all afternoon.
Handling business. Checking in with clients. Running from one side of Kansas City to the other.
His cell phone rings. He glances down. Tobias.
Smoke answers. “Yo.”
“What’s poppin’?”
“Shit.”
Smoke turns onto another street.
“Makin’ a mad dash.”
“I feel you.”
A brief pause. “Aye… Ain’t you off tomorrow?”
“Yeah.” Smoke raises an eyebrow. “Why?”
“Let’s hit Skateland.”
Smoke smiles to himself.
“You ain’t came with me in a minute.”
He thinks about it. It had been a while.
Back then…Friday nights were automatic. Him. Stack. Tobias.
All three of them could skate.
Not just skate…They floated.
Spins. Crossovers. Backwards.
People used to clear the floor just to watch them.
Lately, though…Life had gotten in the way. Work. Business. The hustle.
He hadn’t made time for much else.
Smoke nods to himself.
“Bet. I’m down.”
Tobias laughs. “I knew yo ass wasn’t gon’ say no.”
“Aight.”
“See you tomorrow.”
Smoke hangs up with a small smile.
Maybe it’d be good to get out for once.
🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃
Later that evening…
Annie walks into the living room.
Her mom and dad are stretched out on the couch watching American Idol.
The television is turned up loud enough for everyone in the house to hear.
Simon Cowell is in the middle of critiquing somebody.
“Hey.”
Her mom looks over first. “Hey, baby.”
Her dad keeps his eyes on the television.
“Hello.”
Annie rocks back and forth on her heels. “Daddy…”
“Hmm?”
“Can I go to Skateland tomorrow?”
Before he can answer, her mother speaks. “Me and your daddy got plans tomorrow.”
Annie’s face falls. “But, Mama…”
She walks a little closer. “Mario or Tyree can watch them. They watch them too.”
Her mother sighs. “I know.”
“But I trust you more than them.”
Annie lets out a frustrated breath.
“Mama…” She shakes her head. “I don’t wanna spend my whole life in this house.”
Her mother looks at her. “Don’t do that. We let you go skating a lot.”
“I know. But I ain’t been in a while.”
She folds her arms. “I feel like I’m the one with kids.”
Her mother raises an eyebrow. “Annie.”
“What?”
“Why must you insist on going back and forth with me?”
Annie softens her voice. “But Mama…”
Before she can keep pleading—
Her father speaks. “She can go.”
The room goes quiet.
Her mother turns toward him. “What?”
He finally looks away from the television. “She’s right.”
He nods toward the hallway where the boys’ room is. “Mario and Tyree are old enough. They can watch the twins. It’s their turn.”
Her mother studies him for a second.
Then sighs. “I guess.”
Annie’s entire face lights up. “Really?!”
Her father nods. “Yeah.”
He smiles. “Just take Edward with you.”
“I will!”
Before he can say anything else, Annie leans down and kisses him on the cheek.
“Thank you, Daddy.”
He chuckles.’”You welcome, sweetheart.”
Annie practically skips out of the living room.
The second she’s gone, her mother looks at her husband. “You always give in to her.”
He smiles without looking away from the television. “No.” He shakes his head. “I just think she deserves to be eighteen every once in a while.”
Tobias points at him. “You done analyzed every smile this girl gave you.”
Smoke starts laughing. “Nah I haven’t”
“You have.”
Smoke shakes his head.
Tobias keeps going. “Usually you already know what it is.”
Because he did. Women had always been easy. Most of the girls from his neighborhood were straightforward. If they liked you…You knew.
They flirted. They called. They pulled up.
Some damn near told you outright.
It had always come easy. Too easy.
He never really had to pursue. Never had to wonder. Never had to question whether a woman wanted him.
Yet here he was. Thinking about one girl.
A girl he’d barely spoken to.
A girl who smiled at him like she liked him.
Looked at him like she liked him.
Got nervous around him. Yet still hadn’t called.
And for some reason…
That shit had him completely thrown off.
“I don’t know what the next move is.”
The words come out before he can stop them.
Tobias just stares. Then busts out laughing.
Smoke frowns. “ Nigga What’s funny?”
“You.”
“How?”
“This nigga said he don’t know the next move.”
Tobias laughs even harder. “I ain’t never heard you say no shit like this.”
“Man, shut the fuck up.”
“Nah.” He wipes his eyes. “You really don’t know what to do.”
Smoke doesn’t answer.
Because…He really doesn’t.
Tobias settles down.
Then shrugs.”Maybe she shy.”
Smoke thinks about it.
The way she’d looked away.
The way she’d gotten flustered.
The way she could barely get a sentence out around him.
“Or maybe she really scared.”
“Scared of what?”
“You.”
Smoke snorts. “Maybe.”
“I’m serious.”
He points at him. “You don’t know what you look like?”
Smoke laughs. “Shut up.”
“Nigga, you wear baggy clothes, got golds in yo mouth, money, jewelry, and you be starin’ at her. You look like a thug ass nigga from the city and she from out south.”
“I don’t be starin”
“You really do.”
Smoke starts laughing.
“You be lookin’ at that girl like she the only person in the room.” He pauses. “I’d be nervous too.”
Smoke goes quiet.
Because…he does stare and maybe he does come off intimidating.
The room gets silent.
Finally Tobias grins. “Give it another day.”
Smoke looks at him. “If she don’t call…”
He shrugs. “Then talk to her at work.”
Smoke thinks about that.
Then slowly nods. Because he’s tired of wondering.
And one thing he knows for sure…
He definitely wants to know Annie.
🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃
Later that night, Annie is stretched across her bed on her stomach.
The overhead light is off.
Only her bedside lamp is on, casting a warm glow across her room.
A soft breeze slips through her cracked window, causing the curtains to sway gently. The house is quiet. Everyone is either asleep or winding down for the night.
Annie twirls a pen between her fingers.
Then taps it against her chin.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Her notebook lies open in front of her.
At the top of the page she’s already written:
Dear Elijah,
She smiles. It still feels strange calling him that.
Elijah. Not Smoke.
Her eyes drift to the hundred-dollar bill tucked safely inside her notebook.
She still can’t believe he gave her money. For the second time.
She runs her fingers across the paper. Thinking.
About his style. His sleepy eyes. His voice.
Next time, try the cinnamon.
Her stomach does that little flip again.
Annie flops her head onto her folded arms and groans into her pillow.
Why does he make her so nervous? She doesn’t even know this man.
Barely knows anything about him. But she wants to.
Annie has always loved words. Loved writing.
She writes when she’s happy. Writes when she’s sad.
Writes when she’s confused.
Being on the school newspaper only made her love it more.
One day she wants to go to college for journalism.
Maybe become an editor for a magazine.
Or a newspaper. Something where she can tell stories.
Something where she can write.
And right now… She has a story sitting in her thoughts.
A man with sleepy brown eyes and golds in his mouth.
She taps her pen against her chin again.
Then suddenly smiles.
A poem. That’s what she’ll write.
She sits up a little and begins scribbling.
The words flow easier than she thought they would.
Dear Elijah, 09/18/2004
I’m writing this because I’m intrigued.
Beneath that tough exterior, what’s on the interior?
I always notice how you move with purpose and precision,
So tell me, what you want with me, tell me what’s your vision?
Tell me what moves you.
Tell me what soothes you.
Tell me where you’ve been and how far you want to go.
And tell me if you’re genuine or just putting on a show.
Are you really serious, or do you tend to play games?
And can you tell me the meaning behind your nickname?
What’s your motive? Why do you always stare?
And why do you give me things? Is that your way of showing that you care?
Tell me your age.
Tell me what brings you joy and what sends you into a rage.
And if I asked, would you lay your heart out on a page?
Don’t judge me… you make me feel shy.
I just need to know—
Are you really feeling me?
And if you are…
Why?
Sincerely~ Me
🌇🌇🌇🌇🌇🌇🌇🌇🌇🌇🌇🌇🌇🌇
The next day at work…
Smoke is restless. He knows exactly why.
The first thing he does after clocking in is walk over to the bulletin board to check the schedule.
He tells himself he’s making sure the kitchen is staffed properly.
But he knows better.
His eyes automatically search for one name. Annie. There it is.
She’s working tonight.
A strange mix of relief and anxiety settles in his chest.
He hasn’t seen her since Saturday. She never called.
That bothers him more than he’d like to admit.
He’d replayed that day in his head more times than he cared to count, trying to figure out what he’d done wrong.
Maybe he came on too strong.
Maybe she wasn’t interested after all.
Maybe she lost his number.
Hell… maybe she was avoiding him.
He doesn’t know.
He just knows he needs to figure out what’s going on.
The problem is… He has no idea what he’s going to say.
Outside, Annie pulls up to the bus stop.
She exhales as she gets off the bus.
The folded poem she’d written to Smoke rests in her pocket. She didn’t get a chance to stop home after school. Newspaper staff had stayed late finishing the next issue.
Now she’s rushing straight to work.
Her heart pounds against her ribs as she walks over to Smoke’s truck.
The parking lot is quiet.
She glances around to make sure no one is looking.
Then carefully slides the folded letter beneath his windshield wiper on the driver’s side.
She lingers for just a second. Thinking
I hope you read it.
Then she quickly turns and heads inside before she can lose her nerve.
The kitchen is alive with its usual rhythm.
Knives chopping. Fryers bubbling.
The steady hiss of food hitting the grill.
Servers weaving in and out with trays.
Smoke is plating an order when he feels it.
The atmosphere shifts.
He can’t explain it. He just…Feels her.
His hands pause for half a second.
He slowly looks up.
Annie has just stepped through the back door.
She quietly walks over to the employee hooks and hangs up her jacket.
Smoke’s eyes immediately find her. His chest tightens.
She looks exactly the way she always does. Pretty. Calm. Focused.
Like she belongs wherever she stands.
Annie can feel someone watching her.
She already knows who it is.
The tiny hairs on the back of her neck stand up.
Her stomach flutters. She slowly turns around.
Their eyes meet. Just for a second.
Smoke immediately looks away and pretends to wipe down the counter.
Annie lowers her eyes too. Neither one of them says a word.
She simply grabs her server book and heads back onto the floor.
Smoke watches her disappear through the swinging doors.
She still ain’t tried talked to me.
Nearly two hours pass. Business is unusually slow.
The few times Annie comes back into the kitchen to grab drinks or pick up food…Their eyes keep finding each other. Quick glances.
Neither one willing to hold eye contact for too long.
It’s almost like they’re daring each other to say something.
But neither of them does.
Out on the floor…Annie’s phone vibrates. Mama. She sighs.
She glances around before slipping into the Cove.
The large banquet room is empty tonight.
Rows of neatly arranged tables sit quietly beneath the dim lights.
The room echoes just enough to make every word feel louder.
She answers. “Hey, Mama.”
Smoke, meanwhile, has no tickets on the line.
He wipes his station down before deciding to step out onto the floor.
He hasn’t seen Annie in a while.
A thought creeps into his head.
She avoiding me?
He checks the dining room. Nothing.
Then he heads toward the Cove.
As he reaches the entrance, he hears Annie’s voice.
He instinctively stops.
She’s facing away from him, too focused on the conversation to notice he’s there.
“I didn’t have time to stop home, Mama. I had newspaper today.”
Smoke hears only Annie’s side.
Her shoulders slowly tense.
“Mama… why can’t Tyree or Mario cook?”
Another pause. “It’s time they learn. They’re twelve and fourteen. They’re old enough. Me and Ed were cooking at eight and ten years old.”
Her voice grows quieter. “I’m not gonna always be around anymore.”
Smoke’s brows slowly knit together.
“I know they’re my siblings…”
She closes her eyes. “…but me and Ed have to have a life too.”
Her voice cracks just slightly. “I’ve done enough.”
She pinches the bridge of her nose. “I had to come to work.”
Another long silence.
“…Fine.”
She exhales. “I’ll talk to Daddy about it.”
The call ends.
Smoke quietly backs away before she can turn around.
He slips back into the kitchen unnoticed.
As he returns to the line, her words replay in his head. They’re your kids… not mine.
He understands that feeling more than most.
Being forced to grow up too soon.
Feeling responsible for people you didn’t bring into the world.
Having to sacrifice pieces of your own childhood because somebody else couldn’t carry their weight.
He knows that burden. He lived it.
His mind starts putting pieces together.
She mentioned newspaper.
Is she still in high school?
He frowns. She’d have to be.
You had to be eighteen to work at Red Lobster.
Which meant…She was probably a senior.
That surprises him. Not because of her age…
But because of how she carries herself.
She speaks with maturity. Works hard.
Handles herself like someone much older.
Now he’s even more intrigued.
And unexpectedly…Protective.
The swinging kitchen doors burst open.
Annie pushes through harder than she intended.
The frustration from the phone call still clings to her. Her jaw is tight.
Her brows drawn together. She’s trying not to cry.
Smoke looks up immediately.
He’s never seen that expression on her face before. His chest aches.
Without saying a word, Annie walks over to the drink station.
The ice bin rattles open.
She grabs a cup harder than necessary.
The scoop scrapes against the ice.
Crunch. Ice tumbles into the cup.
She reaches for the soda nozzle.
Smoke watches for another second.
Then makes a decision.
He walks around the line and steps into the narrow galley beside her.
The space is small.
Annie smells him before she looks at him.
His clean cologne drifts toward her.
Warm. Woodsy. Comforting.
She instinctively turns her head just a little.
Smoke grabs an empty cup.
The metal scoop digs into the ice.
The sound echoes softly between them.
Neither one says anything at first.
They’re standing so close their shoulders are only inches apart.
Smoke glances sideways.
Annie keeps her eyes on her drink.
Finally…
He breaks the silence. “You okay?”
His voice is low. Gentle.
The sound sends an unexpected chill down Annie’s spine.
She blinks. Looks around.
Surely…He isn’t talking to her.
Smoke chuckles quietly. “Yeah.”
He smiles just a little. “I’m talkin’ to you.”
Annie finally looks up.
Their eyes meet.
She wonders how he knew.
How he saw through the smile she’d been wearing all night.
She forces a small nod. “Mm-hmm.”
A moment passes. “I’m okay.”
Smoke studies her for just a second longer.
He knows she’s lying.
But he also knows she doesn’t know him well enough to tell him the truth.
So he doesn’t press.
Instead, he says softly, “You not.”
Another pause. “And it’s okay.”
His eyes stay on hers.
“Just know this too shall pass.”
Annie freezes.
Nobody has said anything that kind to her in a long time.
Her throat tightens…. “Thank you.”
Smoke nods once.
He fills his cup the rest of the way.
Then quietly steps around her.
He heads back toward the line.
He wanted to ask why she never called.
He wanted to know where they stood.
But after overhearing that phone call…
None of it seemed important anymore.
Right now…She looked like she was carrying enough.
The end of the shift finally rolls around.
Smoke clocks out, says goodbye to a few coworkers, and heads toward the parking lot.
The night air is cool, carrying the scent of rain from somewhere in the distance.
He unlocks his truck and climbs inside.
The engine rumbles to life.
Just as he’s about to pull away, something catches his eye.
His brows knit together.
A folded piece of paper is tucked beneath his driver’s side windshield wiper.
His hand freezes on the gearshift.
“…The hell?”
He cuts the truck back off.
Nobody leaves notes on people’s vehicles. Not unless they wanted to.
He climbs back out, instinctively scanning the parking lot.
A few employees are still walking to their cars.
Others are already pulling away.
Nothing seems out of the ordinary.
Slowly, he reaches beneath the windshield wiper and pulls the paper free. It’s folded neatly.
On the front, written in careful handwriting, are four simple words.
To Smoke…
From Me.
Smoke stares at it.
His mind immediately starts racing.
From me?
Who the hell…He turns the note over in his hands. No other name.
No clue. Just…From Me.
He climbs back into his truck, closes the door, and rests the folded paper on the steering wheel.
For a second, he’s tempted to open it right there.
His fingers even start unfolding the edge.
Then he stops himself. “Nah.”
He folds it back up.
Whatever it is…He wants to read it somewhere quiet.
He tucks it carefully into his center console and pulls out of the parking lot.
The entire drive home… his mind refuses to let it go.
Who wrote it? His first thought is Annie. Then he immediately talks himself out of it.
She got my number.
If she wanted to talk to me…Why wouldn’t she just call?
He drums his fingers against the steering wheel.
Then another possibility crosses his mind.
One of them other girls. He’d noticed the whispers. The lingering stares.
The way a couple of the servers giggled whenever he walked by.
They weren’t exactly subtle. He never entertained it.
Never encouraged it. But he wasn’t blind either.
Maybe one of them worked up enough courage to leave a note instead.
Still…That didn’t feel right.
Those girls weren’t shy. If anything, they were bold.
The type to walk right up to him.
The type to flirt out loud.
Not leave anonymous letters.
His thoughts drift back to Annie.
She was different. Quiet. Reserved.
Almost painfully shy.
The kind of person who looked away whenever their eyes met.
The kind who smiled softly instead of loudly. The kind who seemed like she’d rather write something than say it.
Smoke grips the steering wheel a little tighter. Please let it be her.
The thought catches him off guard.
He lets out a quiet laugh. “Damn…”
He shakes his head.
He ain’t never felt like this before.
He’s never cared enough to actually pursue a woman.
Never sat around hoping somebody wrote him a letter.
Never spent an entire drive home thinking about one person.
Yet here he is…Doing exactly that.
When he finally pulls into the parking lot, the anticipation only grows stronger.
His truck idles for a moment before he shuts it off.
The folded letter is still sitting safely in the console. Waiting.
He grabs it before heading inside. His house is quiet.
He tosses his keys on the counter.
Takes a quick shower.
Changes into a T-shirt and basketball shorts.
But even then…His eyes keep drifting toward the folded paper lying on the kitchen table.
Finally…He sits down.
The house is silent except for the ticking clock on the wall.
He picks up the letter.
His heartbeat quickens.
Slowly…He unfolds it.
The faint scent of perfume rises from the paper.
Smoke pauses.
His eyes close for just a second.
He recognizes it immediately.
The same soft scent he’d caught every time Annie walked past him.
His stomach flips. He starts reading.
The first few lines pull him in immediately.
Then he reaches—why do you just stare?
A slow smile begins forming.
Then…
Why do you give me things? Is that how you show you care?
Smoke chuckles under his breath.
“Yeah…”
Now he knows. Without a doubt.
It’s Annie. She’s the only one he ever catches himself staring at.
The only one he’s bought anything for.
The only woman at that restaurant who’s been occupying his thoughts day and night.
By the time he reaches the end of the letter, the smile on his face is impossible to hide. A real smile. One that almost never appears.
He leans back in his chair. Relief washes over him.
All weekend he’d been driving himself crazy. Wondering why she hadn’t called. Wondering if she’d changed her mind. Wondering if he’d imagined the connection between them.
Now he finally understands.
She hadn’t ignored him. She was just…Shy.
Really shy. Probably the shyest woman he’d ever met.
His eyes drift back to the top of the page.
He reads the first few lines again.
This wasn’t just a note.
She’d written him a whole damn poem.
Smoke smiles and slowly shakes his head.
“That’s cute as hell.”
Of all the ways she could’ve responded…
She sat down and wrote. She actually took her time.
Thought about every question. Made it rhyme.
He runs his thumb lightly across the paper.
He can almost picture her sitting somewhere with her notebook, tapping her pen while she searched for the right words.
The thought makes him smile even wider.
He’d never met a woman like her.
Most women would’ve just picked up the phone and called.
Or flirted across the room.
Annie wrote poetry. And somehow…That fit her perfectly.
It was thoughtful. Intentional. Quiet. Just like her.
“I’m gon’ have to work.” He mumbles
The realization doesn’t discourage him. If anything…It excites him.
She’s worth getting to know.
Worth being patient with. Worth earning.
He looks down at her letter one more time.
Carefully folds it back along the creases. Then stands up.
He walks into his bedroom and rummages through a dresser drawer until he finds a spiral notebook and a pen.
He stares at the blank page.
Shakes his head with a grin. “Damn…” “I ain’t wrote a letter since school.”
And even then…It had been few and far between.
He sits down anyway. Clicks the pen.
Thinks about Annie. Then begins to write.
Pretty Eyes, 09-19-04
Let me start by sayin’, at first I was a lil’ concerned.
But now I see that you the type of woman who likes to be earned.
I ain’t gon’ lie…you had a nigga second guessin’,
But now I see I’m learnin’ a valuable lesson.
That everything happen when it’s supposed to, in due time.
Maybe that’s partially why I can’t get you off my mind.
The reason I stare at you?
‘Cause I damn sure ain’t blind.
Don’t tell me that you don’t even know that you a dime?
Matter fact…
I don’t think you realize just how beautiful you are.
A woman like you don’t come around often. You more like a shootin’ star.
You asked why I give you things.
Truth is… that’s just me.
It’s who I’ve always been,
And who I’m always gon’ be.
You asked if I’m serious.
Shit, Pretty Eyes… you damn right.
Cause you the one who’s been keepin’ me awake at night.
That smile of yours shine extra bright.
And I’d be lyin’ if I said yo shape wasn’t just right.
I gotta admit…
I ain’t never really had to put up a fight.
Usually women make it easy for me, make me wanna take flight.
But you?
You different.
And to be honest…I kinda like this shit.
Got me kinda scared to ask you is this really legit?
Cause this shit all new to me.
And every time you step into my line of sight, You don’t even know what you do to me.
Got a nigga sweatin’. Got me feelin’ real nervous.
Hell…Now you got me sittin’ down tryna write some verses.
You wanted to know my age?
Well shit, I’m twenty two.
And hell yeah…
I’m low key feelin’ you.
What? you can’t tell?
I really think you fly as hell.
I’m tryna get to know you better.
That’s exactly why I took the time
to respond to yo letter.
You asked what moves me.
Truthfully?
A man like me gon’ always chase a dollar.
I grew up knowin’ if you wanted more,
You had to work harder.
What makes me happy?
Standin’ somewhere in a kitchen.
And maybe…If I can get this fine ass shorty named Annie to finally listen.
Now what make me mad?
Disrespect. Fake love. Niggas movin’ funny.
Life too short for all that.
I’d rather stay focused and get this money.
As for the meaning behind my nickname…
I ain’t really ready to share.
But if you quit playin’ wit me…
Maybe one day…We’ll get there.
You wanna know why I’m feeling you?
I’d rather tell you that face to face.
And whenever you ready just name the time and the place.
Now it’s my turn.
I got a few questions too.
Let’s see if you really gon’ answer…
Or is you gon’ act brand new.
You ever talked to a nigga like me…
Or am I the first?
Do you expect me to be better…
Or somehow end up worse?
Tell me yo age. Tell me yo location
Tell me the type of shit that gives you motivation.
Tell me what keeps you goin’ When life become too much.
Tell me if you like words of affirmation better or do you like physical touch?
What you like to do when you ain’t at work?
Tell me…When you look at me like that… Is you tryna flirt?
What’s yo hopes? What’s yo dream?
Do you talk just to talk?
Or do you say what you mean?
What makes you laugh?
What makes you cry?
And tell me somethin’…
Why do I make you so shy?
Are you feelin me too? And If you are..
Why?
I’ll be waitin’ on yo next letter.
—Smoke
The next afternoon, Smoke pulls into Stack’s driveway..
The bass from his truck fades as he cuts the engine.
Before he can even make it to the porch, the front door swings open “There go this nigga.”
Stack smirks, leaning against the doorframe. “Took you long enough.”
Smoke shrugs. “I been movin’.”
“Ain’t you always?”
Smoke chuckles as they dap each other up before heading inside.
Stack tosses Smoke a bottled water.
Stack drops onto the chair, tv on ESPN.
He glances over. “Sup nigga.”
Smoke chuckles. “What’s good?”
“What you been on?”
“Work.”
“That’s it?”
Smoke twists the cap off. “Pretty much.”
Stack studies him for a second.
Then a grin slowly spreads across his face.
“So…”
Smoke already knows what’s coming.
“So what?”
“Who is she?”
Smoke takes a sip of water. “Who?”
“The girl.”
“What girl?”
“The one you been chasing.”
“I ain’t chasing nobody.”
Stack laughs. “Tobias already told me.”
Smoke cuts his eyes at him.Told you what?”
“That you been after some hoe y’all met at the mall.”
Smoke’s mouth twitched at the word hoe. He sighs.
“Tobias talk too damn much.”
“So it’s true.”
Smoke shrugs. “I ain’t say that.”
“You ain’t deny it either.”
Smoke doesn’t answer.
Stack points at him. “There it is.”
“Nigga What?”
“That little smirk.”
“I ain’t smirking.”
“You definitely smirking.”
Smoke shakes his head. “You bored.”
“Nah.”
Stack leans back into the couch.
“I’m just trying to figure out what type of woman got my brother acting all mysterious and shit.”
Smoke stays quiet.
“So what’s her name?”
Silence.
“What she look like?”
Silence.
“You gon’ answer any of these questions?”
Smoke laughs under his breath.
“You askin too many damn questions.”
“Because you don’t never like nobody.”
Smoke doesn’t respond.
That answer alone tells Stack everything he needs to know.
“Oh…” He points at him. “You really feelin’ her.”
Before Smoke can respond, the front door opens. Monica walks inside carrying a shopping bag.
The moment her eyes land on Smoke, her expression changes. “There you are.”
Smoke’s shoulders tense.
Stack notices immediately.
Monica drops her bag by the door.
“We need to talk.”
Smoke exhales quietly.
“Aight.”
Without another word, he follows her toward the kitchen.
The second they disappear around the corner, Stack leans back on the couch laughing to himself.
“Oh… this finna be interesting.”
Monica folds her arms. “So…”
Smoke waits.
“Why you been avoiding me?”
“I ain’t been avoiding you.”
She laughs sarcastically. “Smoke… stop.”
“I been busy.”
“Bullshit.”
He says nothing.
“You don’t answer my calls.”
Silence.
“And every time I ask to see you…”mShe shrugs. “You busy.”
Smoke rubs the back of his neck. “I got a lotta shit going on.”
She studies him. Then slowly shakes her head. “No.”
“What?”
“You lying.”
Smoke exhales. “I’m really not.”
“You are.”
Her voice sharpens. “I know you.”
He looks away.
“You don’t act like this unless something changed.”
Silence. Then it finally clicks.
Her face falls.“…There’s somebody else.”
Smoke doesn’t answer. He doesn’t have to.
Monica lets out a short laugh. “I knew it.”
She nods to herself. “Who is she?”
“It don’t matter.”
“It matters to me.”
Smoke stays quiet.
She shakes her head. “Out of all the girls you’ve talked to…” She points at him.
“You ain’t never avoided me.”
Her voice gets louder. “You always kept it real wit me.”
Smoke’s jaw tightens.
“But now…”
She laughs bitterly. “You can’t even tell me the truth.”
He says nothing.
Monica studies his face. Then sighs.“Whoever she is…” She nods slowly….”she must be special.”
Smoke finally looks up.
His expression softens for just a split second.
That tells Monica everything.
She throws her hands up. “Wow.”
Her voice rises. “I can’t believe this shit.”
Smoke shuts down. His face goes blank.
He stares at the floor.
She grows even more frustrated.
“Smoke!”
Nothing.
“Say somethin’”
The raised voices carry into the living room.
Stack gets up and walks into the kitchen.
He immediately steps between them.
“Aight, that’s enough.”
Monica points around him.
“He won’t even talk to me!”
Stack glances back at his brother.
Smoke has already grabbed his keys.
“I’m finna head out.” He walks into the living room and Monica follows.
Monica stares at his back. “So that’s it?”
Smoke pauses at the doorway.
Tempted to say something but he doesn’t. He just walks out instead.
A gritty, Neo-noir crime drama that explores themes of morality, brotherhood, and love.
An alternate universe where twin brothers Elijah “Smoke” and Elias “Stack” Moore never return to Mississippi after World War I. Instead, they make a name for themselves during the height of the Harlem Renaissance, where number slips and jazz clubs fuel dreams. But when Smoke becomes enamored by a mysterious woman from New Orleans, he decides he wants to leave the game for good.
Contains: Explicit language, sexual content, drugs, violence, death, themes of love, loyalty, morality, and family.
Prologue
In 1917, Elijah and Elias Moore left the cotton fields of Clarksdale, Mississippi and never looked back.
With just the clothes on their backs they made their way to Manhattan, where they enlisted and shipped off with the 369th Infantry Regiment.
The Black Rattlers.
The Harlem Hellfighters.
191 days of front-line combat. Of trenches. Of gunfire and grenades. It changed them. But the Moore twins were carved by violence long before they set foot on European soil.
Their father used to beat them. Regularly. Mercilessly. From the time they were too young and weak to fight back. Then one day the pendulum swung. A sudden, bloody shift where the students finally outmastered their teacher.
So they took a train up north.
By the time they came back from the war, they swore they’d never go back to Mississippi. Not to the cotton fields, not to sharecropping, not to their father’s shadow, and not to the klan or Jim Crow breathing down their necks.
Harlem was where it was at. It was glittering, alive, musical, brilliant. It was expanding, demanding, thriving. Becoming. It was the Black Mecca of the north. Some folks called it a Negro Renaissance. A revival.
Others would say it’s what should have been all along, but it never had the soil or sunlight to survive. Literati, intelligentsia, poets, physicians, engineers, singers, musicians, librarians—thinkers. Black folks in Harlem had the space to exist and expand.
The twins hustled from Central Harlem to Hamilton Heights. They joined the numbers racket in the 1920’s— providing enforcement, protection, punishment.
They earned their nicknames in muscle, grit, and gunplay—
The SmokeStack Twins.
Smoke was the controlled violence, the calm hand. Stack was social violence with a smile.
Now more than a decade later they were flourishing. From 135th, to 155th, to the Hudson River— Hamilton Heights was their playground.
And Sugar Hill was where they called home.
Taglist: @myheartsaysyes @theethighpriestess
Soooo what y'all think so far? Is this something you'd like to see me continue? 😬 Drop an opinion in the comments.
Annie is glowing in her bright yellow and green two piece, with her belly on full display. Her skin practically shines beneath the lights, and she can’t stop smiling.
Beside her, Smoke has on a yellow button down and khaki slacks, his hand protectively resting on her lower back.
Right behind them are Stack and Dajia.
Dajia is stunning in her soft green dress, one hand on her belly while the other is intertwined with Stack’s. Stack is dressed in a Burberry button down and cream pants, looking entirely too pleased with himself.
Everyone starts clapping and cheering louder.
Smoke laughs and shakes his head.
“Y’all doin too much.”
“The hell we are!” Cornbread yells back. “This a celebration!”
Annie laughs, already covering her face. “Oh my God.”
Dajia’s mouth falls open as she takes in the decorations all over again.
Stack just grins.
People immediately start making their way toward them. Hugs. Handshakes.
Congratulations coming from every direction.
Smoke and Stack’s cousins surround them first.
“There go the daddies!”
“My niggas finally settled down!”
“Nah, this crazy.”
Smoke laughs as one of his cousins pulls him into a hug.
“I still can’t believe it either.”
Another cousin grabs Stack.
“You really about to be somebody’s daddy, man.”
Stack grins. “I know. Crazy, right?”
“Very.”
Titus appears seemingly out of nowhere.
Click. Click. Click.
He captures them laughing together.
Then another picture. Then another.
Stack notices him.
He narrows his eyes. “This nigga.”
Titus lowers his camera. “What?”
“You movin like the paparazzi or some shit.”
Everyone laughs.
“It’s my job.” Click. Another picture.
Stack shakes his head but chuckles.
“Whatever.”
Then the crowd parts.
Their cousin Andre walks over.
Hand in hand with Annie’s cousin, Monique.
Silence. Annie blinks. Stack blinks.
They look at each other.
Then both busts out laughing.
“I KNOW fuckin’ you lying’” Stack says.
Annie points. “Hold on. Wait a minute.”
Andre starts grinning.
Monique immediately starts laughing.
Smoke folds his arms.
“So you just ain’t told nobody nothin’?”
Annie looks at her cousin.
“Mhmm, Monique. What the hell? We normally tell each other everything.”
Monique shrugs.
“We’ve been keeping it a secret.”
“Secret?” Stack says. “Shit, that’s obvious.”
Andre laughs. “Man, leave us alone.”
Annie walks over and hugs Monique.
“I mean… y’all cute together or whatever.”
Monique laughs. “Thank you.”
Stack shakes his head. “This is wild.”
“You mad?” Andre asks.
“Nah. Just shocked.”
“Yeah, me too,” Smoke adds. “I definitely wasn’t expectin’ this.”
Dajia laughs. “I think they’re adorable.”
Andre grins proudly.
“See? Thank you, Cuz”
“Don’t get too comfortable,” Stack says.
Everyone laughs.
Then Dajia’s mother makes her way over.
Her face lights up instantly.
“My babies!”
She hugs Dajia first.
Then she pulls Stack into a hug.
As she steps back, she notices his shirt.
She busts out laughing.
“Stack! I KNOW you didn’t.”
Dajia immediately starts laughing too.
Stack looks down at himself. “What?”
“You really wore Burberry to a baby shower?”
“I thought it’d be funny.”
He shrugs. “Plus… I love Burberry.”
Dajia is cackling “You know he’s a big joke.”
Stack cuts his eyes at her. “Watch it now.”
She immediately bites her lip. “I’m sorry.”
“No, you not.”
Her mother laughs and hugs him again.
“I don’t care what you got on. I’m so proud of you too.”
Stack smiles. “Thank you.”
“I cannot wait until my grandbaby gets here. I’m gon have him all the time.”
Stack and Dajia grin.
“Oh, all the time?” Dajia asks.
“Every chance I get.”
Stack chuckles.
“We gon remember that.”
Then Annie spots her father. “Dad!”
He opens his arms. She walks right into them.
He squeezes her tightly.
When he pulls back, he smiles at her.
“Dang, Pumpkin. You look so beautiful.”
Annie grins. “Thank you.”
He looks around the place.
“And this here place is very nice.”
Then he looks at Smoke. “Good job.”
Smoke smiles. “I appreciate it.”
He nods toward Annie.
“I see you’ve been taking care of my baby. She looks radiant.”
Smoke’s smile grows.
“Of course, Pop. That’s my job.”
Her father nods approvingly.
“I know that’s right.”
Suddenly, Cornbreads loud voice fills the room.
“Move! Excuse me! Family coming through!”
Everyone starts laughing.
Cornbread and Therese make their way over with Bo and Grace right behind them.
Cornbread opens his arms.
“There my people!”
He hugs Smoke first.
Then Stack. Then Annie. Then Dajia.
He steps back and looks at all four of them.
“Man… all y’all grown.”
Smoke laughs.
“We’ve been grown nigga.”
“No. Y’all grown grown.”
Bo laughs. “He got a point.”
Cornbread gestures wildly.
“Businesses. Babies. Homeowners. Look at y’all.”
Grace smiles. “We’re so happy for y’all.”
Therese hugs Annie and Dajia.
“You ladies look beautiful.”
“Thank you,” they both say.
Cornbread suddenly looks at Stack.
“You actually look responsible.”
The room erupts.
Stack’s face twists.
“What the hell that supposed to mean?”
“I’m just saying. You look like you got life insurance.”
Even Smoke laughs
Stack points at him. “Stop laughing.”
Cornbread turns to Smoke.
“And nigga you look like somebody that asks people if they drank enough water today.”
Now everybody’s laughing.
“I hate y’all,” Smoke says.
“No you don’t,” Cornbread replies.
Dajia wipes tears from her eyes.
Annie is laughing so hard she has to hold her belly.
Bo looks around at everybody smiling and talking.
Then he grins. “I ain’t gon lie…”
He gestures toward all four of them.
“This right here look good on y’all.”
The laughter settles.
Because everybody knows exactly what he means.
All four of them make their way over to the thrones and sit down.
Immediately, Dominique and Antonio walk over, with Legacy right behind them.
“Hey, best friends!” Dominique squeals.
She hugs Annie first, then Dajia.
“You girls look so good!”
She places one hand on Dajia’s belly and the other on Annie’s.
Then she bends down toward Dajia’s stomach. “Hey, Eli! It’s TT Dominique. Make sure you eat good today.”
Dajia busts out laughing.
“He definitely is. He don’t miss a meal.”
Dominique grins and moves over to Annie. “Hey, Niyah and Nijah. It’s TT Dominique.”
Suddenly, she feels a kick.
Her eyes get huge. “Oh! That’s Anijah. Hey, TT girl! I can’t wait to meet you. You should see this big ol’ party out here for you and your sister.”
Another kick. Dominique cracks up.
“There she go again!”
Annie shakes her head.
“There you go gettin’ them all riled up.”
“That’s my job, girl. So get used to it.”
Everyone laughs.
Legacy walks over and hugs Annie carefully.
“I can’t wait till my nieces get here. It’s almost time.”
Annie smiles. “I know. It’s crazy.”
Legacy rubs her belly gently.
“My babies almost here.”
Smoke grins at that.
Antonio daps both guys up.
“My boys.”
He hugs Smoke and then Stack.
“I’m proud of y’all for real.”
“Appreciate it, bro,” Smoke says.
“Definitely appreciate it,” Stack adds.
Just then, Shaad walks up.
He looks around.
“Damn, y’all. It’s nice as hell in here. Y’all did y’all big one.”
Stack looks over. “Damn. When you get here?”
“Like five minutes ago.”
Everyone laughs.
Then Shaad’s eyes land on Legacy.
He smiles. “Hey.”
Legacy smiles back. “Hey.”
Everyone immediately starts looking between them.
Shaad notices. “What?”
Nobody says anything.
Annie and Dominique exchange a look.
Smoke smirks. Dajia grins.
Shaad sighs. “Y’all annoying.”
More laughter.
He looks back at Legacy.
“You gon’ come sit wit me?”
Legacy nods. “Sure.”
Shaad reaches for her hand, and she lets him take it.
As they walk away, Annie smiles the biggest smile.
Smoke notices. “What?”
She keeps smiling. “Nothin’.”
He follows her line of sight. “Oh.”
Annie nods. “Yeah.”
Smoke chuckles.
Fifteen minutes later, Dajia’s dad walks in with his wife.
The second Dajia sees him, she stands. “Daddy!”
He walks over and wraps her in a big hug.
She hugs him right back.
When they pull apart, she folds her arms.
“Daddy, why you always late? You in the military. Ain’t y’all supposed to be prompt?”
He chuckles. “My flight landed today.”
Then his eyes move to Stack.
“Hello, Elias.”
Stack stands. “Sup.”
Preston smirks.
“Or should I say… son-in-law?”
Stack smirks back. “I guess that work too.”
Preston looks back at Dajia.
“I’m still mad I wasn’t a part of that, by the way.”
Dajia sighs. “Daddy, don’t start.”
He crosses his arms.
“You know I had dreams of walking you down the aisle. You just snatched that dream completely away.”
Stack glances at Dajia.
He immediately notices the irritation on her face.
He speaks up.
“Aye… you feel like this the right time or place for that? This supposed to be a joyous occasion.”
Dajia grabs his hand. “It’s okay, babe.”
Then she looks at her father.
“Daddy, I’m sorry you wasn’t there, but nobody was there. Plus, you know that wasn’t really my dream in the first place.”
“It don’t matter if it was your dream or not. It was mine. And you left your parents completely out of it.”
Before Dajia can answer, her mother walks over. “Preston, don’t even start that shit.”
Everyone gets quiet.
“It’s done and over with. Don’t bring me into this. Was I sad at first? Yes. But I’m happy my baby is happy. She’s a wife now and about to be a mother. Let up off her. Damn.”
Preston looks at her.
“You always support the impulsive shit she does. Who used to have to come to her rescue every time? Me.”
Dajia cuts her eyes.
“Impulsive? Marrying Stack wasn’t impulsive, Daddy. I love him.”
Stack sucks his teeth.
“Yeah… I feel like you bein’ disrespectful right now. And if that’s the type of energy you on, you can go ’head and leave.”
Dajia looks at him. She knows that look. The one that says he ain’t backing down.
And if her father wants to take it there, Stack is more than willing to go there.
Smoke senses the tension immediately.
He stands. “Aye, Stack. Come walk wit me real quick.”
Stack looks over.
He knows exactly what that means.
He nods. “Aight.”
He squeezes Dajia’s hand before walking off with Smoke.
Preston exhales.
“I apologize for bringing it up here, but I still feel how I feel. I’m entitled to my feelings.”
“That’s fine, Daddy. But it doesn’t change how I feel either.”
She gestures toward where Stack walked away.
“That’s my husband. And you being disrespectful to him isn’t warranted.”
She places a hand on her stomach.
“He’s good to me, and I love him. It doesn’t matter how we got married. It matters that we did. And the only two people who really needed to be there were me and him.”
She shrugs. “Because there’s only two people in a marriage anyway.”
Preston opens his mouth. Then closes it.
Because he doesn’t have a comeback.
Finally, he sighs. “Fine.”
He reaches out and gently rubs her belly.
“I see my grandson is growing just fine.”
Dajia smiles. “He is. You wanna know his name?”
Still looking at her stomach, he nods.
“Sure.”
“It’s Eli Preston Maingot-Moore.”
Preston’s head snaps up. His face softens instantly. “You named him after me?”
Dajia smiles.“Of course, Daddy. Who else?”
She reaches for his hand.
“I still love you, even though we bump heads.”
He swallows hard. Then pulls her into another hug. “I’m sorry.”
He kisses the side of her head.
“I just always want the best for you. I gotta remember you’re an adult now and can make your own decisions.”
He pulls back and looks at her.
“In spite of everything, I’m so very proud of you.”
Dajia’s eyes water. She smiles. “Thank you.” She hugs him again. “That’s all I needed to hear.”
About thirty minutes later, everyone is seated and eating.
The room is filled with laughter, conversations, and the sound of soft R&B playing through the speakers.
Empty cupcake wrappers and half-finished plates sit on tables while guests mingle.
Dominique suddenly walks to the front of the room with a microphone.
“Alright, everybody! Attention, please!”
The room gradually quiets.
She grins. “So, before we get into games, we’re doing our diaper and wipes drawing!”
A few people clap.
Others start looking around curiously.
Dominique holds up a decorative glass bowl filled with folded pieces of paper.
“Everybody who brought diapers and wipes got their name entered. But…” she pauses dramatically, “…the person who brought the MOST diapers and wipes got extra entries.”
“Oh hell,” Bo says.
Everyone laughs.
Dominique reaches into the bowl.
“And the winner gets a one hundred dollar gift card!”
“Ohhhh!” several people say.
Cornbread sits up straighter.
Therese laughs. “What you sittin’ up for? You ain’t even won nothin’.”
“I got a feelin’.”
“You got a gamblin’ problem negro.”
“I got instincts.”
Everyone cracks up.
Dominique shakes the bowl around.
“Okay…”
She reaches in. Pulls out a piece of paper.
Opens it.
Then her eyes get big. “No way.”
“What?” Annie asks.
Dominique starts laughing.
“The winner is…”
She pauses for effect.
“Cornbread and Therese!”
The room erupts.
“Noooo!” Bo yells.
“Ain’t no way!”
Cornbread jumps up from his chair.
“I KNEW IT!”
He starts clapping.
“I told y’all! I told y’all!”
Therese falls over laughing.
“This fool.”
Cornbread points around the room.
“Don’t hate on a nigga, let me be great!”
He practically jogs to the front.
Dominique hands him the gift card.
He looks at it.
Then holds it in the air like he just won a championship. “Let’s go!”
Everyone is dying laughing.
Smoke shakes his head. “You doin’ too much.”
“No, I’m doin’ exactly enough.”
Stack laughs. “Nigga, all you won was a gift card.”
“A WIN IS A WIN!”
More laughter.
Cornbread points at Annie and Smoke. “You hear me? We contributed to the babies!”
Then he points at Stack and Dajia.
“And to my nephew too!”
Therese finally walks up beside him.
“I’d like everyone to know…”
She pauses. “I picked out all those diapers and wipes.”
The room explodes.
Cornbread turns slowly.
“Why would you say that?”
“Because it’s true.”
“No, it ain’t.”
She folds her arms. “Who bought them?”
“We bought them.”
“Who picked them out?”
Therese raises her hand.
Everyone starts clapping.
Cornbread looks betrayed.
“Oh, wow.”
She laughs.
“You literally just pushed the cart.”
“I was emotional support.”
“No, you wasn’t.”
“Yes, I was!”
Even Titus is laughing while snapping pictures.
Click. Click.
Cornbread looks around.
“Aye, don’t take pictures of me while I’m vulnerable nigga!.”
Click. Another picture.
“Man!”
Everyone is in tears.
Finally, Cornbread wraps an arm around Therese. “Aight, fine.”
He raises the gift card again.
“We won.”
Therese smiles. “Yes. We won.”
He looks around proudly.
“And since we won…”
Everyone groans because they already know.
“…I expect a little more respect around here.”
Sammie immediately stands up.
“Sit yo ass down!.”
The room erupts.
Cornbread starts laughing so hard he nearly drops the gift card.
Annie is cackling.
Dajia is rubbing her stomach while she laughs.
Even Preston and Roland are laughing.
Stack shakes his head.
“I swear this nigga act like he won the damn lottery.”
Cornbread grins from ear to ear.
“Maybe I did.”
He looks over at Annie and Dajia.
“But for real…”
His voice softens. “We happy for y’all. These babies already got so much love around them.”
The room settles.
Annie smiles. Dajia smiles.
And for a moment, everyone looks at the mountain of diapers and wipes stacked in the corner. A small thing. But somehow, it feels huge. Because every box…
Every pack… Every gift… Is another reminder that these babies are already surrounded by a village.
After the laughter from the diaper drawing dies down, Dominique grabs the microphone again.
“Alright, alright! It’s game time!”
The room cheers.
“Oh hell,” Smoke mumbles
Annie laughs.
Dominique grins mischievously.
“The first game is for the couples.”
Immediately, people start groaning.
“I don’t like that smile,” Bo says.
“It’s simple!” Dominique says. “One person is blindfolded and has to feed their significant other baby food. The person being fed cannot use their hands. First couple to finish wins.”
The room erupts.
“Oh hell no!” Cornbread yells.
“I ain’t eating no baby food!” Bo adds.
“Yes, you are!” Dominique says.
Everyone starts laughing.
Tables are pushed back to make room.
A long table is set up with little jars of baby food and plastic spoons.
Dominique starts pairing everyone up.
“We got Pearline and Sammie!”
Pearline claps. “Sammie, don’t embarrass me.”
“I should be tellin’ you that.”
Laughter.
“Shaad and Legacy!”
Shaad grins. “I got us.”
Legacy laughs. “You sound real confident.”
“Because I am.”
“Stack and Dajia!”
Stack sighs.
“I already know this finna be some bullshit.”
Dajia doubles over laughing.
“Smoke and Annie!”
“Therese and Cornbread!”
Cornbread throws his hands up.
“Man hell nah!.”
The room erupts.
“Bring yo ass” Therese says
“Bo and Grace!”
Bo shakes his head.
“I don’t even eat regular vegetables.”
“Andre and Monique!”
Everyone gets into place.
Dominique walks down the line carrying a basket full of folded bandanas.
“Alright. The feeders are getting blindfolded.”
Some people cheer.
Others immediately start complaining.
Moments later, everyone has blindfolds tied around their eyes.
The room is already laughing.
Dominique begins setting jars in front of each couple.
Then she starts reading the flavors.
“Peas.”
Groans.
“Sweet potatoes.”
A few more groans.
“Turkey and gravy.”
“Oh HELL NO!” Bo yells.
Everybody starts dying laughing.
“Green beans”
“Apples”
“And bananas.”
Smoke grins. “I’ll take bananas.”
“You don’t know what you got yet!” Annie laughs.
Dominique raises the microphone.
“Ready?”
The room erupts.
“Set?”
People start gripping their spoons.
“GO!”
Pure chaos. Immediately.
Cornbread shoves an entire spoonful into Therese’s eye.
She starts choking from laughing.
“That’s my eye!”
The room explodes.
“I’M SORRY!”
Bo is feeding Grace absolutely nothing.
The spoon keeps hitting her chin.
“Baby! My mouth right here!”
“I CAN’T SEE!”
“Well listen to my voice!”
“I AM LISTENING!”
Everyone is crying.
Shaad accidentally smears sweet potatoes across Legacy’s cheek.
Legacy busts out laughing. “You got it in my hair!”
“My bad! My bad!”
Pearline is doing surprisingly well.
Sammie is actually eating.
“Oh! We might win this thing!” Sammie says.
Meanwhile, Andre somehow keeps finding Monique’s mouth.
“Okayyyy!” someone yells.
“They got chemistry!”
Monique laughs so hard she nearly spits out the baby food.
At the other end of the table, Smoke is completely locked in.
He found Annie’s mouth almost immediately.
Because she can’t stop laughing.
Every time she laughs, her mouth opens.
So he keeps getting spoonful after spoonful in.
Annie is crying laughing. “Oh my God!”
“There you go, baby.” Smoke coaxes “Open up for me. You doin so good mama”
Annie gets chills and flashbacks.
He does another spoonful. Another. Another.
Meanwhile, Stack is struggling.
“Where yo mouth at?”
Dajia is cackling. “Stack!”
“I’m tryin’!”
He puts baby food on her nose.
The room explodes.
“Not my nose!”
“My bad!”
“YOU GOT PEAS ON MY FACE!”
Even Smoke starts laughing.
But he doesn’t stop.
Another spoonful. Then another.
Then—“WE DONE!” Annie yells.
The room erupts.
“What?!” Antonio says.
“Ain’t no way!”
Dominique walks over. She looks.
The jar is completely empty.
“Oh my God.”
She starts laughing. “They actually won!”
Smoke rips his blindfold off.
“I knew we had it.”
Annie is laughing so hard she can barely breathe.
Smoke looks at the empty jar.
Then at the label. Bananas.
He grins. “Oh, that’s why.”
Everyone else checks their jars.
Silence. Then outrage.
“BANANAS?!” Bo yells.
“They got BANANAS?!” Cornbread says.
Therese looks at her jar.
“Turkey and gravy? That’s nasty!”
“I had peas!” Grace says.
“We had sweet potatoes!” Legacy says.
“This rigged!” Sammie yells.
Smoke starts laughing.
“A win is a win.”
“No!” Cornbread says. “I demand a recount!”
“There ain’t no damn recount!”
“You got dessert!”
Everybody loses it.
Annie wipes tears from her eyes.
Smoke picks up the jar.
“These definitely don’t seem bad.”
Every head slowly turns toward him.
“You gon eat it?” Dajia asks.
“Yeah. I’m sure it ain’t that bad.”
He shrugs. “It’s bananas.”
He puts the spoon in his mouth and licks the remnants.
The room erupts. “Nasty!” Bo yells.
“That’s crazy work!” Shaad says.
Annie is practically falling out of her chair.
“You really over there snacking?”
Smoke grins. “What baby? It’s good.”
Cornbread points. “See, that’s why they won. That shit was better than the food we had!”
More laughter.
Smoke wraps an arm around Annie and raises the empty jar. “We Champions.”
The room immediately starts booing.
Annie laughs even harder.
“Oh my God. Y’all some haters”
Smoke grins. “Put some respect on our names.”
“No!” everybody yells.
The entire room erupts into laughter again
Once everyone settles down from the baby food game, Dominique walks back to the front of the room with a roll of string in her hand.
“Ohhh, we doing another game!” Bo says excitedly.
“You real into these games,” Smoke says.
“I am. This fun.”
Everyone laughs.
Dominique holds up the roll.
“Okay! This one is called ‘Guess the Belly Size.’”
The room cheers.
She walks over to Annie and Dajia.
“Everyone gets a piece of string and has to cut it to the size they think Annie and Dajia’s bellies are.”
She grins.
“Whoever gets closest wins.”
“Oh, that’s easy,” Cornbread says.
“No, it ain’t,” Therese replies.
“It definitely is.”
“It’s really not.”
Everyone laughs.
Dominique starts passing the string around.
Soon, everyone is walking around holding pieces of string and staring at the mothers-to-be.
Annie immediately starts laughing.
“I feel like an exhibit.”
“You are,” Smoke says.
Dajia is laughing too.
Stack looks at her stomach.
Then at the string.
Then back at her stomach.
He starts measuring with his eyes.
Dajia catches him. “What are you doin’?”
“I’m calculatin’.”
She busts out laughing. “You calculatin’?”
“Yes.”
“You sound ridiculous.”
“No, I got this.”
At another table, Bo has somehow cut enough string to wrap around a car tire.
Grace looks over. “Oh my God.”
“What?”
“You think she carrying a grown woman?”
The room erupts. Bo looks offended.
“I was accounting for twins!”
“That’s enough string for quadruplets!”
Everybody is crying.
Cornbread holds up his.
“I think mine perfect.”
Therese looks at it.
“Babe… absolutely not.”
“What?”
“You made it way too small.”
“No, I didn’t.”
“Yes, you did.”
“I know a pregnant belly when I see one.”
She folds her arms. “You should wit all the damn kids we got and yet and still that’s too small.”
Cornbread slowly lowers his string.
Everyone starts laughing.
Meanwhile, Shaad is staring at Legacy. “What?”
“You had Marley. Help me.”
Legacy laughs. “I don’t remember how big I was.”
“Yes, you do.”
“No, I don’t.”
“You ain’t helpin’ at all.”
More laughter.
Antonio is studying Dominique’s stomach.
She catches him. “Why you lookin’ at me?”
“I’m trying to imagine.”
Dominique starts laughing. “I’ve never been pregnant!”
“What I can’t imagine?”
“No!”
Smoke shakes his head. “Bro, just guess.”
Sammie walks around Annie and then cuts his string way too big too. Pearline cracks up.
A few moments later, Dominique claps her hands. “Okay! Everybody done?”
Everyone holds up their strings.
“Good! Let’s see.”
Annie and Dajia stand.
Dominique starts with Annie.
She takes the end of each person’s string and wraps it around Annie’s belly.
Everybody crowds around.
The first few aren’t even close.
Bo’s is comically huge.
The room erupts.
“Ain’t no way!” Annie says.
“I said I accounted for twins!”
Stack is bent over laughing.
“Boy, this enough string for me too.”
Even Annie has tears in her eyes.
Cornbread’s is way too small.
Therese cackles. “I told you!”
“I thought I had it.”
“You definitely did not.”
The room continues laughing.
Then Dominique gets to Legacy’s string.
She wraps it around Annie’s belly.
It meets perfectly. Silence.
Then… “Ohhhh!”
“No way!”
“What?!”
Legacy’s eyes get huge. “Oh my God!”
Dominique holds it up. “Y’all! Legacy got Annie exactly right!”
Everyone starts clapping.
Annie is shocked. “Girl, how?!”
Legacy laughs. “I don’t know!”
Smoke looks impressed. “Damn, sis.”
She shrugs. “I just guessed.”
Dominique moves to Dajia.
Again, she wraps everyone’s strings around her stomach. Too big. Too small. Way too big. Everybody is wrong.
Then she gets to Legacy’s.
She wraps it around Dajia’s belly.
It overlaps by barely half an inch.
The room explodes.
“AIN’T NO DAMN WAY!”
“You gotta be kidding me!”
Legacy covers her mouth. “Stop!”
Dajia’s jaw drops. “Girl, what?!”
Stack points. “She cheating.”
“I am not!”
“You had a tape measure in your purse.”
The room erupts.
Legacy doubles over laughing. “I did not!”
Dominique grabs the microphone.
“We officially have a winner!”
Everyone cheers.
“Legacy!”
She laughs and walks to the front.
Smoke starts clapping dramatically.
“Speech!”
“No!”
“Speech!”
Soon everyone joins in.
“Speech! Speech! Speech!”
Legacy covers her face.“Oh my God…”
She finally laughs and says,
“I’d like to thank my nieces and my nephew for carrying themselves so proportionately.
The room cracks up.
Annie is laughing uncontrollably she has to sit back down.
Smoke is grinning
Stack shakes his head. “This family extra as hell.”
Dominique hands Legacy a small gift bag.
“Congratulations, Belly Whisperer.”
Legacy busts out laughing.
“I’m never beatin’ these allegations.”
“Nope,” Shaad says, still laughing. “This yo new name now.”
Everyone cheers and claps again while Legacy just stands there smiling, shaking her head.
A few moments later…
The room is buzzing with conversation, laughter, and the occasional camera click from Titus.
Dominique walks back to the front with another bag in her hand.
“Oh Lord,” Sammie says.
Everyone laughs.
“Another game!” Dominique announces.
The room cheers.
Bo throws his fist in the air. “Let’s go!”
“You really love games, don’t you?” Grace asks.
“I do. You know I’m competitive.”
Dominique pulls out several small cards.
“Okay, this game is called Baby Trivia.”
“Here we go,” Stack murmurs
Everyone laughs.
“I’m gonna ask questions about babies. Raise your hand if you know the answer. Whoever gets the most right wins.”
“Oh, I got this,” Cornbread says confidently.
“No, you don’t,” Therese replies.
“I definitely do.”
“You barely knew how to make a bottle.”
“That’s because that shit changed too much. One day it’s two scoops the next day it’s five!”
Everyone laughs again
Dominique shakes her head.
“First question. How many bones does a newborn baby have?”
Silence. Everybody blinks.
Then hands slowly go up.
Dajia’s mom says “Three hundred.”
Dominique grins. “Correct!”
“Ohhhh!” the room says.
She smiles proudly.
Stack looks impressed. “Okay, Mama”
She laughs. “Don’t play with me.”
Dominique continues.
“How many hours does a newborn sleep each day?”
Several hands shoot up.
Cornbread says “Eight.”
The room starts laughing.
“Babies don’t work nine to five jobs!” Grace says.
“How I’m supposed to know?”
Dominique laughs. “Wrong.”
“Dajia’s mom?” Therese says
“About fourteen to seventeen hours.”
“Correct!”
Another round of applause.
Bo’s eyes widen. “Oh, she came to win.”
Dajia laughs. “That’s my mama.”
“Next question.”
“What color can babies primarily see first?”
Silence.
Then—“Dajia’s mom says
“Red.”
“Correct!”
The room erupts.
Smoke leans toward Annie.
“She might sweep this thing.”
“I think she is.”
Next question.
“At what age do most babies start smiling socially?”
Antonio raises his hand. “Three months?”
“Nope.”
Dajia’s mom raises hers. “About six to eight weeks.”
“Correct!”
Everybody starts hollering.
Shaad stands up. “Nah! She got Google in her ear!”
The room explodes.
She laughs. “I don’t need Google.”
She points to herself.
“I’m a nurse practitioner, remember?”
The room gets even louder.
“Ohhhh!”
“There it is!”
Cornbread throws his hands up.
“See?! That ain’t fair!”
She laughs harder. “I literally work with babies and parents all the time.”
Bo points. “Then you should’ve been disqualified!”
“I agree,” Cornbread says.
Everybody cracks up.
Preston is laughing now too.
“Y’all don’t want her to win because she actually knows the answers?”
“Exactly!” Cornbread says. “She got an unfair advantage.”
Dajia is crying laughing.
“My mama been waitin’ her whole life for this moment.”
“I really have,” her mother says proudly.
Dominique is wiping tears from her eyes.
“Okay, okay. Last question. Approximately how many diapers does a baby use in the first year?”
The room goes silent.
Then, Dajia’s mom looks around. She smiles. “Roughly twenty five hundred”
Silence.
Everybody stares at her.
Then— “What?!”
“Girl, huh?!”
“No way!”
She starts laughing.
Dominique throws both hands in the air.
“And that’s game!”
The room erupts into applause.
Titus snaps pictures. Click. Click. Click.
Dajia’s mom stands and takes a little bow.
Everyone starts laughing.
Dominique walks over with a gift bag.
“And our Baby Trivia Champion is…”
She raises her arm. “Dajia’s mama!”
Everybody cheers.
Dajia claps proudly.
“That’s my mama right there!”
Her mother grins from ear to ear.
“Thank you. Thank you.”
Cornbread shakes his head.
“I ain’t know we was dealing with Nurse Baby Einstein.”
She points at him.
“And y’all better take notes. One day these babies gon’ be at y’all houses.”
“No ma’am,” Cornbread says quickly.
Everybody laughs.
She accepts her gift bag and peeks inside.
“Oh!”
“What you get?” Dajia asks.
She pulls out a Bath and Body Works candle, lotion set, and a gift card.
“Okay then!”
The room claps again.
She holds the gift card up. “I won!”
Dajia starts laughing. “You are way too excited.”
“I absolutely am.”
Then she looks over at Annie and Dajia.
Her smile softens. “You know what? I actually love this.”
“What?” Annie asks.
She gestures around the room.
“Everybody in here is excited for these babies. Everybody showing up, playing games, bringing gifts.”
She smiles. “These babies are already so loved.”
The room quiets. Because she’s right.
She looks at her daughter. Then at Annie.
“Y’all got a whole village behind y’all.”
Annie smiles. Dajia smiles.
Then her mother grins again.
“But I’m still gon’ be the favorite grandparent”
The room erupts.
Roland points. “Now hold on!”
She laughs. “Nope. I said what I said.”
Everyone starts laughing all over again.
Dominique walks back to the front of the room with one final item in her hand.
A large glass jar.
Inside are hundreds of blue and pink safety pins.
The pins clink softly against the glass as she holds it up.
“Ooooh!” Grace says.
Dominique grins. “Last game, y’all.”
The room cheers.
“Everybody has to guess how many safety pins are in this jar. Closest answer wins.”
“Oh, I can do this,” Stack says immediately.
Smoke looks over. “You can?”
“Absolutely.”
“You don’t even know what you lookin’ at.”
“I do. Numbers are my thing.”
Dajia laughs.
“You sound real confident.”
“I am.”
Bo squints at the jar.
“That look like…five hundred
Everybody starts laughing.
“Five hundred?” Antonio says.
“What?”
“There ain’t no damn five hundred safety pins in there.”
“How you know?”
“Because I have eyes.”
More laughter.
Dominique starts handing everyone little slips of paper.
“Write your guesses down.”
People begin scribbling.
Cornbread is holding the jar at eye level.
Therese shakes her head. “You doin’ too much.”
“No, I’m calculating.”
“You literally guessed eight hours for how long babies sleep.”
“This different.”
Everybody cracks up.
Across the room, Smoke glances at the jar.
“I don’t know… maybe two hundred.”
Annie laughs.
“You guessed and didn’t even think.”
“I don’t care about winning.”
“Clearly.”
Meanwhile, Stack is studying the jar like it’s a business proposal.
He’s turning it. Looking at it from the side.
Then the front. Then the back.
Dajia starts laughing. “Baby…”
“Shh.”
“No, seriously. What are you doin’”
“I’m countin’.”
“You cannot count those safety pins.”
“Not individually.”
The room starts laughing.
“Then what are you doin’?” she asks.
“I’m estimatin’ the volume.”
Everybody loses it.
“Estimatin’ volume?!” Smoke repeats.
Stack nods seriously. “Yes.”
Sammie starts laughing.
“That nigga at work right now.”
Dajia wipes tears from her eyes.
“You ridiculous.”
“No I ain’t.”
“You absolutely are.”
More laughter.
A few minutes later, everyone turns in their guesses.
Dominique shakes the jar dramatically.
The pins softly rattle inside.
“Okay…”
She looks down at the card.
“The actual number is…”
She pauses.
“Three hundred and twenty-eight.”
Everyone starts shouting out their guesses.
“I said two hundred!”
“I had four hundred!”
“I said five hundred and fifty!”
The room erupts.
Bo throws his hands up. “What?!”
Everybody is crying laughing.
Dominique continues. “And the winner is…”
She looks at the card. Then up at the room.
Her mouth falls open. “No way.”
“What?” Dajia asks.
She starts laughing.
“Stack guessed three hundred and twenty-five.”
Silence.
Then— “HELL NAH!”
“No way!”
“Three off?!”
The room explodes. Stack slowly stands.
A grin spreads across his face. “I told y’all.”
Smoke looks disgusted. “Man, sit down.”
“No.”
Stack starts laughing. “I literally told y’all numbers my thing.”
Dajia is staring at him. “How did you do that?”
He shrugs. “I’m gifted baby girl.”
Everybody starts booing.
“I hate people smarter than me” Bo says.
More laughter.
Dominique walks over with a gift bag.
“Ladies and gentlemen… our winner.”
She places the gift bag in Stack’s hand.
He raises it in the air. “Let’s fuckin’ go!”
The room starts booing louder.
“Man, put that shit down!” Antonio says.
“No.”
“You acting like you won a car.”
“This better than a car.”
Stack sits back down and places the gift bag on his lap.
He looks over at Smoke.
“You ain’t win shit but banana baby food.”
The room loses it.
Smoke shakes his head. “You been waitin’ to say that shit?”
“Absolutely.”
Everyone is laughing now.
Then Stack looks at Dajia. “What you say earlier?”
She smiles. “What?”
“You said I was ridiculous.”
She laughs. “I did.”
He raises his gift bag. “And yet… here I am.”
Dajia bends over laughing.
“Oh my God. Shut the hell up Stack”
She leans over and kisses his cheek.
“You know what? Good job, baby.”
He grins proudly. “I know.”
She laughs again. “You are entirely too pleased with yourself.”
“Because I earned this shit.”
He looks around the room. “Put some respect on my name.”
The room erupts into boos once again.
Titus snaps another picture. Click.
Stack sitting in his green throne, gift bag raised in one hand and a huge grin on his face. Click.
“I wonder what’s takin’ them so long now?” Smoke says.
“I don’t know. Call Stack,” Annie replies.
Smoke picks up the phone and calls on speaker.
In the house, Stack’s phone rings on the bed. He has Dajia on the edge, her legs up, while he pushes into her.
Dajia’s moaning—loud
Stack looks over at his phone.
“Shit, it’s Smoke.”
“Answer it, Stack,” Dajia breathes out.
Stack sucks his teeth and picks it up, out of breath. “Sup?”
“What y’all doin’? We gon’ be late.” Smoke questions
Stack says breathlessly,
“We just gon’ meet y’all there in like ten minutes.”
Smoke looks at Annie, and he already knows what they’re doing.
Annie says, “Not y’all was just gon’ leave us sittin’ out here.”
“My bad. Sit in the car, though, until we pull up out there.”
Smoke shakes his head.
“Aight, man. Hurry up.”
Annie laughs. “Y’all ain’t slick, by the way.”
Dajia busts out laughing.
Stack hangs up and tosses the phone on the bed. “Hurry up and nut on this dick.”
“Stackkkkkk, it’s yo fault. Now you rushin’ me.”
He thrusts faster. “Yeah, I am, so come on. Flood this dick, baby girl.”
He reaches down and rubs her clit.
“Fuck, Elias. Okayyyyyyy.”
She explodes and squirts all over his abs.
“Damn, you wet me up.” He says shaking his head
Stack pumps three more times, and then he fills her up.
🌷🌹🌷🌹🌷🌹🌷🌹🌷🌹🌷🌹🌷🌹🌷🌹
While everyone is still laughing and putting the finishing touches on the setup, the doors open once again.
This time, the room settles slightly. Not because anyone is told to be quiet.
But because the woman walking in naturally commands attention.
Dajia’s mother steps inside carrying a large gift bag wrapped in green satin ribbon.
She looks elegant as always.
A fitted cream dress hugs her figure, and gold jewelry glimmers beneath the sunlight pouring through the windows. Her locs are pinned into a sophisticated updo, and her perfume trails behind her—soft floral notes mixed with vanilla.
Dajia got her beauty honestly.
“Well look at this,” she says as she surveys the room.
Her eyes slowly move across the balloon arch. The throne chairs.
The flowers. The dessert table. The gifts.
A proud smile spreads across her face.“Oh, this is beautiful.”
Dominique immediately walks over to hug her. “Hey momma”
“Hey, baby. You ain’t been by to see me. I guess you makin’ partner and bein’ married got you even more busy.”
Dominique giggles “Yes ma’am but I promise to do better.”
Her eyes narrow. “Okay I’m gonna hold you to that.”
Antonio cuts in. “Don’t worry. I’ll make sure she comes through.”
She looks over at him.
“I knew you’d have my back Antonio. You always do.”
“You know it.”
Grace and Therese greet her next.
Cornbread nods respectfully.
“Ms. Maingot.”
“Cornbread.”
Bo grins. “Looking good as always.”
She laughs. “Boy, hush.”
Everyone chuckles.
Her attention returns to the front of the room.
Specifically to the green throne waiting for Dajia.
For her daughter. For her grandson.
Her smile softens.
The kind of smile only a mother wears. The kind that carries memories.
She can still picture Dajia as a little girl. Running through the house barefoot. Talking nonstop.
Turning every room into her own personal stage.
Always with a camera in her hand.
Always dreaming. Always determined.
Now that same little girl is about to become somebody’s mother.
The realization hits her all over again.
She blinks a few times before composing herself.
Dominique notices. “You okay?”
She nods. “Yeah.”
Her voice grows softer. “I’m just… proud.”
The room quiets.
She looks toward the green throne again. “Seems like yesterday I was bringing Dajia home from the hospital.”
Therese smiles knowingly. “They grow up too fast.”
“Way too fast.”
Her eyes become glassy for a moment. Not sad. Just emotional.
“Now she’s having a baby.”
Cornbread nods.
“And she’s doin’ a good job too.”
A smile returns immediately.
“She is.”
There isn’t a trace of hesitation in her answer.
Because despite Dajia’s stubbornness…
Her loud mouth…
Her tendency to do things her own way…
She’s always had a good heart.
Always loved hard.
Always shown up for the people she cares about.
And now she’s building a family of her own.
The thought fills her with pride.
Antonio gestures toward the dessert table.
“You seen all these cupcakes she made?”
Her eyes widen. “She made all of those?”
“Every single one.”
She walks over to inspect them.
The yellow and green frosting.
The tiny decorations.
The attention to detail.
She shakes her head. “Lawd.”
Grace laughs. “What?”
“That girl gets that from me.”
Everyone busts out laughing.
“Here she go,” Cornbread says.
“I’m serious!”
“You sound just like Dajia,” Dominique teases.
“And?”
More laughter follows.
Titus captures the moment. Click.
A genuine smile. A proud mother.
A few minutes later…
Pearline and some of Smoke’s cousins just walked in
Then the doors open again right after.
This time, it’s Sammie.
He steps inside wearing dark jeans and a green polo that fits perfectly with the shower colors. A gift bag hangs from one hand while his other hand is shoved into his pocket.
The moment he walks in, his eyes sweep across the room.
Some of his family walking around
The photographs Titus is snapping.
And for a moment, he just stands there.
Taking it all in.
He huffs “Damn.”
Antonio hears him and laughs. “What?”
Sammie shakes his head. “Nothin’.”
But it isn’t nothing. Not really.
Because standing in this room feels surreal.
Growing up, Smoke and Stack had been larger than life.
His older cousins. The ones everybody knew. The ones everybody talked about.
When Sammie was younger, he used to follow them around whenever he’d get the chance. Used to sit quietly and listen when they talked. Used to watch them pull up in their cars with music blasting.
Watch people greet them with respect. Watch them move through the neighborhood like they owned it.
Back then, he thought they were the coolest people he’d ever seen.
He wanted to be just like them.
The problem was…Back then, being like them meant something different.
It meant the streets. Fast money.
Fast living.Taking risks.
Making choices that could’ve ended a hundred different ways.
Sammie remembers being twelve years old and thinking Smoke and Stack had it all figured out.
Now that he’s older…
He realizes they were just young men trying to survive. Trying to make it out.
And somehow…They actually did.
His eyes land on the four throne chairs.
The yellow ones for Smoke and Annie.
The green ones for Stack and Dajia.
A smile tugs at his lips.
Because if someone would’ve told him ten years ago that Smoke and Stack would be sitting on throne chairs at a baby shower…
Celebrating three babies…
Surrounded by family and friends…
He would’ve laughed in their face.
Cornbread walks over. “You look emotional.”
Sammie laughs. “Man, shut up.”
“But you do.”
Sammie glances toward the chairs again. “Nah, I’m just thinking.”
“About?”
He shrugs. “Smoke and Stack.”
Cornbread nods. “Yeah?”
Sammie smiles to himself.
“You remember how wild they used to be?”
Cornbread immediately starts laughing. “Remember? Hell, I survived it.”
The room chuckles.
Sammie shakes his head.
“Man, when I was younger, I thought them niggas was superheroes.”
“Superheroes?” Antonio asks.
“Yeah.”
“That’s because you ain’t know no better.”
Everyone laughs.
Sammie grins. “I’m serious though.”
His gaze drifts back toward the balloon arch.
“I used to wanna be exactly like them.”
The room quiets slightly.
Because they know he’s telling the truth.
Sammie continues.
“I looked up to everything they did.”
He pauses.
“Now I still look up to them… but for different reasons.”
That gets everyone’s attention.
Even Titus lowers his camera for a second.
Sammie nods toward the throne chairs. “Look at this.”
He gestures around the room.
“These two got businesses.”
Another gesture. “Families.”
Another. “Homes. People depend on them.”
He shakes his head.
“They really built somethin’.”
Nobody says anything.
Because there isn’t much to say.
It’s true.
Sammie smiles. “When I was younger, I wanted the lifestyle.”
His voice softens. “Now I want what they got.”
Cornbread folds his arms.
“What’s that?”
Sammie’s eyes move from Smoke’s throne to Stack’s.
“Pride.”
The room falls quiet again.
Not awkward. Just thoughtful.
Because everybody understands exactly what he means.
Not money. Not jewelry. Not cars.
The pride of building something real.
The pride of having people who love you. The pride of becoming the kind of man your family can depend on.
Sammie exhales and smiles.
“Yeah.”
He nods to himself.
“I definitely still wanna be like my cousins.”
This time, his voice carries admiration instead of youthful fascination.
And as he looks at the four throne chairs waiting for Smoke, Annie, Stack, and Dajia, he realizes something.
The men he looked up to as a kid became even better than the heroes he imagined.
Because they didn’t just survive.
They grew. And somehow, that was far more impressive.
♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️
Annie and Smoke pull up to Zen, and he parks way in the back.
Not that many people have made it yet. It’s still early.
Annie looks over at him. “Why you park way back here?”
Smoke gives her a sly grin.
“Because Stack and Dajia got the right idea.”
Annie’s eyebrow raises. “What you mean, Smoke?”
Smoke looks at her.
“You know exactly what I mean. Come on.”
Annie’s stomach flips.
She gasps. “Right here, baby? In broad daylight?”
Smoke chuckles and reaches for her hand.
“Relax, Mama. I just want some of you before everybody get here.”
Annie rolls her eyes, but she’s smiling.
“You so nasty.”
“Maybe,” Smoke says. “But once we get out this car, everybody gon’ want a piece of us. And right now I want a piece of you.”
“Smoke, I’m too big now. How I’m gon’ fit in yo lap over there?”
Smoke shakes his head
“Stop wit’ them excuses, baby. We gettin’ in the back. This a SUV. We got plenty of room, with tinted windows. Come on.”
Annie smiles. “Okay.”
Five minutes later…
Smoke is on his back in the backseat while Annie rides him slowly.
She keeps looking around nervously.
Smoke stares up at her.
“Baby, can’t nobody see us. Stop worrying. Look at me.”
She looks down at him.
He grips her ass and rocks her on him.
“Mmmm,” Smoke growls. “This shit so fucking good. You drivin’ a nigga insane right now, fuck.”
Annie groans and throws her head back.
Smoke studies her.
“That’s right, baby. I know it’s feelin’ good to you. You acted like you didn’t even wanna give me some a minute ago. Now look at you.”
He speeds the pace up for her, and Annie presses on his chest.
“Shit, Elijah. I’m finna come.”
“Good. That’s what I want. Ride this shit, Mama. It’s yours.”
Annie lets out a breathy moan.
“Keep talkin’ to me, Daddy.”
“You so pretty, Annie. Daddy love the way this pussy grip him. Love when you take control and ride this dick like you was born for it.”
He taps her ass.
“I love them faces you be makin’ for me. You look even prettier, and I ain’t even think that shit was possible.”
Annie’s heart melts.
“Ughhh, Smoke. You say the right shit.”
“I say it ’cause it’s true. I can’t wait til you drop my babies so I can have the bottom of yo feet touchin’ the headboard again. I miss that shit.”
“Ahhhh. I miss it too.” She whines
“This shit like fine wine, it just keeps gettin better baby.”
Annie reaches down and chokes him slightly
Smoke moans.
“Yeah, I like that shit baby.”
“Who ridin’ you like this?” Annie asks
Smoke answers immediately
“Shit, You mama.”
Annies stomach moves
Smoke catches it and rubs it.
“Oh shit, Our babies up”
“We woke em up.” Annie breathes out.
“I know baby. Now can you come for me? Can you give me what I want, Annalise?”
He thrusts up into her faster.
That opens the floodgates, and she lets go.
She screams. “Shit Smoke!”
Smoke says,
“I’m not gon’ come, Mama. I don’t want you walkin around messy like that. Come on and get up.”
Annie looks at him crazy, but she obeys.
She doesn’t want him going without, so she takes him in her mouth and sucks him until he explodes.
And like always she swallows it all.
♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️
Inside Zen, everything is already coming together beautifully.
Titus is still moving around the room snapping pictures while Dajia’s mom and the rest of them make sure everyone places gift bags where they need to be.
The doors open. Roland steps inside.
He pauses immediately. His eyes slowly travel across the room.
A smile spreads across his face.
His Annie was having babies. Twins at that.
Lord, where had the time gone?
Roland shakes his head and chuckles to himself.
It feels like yesterday he was meeting a fifteen-year-old Annie for the first time.
Back then, she wasn’t smiling much.
Her mother had finally left James and moved them to Mississippi after years of enduring his abuse.
Annie had been angry at the world.
Protective of her mother. Protective of Legacy. Protective of herself.
She didn’t trust easily.
Especially not men.
Roland remembers the first time he came around.
Annie sat in the corner of the living room with her arms crossed and watched him like a security guard.
Every question he asked got a one-word answer.
Every joke he told earned him a blank stare.
He laughs under his breath just thinking about it.
That girl put him through a trial period.
And honestly? He respected it.
She had every reason to be cautious.
Over time, though, things changed.
He showed up. Consistently.
School events. Band performances. Basketball games.
Graduation.
The little things and the big things.
Not because he was trying to replace anybody.
But because Annie deserved at least one man in her life she could count on.
Eventually, she stopped looking at him like an outsider.
Then one day she started calling him Roland instead of “Mama’s boyfriend.”
Then later…when her mother got married—Dad.
Roland’s eyes drift back around the room.
Now that same guarded little girl was about to become a mother herself.
The thought makes his chest tighten.
“You did good, Annie.”
His voice is barely above a whisper.
Cornbread walks over and slaps him on the shoulder.
“You proud ain’t you?”
Roland looks up at him
“Proud is an understatement.”
♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️
As Annie and Smoke are wiping themselves off with wipes, they hear a knock on the window.
Annie freezes. “Oh my God.”
Instant panic floods her face.
Smoke, on the other hand, barely reacts. He calmly pulls his pants up while Annie hurriedly pulls up her panties and smooths her skirt down.
“Stop panicking. It’s just Stack,” Smoke says.
“No, Elijah. This is embarrassing.”
“No, it’s not. He was just doin’ the same shit.”
Annie groans and covers her face.
Smoke opens the door and climbs out. Annie reluctantly follows behind him.
The second they step out, Stack and Dajia busts into laughter.
“Nah,” Stack says, pointing at them. “And y’all was just judgin’ me and Dajia?”
Annie’s cheeks instantly warm.
Smoke sucks his teeth.
“Shut the hell up, Stack. Wasn’t nobody judgin’. Y’all left us sittin’ outside forever.”
“Oh, my bad,” Stack replies with a grin. “Maybe we should’ve did it outside like y’all.”
Dajia loses it.
Her laughter is so contagious that Annie starts laughing too.
Smoke whips his head toward her.
“Oh, so we funny now?”
Annie tries to compose herself but fails.
“I’m sorry, babe. I can’t help it. He’s hilarious.”
“Don’t laugh at him. He got some fuckin’ nerve.”
Smoke points at Dajia and Stack.
“Maybe we should’ve done it in Zen’s office instead.”
Dajia’s mouth drops open.
“Smoke!”
Annie bends over laughing.
Smoke nods
“Mhmm. That’s right. The employees at Flexx heard y’all.”
Now it’s Dajia’s turn to look embarrassed.
She points at Annie.
“It ain’t that damn funny Annie.”
Stack waves them all off.
“Man, whatever.”
The look on Dajia’s face only makes it worse.
A few seconds later, all four of them are standing in the parking lot laughing so hard they can barely breathe.
Eventually, Smoke shakes his head and starts walking toward the building.
“Come on. Before we miss our own damn baby shower.”
That only makes everyone laugh..
A minute later…
The doors to Zen open, and the four of them walk in together.
They all stop.
For a few seconds, nobody says a word.
The room is beautiful.
Soft yellow and green decorations fill the space. One of Annie and Smoke’s pictures from the maternity shoot they did, has been turned into a giant poster. Another large picture of Stack and Dajia from when Stack popped up at her shop sits right next to it. A large balloon arch stands at the front of the room. Tables are covered with matching linens, plates, and centerpieces. Trays of sweet treats sit beside the cupcakes Dajia spent all day baking. Four throne chairs that sit beneath the balloon arch.
One chair for Annie. One for Smoke.
One for Dajia. One for Stack.
The room is buzzing with family and friends, but somehow it still feels quiet.
Like time has slowed down.
Annie’s hand automatically goes to her belly.
Her eyes begin to water.
She looks around slowly.
A few years ago, she was stressed over blueprints, project deadlines, and proving herself as one of the youngest engineers on her team. She had her career, but there were still parts of her life that felt uncertain.
Now…She’s THE engineer she loves being.
She’s married to the man of her dreams. They’re homeowners.
And she’s carrying twins. Twin little girls who are already so loved.
She blinks away tears. Smoke notices immediately.
His hand settles on her lower back.
“You aight, Mama?”
Annie lets out a shaky laugh. “I’m just… look at this.”
Smoke follows her gaze. And suddenly, he gets quiet too.
Because he’s thinking about everything. The clubs.
The restaurant. Moore Life Lounge.
The long nights. The risks. The sacrifices. There was a time he and Stack were just trying to make it.
Now they own three successful businesses. People work for them.
Depend on them. Respect them.
And somehow, in the middle of building all of that, he found his wife.
His best friend. And now she’s carrying his daughters.
He looks at her belly and slowly shakes his head.
A smile spreads across his face.
“Damn,” he says softly.
Annie looks at him. “What?”
He chuckles. “I really got everything I prayed for.”
Annie’s eyes fill again. ,”Smoke…”
He kisses her forehead. “I mean it, Mama.”
A few feet away, Stack looks around and lets out a low whistle.
“This crazy.”
Dajia smiles. “It is.”
“No, for real.” He gestures around the room. “Look at us.”
She does. And suddenly she’s emotional too.
Her photography studio has been thriving. She’s built a name for herself.
Booked out months in advance.
She’s doing what she loves every single day.
And now…She’s married. Pregnant with a little boy.
Standing at a baby shower with her best friend, both of them rubbing their bellies.
She laughs softly because life really surprised her. She never would’ve guessed this. Not in a million years.
Her eyes start stinging.
Stack looks over. “Oh hell.”
She laughs. “What?”
“You got that look.”
“What look?”
“That cryin’ look.”
She smacks his arm.
“I am not cryin’.”
A tear falls.
Stack starts laughing. “There it is.”
She laughs through her tears.
“Shut up.”
Stack’s smile slowly fades into something softer.
Because truthfully…He’s emotional too. He looks at one of the green throne chairs. His chair. For him. For his son.
A man who once swore he’d never settle down. Now he’s discussing diaper bags, nursery colors, and baby names.
He owns three businesses with his brother. Has money, stability, and purpose. And somehow, the thing he’s proudest of is standing right beside him.
He looks at Dajia. She’s wiping her eyes. Pregnant. Beautiful. His wife.
He slides an arm around her shoulders. “You know…” he says quietly.
She looks at him.
“We really did it.”
She blinks. “What?”
He smiles. “We built us a life.”
Dajia looks around the room one more time. Then back at him.
Then over at Annie and Smoke.
Her best friend and her brother-in-law. All four of them standing there. Healthy. Happy. Successful. In love. Starting families.
She smiles through her tears.
“Yeah,” she says softly. “We really did.”
The four of them stand there for another moment, simply taking it all in. The decorations. The laughter.
The love. The babies.
Everything they’ve built.
Everything they’ve overcome.
And for the first time all day, none of them rushes to the next thing.
They just stand there…grateful for how far they’ve come.
Friday morning sunlight pours through the floor-to-ceiling windows, flooding the kitchen in warm gold.
The entire space smells like vanilla, butter, and sugar.
Dajia stands at the oversized island in one of Stack’s old t-shirts stretched over her baby bump and a pair of biker shorts. Her dreads are piled on top of her head in a messy bun while flour dusts her fingertips and the front of her shirt.
Her iPad sits propped up on the island.
Thousands of people are tuned into her TikTok Live.
Some are there because they love her photography.
Some are there because they love her personality.
And some are there because they simply think she’s fine as hell.
Before Stack, Dajia’s audience had mostly been men.
Now her following is a healthy mix of women and men who enjoyed watching her navigate pregnancy, marriage, business ownership, and everyday life.
Music blasts through the speaker.
🎶 Ain’t too proud to beggggg 🎶
Dajia sings loudly and off-key while dancing with a whisk in her hand.
The comments fly so fast she can barely keep up.
“Okay y’all,” she says, looking directly into the camera. “Tomorrow is the baby shower so I’m makin’ cupcakes.”
She points toward several cooling trays.
“I already got the first batch done.”
The comments immediately start rolling.
WE LOVE A HANDS ON MOMMA😍
Girl you should’ve hired somebody
I know Stack offered to pay for it🤔
Dajia laughs. “He absolutely did.”
She starts measuring flour into a bowl.“He said, ‘Baby girl, why don’t you just let somebody do it?’”
She deepens her voice to imitate him.
“‘Cause that’s what money is for.’”
The comments explode with laughing emojis.
Dajia shakes her head. “But I wanted to do it myself. Plus I needed content.”
She winks. “I’m trying to be more active wit postin’ and promotin’ my business. Y’all know I disappear for three weeks at a time.”
More laughing emojis flood the screen.
“So if anybody wondering, for this amount I’m using three cups of flour.”
She scoops another cup.
“And don’t come on here judgin’ me because I know somebody’s grandmother watchin’.”
The comments immediately prove her right.
My grandma said sift it first 😂
You measuring with your ♥️
That baby adding extra seasoning
Dajia throws her head back laughing.
“I am measuring wit my heart.”
She starts dancing again as TLC continues playing.
🎶 If I need it in the morning or the middle of the night 🎶
She sways her hips while stirring.
More comments roll in.
You glowing😍🥰
Pregnancy looks so good on you😍
Can you come cook for me?
I need a wife like her. 😤
Nah I need HER😰
Not you singing ain’t 2 proud that’s why you pregnant now. 😂
Dajia snorts. “Y’all are ridiculous.”
She reaches for another ingredient.
Just as she’s explaining how much flour to use, Stack walks into the kitchen shirtless.
“Sup baby girl?”
Dajia turns her head immediately.
A smile spreads across her face.
“Hey babe.”
Then she looks at the camera.
“It’s my husband y’all. So behave.”
She starts giggling.
Stack walks behind her and presses a kiss to her neck.
He smells like cologne, soap, and whatever expensive body wash he insists on using.
He glances toward the camera and nods. “Sup y’all.”
The comments immediately go insane.
THERE HE GO 😍
OH LORD 😩
THAT MAN FINE AS FROG HAIR🥵
STACKKKKK 😘😘
LOOK AT THAT BODY😩🤤
I JUST KNOW YOU BE FOLDIN’😤🥴
Dajia starts dancing against him a little.
Stack grins and backs up.
Dajia turns around. “Not you running.”
“Nah, never that.”
She starts singing directly to him.
🎶 If I need it in the morning or the middle of the night. I ain’t too proud to beg no. If the lovin is strong and he got it going on and I ain’t too proud proud to beg no. 🎶
She dances against him, her belly bumping into him.
Her hands stay spread wide so she doesn’t get flour on him.
Stack starts dancing too.
His shoulders bouncing.
His head nodding.
They both get entirely too into it.
Soon they’re laughing so hard they can barely stay on beat.
Stack points at her. “This yo theme song baby.”
“Hell yeah it is.”
She points right back. “It’s yours too.”
Stack laughs. “Damn right.”
Dajia almost forgets she’s on Live.
She walks back over to the iPad and starts reading comments.
“Awwww y’all so cute. 🥰”
“God it’s me again🙏🏽”
“What prayer you prayed?”
“On the phone that I pay for😒”
“Damn yo husband fine as shit! Where you been hiding him?👀”
“Do he got a brother who look like him👀”
Dajia cracks up.
“Yes. He has a twin who looks just like him but he’s married. Sorry ladies.”
Stack walks over grinning.
He leans down and starts reading too.
“Thank y’all for the compliments.”
He says it all bashful.
Dajia rolls her eyes.
“Don’t blow his head up y’all. It’s big enough. Soon I won’t have any room in this house.”
“Whatever. You the one wit the big head.”
He kisses all over her neck and rubs her stomach.
The comments lose their minds.
THE NECK KISSES 🤤
HE LOVE HER REAL BAD😍
I’M SICK😰🤧
I WANT THIS😤
Dajia keeps scrolling.
Then she reads another comment.
We see why you pregnant. I’d have all his babies. 😍
Dajia immediately busts out laughing.
That makes Stack laugh too.
He bends down and starts reading for himself.
Then his eyes land on some of the men’s comments.
Damn you was supposed to be having my baby. 😒
Stack immediately responds.
“Well she havin’ mine nigga. Too bad.”
Dajia shakes her head and walks to the counter.
Stack keeps reading.
About time you turned around. We been waiting forever.
His brows knit together.
“Aye y’all niggas on here wylin.”
He points at the camera.
“Tryna look at my wife ass and shit.”
Dajia’s head snaps around.
“Stack don’t start.”
He ignores her.
Leans closer to the camera.
“That ass is mine. Ain’t nobody looking at that no more.”
The comments erupt.
LMAOOOOO 🤣😂
HE STANDIN ON BUSINESS💪🏽
WE STAN A PROTECTIVE KING
IF MINE AINT STRICT LIKE THIS I DONT WANT HIM🤭
Stack keeps scrolling.
My heart broken. You supposed to have my last name.
He shakes his head.
Then another one catches his attention.
Mannn I’ll be the dad that stepped up. I got enough money to take care of you and the baby.
Stack gets irritated instantly.
“See now you niggas goin too far.”
He points at the screen.
“Y’all thirsty as hell. Talkin to a married woman like that. My son got a fuckin’ Daddy. He ain’t EVER gon’ have a Step Dad. Nigga talkin bout trickin off. Niggas that talk about money like that be broke as fuck.”
He shakes his head in irritation.
Then something catches his attention.
His eyes narrow.
He looks at Dajia’s hand.
Then back at her. “Where the fuck is yo ring?”
Dajia sighs. “On the counter Stack. I didn’t want it to have flour all on it.”
“Nah fuck that.”
He points toward the counter.
“Go put it on.”
Dajia smirks.
Entirely too amused.
She can’t even take him serious when he gets jealous like this.
“What you smilin’ for?”
“’Cause here you go, Stack.”
Before he can respond she grabs his face and kisses him.
Deep. Slow.
Right there in front of everybody.
The fight drains out of him instantly.
Stack groans against her mouth.
“Baby girl…”
He kisses her neck and Dajia melts.
The comments become complete chaos.
THE LIVE ENDED FOR ME RIGHT HERE 🥵
WE INTERRUPTING SOMETHING👀
THAT SHOULD BE ME. FUCK THAT NIGGA 😤
I’M BLUSHING ☺️
THAT NIGGA DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO WIT ALL THAT ASS.
STACK DON’T LOOK AT HER LIKE THAT😂
THIS NIGGA STOLE MY GIRL🤮IM SICK
Then suddenly Stack slides his hands under her thighs and picks her up.
Dajia squeals.
“Wait Stack, what you doin?”
“You already know.”
He looks over at the iPad.
A slow smirk spreads across his face.
“Sorry y’all. She gotta go.”
The comments go insane.
“She gon be back in a few hours.”
Dajia throws her head back laughing.
“Stack!”
He reaches over. Ends the Live.
The screen goes black.
“Stack, I know you didn’t just end my live.”
He starts carrying her toward the bedroom. “I did. So what?”
She laughs.
“You started it.”
“I’m cooking Elias.”
“All I need is fifteen minutes baby girl.”
Dajia shakes her head smiling.
“Okayyyyyy.”
And despite all her protesting, she wraps her arms around his neck anyway while he carries her down the hallway.
🌻🌷🌻🌷🌻🌷🌻🌷🌻🌷🌻🌷🌻🌷🌻🌷
Annie and Smoke are at a boutique Annie frequents. She loves supporting Black stylists, and she’s trying to find a dress for the baby shower tomorrow.
She couldn’t decide, so now it’s down to the last minute.
Smoke sits in a chair, patiently waiting for her to come out from the fitting room.
A moment later, Annie steps out in a short brown off-the-shoulder dress.
Smoke smirks. She looks so beautiful.
He loves her in brown. It complements her skin perfectly. Then again, just about every color complements Annie’s skin.
Annie studies herself in the mirror and huffs. “I hate it.”
“It looks good, baby. What you hate about it?”
Annie turns to look at him. “Everything.”
Smoke chuckles.
Annie frowns. “What’s so funny, Smoke?”
“You. This is the fifth dress, and you’ve hated every single one.”
“So? I look like a damn elephant.”
“No, you don’t. Stop it.”
Annie stomps back toward the fitting room without another word.
A few minutes later, she emerges in a flowing pink dress.
She walks to the mirror and slowly twirls.
Smoke stays quiet, taking her in.
Before he can say anything, Annie’s face crumples.
Tears spill down her cheeks.
She sniffles.
Smoke immediately sits up straighter.
“Annie?”
“Leave me alone, Elijah.”
She rushes back to the fitting room.
The boutique owner glances at Smoke with concern.
“I’ll go talk to her,” he says.
He heads to the back and knocks on the door.
“Go away, Elijah.”
“No. Annie, open the door.”
“I’m okay.”
“No, you not. Let me in.”
Annie huffs, but eventually unlocks the door.
Smoke steps inside.
She’s sitting on the bench with her arms folded tightly across her chest.
He sits beside her. “Come here, baby.”
Annie shakes her head.
“Stop bein’ stubborn.”
He gently pulls her onto his lap, one leg on each side of him. He wraps his arms around her.
Lifting her chin, he makes her look at him.
A tear slips down her cheek.
He wipes it away with his thumb.
He knows her emotions are running high. He knows she hasn’t felt like herself lately.
“Talk to me, Mama.”
Annie sighs. “I feel like nothin’ looks good on me. I miss my body, Elijah. Will I be able to bounce back?”
Smoke’s brows knit together.
“First off, you look good in everything, Annie.”
He brushes another tear from her face. “And second, yes, you’ll bounce back. Even if it takes time. You still you, Mama. You’ll always be beautiful to me. No matter what.”
Annie’s eyes fill again.
Smoke keeps wiping away her tears.
“I know this is hard on you. I know yo body’s changing every day, and sometimes you don’t recognize yo self. But you doin’ somethin’ incredible. You carrying our daughters. That’s a blessin’.”
His hand settles gently on her stomach.
“You make the clothes look good, Annie. The clothes don’t make you.”
The tears continue to fall.
“Don’t cry, baby.”
His voice softens.
“You a goddess to me. My moon, my stars, my earth. You so gorgeous.”
He presses his forehead against hers.
“I feel lucky every single day that I get to call you mine.”
Annie closes her eyes.
“And I know this ain’t really about what I think. I know you gotta learn to love what you see too. But until you do, I’m gonna remind you every chance I get.”
He kisses her forehead.
“You beautiful.”
Another kiss lands on her cheek.
“You strong.”
Then the tip of her nose.
“And you giving our girls the best home they could ever ask for.”
A small laugh escapes Annie through her tears.
Finally. A smile.
“There she is,” Smoke murmurs.
Then his tone shifts to something deeper—sensual.
He cups her face in his hands.
“I love these lips.”
He kisses them softly.
Then he trails down her neck to her chest.
“I love these breasts.”
He kisses the top of them.
He grips her ass. “And I love this ass.”
He moves back up to her ear.
“Yo husband loves every inch of you.”
Then he looks her in the eyes.
“Let me make you feel better real quick, baby.”
He kisses her neck again.
“You gon let me do that for you? Hmm?”
Annie closes her eyes and nods, tears pooling on her lashes.
“Good.”
He reaches between them and pulls her panties to the side.
Annie inhales while staring into his eyes.
He takes two fingers and rubs her clit gently.
Annie’s breath hitches.
She slowly starts to grind against his fingers.
“There she go,” he murmurs.
He rubs a little faster.
Annie groans, and Smoke kisses her to swallow the sound.
Then he grabs one of her hips and makes her stop moving.
His mouth moves back to her ear.
“Here’s what you gon do. You gon take yo ass out there and find somethin to wear.”
He keeps rubbing gently.
“Then you gon bring yo ass in here and try it on.”
He rubs with his middle finger in circles.
Annie takes a deep breath.
“Then you gon come out and show Daddy. You gon model that shit for me. Do my lil spin I want you to do.”
Annie’s chest rises and falls rapidly.
“Then you gon turn around and look in that mirror.”
Annie grips Smoke’s shoulder, trying to hold on.
“And you gon look and see how gorgeous you are. You understand me?”
Annie nods.
Smoke taps her ass.
“Y-yes, Elijah.”
Smoke moves to her mouth and kisses her. Then he continues,
“That’s right, ’cause if I do somethin’ for you, you gotta do somethin’ for me.”
“Smokeee,” Annie groans.
“What? You wanna come, baby?”
“Yes,” she replies in a breathless whisper.
“I know you do. You gon do what I say?”
“Yes, Daddy.”
“Good. Now come on, baby.”
He rubs faster, while Annie throws her head back. She floods his fingers.
She screams. “Ahhhh!”
“Shhhhh,” Smoke says.
The boutique owner hears.
She walks to the back and knocks on the door.
“Everything okay?”
Smoke covers Annie’s mouth and stares into her eyes.
Smoke yells out,
“Yeah, everything good. We finna come out now.”
“Okay. I’ll be up front.”
She walks off.
He uncovers Annie’s mouth.
“All the places I done made you come, and you still ain’t learned how to hold yo damn screams and moans in?”
Annie looks down, embarrassed.
“I couldn’t help it, Smoke. I’m sorry.”
“Mhmm. Come on and pick out another outfit.”
He makes her get up and leaves her in the fitting room.
Five minutes later, Annie steps out in a yellow two piece outfit adorned with green flowers. The skirt flows around her legs with every step, featuring a slit up the side that gives it just the right amount of movement. A matching one-shoulder crop top sits perfectly against her growing frame, leaving her round belly on full display.
Smoke’s eyes instantly light up.
He loves it.
Annie catches his expression and immediately knows what he’s thinking. The look on his face says it all.
She slowly spins for him.
Smoke smirks and gives an approving nod.
Annie turns toward the mirror, expecting to find something wrong like she had with every other outfit. Instead, she pauses.
She actually loves this one.
The bright yellow compliments her skin, and the flowing skirt makes her feel beautiful instead of self-conscious.
Smoke rises from his chair and steps up behind her.
Annie meets his eyes in the mirror.
“I really like this one, Smoke.”
Smoke kisses her cheek.
“Me too. This the one.”
He wraps his arms around her waist and gently rubs her belly.
“I actually want my babies to be showin’. This they day too.”
Annie smiles.
Smoke turns her around and presses a soft kiss to her lips.
“Come on, Mama,” he says, resting his forehead against hers. “Big day tomorrow.”
🌹🌷🌹🌷🌹🌷🌹🌷🌹🌷🌹🌷🌹🌷🌹🌷
Friday Night…
Club Flex is still relatively quiet.
The doors have only been open for about an hour, and the crowd is slowly starting to build.
Antonio is making his usual rounds through the club, checking on staff and making sure everything is running smoothly before the night picks up.
“Antonio.”
He looks over.
Zariah is standing near the end of the bar. “You got a minute?”
Antonio immediately notices the serious look on her face. “Yeah.”
He follows her toward the employee hallway where it’s quieter.
Once they’re alone, he folds his arms.
“What’s up?”
Zariah exhales. “It’s about Nyla.”
Antonio sighs. “What now?”
That response makes Zariah laugh.
“So y’all already know she a problem?”
“We know she don’t know how to leave shit alone.”
Zariah nods. “Well, she still ain’t leaving it alone.”
Antonio’s expression hardens. “What happened?”
Zariah glances around before lowering her voice. “I think you need to have a conversation with her.”
Antonio raises an eyebrow. “Why?”
“Because she’s still obsessed with Stack.”
Antonio groans. “Lord.”
“I’m serious.”
“So am I.”
He rubs his forehead. “I thought we got past that.”
“Nope.”
Zariah shakes her head. “Not even close.”
Antonio motions for her to continue.
A few seconds pass before she speaks. “The day Dajia came up here…”
Antonio nods. “Yeah.”
“When her and Stack went into his office…”
His eyes narrow. “What about it?”
Zariah folds her arms.
“Nyla told me she stood outside the door listening.”
Antonio freezes. “What?”
“She told me herself.”
The irritation immediately disappears from his face.
Now he’s paying attention.
“Say that again.”
“Nyla told me she stood outside the office listening to them.”
Antonio stares at her. “You’re kidding.”
“I wish I was.”
“What exactly did she say?”
Zariah shakes her head.
“She was bragging about it.”
Antonio’s jaw tightens. “Bragging?”
“Yep.”
“Like it was funny?”
“Like it was some kind of accomplishment.”
Antonio looks genuinely disgusted.
“That’s weird as hell.”
“I know.”
“Did she really tell you she was listening outside the door?”
“Yes.”
“And she wasn’t embarrassed?”
Zariah laughs. “Far from it”
Antonio murmurs a curse word under his breath. “Unbelievable.”
“It gets worse.”
Antonio closes his eyes. “Of course it does.”
Zariah sighs. “She still thinks she can get Stack.”
Antonio immediately opens his eyes.
“What?”
“I’m serious.”
“Still?”
“Yep.”
Zariah shakes her head. “She keeps talking about how she doesn’t understand what Stack sees in Dajia.”
Antonio’s face immediately darkens.
“Oh, hell no.”
“Exactly.”
“She said that?”
“Multiple times.”
Antonio folds his arms. “And what did you say?”
“The same thing I’ve been saying.”
Zariah shrugs. “I told her to leave that man alone.”
“Good.”
“I told her he’s married.”
“Good.”
“I told her Dajia ain’t going nowhere.”
“Excellent.”
Antonio nods approvingly. “What she say?”
Zariah rolls her eyes. “Basically that every man can be taken.”
Antonio laughs once. A humorless laugh. “That’s a dangerous mindset.”
“That’s what I’m saying.”
The music from the club thumps faintly through the walls.
Antonio looks toward the front entrance.
Smoke and Stack could walk through the doors any minute.
“If Stack hears this…”
“He gon’ lose it.”
“Exactly.”
Zariah points toward the front.
“Which is why I’m telling you.”
Antonio nods slowly.
He appreciates that. A lot.
Because Stack is already protective when it comes to Dajia.
Finding out an employee is listening outside his office and talking about taking his wife’s place?
Before he leaves, Zariah calls after him. “Antonio?”
He turns. “Yeah?”
“She really think she got a chance.”
Antonio stares at her for a moment.
Then laughs.
Not because it’s funny.
Because it’s ridiculous.
“That woman has watched Stack look at Dajia for five whole minutes and she still thinks she got a chance?”
Zariah smirks. “Apparently.”
Antonio shakes his head and starts walking away. “Delusional”
Because if Stack ever found out exactly what she’d been saying?
Overreacting is something he would be bound to do.
🌸🌼🌸🌼🌸🌼🌸🌼🌸🌼🌸🌼🌸🌼🌸🌼
The early afternoon air inside Zen hums with excitement.
Bright LED lights, spill across the polished floors making the yellow and green decorations glow. The scent of vanilla cupcakes, buttercream frosting, and fresh flowers lingers in the air, blending with the faint smell of helium balloons and party supplies fresh from their packaging.
Dominique pushes through the doors carrying a tote full of extra decorations. Antonio follows behind her with a rolling cart stacked with supplies.
The moment they step inside, both of them stop.
Dominique’s eyes widen. “Oh wow.”
The room is stunning.
A massive balloon arch stretches across the main wall, filled with varying shades of sunshine yellow, sage green, white, and touches of gold. Some balloons are oversized while others are tiny, tucked between the larger ones to create depth. Gold butterflies and artificial greenery weave throughout the arch, making it look almost magical.
A camera shutter clicks. Click. Click. Click.
Titus is already hard at work.
He moves around the room with his camera hanging from his neck, snapping pictures of every detail before guests arrive and disturb the setup.
“Afternoon,” Antonio calls.
Titus lowers his camera and nods.
“Afternoon. Dajia told me not to miss a single thing.”
“Sounds like her,” Dominique says with a laugh.
Their attention shifts toward the front of the room.
Four throne chairs sit beneath the balloon arch.
Two elegant yellow thrones sit side by side for Annie and Smoke.
The chairs are upholstered in soft yellow velvet with gold trim, giving them a regal look. Decorative pillows rest against the backs, and yellow roses spill from floral arrangements surrounding them.
Beside them are two matching green thrones for Stack and Dajia.
The rich green fabric pops against the gold detailing, tying perfectly into the theme for Baby Eli.
Behind the chairs, a custom backdrop reads:
DOUBLE THE BLESSINGS
ANIYAH • ANIJAH • ELI
Dominique places her hand over her chest.
“Oh Annie is absolutely gon cry.”
Antonio grins.
“Smoke probably gon cry too.”
Dominique laughs.
“You right. He ain’t foolin’ nobody.”
The tables throughout the room are dressed in crisp white linens with yellow and green runners flowing down the centers. Gold chargers sit beneath matching plates, and cloth napkins are tied with satin ribbon.
Every detail chosen with love.
The dessert table immediately steals Dominique’s attention.
It stretches nearly the entire length of one wall.
“Dajia went crazy,” she mutters.
Tiered stands display dozens of cupcakes she baked herself, each topped with perfectly piped buttercream swirls in yellow and green. Chocolate-covered strawberries sparkle beneath decorative drizzle.
Cake pops stand upright in gold holders. Sugar cookies shaped like baby bottles, rattles, crowns, and tiny footprints are arranged across decorative trays.
Glass jars overflow with yellow and green candies.
Mini cheesecakes, brownies, and rice krispy treats fill every remaining space.
The sweet scent of vanilla and sugar hangs heavily around the display.
Antonio immediately reaches for a cupcake.
Dominique slaps his hand. “No.”
“I’m helping.”
“No, you’re eating.”
“It’s called taste testing.”
“It’s called get away from the damn table.”
Antonio laughs and raises his hands in surrender.
Soft music plays through the speakers while people finish setting up.
Titus continues snapping photos.
Click. The balloon arch. Click.
The dessert table.
Everything is being documented before the celebration begins.
Dominique slowly turns in another circle, taking it all in.
The bright colors. The flowers. The treats.
The love poured into every detail.
The room doesn’t just look beautiful.
It feels beautiful. Like family. Like happiness.
Like a celebration that had been dreamed about for months.
Antonio wraps an arm around Dominique’s shoulders.
“This baby shower gon be legendary.”
Dominique smiles as she looks toward the four throne chairs waiting for Annie, Smoke, Stack, and Dajia.
“Yeah,” she says softly. “It really is.”
An hour later, the space grows even livelier.
Legacy, and a few of Annie’s aunts and cousins move around adjusting centerpieces while soft R&B plays through the speakers. The room is nearly ready.
The balloon arch sways gently whenever someone walks past.
Titus continues working. Click. Click. Click.
He captures the throne chairs from every angle before moving to photograph the food table.
Near the entrance, the doors swing open again.
“Well damn.”
Antonio immediately grins.
“Here come the troublemakers.”
Cornbread walks in first, dressed in a green button down with the sleeves rolled to his elbows. Therese is beside him looking effortlessly beautiful in a flowing yellow sundress.
Right behind them are Bo and Grace.
Grace carries a large gift bag decorated with tiny baby feet while Bo struggles with two oversized boxes stacked in his arms.
“I can’t see!” Bo hollers.
Grace rolls her eyes.
“That’s because you’re hardheaded and refused to make two trips.”
“I ain’t making two trips.”
“You also ain’t seeing where you’re walking.”
Bo almost bumps into a table.
Antonio starts laughing.
Bo finally makes it inside and carefully sets the boxes down.
“See? Handled perfectly.”
“You almost took out the cupcake table,” Grace says.
“But I didn’t.”
Cornbread shakes his head.
“That’s only because God was watching over you.”
Everyone laughs.
Therese’s eyes travel around the room. The massive balloon arch.
The beautiful yellow and green décor.
The dessert table overflowing with sweets.
Then she spots the four throne chairs.
“Oh my goodness. This is gorgeous.”
Dominique smiles. “Ain’t it?”
Therese slowly walks toward the chairs.
Grace joins her.
“Y’all definitely outdid y’all selves.”
“She really did,” Therese agrees.
Meanwhile, Cornbread has wandered toward the dessert table.
Antonio notices immediately. “Oh no.”
Therese follows his gaze. “Oh hell.”
Cornbread’s hand is already reaching for a cupcake.
Dominique points without even looking.
“Don’t.”
Cornbread freezes.
“Y’all got cameras in here?”
“No.”
“Then how she gon know?”
Therese laughs. “Because you predictable.”
Cornbread sighs dramatically. “I was just lookin’.”
“You was not just lookin’,” Bo says.
“I saw the frosting in your eyes.”
Even Titus chuckles behind his camera.
Click.
He quickly snaps a picture of Cornbread standing guiltily beside the dessert table.
“Man come on,” Cornbread groans.
“Delete that shit.”
“Not happening,” Titus replies.
The room erupts into laughter.
For a moment everyone simply stands there taking everything in.
The decorations. The gifts.
The anticipation of meeting three babies who are already loved beyond measure.
Therese smiles softly as she looks around.
“You can tell these babies got a village.”
The room grows quiet for a second.
Because it’s true.
Every person present had shown up early on a Saturday simply to celebrate Annie, Smoke, Dajia, and Stack.
To support them. To love them.
To welcome the next generation.
Cornbread wraps an arm around Therese’s shoulder.
“And they ain’t even here yet.”
Antonio nods. “Just wait till Smoke and Stack walk in.”
Bo grins. “Oh yeah.”
Grace laughs.
“Those two gon be acting like celebrities.”
“And proud daddies,” Dominique adds.
Everyone smiles.
Because they already know she’s right.
🌸🌼🌸🌼🌸🌼🌸🌼🌸🌼🌸
Annie and Smoke pull up to Stack and Dajia’s house.
Since they’re the guests of honor, they decided to follow each other to the venue.
Smoke honks the horn once, then waits.
Inside, Dajia is still getting ready.
Stack walks into the room.
“Aye, Smoke and Annie—”
He doesn’t finish his sentence.
His eyes land on Dajia.
The green dress is low-cut up top.
Her breasts are sitting up nice.
Too nice.
Stack’s brows furrow instantly.
“Aye, you think that dress is appropriate for a baby shower?”
“You know damn well what’s wrong wit it. I can see yo titties. It’s showin’ too much.”
“Stack, you never have a problem wit it no other time. You normally pick shit out like this for me.”
“I know, but you ain’t wearin’ that shit today. Not wit that lame ass nigga there takin’ pictures and shit.”
Dajia throws her hands up.
“See? There it is. Stop worryin’ about him.”
“Nah, ‘cause I told you I ain’t want him there, but you insisted. So you not wearin’ it. Take it off.”
After getting tired of waiting, Smoke and Annie walk into the house.
The second they step inside, they hear them going back and forth.
“NO, STACK! I ordered this months ago! It’s pretty and I’m wearin’ it!”
“No, you not!”
“Yes, I am!”
“Take it off!”
“Hell no!”
“See, that’s yo fuckin’ problem! You never wanna listen to yo husband!”
“It ain’t about listenin’, Stack! You got trust issues and that’s on you!”
“This ain’t about trust! It’s about respect! You bein’ disrespectful wearin’ that shit in front of that nigga!”
“Stack, I wear my clothes for me! Don’t try and change who I am!”
“Oh, here we go wit the fuckin’ guilt-trippin’! I’m not tryna change you. I always let you wear what you want, but today I draw the line, got damn it!”
Smoke and Annie walk into the room.
“Aye, what’s goin’ on in here?” Smoke says.
Annie adds, “Yeah, the whole neighborhood can hear y’all.”
Dajia rolls her eyes.
“He wants me to change, and I’m not doin’ it.”
“Oh yes, you are!” Stack fires back.
“No the fuck I’m not!” Dajia screams.
Smoke immediately grabs Stack’s arm.
“Come on.”
He pulls him from the room before things escalate further.
Once they’re gone, Dajia looks at Annie.
“How did this start?” Annie asks.
Dajia shakes her head.
“He don’t want me wearin’ this because Titus is there.”
Annie nods slowly.
“I see. Now, you know I’m all for women empowerment, LeDajia, but sometimes you like creatin’ issues between you and Stack.”
“Uh-uh, Annie. Don’t even try that shit, ‘cause you the Queen of creatin’ issues wit you and Smoke.”
Annie laughs.
“Yeah, but I’m learnin’ how to pick my battles wit him.”
Dajia folds her arms.
“You on his side?”
“No. I’m on the side of peace.”
Dajia rolls her eyes again.
Annie continues.
“You know Stack didn’t want Titus at the baby shower, but he’s still gonna be there, and that is what you wanted. Right?”
“Yeah. It’s what I wanted.”
“Okay. Then can you give Stack what he wants? Compromise wit him just a little, best friend. You know how he is.”
“So I gotta change because he’s insecure about Titus?”
“Dajia, you knew this is how Stack has been since the day you took it there wit him. He’s always been possessive. I’ve never seen him try to control what you wear, though. Doesn’t he always encourage it?”
“Yeah, he does.”
“Okay. So that tells you that, in this instance, he’s uncomfortable. You workin’ alongside Titus is still somethin’ he’s tryna get used to. He’s never had to navigate anything like this before. It’s new for him.”
Dajia stays quiet.
“Why can’t you make it just a little easier for him?”
Dajia sighs heavily.
Annie softens her voice.
“Marriage is a partnership. Sometimes one person has to compromise. Stack loves you so much, Dajia. Help him navigate his feelings. Take his feelings into consideration when you do certain things.”
Dajia’s shoulders slowly drop.
She thinks about everything Annie said.
About Stack never being in a real relationship before.
Never loving a woman enough to be jealous.
Never caring enough to worry.
Never having anything to lose.
Annie is right.
This is new for him.
And maybe she hasn’t been giving him enough grace while he learns.
Meanwhile, in the living room…
Stack paces back and forth, mumbling under his breath.
Smoke watches him for a minute before speaking.
“Stack, calm down. This an important day. Talk to me.”
“Man, I don’t want her wearin’ that shit, Smoke. Her titties out and shit. I ain’t havin’ it.”
Smoke nods.
“I hear you. But you ain’t never cared about what she wore before. Ain’t you the one who be pushin’ her to wear sexy shit?”
“Yeah, I do.”
“So what’s the problem now?”
Stack finally looks at him.
“The problem now is that nigga Titus gon’ be there. Takin’ pictures. Lookin’ at her titties and shit. I ain’t havin’ it, Smoke.”
Smoke finally understands.
“I hear you, Stack, but—”
“Here you go with the ‘but.’”
“Nah, just hear me out.”
Stack sighs.
Smoke continues.
“You got a beautiful wife, Stack, and you gotta learn how to be secure within yo self. She’s yours and yours only. That’s yo trophy. Show her off.”
Stack listens.
“Believe me, it took me a minute to get used to niggas starin’ at Annie. But she’s mine, and she fine as hell. I’d be crazy if I thought no niggas was gon’ stare.”
A small grin tugs at Stack’s mouth.
“At the end of the day, they can look as long as they don’t touch.”
Stack huffs.
“Man…”
But that’s all he can say.
Smoke keeps going.
“If you didn’t want these problems, you shouldn’t have gotten wit a good-lookin’ woman.”
That makes Stack laugh despite himself.
Smoke smirks.
“All three of them beautiful, Stack. And all three of us gotta fight for our lives wit bein’ secure daily.”
Stack shakes his head. “Facts.”
“We lucked up. They chose us. Always remember how lucky you are.”
Smoke’s expression softens.
“Dajia loves you and wants only you. I can see it in her eyes. I can see it by how much she’s changed for you.”
Stack thinks about all the ways she has.
The way she makes room for him.
The way she checks in with him.
The way she talks about him when he’s not around.
The way she carries his son with pride.
“Don’t lead wit control,” Smoke says quietly. “Trust her. Trust that you picked right.”
Stack looks down.
“Show her off. ‘Cause a million niggas would love to be in yo shoes right now. They wouldn’t give a fuck about what she wore as long as they had her.”
Stack thinks back to her live yesterday.
All those thirsty ass men in the comments.
Beggin’. Flirtin’. Throwin’ themselves at her.
Yet her attention stayed on him.
Always him.
A smirk spreads across his face.
Smoke laughs. “Yeah, nigga. I know.”
Stack shakes his head. “Shut up.”
“Now go in there and apologize.”
Stack nods.
He heads back toward the bedroom.
Inside the closet, Dajia is already searching through dresses.
Trying to find something else to wear.
Annie walks out of the room.
Smoke looks at her. “You took care of her?”
“Mhmm. You take care of him?”
“Of course.”
They high-five, then naturally lace their fingers together.
“Come on,” Annie says. “Let’s go wait in the car.”
They leave.
Stack walks into the closet.
“What you doin’, baby girl?”
Dajia looks over her shoulder.
“Findin’ another dress to wear.”
Stack immediately shakes his head.
“No, baby. Don’t do that.”
She pauses.
“What you mean? I thought you wanted me to change.”
“I did.”
He steps closer.
“But I changed my mind.”
Dajia turns fully toward him.
“Keep it on.”
His eyes roam over her.
Not with anger this time.
With love. With admiration. With pride.
“I know I be overreactin’ and shit.”
Dajia smiles faintly.
“I just hate the thought of a nigga bein’ close to you.”
His hand settles gently against her stomach.
“But you mine.”
His voice grows softer.
“You havin’ my baby.”
His eyes shine.
“And you carryin’ my last name.”
Emotion clogs his throat.
“I won, Lee Lee.”
Dajia’s eyes instantly soften.
“I won, and I’m proud to show yo fine ass off every chance I get.”
She laughs through the tears forming in her eyes.
Stack smiles.
“I got a baddie. I gotta deal wit everything that come along wit that.”
He leans forward and kisses her forehead.
“I’m sorry, baby girl.”
Dajia’s face completely melts.
“It’s okay.”
She reaches for him.
“I apologize too.”
Stack looks down at her.
“I need to start considerin’ how you feel too. I know this is new for you, just like it is for me.”
She rubs his cheek.
“I promise to consider you from now on.”
Stack smiles.
Then he kisses her. Soft. Tender. Full of love.
Dajia kisses him back.
And before long, the kiss deepens.
All the frustration. All the tension. All the love.
It pours into that kiss.
They kiss like two people who can never quite get enough of each other.
Stack wraps his arms around her and lifts her effortlessly.
Dajia squeals.
“Stack, baby, wait. Annie and Smoke are waitin’!”
“So let ’em wait.”
He carries her toward the bed.
“I just need ten minutes, Lee Lee.”
Dajia cackles loudly as he drops kisses all over her face.
Summary: Annie finds out maybe her intuition is too strong. Smoke prepares to see Annie for the first time in seven years. He knew his wife and daughter would be home. How does he react to an unexpected visitor?
C/W: angst, cussing, the girls (men) are fighting, dual pov, canon compliant
A/N: The confrontation everyone has been waiting for. The first of many tbh. No beta so there may be a typo/grammatical error here and there.
Word Count: 9K (funny enough this was supposed to be 6K😅😅)
Annie had made her famous gumbo and fried catfish to welcome her friends into her home after months of just missing each other due to life getting in the way. Not intentionally or not for lack of trying. She would see Grace at Chow’s, the store she ran with her husband, Bo; Therise, when she would have just enough time to purchase a blend, powder, or tea from Annie’s store; or Pearline, when she was bringing the house down with a performance when Annie would make her way out to the local juke. They always promised to make plans to get together but their schedules had not aligned, until tonight.
Her house was filled with an aroma that had permeated the soul in a way that only recipes inherited and passed down through generations could settle the spirit. As the laughter that accompanied close bonds and full bodied liquor warmed in her chest, she felt her apprehension from early in the day release.
“Whew, y’all don’t know how much I needed this.” Therise expressed with a deep breath that revealed the exhaustion she often tried to disguise or hide. “Them kids be driving me up the wall.”
“That’s because you and ‘Bread going for a world record and probably half way there” Pearline quipped as Grace and Annie cackled while Therise rolled her eyes.
“Girl, whatever. Well, what’s been up with y’all.” Therise asked, eyes sparkling. “Make it good, too. Not just regular shit. I know y’all got some gossip.”
“Nothing much is new with me other than being sick of that old ass fossil in my house,” Pearline offered with her face expressing just how exasperated she was with her situation. Even though she puts on a good face, the politics of being a black woman in the south had stripped her of the full life she envisioned for herself which had clearly begun to weigh such a free spirit down. “Being with y’all and performing at jukes are the only times I feel true joy. Don’ have to hide wit y’all.”
Therise, Grace, and Annie all reached out with soft touches to Pearline’s arms to show support as she was uncharacteristically vulnerable about what she had been going through.
“I got gossip too though,” Pearline noted with a sly smile as she tried to shift the mood and distract herself from the emotions that had only become harder to hide.
“Y’all heard Mary back in town? Heard she just goin’ around asking folks if they have any idea where Stack at.”
“Damn! It’s been years. She still running up behind him like that,” Annie exclaimed while shaking her head. Annie had known more about Stack and Mary than most on account of it becoming a source of contention between her husband and his twin. Their relationship, if it could even be called that, always puzzled her. While Stack clearly felt something for her, that ain’t stop him from laying in more beds than he could keep up with and talking to her like he wanted to punish her for whatever feelings he did have that he clearly ain’t want to have. Not to mention, he could lose his life messing around with her. Despite her mom’s mixed heritage, Mary looked like that white woman she acted like.
“According to what I heard, they were shacking up ‘til he up and ran off on her. Ain’t even leave that poor girl a note.” Grace added.
Therise, Annie, and Pearline stared shocked as Grace rarely had anything to add whenever they started sharing the latest gossip. Whether they heard it whispered across the room or directly told to them while getting their hair done at the salon, fitting for a dress at the tailor, or words shared among clients or those they worked alongside; they always shared the latest scoop with each other.
“What?” Grace questioned as they stared at her incredulously. “You know I overhear all kind of shit at the store.”
They all paused before cackling together.
“I guess it’s my turn. Things are pretty normal. Rootwork goin’ good, word of mouth has me working more.”
Annie stated succinctly.
She was met with a suggestive stare from the three of her friends in unison as if they had planned it.
As Annie rolled her eyes, she shared the update they were waiting for. “Things going well with Jeremiah too.” She declared with a small smile, with something unnamed visible underneath. Like there was an underlying heaviness she ain’t want to validate by making space for it.
“There’s something else there,” Therise noticed. “Don’t leave us hanging.”
Annie’s hesitancy in sharing what she had been keeping to herself came second to her need to feel like holding it in was slowly pulling her under water.
“I’ve just been feeling unsettled recently,” she continued.
“It’s going to sound crazy but it feels like he’s coming back.
“WHAT?” Therise and Pearline shouted at once.
Not hearing Grace’s voice Annie focused her attention on her and noticed she became real interested in the floorboards and ceiling whenever she tried to maintain eye contact with her.
“Grace, spill it.” Annie said with no lightness in her voice.
“Okay, you beat me to the punch.” Grace gave up while the reluctance still remained as she let beats of silence pass before continuing. “Before Bo dropped me off tonight, he told me the twins were due back today and he had to link up with them for a bit.
“SHIT!!!!” Therise and Pearline shouted once again in perfect harmony.
All of the air had been sucked out the room. The easy and relaxed mood that had filled Annie’s home was suddenly gone in an instant. Therise and Pearline were still staring at each other in shock. Grace searched Annie’s face for a hint as to how she was feeling. Annie felt—well she didn’t know how she felt. One word couldn’t fully express the range of emotions that flooded her at once. She knew she needed time to process this. Time she would be denied of, as Elijah Moore had never been accused of being patient.
Especially when it came to her.
She felt goosebumps rise on her arms as every conflicting emotion that the simple confirmation that her foreboding feeling was indeed trying to warn her of his arrival elicited flooded her system all at once. In the past, foreboding is not a word she would have ever used to describe the man who was the great love of her life. She suddenly remembered his promise she had buried within her heart following the years of not hearing a single word from him.
“I have never lied to you and I won’t now so I can’t promise when but I AM returning.
Words that secretly gave her comfort those first few years when communication was consistent now felt like the promise to blow up the semblance of peace she somehow managed to find in the wreckage left in the wake of their fractured relationship.
“I don’t even know what to do with that information.” Annie responded honestly as she stared straight ahead feeling stuck since Grace confirmed what she had feared. The other emotion that struck her in the moment was something she felt she shouldn’t feel with news that her estranged husband had returned so she refused to name it—even in the privacy of her own thoughts.
“I told Bo the same thing. Funny enough.” Grace offered. “I also told him I was telling you. I couldn’t let you walk in blind.”
“Damn, what you gon’ do Annie?” Pearline asked after barely letting a beat pass. “I know you just found out, but shit.”
Annie stared at her with a blank face as if to say “girl, I don’t fucking know.”
“I get why Line asked that. No matter how ill timed.” Therise voiced. “You absolutely deserve enough time to process this and prepare to see him again but sadly we know you not getting that from him.
“We know that nigga will be here prompt and early tomorrow morning. Surprised he ain’t make his way over tonight with how he moves.” Pearline chimed in highlighting her thought process.“ He had always been that way about you.”
“Can Jeremiah fight? How is he with a gun? Can he duck?” she added.
Therise and Grace looked at her to hint that she may be doing too much when Annie was already clearly overstimulated and processing every possible scenario right now.
Annie still stayed silent.
Feeling like Pearline was being a bit heavy handed, Therise added, “I guess I’m Line’s intention interpreter tonight but I think what she meant was that once Smoke finds out about Jeremiah...tell me I don’t have to finish that thought.”
Therise was right; she didn’t have to finish the thought. Annie knew what Smoke would do—he would kill him. Simply. Swiftly. She had seen how Smoke had responded to a store clerk who tried to approach her with romantic intentions. He was mysteriously never heard from again according to the manager. Another time a man had even been bold enough to disrespect her with him by her side. Headshot. Those were just the two she knew about. As she cared about Jeremiah, she did not want him to die because Smoke had no off switch when it came to her.
Things settled down after that.
Well, they attempted to at the very least.
Pearline, Therise, and Grace did their best to change the topic and return the lighthearted energy but even they knew it was a fool’s errand after what Annie just found out.
Even Therise’s famous pound cake rich with butter, sugar, and spices that normally danced on her tongue and melted in her mouth tasted uncharacteristically sour. The liquor which had previously had her feeling loose now heightened her awareness of the turbulent emotions that cycled right under the surface. Grace, Therise, and Pearline were picked up one by one as it was time for them to return home. Following hugs and soft looks reassuring her that it would be alright and that she could handle it, they exited Annie’s home. Annie watched as her friends were carted off to their individual residences.
“FUCK!” Annie shouted into the void in her empty home as her fist slammed into her work table.
As if to welcome him home, the sun’s bright rays shone through the window waking him from his slumber. Smoke moved slowly as he tried to shake out any residual sleepiness as he needed to be as sharp as ever today. He had never been overly concerned with his appearance. Practicality was more important to him. Flashy suits, shiny accessories, and slick hair had always been more of Stack’s thing, but he had learned how to dress and what he looked best in. Today was a special occasion--the first time he would see Annie in seven years. She always had a way of making him care about things that were inconsequential to him. All to see the twinkle in her eyes and a smile he never felt fully worthy of. So, today he would dress to the nines even if seeing him was the last thing she wanted.
He remembered how she always loved him in blue, which led to his wardrobe representing every shade of blue he could find. He wore a custom, three piece suit with a matching dark blue and grey houndstooth jacket and pants which was layered over a grey vest and blue dress shirt and blue cap. He had even neatly parted and styled his hair himself. Stack had usually been the one to do his hair as what Smoke saw as “excessive grooming techniques” were a mandatory daily ritual for Stack. His mojo bag lay prominent above his vest so that it would be completely visible to Annie.
While his original motivation for wearing the suit was to look good for Annie, they also had work to do to prepare for their grand opening in a few weeks. Stack was riding with him because they hadn’t picked up the car they left in Clarksdale yet and needed to start scratching things off their to-do list for the Juke opening. Finding more folks willing to work in order to build a dependable and consistent crew, recruiting their little cousin Sammie as well as other singers and musicians as the talent, securing items they would need for the kitchen, dance floor, and card rooms were among the things listed on their to-do list.
Still, none of that was at the forefront of his mind. That did not have his heart threatening to beat out of his chest. His first priority was to see Annie and their daughter. He had wanted to go to see her as soon as he pulled into town last night, but after being on the road nearly a full day, and meeting up with Bo to check out the saw mill and retrieve the keys, exhaustion overtook them as soon as they got to Stack’s place.
Smoke couldn’t shake a weird feeling he had following an interaction with Bo before they parted ways last night. They had known each other since they were kids and he had never been anything but straight forward.
Well, he had always been straight forward.
Until last night when Smoke asked about Annie, which is something he had always done even when he was still in Chicago. Even after Smoke had cut contact with Annie for a reason he made Bo privy to, with the condition that he couldn’t tell Grace, he still would ask for updates on how she was every time he and Bo communicated.
Bo had met Smoke and Stack outside the sawmill as they wanted to get an idea of the physical layout beyond what Bo had described on the phone. Using sawmills they were familiar with as a reference, along with trusting Bo’s vivid descriptions, they were able to visualize the space while being 606 miles away. With the amount of work needed to be done, they needed to begin working as soon as possible. They needed an exact picture of what they were working with so they could purchase the materials needed to make small repairs, fix faulty wiring, build a stage sturdy enough to support musicians, instruments, and stomping strong enough to shake the earth, clean the inside from top to bottom, and transform it from a sawmill to THE place to be every Saturday night.
Bo unlocked the door and pulled open the makeshift door as the three of them entered. He handed Smoke the keys and gave them some time to explore to really take in the space to see if it aligned with their vision. Buying a juke from someone is easy. Ready-made. You just have to slap your name on it and that’s it. Their job was gon’ be alot harder. Taking one thing and transforming it into an entirely different thing. Pulling it off would set their juke apart from the rest.
“Y’all go head and take a look around. See if it’s what you imagined. I’ll be here till y’all ready to go.” Bo broke the silence to say shortly after they entered the building.
“Bet,” Stack replied.
Smoke gave an affirmative grunt.
The first floor had a large open layout with space for a dance floor and small stage for a band, a small kitchen where they could sell fish plates and other beloved southern delicacies, an open space for a bar offering cheap corn liquor as well as the more pricy Irish beer and Italian wine they smuggled from Chicago, and a card room adjacent to the bar to lose the money you came with or double what you started with. There were also a couple small rooms with locks that they ain’t decide what they were gonna do with them yet.
The second floor was maybe a quarter of the size of the first floor, mainly housing an area to survey everything happening below like a hawk. The perfect place for Smoke to watch to make sure everything was functioning as it should be once they opened. There was also a sizeable bedroom he could repurpose as an office. A place to get away from the noise when he needed to. Enough space for some cabinets and couches as well as a desk and safe.
From his first walkthrough, Smoke saw how much work they would have to do while also seeing the potential. Might be one of the first ideas Stack had that actually could become something. If they did it right, there was real money to be made. They could hustle less and build more. He couldn’t knock what they had to do to survive but he had become tired of that life. He wanted something rooted and consistent like him.
As immediate and instant as lightning striking, he realized his previous mindset had changed shortly after meeting Annie. A place he belonged—a home, was something that he never imagined would be within his reach. Houses were places you lived in to shield you from the physical elements while floorboards, blankets, and candles couldn’t protect your mind, heart, and soul from someone hellbent on destroying them—until she showed him how easily two people who loved each other could build a home.
Part of coming back was knocking down any obstacles that stood in their way including the hurt and the pain he caused. Words alone never meant shit to Annie and part of why they worked so well is because his actions always reaffirmed the words he did say. Breaking that sacred covenant between them now meant he’d have to restructure nearly every aspect of his life. If it meant she’d look at him with eyes regaining the love, trust, and safety that had become the foundation of their relationship—he’d lay everything that ever threatened the home they built directly at her feet to be cast off.
Stack was often the visionary so he walked around with stars in his eyes already imagining what everything would look like once their vision had been realized while Smoke focused on the minute details. The materials they needed, where to purchase them from to get the best deal, needing people to build, cook, clean, and perform, and who they could hire for each job.
After taking a mental note of what tasks they’d start on tomorrow, Smoke walked towards the staircase to rejoin Stack and Bo on the first floor. He had done enough for today and he was honestly exhausted from the drive down.
Stack walked to the bottom of the staircase as he saw Smoke slowly walk down.
“So whatcha think? It’s gon’ work, right? Almost like I can hear the music now.” Stack chirped excitedly as he waited for Smoke’s analysis after his walkthrough as he was much more particular and realistic.
“Don’t get too far ahead of yourself yet, nigga.” Smoke warned to try to cool some of Stack’s excitement as it was nowhere near ready for opening night. “We got a lot of work to do to bring our vision to life and to make this business a success, BUT it’ll work. This place got good bones and more than enough space for what we tryna do.”
Stack nodded trying to play it cool before his lips spread into a smile that was different from the smile he showed others that was a play. A way to lull them into a false sense of security or lead them to falling for his charm and not realizing it until he already got what he wanted out of them. This smile was genuine, showing that the juke joint wasn’t just another “get rich, quick” scheme. It actually meant something to him to make this work.
Smoke started walking towards Bo at the entrance as they were done for the night.
“S’all good?” Bo asked even though he was familiar with Smoke’s body language. After being close for so long, it’s something he naturally picked up as facial expressions and body language was always the way Smoke spoke the loudest.
“Yeah. It’ll do.” Smoke answered concisely with nothing to add. It would’ve been easy to tell if he hated it but what seemed to be indifference was actually approval.
“Good. Let’s go, then.” Bo offered knowing they were all ready to go.
The night sky had not quite settled at its darkest yet, but it was on the horizon. It would be another hour before it reached its darkest hue. The humid air had cooled off so it wasn’t quite so sticky but not enough to be cool. Tan dirt with the impression of dress shoes and work boots lined the path back to their trucks.
Bo traded farewells with the twins as he had more errands to run but planned to connect with them the next few days to check in on their progress and offer help where he was able to.
Stack walked ahead, opening the passenger door and sliding into his seat as the exhaustion of the day settled in. Smoke and Bo began to split to head to their respective vehicles as Bo had parked a few feet away from Smoke’s truck.
Smoke paused before he walked to the driver’s side of their truck.
“Bo, let me talk to you, right quick.”
Bo paused waiting to see what Smoke wanted to pull him to the side to discuss. If he was honest, he knew exactly what he wanted to talk about. Smoke wouldn’t be here in the flesh talking to Bo had it not been for the reason he pulled him to the side.
“What’s up, Smoke.”
Smoke’s gaze held his showing the sincerity and true desperation for an answer that was straight forward, like lukewarm whiskey with no ice to soften the bite of the liquid as it slides down the throat.
“How is Annie? No bullshitting, you always been the type to keep it straight with me.” Smoke continued knowing there was a question underneath that a part of him wouldn’t allow him to say aloud almost as if it would answer the question for him.
“Oh, she good. According to what Grace told me last.” Bo replied in a nervous manner highlighted by the way his eyes shifted maintaining unsteady eye contact with Smoke as he wrung his hands. “I know you though, you gon’ see her tomorrow. You’ll be able to put eyes on her yourself.”
From a young age, people had always been hesitant if not completely fearful of Smoke. Bo never had been. While his bouncy energy was more like Stack, who he was beneath his colorful expression was much more like Smoke.
He was between a rock and a hard place. Being bound by secrecy on both sides to two people who were the closest to him reminded him why he was always honest—it wasn’t nearly as stressful as keeping secrets.
First, Smoke had asked him not to tell Grace the real reason he had to cut off contact with Annie which he understood due to how close Annie and Grace had become over the years. Then, following a date night with Grace at a local juke he’d seen Annie and Jeremiah dancing in a way that clearly confirmed how their relationship transformed. Knowing he still talked to Smoke at least once a month, Grace had asked him not to tell Smoke about Jeremiah so that Annie could have a real chance at healing from that heartbreak, which Bo had to respect.
Which led him to this point, very obviously withholding the full truth from the man he’d call his best friend which left him with a feeling so shitty it weighed down his carefree spirit.
Smoke grunted in response as he walked back to his truck while replaying their interaction to see what he was missing.
Smoke could feel that something was off which nearly triggered his own nervous tic. In all the years he had known Bo, he had never seen him leave anything left unsaid. Normally, he would have pushed when it came to anything that concerned Annie but it didn’t feel like she was hurt, injured, or sick from the way Bo answered. It felt more like Bo didn’t know how to break some news to Smoke. News that would have Smoke reaching in his coat for the most efficient way to handle obstacles.
Whatever Bo didn’t tell him last night, he was sure to be faced with today. He had decided seven years ago that nothing would stop him from fixing shit with Annie. He would literally do whatever it took. It was time for him to do what he did best letting his actions speak the loudest—no matter what was waiting for him on the other side of door of the only place he had ever called home.
Sundays were usually Annie’s favorite day of the week. There was an ease that came with the day unique from the rest of the week. She could really savor every part of the day. Leisure strolls gathering roots and herbs, curating slow cooked meals with inviting aromas, restorative naps that served as a rest following the exhaustion of the week that ended. It is the only day she felt true ease.
Well, was.
Until Grace delivered the news last night. It didn’t just end the girl’s night on a sour note. It ruined the rest of her night. She tossed and turned the whole night. Her mind was flooded with possibilities of what he could say or do and how she would respond. She absolutely needed more than twelve hours to prepare to deal with her estranged husband who would be sure to bulldoze her life as she knew it. She had learned how to live without him. Something that absolutely gutted her. Something she almost didn’t survive, but she had.
Now, he thinks what? He can slip back into the life she made after seven years of physical absence and four years of no contact.
She’d show him how true those last words she said seven years ago had become.
Now, she sat at breakfast with Jeremiah zoning out. Biscuits fresh out the oven served with ripe blackberry syrup and fresh cream paired with fluffy eggs and homemade sausage sat untouched.
“Did you hear me, Annie?” Jeremiah inquired with his eyes lowered, reflecting concern.
“Sorry, what was that?” Annie replied as she snapped out of her daze cycling between different what-ifs knowing what would soon be on the other side of her door.
“I asked if you were okay, baby. You haven’t even touched your plate.” He expressed as he reached out to hold her hand in an attempt to try to ground whatever turbulence he saw behind her eyes.
“Yeah, I—” she answered as a dark blue Ford Truck with a covered bed pulled into the driveway.
“Shit!” She thought. The moment she was dreading was about to take place while Jeremiah witnessed it. A selfish part of her wished he wouldn’t have been here to witness it. She told herself it was to avoid the stand off that was sure to happen.
If she was being honest, the real reason may be something she wasn’t willing to name—even in the privacy of her own thoughts.
Smoke pulled into a shaded area beneath the huge magnolia tree that was full grown long before he and Annie ever bought the land their future home would sit upon.
Suddenly, Smoke’s nerves made themselves present all at once signaled by his sudden sweating and his shaking hands.
“Here.” Stack offered as he handed a freshly rolled cigarette to Smoke.
Smoke reached out and grabbed the cigarette without looking as his hand knew exactly where to meet Stack’s.
He placed the cigarette between his teeth feeling grounded by the familiar scent of tobacco acting as a balm to settle his nerves, as he lit the cigarette with the skill of someone who had become adept at the ritualistic nature of the same sequence of movements.
As he inhaled and let the nicotine permeate his senses, the calming release he was desperate for came as he exhaled.
He sat in the truck with his eyes closed as he repeated the process until only the shrunken paper remained.
“Okay. I’m ready.” Smoke asserted as he moved to open the door.
“Wait.” Stack interrupted as Smoke paused, his hand resting on the handle.
“No matter what might be waiting for you on the other side of that door. I got you.” Stack let the moment sit before continuing in a show of support he had never expressed regarding Smoke and Annie’s relationship. “Even if that means saving you from yourself.”
“That being said, I do hope it goes well. Even if that just means, she don't pull a rifle on you.” Stack added.
Smoke nodded, accepting Stack’s show of support, which caught him off guard as he had never been a supporter of their relationship due to the jealousy he had not addressed until they were in Chicago. Maybe he really had changed.
As he exited the truck, he was flooded with memories. Every single aspect of their home, the garden, the enclosure that housed chickens and goats were all decisions they made together. As he walked up, he felt the crunch of leaves under his loafers, he bent down as he approached Luna’s resting place. He brushed the falling leaves from the stone painted with her hand print and placed a handful of dogwood flowers adorning small branches in their place. Reaching into his breast pocket, he retrieved a small glass bottle to replace the milk that sat at her grave from the day before.
He closed his eyes as he allowed emotions to overflow him. The loss of Luna had been the first time he ever grieved someone that passed. The devastation at the loss of a child is not something that leaves but transforms. Something you hold until you reunite with them again. He had even made a small altar in his apartment in Chicago so that he would still have a way to visit with and talk to her. Coming home meant reuniting with both his girls.
“Papa’s here.” Smoke said as he allowed himself to feel the weight of the moment with deep reverence.
Annie watched the scene unfold several feet in front of her door. Despite standing in what felt like the ruins of their relationship, she couldn’t help but feel a small pull at her heartstrings. Seeing the way Smoke still honored and held their daughter close to his heart at least confirmed that the Elijah she knew still existed.
She now had the courage to confront him herself.
She always found her daughter to be her strength in the face of uncertainty and fear.
She turned back to look at Jeremiah as he had also witnessed this moment alongside Annie.
Jeremiah had cleared his throat as he began to address what was clearly about to unfold in front of them.
Annie broke the silence before he had the chance to, “I got this. This is something I gotta do alone. Can you honor that?”
“I’ll respect your wishes but I will be here if you need me or if I see shit start to get out of hand.” Jeremiah expressed in a sincere and somewhat pleading show of support. He hung back out of view but he wanted to be able to show up for her as he could only imagine how hard this was for her. While he was kind and people attempted to take advantage of that at times, he also wasn’t dumb. He knew why Smoke was here and she was just about to walk out of the door.
“Yeah, I know. It’ll be fine.” Annie answered with a tight lipped smile that didn’t reach her eyes.
Annie slowly crossed the threshold of her home and stood on the steps before descending closer to where Smoke kneeled.
Smoke felt Annie’s presence before he saw her.
“How you been?” Smoke asked as he turned around. Her beauty had always astounded him, but now even more than the day he left. The glow of her deep mocha toned skin, her eyes that always drew him in no matter their expression, full, pouty lips that had the tendency to draw his undivided attention, the fullness of her chest perfectly supported by an outfit that put her full curves on display stopped him in his tracks.
“No miseries worth complaining about,” Annie replied in a monotone manner with no emotion behind her words. He somehow how looked just as she remembered him. He had barely aged in seven years and still retained his rugged good looks that would at one time had made her weak in the knees. Filling out the suit he wore with muscles that had become even more developed—somehow. She began to walk closer to where Smoke stood so that they could maintain some privacy. Some things even in the heat of her anger should still remain between them.
“Well, now that you’re back darkening my doorstep maybe I have one.”
Smoke took a deep breath and grumbled exasperated by her response even though he had no right to be.
“Do you remember what I told you that day?” Smoke offered as a rebuttal to Annie’s irritation.
“No matter how or when, I was always returning. Come hell or highwater and it took both. Looked you in the eyes as I said that shit. Not because I miss the South. Not because it’s the only place I know. Home ain’t a place to me, it’s you.” Smoke exclaimed while maintaining eye contact that sent a shiver down Annie’s spine.
Annie broke eye contact as his words still lingered in the air. It took her back to that day seven years ago when she still had hope, when he never gave her a reason to doubt his words. She knew Smoke’s reminder was to highlight his intention and the meaning behind it but that only paved a way for the anger to seep through. How could he act like the last four years ain’t happened? That last conversation and the radio silence that followed nearly destroyed her.
It wasn’t like the pain of losing Luna. They carried that together. This was grief she was left to carry all on her own given to her by hands that had only ever held, caressed, and grasped—never hurt.
Her eyes narrowed. Her eyebrows furrowed. The deep breaths she took did nothing to temper the anger that decided to take the driver’s seat. The Annie who nearly wasted away, who cut off contact from the friends who had always supported her, who seemed to wake up just to weep, demanded retribution. Her rational mind could consider that he also mourned, struggled, and was miserable but none of that changed the fact that he was the one who left. She decided it was time Smoke was faced with the weight of the pain he caused knowing there was nothing he could do—just like she couldn’t when she was at her lowest.
“Since you wanna play the memory game. My turn.” Annie expressed with a biting laugh with no humor in it.
“Did you only think your last words were important or did you drown mine out because it wasn’t what you wanted to hear?” She snapped being reminded of the pain of being unheard the last four years. “I said love is not enough to wait for your return. I said that by the time you return, the bones of the home you forsook may be the only thing here to welcome you back.”
“Now you back like a bullheaded haint no shade of blue could ward off.” Annie retorted sounding just as rough as she intended it to.
Smoke took in Annie’s disposition as it unsteadied him. She’d been mad at him before but it never lasted more than a day. This was an Annie that he never personally experienced and he was struggling to accept that this ire was being directed at him. Even then, she had never looked at him in a way that would’ve made a lesser man turn to dust. Nothing, not even Annie’s current ire for him, would get him to give up no matter how long it took.
“I ain’t expect you to be happy about it, but I know you. You not surprised I’m here. Your reaction woulda been different. Being unwelcomed and being unexpected not the same thing.” Smoke replied honestly. He knew him popping up wasn’t fair but he couldn’t stay away.
Being caught offguard by Smoke’s mention of her connection to her intuition, which she never expected from him as someone who mainly relied on what he can see, her mask of anger slipped for a second. Unfortunately for her, that was long enough for him to see the moment her defenses fell.
“See, some things don’t change in seven years or even a lifetime. Not when you know someone to their core. Not when you know their thought before they’ve finished thinking it. You always knew I would be back and I know that ain’t the only thing your intuition telling you even if it ain’t something you wanna hear.”
Annie huffed at his audacity thinking he could still read her like a book. What irritated her the most was that he was right but she couldn’t let him think that being right meant things would go his way.
“You want this, you want that, was what I want something you factored in?” Annie challenged as frustration started building at Smoke not even considering this started with a decision he made. What if I don’t want you back, what if I don’t want to see you or talk to you? What then? You gon’ respect my wishes?”
Smoke did the only thing he could at the time—listen.
“You decided to cut contact, you couldn’t even tell me why.”
“I’m the love of your life”, “I saved you”, “I’m the reason you went from existing to living”, Annie snapped as it got harder to control her volume the more turbulent her emotions got. She mocked the very statements that once meant everything to her. “Then, you ain’t even have the decency to tell me why you decided to break my heart and crush it under your heel.”
“You know I meant that shit. Since the day we met, there ain’t been a day that I ever lied to you especially about feelings I never felt befo’. You know there had to be a reason for me to break both of us. I know you could feel that even though I couldn’t tell you at the time.” Smoke interrupted as he realized a part of her clearly questioned if his love for her ran out. Letting her direct her deserved anger towards him was one thing, but it was another thing entirely for her to question if the only eternal feeling he had ever felt was temporary—as if his love for her ran on an hourglass.
“Making a choice I never wanted to could only be for one reason: your protection. Let me explain now—” Smoke sincerely expressed, until Annie prevented him from finishing that thought.
“Then, was when I needed it.” Annie knew that she could not handle the truth right now. She couldn’t waver even if she could understand why he made the decision but it was just another reminder of him making a decision without including her in the process, even if, in this case, it was possibly meant to protect her.
As their tones got sharper and the volume of their voices rose in time with their frustration, they only moved closer to each other.
Stack watched from the window of the truck about 100 feet away and things were going exactly as he expected. He expected frustration, anger, and reactions that made it evident that slick words and biting remarks were shared. Despite all the difficult emotions they both felt, he even wasn’t surprised to see want and desire displayed in their body language. What he didn’t expect was catching the slight movement in the house of someone who obviously had the frame of a man. Smoke clearly had been too focused on Annie to notice but when he did notice, this would become an entirely different situation. As this clearly was about to go from bad to worse, he kept his hand on the handle prepared to move in.
“Let me tell you what I need now. I need space. I need to make the decisions. I need you to realize you can’t ‘Smoke’ your way through this situation. You have to give up the very thing that’s pulled you through nearly every situation you’ve survived—control.” Annie stated her demands knowing he couldn’t follow them. Earlier, he smugly reminded her he still knew her without remembering that it goes both ways.
“Since the day you left, the last seven years operated on your timing, your wants, and what you felt like you couldn’t refuse. It’s my turn and right now, I want you to leave.”
Smoke realized to even have a chance to repair what he broke he had to pick his battles and a battle wasn’t worth losing the war—losing her.
“Okay, I’ll go. Not before leaving you with this.” Smoke warned because he wouldn’t let their first face to face conversation in seven years end with him tucking his tail. “You’re right I took the reins on decisions we should’ve made together, situations we could have resolved together so it’s only fair it’s your turn. I know you thought I’d never give up control but you’ll see just how much I’m willing to sacrifice if it means another chance to put the twinkle in your eye, be the reason behind your smile, and be the footsteps walking in step next to yours.”
Smoke could’ve left it here but it felt as if something within him commanded him to remind her of a vow they made long before they jumped the broom in honor of their ancestors.
“Calling you my everything, the love of my life, and the one who made me want to live ain’t pretty words with an empty meaning for me. Knowing that, you know I can’t and won’t completely step away. You know I never can when it comes to you. The one who is still mine just as much as I am hers. A truth that’ll never change in this life or the next is this: I’ll always be Elijah Moore and you’ll always be Annie Moore.” Smoke stated without a single doubt visible in his voice as held intense eye contact before turning to walk back to his truck.
Annie stared at his back as he turned incredulous at the fact that he had the nerve to try to have the last word before walking away.
“Don’t you mean Annie Celestine?” She bit back knowing the kind of reaction it would bring out of him.
Annie wasn’t trying to be understanding or reasonable. She was trying to hurt him. She wanted him to feel even a fraction of what she felt. Hell, what she still feels when she was alone in their house, their bed, and on their land with the idle thoughts she thought she cast out but despite her denial—still existed.
“You know the fuck, I don’t. You been a Moore, been mine, long before a single paper had been filed with the court. Now, woman don’t play games with me,” Smoke growled at the audacity of her to even suggest she would drop Moore from her name. The anger he had tried to temper was almost completely unleashed at that remark he knew was meant to elicit this very reaction.
“You see any chalk on the ground used for hopscotch or cards scattered on a table?.” Annie’s biting response served as acknowledgement of how serious she was.
“I’m trying to play by your rules but no one knows how to push me like you, woman. It’s always been that way.” Smoke admitted knowing the dangerous road he was walking down.
“You mad and I prolly got more to make up for than even I know but you wrong on one thing I can’t leave before correcting. You think you ain’t mine, still? Every part of you?” Smoke said directly in her ear as the physical space between them had closed as his eyes darkened and his voice deepened while slowly closing the small gap that still existed between them.
Annie glared without breaking eye contact unwilling to show that his words had an effect on her as years of flashbacks came flooding in at once. Most of them with her ankles near her ears and his single chain close enough that the glint of the gold dangled mere inches from her eyesight.
The tension between them was palpable to anyone close enough to witness the confrontation. Little by little, the physical space between them had closed completely. Years of hurt, miscommunication, frustration, and experiences they hadn’t yet named circled them like a fog rolling down a hill before the sun made itself known to signal the beginning of a new day. Tension of another kind also floated between them. The kind of tension usually solved by frenzied kisses, spread legs, and a chorus of grunts and moans was also present. .
While they were too caught up in their staredown to step away and realize that sexual tension also had demanded to make itself known—Jeremiah wasn’t.
He decided he would no longer be a bystander.
“Everything good, Annie?” Jeremiah questioned as he had seen more than enough. It was very clear this wasn’t a conversation between old lovers who no longer had any feelings for each other. He recognized the fire in Smoke’s eyes as a man who had feelings for the woman standing in front of him that couldn’t be extinguished. He decided to show Smoke that he no longer had a place here as her ex-husband no matter how dangerous that would be for him as Smoke’s reputation was alive and well in Clarksdale even in his absence.
“Yeah, just like I told you I'd be, Jeremiah.” Annie responded not hiding the annoyance in her voice as this suddenly became much more complicated and dangerous. She had seen Smoke maim men at the least and kill them at most for approaching her in a forward way. Smoke was liable to get violent when it came to her even for an innocent gesture. There was no way he was gonna let a man who had become her boyfriend leave the property alive.
As soon as Stack saw the figure emerge from the house, he hopped out the car but it was guaranteed Smoke was not gonna leave here without some kind of physical altercation with that nigga.
“Who the fuck is this?” Smoke bellowed without an attempt at managing his temper while his eyes remained trained on Annie, refusing to acknowledge whoever this nigga was who was walking out of his house.
“Jeremiah, like you just heard Annie say. Although as an invited guest in this house I don’t know why I have to answer to you.” He flippantly said. Annie had told him just how no-nonsense Smoke was and how he approached business and perceived threats. So, Smoke’s reaction was expected but that didn’t change how Jeremiah found his audacity irritating.
“Jeremiah, don’t. I promise you it’s not worth the consequence that may be waiting on the other side for you.” Annie paused as she didn’t want to seem like she was taking Smoke’s side. He lost that privilege shortly after she saw that truck drive away with her heart trailing behind it. “I just want to give you a fair warning as I know how his mind works, especially where I’m concerned. You ain’t did nothing that you have to pay for.”
Annie’s words had reached him as he settled. As she turned to see Smoke’s steely gaze she knew exactly what was next as she saw the twitch in Smoke’s eyes witnessing the familiarity between her and Jeremiah.
She stopped Smoke before he could even start.
“And you, I know exactly where that hand is heading. You will not spill blood in front of her, not on the land where our daughter rests. My rules, remember?” Annie ordered with no space for argument.
For the first time ever, Smoke was successfully convinced to not shoot someone. He kind of felt like bringing Luna into it was unfair but she was right. He would never do anything to cause her stress or discomfort even if she was no longer on this earthly plain physically.
Smoke sucked his teeth in annoyance as he couldn’t handle this man being allowed to continue taking up space.
“Tsk. Why the fuck was he interrupting our conversation anyway? Wasn’t nobody talking to the help.”
“Maybe you would wanna talk if you knew exactly what I was helping wit’.” Jeremiah responded as he refused to be outdone by a man who left Annie high and dry emotionally.
“Oh,” Smoke replied with a sardonic laugh signaling he was about to likely take a tense conversation directly to hell.
A part of Annie knew that she should have stopped the confrontation before it could get to this point, but another part of her that rarely made an appearance kind of wanted to see where this went.
“Did you help choose the land? How about helping build the house or plant the different flowers and herbs for Annie’s rootwork practice? Did you help her see that all niggas ain’t the same? That the love she always deserved had found her exactly where she was at? No? Let’s try one more. Did you put that arch in her back while hitting that spot that never fails to have her speaking in her native tongue?
Jeremiah let a look slip in response to Smoke’s last snide remark. He couldn’t prepare to hear that but surprise wasn’t what caused it to slip past his defenses. It was the fact that it was true. That was not something Annie had ever done with him and Smoke having the audacity to say so much despite being absent and her past had him ready be done with talking.
Smoke knew that was petty of him but he couldn’t stand this nigga acting like he knew Annie better or that he was better for his wife. His only regret would be if it upset Annie further. As far as this no name nigga goes he was lucky he ain’t get more explicit than that. In fact, he decided he wasn’t done.
“Oh, no? I can tell by the look on your face those beautiful words have never been directed towards you. Wonder why?”
The silent tension between the two of them as they stared each other down being still in a way that felt unnatural while slowly approaching each other made it clear that if they were able to get a hand on each other the results would be disastrous.
As if they realized this at the same time, Stack jogged quickly to reach Smoke as fast as possible in order to pull him back while Annie softly grabbed Jeremiah’s shoulder to meet his eyes to calm him down.
Despite all of Stack’s attempts, Smoke was still trying to barrel towards Jeremiah even though Jeremiah had already stopped his approach towards Smoke.
It was clear there was only way to stop Smoke and Annie was the only one who could stop him. She knew Jeremiah might feel a way a about it but she hoped he’d be able to understand when stopping Smoke meant he got to go home in one piece.
Once Smoke was five steps away from changing the trajectory of Jeremiah’s life, Annie stepped in knowing from the years they shared even through his rage towards others she could provide a moment of clarity.
Then, she put her hand on his chest to center him and said the only thing that always worked.
“Elijah.”
It worked just the way it always had.
She paused for a moment noticing a small lump under her hand. As she looked up from her hand to him, she saw the twine around his next and knew what it was—the mojo bag. As her eyes lifted to his as if to confirm, she found him already holding intense eye contact with her while offering a slight nod. She quickly removed her hand and she currently couldn't think about what it meant that he kept that promise.
She was over this display of machismo between the both of them and just wished she could go back in time and choose to go out today instead of staying home. Then, she wouldn’t have had to be in the middle of this shit that only put her in the position to be asked more questions by both of them. Questions she didn’t have an answer to or the answer couldn’t be dressed up pretty.
Smoke completely stopped in his tracks and backed up to where he originally stood. Stack shook his head as he now stood behind him not trusting him to not lose his wits about himself again.
Jeremiah filed what he just witnessed between them as something to have a conversation with Annie about later but figured now wasn’t the time.
This day already went off the rails with barbs thrown all around. He could’ve just settled on the fact that Smoke would have to leave while he got to enjoy Annie’s company still, but he couldn’t get that last line Smoke threw at him out his head.
He decided he would remind Smoke of the position he no longer had since he was so keen on telling Jeremiah where he lacked.
Jeremiah huffed showing just how exasperated he felt with this entire situation while muttering just loud enough for Smoke to hear, “I don’t even know why I’m arguing with your ex husband anyway.”
Smoke froze. Despite being outside with the sun beaming down on him he was sure he felt a chill. Anger didn’t often run his blood cold. He couldn’t have heard what he thought.
Annie trying to get to him earlier using her maiden name was one thing, but this nigga calling him her ex-husband as if he saw the papers and filed them himself had to be addressed.
“What the fuck he mean by ex-husband, Anaiah????”
A/N: Thanks for reading. Please let me know your thoughts! My girl Annie found herself in the middle of some SHIT😅😅. Whole house mad. Definitely gonna be a trip where we pick up. Chapter 4 might take a bit longer than this first three.
If you want to be added comment/reply to my taglist h e r e ♡
My mom just read chapter 2 & 3 of Still and she said Annie set Jeremiah up knowing (via intuition and knowing how he is about her) Smoke would be there that next morning.
My good sis Annie said she can be messy too.
That uno reverse at the end hit her HARD though, so probably wasn’t worth it idk.
I damn sure was SAT. Lmao okay because Jeremiah wasn’t going. Annie ain’t even let him get a whiff of it and he’s ready to die about ittttttt. Oh Annie the woman that you are. 😩😂🤣😍 I like Jeremiah but of course I LOVE Smoke more. (Pun intended)
By halftime, Annie heads toward the concession stand. The line is long. Kids are running around. Parents are yelling over the crowd. The smell of hot dogs and nacho cheese still fills the air.
She’s studying the menu when someone taps her shoulder. Annie already knows who it is. She turns around. Annoyed.
“What, Ryan?”
His grin widens. “It’s good to see you. I’m glad you came.”
She clicks her tongue. “I came to watch the game, not your ass.”
Ryan laughs.
Annie raises a brow. “Ain’t you supposed to be sitting on the field?”
He waves her off. “I do what I want. You know this.”
Annie folds her arms. “Please. Ain’t yo girlfriend somewhere around?”
Ryan’s jaw tightens immediately.
He looks away for a second. Then back at her. “Anyway… so you really just done wit me?”
Annie stares at him. “Didn’t you get my letter?”
“Yeah I got it and I ripped that shit up too.”
“Then why are we having this conversation?”
Ryan exhales heavily. “Because I thought we was better than that.”
“You thought wrong.”
Annie’s voice is firm. “You chose who you wanted.”
“Annie—”
“No.”
She cuts him off. “You don’t get to disrespect me and then come back when you feel like it.”
Ryan shakes his head. “I miss you though.”
Annie doesn’t respond.
“I made a mistake.”
“That wasn’t a mistake.”
“It was.”
“No.”
She points at him. “That was a choice.”
Ryan’s expression hardens. “Damn, everybody make mistakes.”
“No. You wanted to kiss her.”
Silence.
“Admit it. You wanted to.”
Ryan says nothing.
Annie continues. “And then to add insult to injury, you got in a whole relationship with her.”
“Annie—”
“So go find her.”
She steps around him. “Leave me alone.”
Ryan grabs her wrist. “Don’t leave.”
Annie freezes. Slowly looks down at his hand. Then back up at him.
Her eyes go wide. “If you don’t let me go.”
Something in her voice makes him release her immediately. Annie jerks her arm away. Then walks off without another word.
Ryan watches her leave. Anger bubbling beneath the surface…
The game ends with a home team victory. The crowd spills from the field in every direction. Students laugh. Car horns sound in the parking lot. People celebrate as they head toward their cars. Annie is walking beside Devin, laughing about something, when somebody slams into her shoulder. Hard.
Annie stumbles. “What the hell?”
She turns around. Dana. Of course.
Dana folds her arms. “Watch where you goin’, bitch.”
Annie instantly shakes her head.
“Nah. You watch it, hoe.”
Dana’s eyes widen. “Hoe?”
“Yeah. You heard me. Hoe.”
Dana steps closer. Immediately.
Ebony slides between them.
“Bitch, you just mad ’cause I got yo man.”
Annie laughs. Really laughs. “Mad?”
She points at Ryan standing several feet away. “Girl, you can have his sorry ass.”
Dana’s face twists. “Please.”
Annie keeps going. “Tell yo man to stop begging me.”
“Begging you?”
Dana scoffs. “I doubt that.”
“You delusional.”
Annie shakes her head. “If I wanted yo man back, you would’ve been good and dropped.”
“Oooohhhhh!” Devin yells.
Ebony immediately turns. “Devin!”
“What? I’m just sayin’.”
Dana takes another step forward.
“Nah, fuck you.”
Ebony throws her hands up. “Y’all chill out.”
“Nah.” Dana points at Annie. “This bitch think she can take my man.”
Annie laughs again. “You got one more time to call me a bitch.”
Dana smirks. “Or else what?”
She steps even closer. “What you gon’ do, bitch?”
Annie lunges.
Immediately. Devin and Ebony grab her.
“ANNIE!”
“Let me go!”
“Girl, stop!”
Annie jerks against them.
Dana steps backward. “Yeah, that’s what I thought.”
Annie points at her. “Nah. You lucky.”
“Sure.”
Annie stares at her for a second.
Then suddenly reaches into her purse.
Everybody freezes. Dana’s friends look confused. Annie pulls out a stack of folded letters. Ryan’s letters. Every last one.She throws them directly at Dana’s chest. The papers scatter everywhere.
“There!”
Dana jumps. “What the hell?”
“There’s yo proof.”
Annie points toward Ryan. “Now keep your dog on a leash.”
The crowd around them erupts.
“Daaaaamn!”
“Oh shit!”
Dana and her friends scramble to pick the letters up.
Meanwhile Devin is bent over laughing.
“Damn, Annie.”
She wipes tears from her eyes.
“Not you threw the damn letters at her.”
Annie is still fuming. She doesn’t even respond.
They walk off. Ebony wraps an arm around her shoulders. “It’s cool, Annie.”
“I’m so sick of them.”
“I know.”
Ebony nods. “But calm down.”
Devin finally catches her breath.
“She only mad ‘cause she saw y’all talking at the concession stand.”
“Exactly,” Ebony says.
“I saw her staring too,” Devin adds.
Annie throws her hands up. “See?”
She shakes her head. “This is exactly why I ain’t never taking him back. Too much drama.”
Devin adds “Way too much.”
Ebony sighs. “That’s ’cause everybody want him and he wants you.”
“Not now, Ebony.” Devin says
Rhonda finally cuts in. “Nah, Annie right.”
Everyone looks at her.
Rhonda shrugs. “A dude ain’t worth all this shit.”
“Thank you,” Annie says.
“If you gotta fight other girls, deal with jealousy, and constantly wonder what he doing…”
Rhonda shakes her head. “Then he ain’t worth having.”
Annie smiles. “Exactly.”
For once, somebody gets it. And as she looks over at Dana arguing with Ryan while holding those crumpled letters…Annie realizes she doesn’t miss him at all, not even a little bit.
🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃
Down in the city Smoke is pulling up to Pete’s Place. The club sits on the east side and has a completely different vibe than most spots in Kansas City.
Pete’s was twenty five and up.
No teenagers. No knuckleheads.
No constant fights. No riff raff.
Just grown folks drinking, dancing, and having a good time.
The music was a mix of old school and new school. One minute you’d hear Maze and Frankie Beverly, the next it’d be Usher or Alicia Keys.
Smoke wasn’t twenty-five yet, but that didn’t matter. His mama had known Pete for years.
Everybody knew Yolanda.
Smoke parks and climbs out.
His friend Tobias is already waiting.
A skinny high yellow dude with braids.
The two head inside.
The bass vibrates through the floor beneath their feet. Colored lights dance across the crowded room.
Women laugh loudly near the bar.
Couples fill the dance floor.
The smell of perfume, cigarette smoke, and liquor hangs in the air.
Usher’s “Yeah!” is blasting through the speakers.
Smoke and Tobias post up against the wall.Just watching.
People immediately begin speaking.
A few regulars shake Smoke’s hand.
Some older hustlers nod at him.
A couple of clients stop him for quick conversations.Smoke handles it all casually.
Then Tobias nudges him. “There go Tamika.”
Smoke follows his gaze. Sure enough. Tamika is on the dance floor.Dancing with her friends. She looks good.But he doesn’t feel a damn thing.
“So?” Smoke says.
Tobias looks at him. “Nigga, you ain’t gon’ go speak?”
“Hell nah.”
Smoke takes a sip of his drink. “I been off that.”
“Oh yeah.”
Tobias smirks. “I forgot. You on Monica now.”
Smoke immediately cuts his eyes at him.
“I ain’t on that either.”
“Mm-hmm.”
“We just cool.”
Tobias laughs. “Man, whatever.”
Smoke shakes his head.
Tobias side eyes him “You spend a lot of time over there.”
“Nigga, my brother live there.”
“Yeah okay.”
Tobias lifts his hands. “I’ma leave it alone.”
Smoke is grateful he does. Because he doesn’t feel like explaining shit. A few moments later, Tamika spots him. The second their eyes meet, Smoke already knows what’s coming. He exhales heavily. Here come the bullshit.
Tamika makes her way across the floor. Confident. Like she belongs there. Like nothing ever happened.
She stops in front of him. “Sup Elijah.”
Smoke’s jaw immediately twitches.
“Don’t call me that.”
Tamika sucks her teeth. “Damn. It’s like that?”
“Hell yeah.”
Smoke folds his arms. “It is.”
She studies him for a moment.
“What the fuck you want, Tamika?”
She rolls her eyes. “I ain’t heard from you in a while.”
“And?”
“I know you been messing wit Monica and the rest of them hoes you be dealin’ wit but damn.”
Smoke says nothing.
Tamika continues. “I used to mean somethin’ to you.”
Smoke nods. “Used to.”
Her face hardens. “That’s cold.”
“Nah.”
Smoke shakes his head. “What’s cold is trying to have yo bros shoot at me.”
Tamika’s expression immediately changes.
Smoke leans forward slightly
“You think I forgot that shit?”
The tension between them thickens instantly. The music keeps playing.
People keep dancing. But the conversation turns ice cold.
Tamika folds her arms. “Man, let that shit go.”
Smoke laughs. A dark laugh. “Fuck No. You out yo fuckin mind.”
Tamika drops her arms “You tried to play me and I ain’t no bitch you can play wit.”
Smoke steps closer.
His voice drops lower. “You lucky I ain’t kill them niggas.”
Tamika swallows.
“I had to think about yo mama.”
His eyes lock on hers. “That’s the only reason you and them niggas still breathin’.”
Tamika’s confidence disappears. Just a little. “You don’t mean that shit.”
Before Smoke can answer, movement near the entrance catches his attention. His mother walks through the door. His Aunt Racheal right beside her.
Smoke immediately looks back at Tamika.
“Get the fuck out my face, Tamika.”
She starts to speak. He points toward the entrance. “Before I have my mama beat the fuck out you.”
Tamika turns. Sees Yolanda.
And immediately decides she’s had enough. She sucks her teeth and walks away. Smoke watches her go.
Then turns toward his family.
His mama spots him immediately.
“There go my baby.”
Smoke groans. “What y’all doin’ here?”
Aunt Racheal laughs. “Nigga, we came to have a good time. What else?”
Smoke shakes his head. “Y’all too old.”
Yolanda immediately smacks his arm.
“Boy. You ain’t never too old.”
Before Smoke can respond, The Whispers’ “In the Mood” comes through the speakers.
The crowd immediately reacts.
A few people cheer. Others rush toward the dance floor.
Aunt Racheal’s eyes light up. “Oh yeah.”
Smoke already knows. “No.”
She grabs his hand. “Come two step wit yo auntie.”
Smoke groans dramatically. “I don’t feel like it.”
“Boy please.”
His mama points toward the dance floor.
“Get out there with yo auntie and two step. Ain’t nobody in here worried about you.”
Before Smoke can escape, Aunt Racheal drags him onto the floor.
The crowd parts. People already know what time it is.Two-stepping wasn’t just dancing in Kansas City.
It was serious business. There were competitions. Championships.
People practiced for years.
You had to know how to stay on beat.
Know your spins. Know your footwork.
Know how to lead. Know how to follow. Yolanda had taught both her sons when they were little.
And Smoke had become damn good at it. The music swells.
Smoke immediately falls into rhythm.
Step. Step. Turn. Spin.
Aunt Racheal laughs as he guides her effortlessly. They move like they’ve done this a thousand times. Because they have.
People stop dancing just to watch.
Women smile. Men nod approvingly.
They both spin. Smoke Catches her hand again. Never missing a beat. Not once. The song ends to applause and whistles.
Aunt Racheal laughs. “Still got it.”
Smoke smirks. “Always.”
Back near the wall, he spends the next hour handling a few transactions and speaking with clients. Business never stopped. Not even at the club.
Throughout the night, women approach him. Young women. Older women. Some asking him to dance. Others just trying to flirt. Every single one gets the same answer.
The colorful lights flash across the room. Couples sway together.
Laughing. Dancing. Enjoying themselves.
For some reason…His mind drifts somewhere else.
To a pretty girl with a wrap and glossed lips. A girl who gets flustered when he looks at her. A girl who smiles like she doesn’t realize how beautiful she is. A girl who probably doesn’t even know how to two step.
A small smile pulls at the corner of his mouth.
Tobias catches it immediately. “There it is.”
Smoke shakes his head. “What?”
“You thinkin’ about somebody.”
Smoke doesn’t answer.
Because for once…Tobias is actually right.
🦀🦞🦀🦞🦀🦞🦀🦞🦀🦀🦞🦀🦞🦀🦞🦀The next evening at Red Lobster, the restaurant is absolutely packed. Saturday nights were always busy. Families crowd the waiting area near the entrance. Kids run between tables while parents try to wrangle them. Servers weave through the dining room carrying trays loaded with shrimp scampi, lobster tails, and baskets overflowing with cheddar biscuits.
The air is thick with the smell of garlic butter, seafood, and fryer oil. Orders are flying into the kitchen nonstop. The ticket machine won’t stop printing. The entire restaurant feels like controlled chaos.
So far Annie has been holding her own.She’s actually proud of herself. She’s greeting tables faster. Remembering biscuits. Keeping drinks filled. Remembering to smile even when her feet hurt. For most of the night she’s been doing good. Then the dinner rush really hits. And suddenly she’s drowning. A hostess appears beside her. “Double sat.”
Annie looks down at the chart.
A three-top. And a six-top.
At the same time. “Oh Lord.”
She grabs her order pad and heads toward the first table. Then the second. She moves as fast as she can.
Drink orders. Appetizers. Refills.
Biscuits. Extra napkins.
Questions about menu items.
Children wanting crayons.
The six-top alone feels like three separate tables.
By the time she finally gets a chance to breathe, she rushes to one of the computers to enter everything.
Her heart is racing.
She flips through her order pad.
She starts to put the Three-top in
She flips the page. And freezes.
Her stomach immediately drops.
A steak order.
From the six-top she put in earlier
Written on the back of the page.
A medium rare sirloin.
One she never entered. “Oh my God.”
The color drains from her face.
“No no no no no.”
She stares at the screen.
The rest of that table’s food is probably already cooking.
If she doesn’t get that steak started now, everybody else’s food is going to come out first.
The customer is going to be sitting there watching everyone eat while they wait.
Her heart starts pounding harder.
Panic immediately settles in.
She can practically feel Michelle’s disappointment already.
Without thinking, Annie takes off running toward the kitchen.
The heat hits her instantly the second she pushes through the doors.
Fryers hiss. The grill sizzles.
Cooks yell orders back and forth.
Plates crash together.
Annie rushes to the service window.
“Hey Brandon!”
Her voice cracks slightly. “Can you cook a medium-rare steak for me real quick? I forgot to put it in!”
Across the kitchen, Smoke is helping at the fryers. His back is turned.
But the second he hears Annie’s voice, his attention sharpens. He doesn’t turn around. Doesn’t need to.
He can hear the panic. The frustration. The embarrassment. He immediately knows something went wrong.
Brandon looks up from the grill. “Where’s the ticket?”
Annie swallows. “I forgot to put it in.”
She looks mortified even saying it.
“I’m gonna go do it right now.”
Brandon shrugs. “No ticket. No steak.”
Annie blinks. “What?”
“No ticket. No steak.”
Her shoulders sag. “Can you at least start cooking it for me?”
“No.”
Brandon doesn’t even look at her. “Not until I have a ticket.”
Smoke’s jaw tightens instantly.
He keeps dropping baskets into the fryer, but irritation crawls up his spine.
Seriously?
The girl has been working there what?
Three weeks? Maybe.
She’s obviously new. Obviously overwhelmed. And anybody with eyes can see she’s panicking.
Mistakes happen. Especially on a Saturday night. Brandon could easily throw the damn steak on the grill and save her table.
Instead he’s doing what Brandon always does. Being an asshole just because he can.
Annie’s face falls. “Okay.”
Her voice is quiet this time.
Defeated. She turns around and practically stomps back toward the dining room.
Smoke watches her go.
The frustration on her face bothers him more than it should. A lot more.
The second she’s gone, he shakes his head.
“Man, that’s some bullshit.”
Brandon shrugs. “Nigga it’s the Rules.”
Smoke sucks his teeth “Yeah. Aight nigga”
He doesn’t say anything else.
But he already knows what he’s about to do.
Meanwhile Annie is trying not to lose her mind. Both computers are occupied when she gets back to the server station.
Of course they are.
She bounces anxiously from foot to foot while waiting.
Every second feels like an hour.
Come on. Come on. Come on.
Finally a computer opens up.
She practically throws herself in front of it. Her fingers fly across the screen.
She enters the steak. Hits send.
Then immediately rushes back toward the kitchen.
Please don’t let that customer be mad.
Please don’t let that customer be mad.
Please don’t let that customer be mad.
The thought repeats over and over in her head.
She arrives at the service window and immediately looks toward the grill.
Toward Brandon. Her stomach twists.
Brandon’s back is turned.
He’s busy working another order.
Before Annie can even open her mouth—A plate slides through the window. Right in front of her.
She blinks. A medium-rare steak.
Perfectly cooked.
Juices still glistening beneath the kitchen lights. Steam rising from the plate.
Annie stares at it.
Then follows the arm attached to it.
Smoke.
Her eyes widen. She points at herself.
As if to say…Me?
Smoke nods once.
Yep. For you.
The relief that washes over Annie is immediate. It hits so hard she almost laughs. The knot in her chest loosens instantly. Oh my God. She doesn’t say it out loud.
But it’s written all over her face.
Then she smiles. A real smile. Big. Bright. Grateful. The kind that reaches all the way to her eyes.
And just like every other time she smiles at him… Smoke feels it. Right in his chest.
His stomach drops. Again.
It makes absolutely no sense.
She’s just smiling. That’s all.
But somehow that smile hits him harder than it should. Hard enough that he has to look away for a second.
Annie clasps her hands together in front of her chest. Like she’s praying. Her eyes full of gratitude.
Then she mouths: Thank you.
Smoke can’t help the smirk that tugs at the corner of his mouth.
He shakes his head once.
Then mouths back: No problem.
Annie grabs the plate carefully.
Still smiling. Still looking relieved.
Then hurries back toward the dining room.
Smoke watches her disappear through the kitchen doors.
And for the rest of the night, every time he thinks about that smile…
He catches himself damn near smiling too.
🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆
It’s the following Wednesday evening.
Annie is stretched out across her bed in an oversized T-shirt and shorts, absentmindedly flipping through a magazine, looking at hairstyles.
The television is on low, playing reruns she isn’t really paying attention to.
Her mind keeps drifting. To work. To the money she’s been making. To Smoke.
Her cell phone suddenly rings, causing her to jump. She reaches over and grabs it from her nightstand. Rhonda.
Annie smiles and answers. “Girl, call the house phone. It’s not after nine. You know my minutes ain’t free.”
Rhonda laughs. “You right.”
Annie laughs too and hangs up.
About a minute later, the see through corded phone rings on her nightstand. Annie sits up and grabs it. “Hello?”
“What you doing?” Rhonda asks.
“Nothing, girl. Just laying here.”
“Hmm.”
Rhonda pauses. “Anyway, let’s go to the mall Saturday.”
Annie perks up a little. The mall. She hasn’t been shopping in a minute. She thinks about the money tucked inside the little box in her dresser.
Money she earned. Her money.
A smile pulls at her lips.
Shopping actually sounds nice.
“Okay. We going to Bannister, right?”
Rhonda immediately scoffs. “Girl, hell nah.”
Annie pulls the phone away from her ear.
“What?”
“We going to the Landing.”
Annie’s mouth falls open. “The Landing?”
“Yes!”
“Girl, my parents ain’t never gonna let me go in the city.”
Rhonda laughs. “You act like we going to another state.”
“I’m serious! My daddy barely let me go anywhere.”
“Then have him drop you off at Bannister.”
Annie pauses.
Rhonda keeps talking. “We can catch the bus there and back.”
Annie sits quietly. Thinking.
It honestly doesn’t sound like a bad idea.
And the Landing had some of her favorite stores. Way better than Bannister.
She could finally buy herself something nice. Maybe a new outfit. Maybe some jewelry. Maybe just enjoy having money in her pocket for once.Still… She knows her parents would absolutely lose it if they found out.
Rhonda senses her hesitation. “Come onnnnn, Annie.”
Annie sighs. “I don’t know.”
“Girl, yes you do.”
Another pause. Then Annie gives in.
“Okay.”
Rhonda squeals. “Yesssss!”
“But,” Annie quickly adds, “we gotta make sure we get back in time.”
“We will.”
“I’m serious.”
“I know.”
“Rhonda.”
“Girl, I said we will.”
Annie laughs. “Okay.”
“I can’t wait. We finna have so much fun.”
Annie smiles to herself.
For the first time in a while…
She can’t wait either.
🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆
Saturday finally comes, and around noon, Annie is in the car with her dad. She looks over at him. “Thank you for lettin’ me go,”
He looks back, one hand on the wheel. “You’re welcome. I know I gotta give you more freedom since you’re eighteen now.”
Annie smirks and looks out the window. Progress.
They pull up to Bannister Mall, and Annie quickly unbuckles her seatbelt.
She hops out, then leans back into the open window. “I’ll call you when I’m done.”
“Okay,” her dad replies. “Be careful.”
“I will.”
She shuts the door and watches him pull away.
As soon as she steps inside the mall, she spots Rhonda standing near the entrance.
“There yo’ slow ass go,” Rhonda teases.
Annie laughs and hugs her.
The two of them stand by the doors, watching her dad’s car disappear from the parking lot.
The second it’s out of sight, Rhonda grabs Annie’s hand. “Come on.” Annie laughs.
They hurry back outside and head toward the bus stop.
A warm September breeze blows by as they sit on the bench.
“I hope we meet us some fine ass niggas down there,” Rhonda says. “The Landing got all the fine ones, Annie. Watch.”
Annie busts into giggles. “Look at you. You don’t even care about gettin’ no clothes.”
“And I don’t,” Rhonda says with a shrug. “Unless I’m tryna impress a nigga.”
Annie throws her head back laughing.
“You so crazy.”
“I ain’t crazy. I’m realistic.”
Annie looks at her. Rhonda looks back at her.
Then both of them bust out laughing.
♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️
Smoke’s driving through the city with Tobias riding shotgun.
The windows are cracked just enough to let the warm breeze in. A CD is playing low in the background while they cruise down the street with no real destination.
Smoke glances down at his feet.
Then shakes his head. “Aye, let’s hit the Landing real quick. I need some more Forces.”
Tobias looks down.
Smoke lifts his foot. “I done creased these.”
Tobias busts out laughing. “Man, you got too many damn shoes.”
He shakes his head. “Them shoes still look brand new.”
Smoke sucks his teeth. “Nah.”
He glances at his shoes again. “These threw”
Tobias laughs even harder. “Threw? Nigga, I don’t even see the crease.”
“It’s there.”
“No it ain’t.”
“Yes it is.”
Tobias looks at him like he’s crazy.
Smoke shrugs. “You can never have enough shoes.”
He lifts his foot again. “And you know I don’t do creases in my shit.”
Tobias shakes his head. “You bougie as hell.”
Smoke grins. “Nah. I just take care of my shit.”
“Man, whatever.” A small laugh leaves him. “Yeah aight. Let’s go.” He sits up a little. “I need me a pair too.”
Smoke smirks and turns toward the highway. “That’s what I’m talking about.”
The two continue riding toward the Landing, completely unaware that Annie and her friend are headed there too.
♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️
They finally make it to the Landing.
The mall is packed.
Music plays softly over the speakers while people crowd the walkways carrying shopping bags. Kids run ahead of their parents, teenagers gather in groups, and the smell of pretzels, cinnamon, and popcorn fills the air.
Rhonda’s eyes light up the second they walk through the doors. “Aye girl, let’s go to Wet Seal first.”
Annie huffs. “I wanted to go to The Limited first.”
Rhonda hooks her arm through Annie’s. “We can go there next.”
Annie laughs. “Fine.”
They head into Wet Seal.
The store is full of bright colors and trendy outfits. Rhonda immediately starts digging through racks. Annie takes her time. She smiles as she flips through the clothes. This feels nice. Really nice.
She has money in her purse. Her money. And for the first time, she doesn’t have to ask anybody for permission to buy herself something.She picks out a couple of cute outfits. Then grabs some jewelry.
A gold necklace. A few bracelets. And some hoop earrings.
Rhonda holds up a shirt. “This cute?”
Annie squints. “Mmm… it’s a no.”
Rhonda gasps. “You a hater.”
Annie laughs. “I saved you.”
Afterward, they head into Spencer’s.
Immediately Rhonda starts laughing at some of the weird stuff sitting on the shelves.
Annie spots something. “Ooh!”
Rhonda turns. “What?”
Annie points. “Let’s grab some magnetic earrings.”
Rhonda looks confused. “What for?”
“I want a cartilage piercing.”
She sighs. “But my parents won’t let me, so these will do.”
Rhonda laughs. “I guess.”
A few minutes later, they’re walking out of the store.
Both girls immediately take the earrings out of the packaging.
Annie carefully places one on her ear.
Rhonda does the same.
Then they both stop and stare at each other. “Oh my God.”
“It actually look real!” Rhonda says.
Annie grins. “I know!”
They spend the next few minutes admiring themselves in store windows.
Eventually, they end up at the photo booth in the middle of the mall.
“Come on!” Rhonda says.
Annie laughs. “You so childish.”
“And?”
She pulls the curtain closed.
The machine flashes.
Click. First picture.
Both girls smile.
Click. Second picture.
They kiss each other’s cheeks.
Click. Third picture.
They make the ugliest faces they can.
Click. Fourth picture.
They throw up peace signs and start laughing before the picture even snaps.
The photo strip prints out.
Rhonda squeals. “Awww.”
Annie smiles. “We look cute.”
They step out of the booth and continue walking. As they pass a group of guys leaning against the railing, one whistles. “Damn!”
Another one grins. “Where y’all headed?”
“Y’all fine as hell.”
Annie immediately blushes.
Rhonda busts out laughing.
She eats that kind of attention up.
“Damn,” she says. “They fine.”
She starts slowing down. “Let’s go talk to them.”
Annie looks horrified. “No.”
Rhonda turns. “No?”
“No, girl.”
Annie grabs her arm. “I’m trying to go to Topsy’s.”
Rhonda laughs.”Look at yo scary ass.”
“I am not scary.”
“You are.”
Rhonda starts walking backward.
“You need a new nigga to help you get over Ryan ass.”
Annie rolls her eyes. “I been over him.”
Rhonda smirks. “I can’t tell.”
“I have.”
“Mhmm.”
“I really have.”
“If you say so.”
Annie laughs and shakes her head.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the mall, Smoke and Tobias are leaving Foot Locker.
Both have shopping bags in hand.
Smoke ended up buying another pair of Forces and immediately put them on.
Tobias shakes his head. “I still think you crazy.”
Smoke grins. “You just don’t understand.”
“I don’t.”
They continue walking.
Tobias suddenly stops. “Aye, let’s stop by Topsy’s.”
Smoke looks at him. “For what?”
“I need some popcorn.”
Smoke chuckles. “Nigga, you always need some popcorn.”
“So?” Tobias shrugs.
“Topsy’s got the best damn popcorn in the city.”
Smoke can’t even argue with that.
Topsy’s was a staple at the Landing.
It carried every flavor imaginable.
Caramel. Cheese. Butter. Cinnamon.
People literally came to the mall just for the popcorn.
Smoke smirks. “Aight. Let’s go.”
The two start walking toward Topsy’s.
Completely unaware that Annie and Rhonda are headed there too.
The line at Topsy’s is long.
Like always.
Teenagers crowd the small popcorn shop, laughing loudly and arguing over flavors. The sweet smell of caramel popcorn mixes with buttery cheddar and cinnamon sugar, filling the air.
Annie and Rhonda get in line.
Annie immediately starts looking inside the glass showcase. There are rows and rows of popcorn.Caramel. Cheddar. Butter. Cinnamon.
Chocolate drizzled. Every flavor imaginable.
“Girl, I don’t even know what I want,” Rhonda says.
Annie laughs softly.
Meanwhile, Smoke and Tobias walk into Topsy’s.
And Smoke stops dead in his tracks.
Annie.
His eyes lock onto her instantly.
She’s here? In the city?
She’s wearing a short denim skirt and a white off shoulder Baby Phat crop top that shows just a sliver of her stomach.
A silver herringbone chain rests against her chest, matching the silver bracelets on her wrist.
Fresh white Reebok Classics cover her feet.
But it’s her hair that gets him.
Long curls from a roller set.
Full. Bouncy.
Every time she moves her head, the curls sway softly against her shoulders.
Her legs shine from baby oil.
Her lips are glossy.
And she looks…Damn.
Smoke’s heart damn near stops.
She’s beautiful at work.
But out here? Looking like this?
He wasn’t ready… AT ALL.
Tobias notices Smoke isn’t moving.
“Nigga… you good?”
Smoke blinks. “Yeah, bro.”
He clears his throat. “I’m good.”
He’s absolutely not good.
Because he can’t stop looking at her.
Rhonda notices first.
She sees this fine ass man staring holes through her friend.
Her eyes get huge.
She immediately leans toward Annie.
“Oh my God.”
“Hmm?” Annie says absently.
“Some fine ass nigga staring at you.”
Annie looks up. And freezes.
It’s Smoke.
Her stomach drops instantly.
He looks…sexy as hell.
She can’t even pretend he doesn’t.
He’s wearing a green and white striped Rocawear polo with baggy dark-blue jean shorts.
A brand new Boston Celtics fitted sits low on his head with a durag underneath.
A platinum chain hangs around his neck. A Rolex shines on his wrist.
Big diamond studs glisten in his ears beneath the bright mall lights.
And fresh white Air Forces.
Everything about him screams effortless. Like he didn’t even try.
But somehow still looks perfect.
Annie’s eyes slowly travel from his shoes all the way back up.
Then she hurries and looks away.
Way too fast.
Her heart starts racing.
What is he doing here?
And why does he look this damn good?
Smoke and Tobias get in line directly behind them.
Annie doesn’t say anything.
She literally can’t.
Then his cologne reaches her.
Burberry Brit. Warm. Clean.Masculine.
It instantly surrounds her.
Rhonda’s eyes get even bigger.
“Damn, Annie.”
She whispers. “He ain’t took his eyes off you yet.”
Annie says nothing.
“And his friend fine as fuck too.”
Still nothing.
Because Annie can barely breathe.
Smoke steps up beside her to look into the glass case.
Close. Too close.
She can feel his body heat.
Then he catches a soft scent.
Curve Crush.
He almost smiles.
Sweet. Pretty. Just like her.
Smoke pretends to study the popcorn.
But he’s not looking at popcorn.
He’s stealing glances at her side profile. She’s even prettier up close.
Her skin is glowing. No makeup.
Just lip gloss.
And somehow that’s making him look harder.
He’s never seen her outside of work.
Never seen her in regular clothes.
And now that he has…Yeah.
Shorty fly as hell.
He can’t even deny it.
And her hair… The curls bounce every time she turns her head toward her friend.
They look so soft. So full.
For a crazy second, he wonders what they’d feel like wrapped around his fingers.
The thought catches him off guard.
He shifts. Moves a little closer.
His arm brushes hers.
Annie inhales sharply.
The contact is brief. But enough.
This is the closest they’ve ever been.
She can feel the warmth radiating from him. Smell his cologne.
Hear him breathing.
Her heart is beating so hard she’s almost positive he can hear it.
She steals another glance.
This time, she notices things she hadn’t before.
His beard. Trimmed perfectly.
The shape of his lips.
The way his earrings catch the light.
He really is fine. Like…ridiculously fine.
Just then Smoke turns his head fully toward her and stares back.
Tobias looks between them.
Then back at Smoke. Then at Annie.
His eyebrows slowly rise.
Oh. Ohhhhh.
He knows that look.
At the same time, Rhonda is doing the exact same thing.
Her eyes move from Annie…
to Smoke…back to Annie.
Then she looks up and catches Tobias looking too.
The two exchange a look.
Both of them silently thinking:
These two got some shit going on.
Even though they haven’t said a single word.
Tobias breaks the silence.
“Aye bro, what you gettin’?”
Smoke finally looks away from Annie.
“You already know.”
He smirks. “I like my shit sweet.”
He points toward the case.
“I need that cinnamon.”
Annie’s ears immediately perk up.
She files that information away.
He likes cinnamon. Interesting.
Smoke looks back toward the showcase.
And catches her looking at him.
Again. Their eyes meet.
Annie immediately drops hers.
Smoke tries not to smile.
He fails.
A small grin tugs at his lips.
A few moments later, it’s finally their turn.
Rhonda orders first.
Then Annie steps up.
She points inside the case.
“I want the cheddar and caramel one.”
The cashier nods. “What size?”
“I want the bag.”
Smoke immediately speaks.
“Get her the canisters.”
Annie turns. Confused.
He reaches into his pocket and pulls out his wallet. “I got it.”
Both girls’ eyes get huge.
“What?” Rhonda says.
Smoke pulls money out.
“I’m paying for both of theirs.”
Annie blinks. “No. You don’t—”
Rhonda elbows her hard.
Hard enough that Annie jumps.
Smoke almost laughs.
The cashier says the total.
Smoke reaches across Annie and hands over the money.
His chest brushes against hers.
Goosebumps immediately rise along her skin.
Annie swallows. Then looks up at him.
Smoke looks right into her eyes.
“You too good to let me buy somethin’ for you?”
His voice is calm. Deep. Intense.
Annie completely forgets how words work. Her eyes drop. To his lips.
Then once again she notices the golds.
Her stomach flips. “No… it’s not that. I just…”
She trails off. Because honestly?
She doesn’t know what to say.
This man has her completely flustered.
So instead she says softly: “Thank you.”
Smoke’s expression softens.
He gives her a nod.
Then he leans forward slightly.
Close enough that she can feel his breath near her ear.
His deep baritone sends a shiver straight down her spine.
“Next time…”
He pauses. “Try the cinnamon.”
Annie smiles. A real smile. “Okay.”
She takes the canisters from the cashier. Turns.
And practically floats away with Rhonda.
Smoke watches her go.
Watches her curls bounce.
Watches her laugh when Rhonda immediately starts whispering in her ear. Then he slowly shakes his head.
Tobias looks at him. Looks toward Annie. Looks back at him.
Then grins. “Nigga.”
Smoke doesn’t answer.
He just keeps watching her walk away.
Because for the second time in less than a week…
That girl got him almost smiling at absolutely nothing.
Once Annie and Rhonda are out of Topsy’s, they both squeal.
“Damn!” Rhonda says. “I think he likes you, Annie! Why you ain’t get his number?”
Annie grins and shrugs.
“I don’t know.”
“What if you never see him again?”
Annie starts laughing.
“I’m gonna see him again.”
Rhonda stops walking.
“How you know that?”
Annie looks at her like it’s obvious.
“’Cause I work with him, girl.”
Rhonda’s mouth drops open.
“What?!”
Annie cackles.
“Mhmm. He’s a cook.”
Rhonda looks offended.
“You work with that fine ass nigga and ain’t tell me?!”
Annie laughs harder.
“He ain’t just some random dude?” She asks
“No.”
“Oh my God.”
Rhonda grabs Annie’s arm.
“You need to talk to him, Annie.”
Annie rolls her eyes.
Rhonda clicks her tongue
“He was staring holes through you! Then he bought our popcorn.”
Rhonda shakes her head.
“I knew it was more to it.”
“Girl…”
“No. Annie, you need to lock that down.”
Annie laughs. “I don’t even know how old he is.”
Rhonda’s eyes get big. “You don’t know how old that man is?!”
“I ain’t never asked him. We haven’t really talked.”
Rhonda looks at her suspiciously.
“Could’ve fooled me.”
Annie laughs.
“Why you ain’t tell me about him? And his friend fine as fuck too.”
“There’s nothing to tell.”
“Nah.” Rhonda points at her. “You gotta get him.”
She grins. “That’ll really piss Ryan off.”
“Fuck Ryan.”
They both busts out laughing.
By the time they reach the bus stop, they’re still giggling.
The sun is beginning to set, painting the sky orange and pink. Cars fly by on the street.
A few other people are waiting for the bus.
Then a classic two door dark blue Buick Regal slows down.
Music is blasting inside.
A group of guys are packed in the car.
The passenger hangs out the window.
“Aye!”
Both girls look.
“Y’all need a ride?”
“No,” they say in unison.
The guys laugh.
“C’mon. We ain’t gon’ bite.”
“Nah, we good,” Annie says politely.
But they don’t leave.
The Regal stops completely.
“Damn, where y’all headed?”
“Y’all too pretty to be on the bus.”
Another guy whistles.
Annie’s smile disappears. She folds her arms.
Looks away. She hates this.
Rhonda notices immediately.
The guys keep talking. Keep staring.
Annie shifts uncomfortably.
Her stomach starts knotting.
She hates feeling trapped.
And right now… She does.
Meanwhile, Smoke and Tobias are leaving the mall parking lot.
Smoke is halfway through a story Tobias is telling when his eyes land on the bus stop.
He sees Annie immediately.
Then he sees the Regal
Sees the guys hanging out the windows.
Sees Annie’s body language.
The way she’s folded into herself.
The way she isn’t smiling anymore.
And something ugly twists in his chest. Protectiveness. Irritation.
And something else he doesn’t want to name. Because why the fuck are they over there bothering her?
He doesn’t even know why. He just doesn’t like it.
Not one bit. Without thinking, he cuts the wheel.
Tobias looks over. “What you doin?”
Smoke doesn’t answer.
He pulls up directly behind the Regal
The guys look back.
Smoke leans over and rolls the window down.
“Y’all come on.”
Both girls blink.
Rhonda’s eyes get huge.
Annie’s too. They look at each other.
Annie hesitates. Rhonda doesn’t.
“Oh hell yeah.”
“Rhonda…” Annie says.
“No.”
Rhonda grabs her hand.
“We getting in.”
The guys in the Regal look annoyed.
One sucks his teeth.
Another rolls his eyes.
Smoke doesn’t even look that way
His eyes stay on Annie. Waiting.
Finally…She nods.
Tobias gets out. “Either one of y’all wanna sit in the front?”
They both shake their heads.
“Nah.”
“Aight.”
He lifts the front seat forward.
Annie climbs in first.
She ends up sitting in the middle, almost directly behind Smoke.
Rhonda sits behind Tobias.
The second everyone’s inside, Smoke pulls off. Fast. Pipes so loud that Annie jumps.
The Regal disappears behind them.
Annie doesn’t realize she’d been holding her breath until now. She exhales. Her shoulders finally relax.
The truck smells like cologne, weed and air freshener.
Rap music hums softly from the speakers.
She looks around. The inside is spotless.
“Damn,” Rhonda says aloud.
“This nice.”
Smoke glances up. “Preciate it.”
Then he asks, “Where y’all going?”
“Out south.” Rhonda answers. “You can drop us off at Bannister.”
Smoke raises a brow.
Tobias turns around. “Damn. Y’all goin’ to another mall?”
Rhonda grins. “Yep. We love to shop.”
That makes Smoke chuckle.
He gets onto 71 Highway.
Then turns the music up.
Messy Marv’s “Sei Luv” comes on.
The beat rattles the seats.
Smoke starts nodding his head.
Then his eyes drift to the rearview mirror. Annie.
The sunset spills through the window beside her.
Golden light dances across her skin.
Makes her glow.
Her curls look even softer somehow.
Her gloss shines.
And she’s looking out the window quietly. Beautiful.
Smoke’s eyes linger.
Then the words come through the speakers.
🎶 Say love, say love, let me talk to you for a moment… Get to know you, let me show you I’m the one you need… 🎶
His eyes stay in the mirror.
Because that’s exactly what he wants.
To talk to her. Get to know her, but he doesn’t want to scare her.
The song keeps playing.
🎶 Is it alright if I spend some time, get you fly, ’cause I wanna make you mine🎶
Annie looks up. And catches him staring. Again. He doesn’t look away this time. Neither does she. Their eyes hold. Just for a second. Then she smiles softly.
And looks back out the window.
Smoke’s chest tightens.
🎶 Baby come and take this ride, my s5 get you fly. Show me all the things you like, i'll do them for you🎶
Tobias notices them. Of course he notices.
He doesn’t say shit. Just smirks to himself.
A few minutes later, he pulls a blunt from his pocket and sparks it.
He turns around. “Y’all wanna hit this?”
Annie shakes her head immediately.
“No thank you.”
Rhonda grins. “Yeah.”
Before Tobias can hand it back—Smack.
Smoke hits his arm. “Put that shit out.”
Tobias looks confused. “Why?”
Smoke just gives him a look. One of those looks.
Tobias glances from Smoke…to Annie… then back.
And suddenly understands.
“Ohhhhh.”
Smoke cuts his eyes. Tobias starts grinning.
He puts the blunt out.
The whole ride, Smoke keeps stealing glances through the rearview.
And every now and then…Annie catches him.
Every time she does, she smiles.
Every time she smiles…
Smoke has to fight one of his own.
When they finally pull up to Bannister, everyone gets out.
Smoke and Tobias climb out first.
Smoke lifts the front seat. Annie moves to climb out. Without thinking, he reaches his hand out.
She looks at it. Then at him.
Then places her hand in his.
The second their hands touch..There it is again. That spark. That weird pull.
Annie feels it. Smoke feels it too.
She steps down slowly.
But he doesn’t let go right away.
Neither of them says anything.
Rhonda and Tobias exchange another look.
Because this shit is ridiculous.
They haven’t even had a real conversation.
Yet they keep looking at each other like that.
Finally, Smoke lets her hand go.
Meanwhile—“Aye.”
Tobias looks at Rhonda. “Lemme get yo number.”
Rhonda grins. “Okay.”
She gives it to him.
Annie sees and starts giggling.
Rhonda giggles right back.
Annie adjusts her purse strap and gets ready to walk off.
Then—Smoke says “You dropped somethin’.”
She turns. Looks at the ground.
Nothing. Then looks up.
Smoke is holding a hundred dollar bill.
Her brows knit together. “I didn’t drop that.”
Smoke just stares at her. “You did.”
She blinks, looks at the money.
Then at him. Then back at the money.
Slowly…She catches on.
He’s giving it to her.
Again. Her eyes widen.
She shakes her head.
Smoke nods.
She shakes her head again
Smoke nods “Take it.”
She can’t help but smile.
This man is crazy.
But eventually…She reaches out and puts her hand in his to take it.
Only—Smoke doesn’t let go.
He holds onto her hand.
And looks directly into her eyes.
Big. Brown. Beautiful.
So big he feels like he could get lost in them.
Hell…He almost does.
Neither of them moves. Neither of them speaks.
The world feels strangely quiet.
Then Smoke realizes he’s been holding her hand too long. Way too long. He lets go. Clears his throat.
By halftime, Annie heads toward the concession stand. The line is long. Kids are running around. Parents are yelling over the crowd. The smell of hot dogs and nacho cheese still fills the air.
She’s studying the menu when someone taps her shoulder. Annie already knows who it is. She turns around. Annoyed.
“What, Ryan?”
His grin widens. “It’s good to see you. I’m glad you came.”
She clicks her tongue. “I came to watch the game, not your ass.”
Ryan laughs.
Annie raises a brow. “Ain’t you supposed to be sitting on the field?”
He waves her off. “I do what I want. You know this.”
Annie folds her arms. “Please. Ain’t yo girlfriend somewhere around?”
Ryan’s jaw tightens immediately.
He looks away for a second. Then back at her. “Anyway… so you really just done wit me?”
Annie stares at him. “Didn’t you get my letter?”
“Yeah I got it and I ripped that shit up too.”
“Then why are we having this conversation?”
Ryan exhales heavily. “Because I thought we was better than that.”
“You thought wrong.”
Annie’s voice is firm. “You chose who you wanted.”
“Annie—”
“No.”
She cuts him off. “You don’t get to disrespect me and then come back when you feel like it.”
Ryan shakes his head. “I miss you though.”
Annie doesn’t respond.
“I made a mistake.”
“That wasn’t a mistake.”
“It was.”
“No.”
She points at him. “That was a choice.”
Ryan’s expression hardens. “Damn, everybody make mistakes.”
“No. You wanted to kiss her.”
Silence.
“Admit it. You wanted to.”
Ryan says nothing.
Annie continues. “And then to add insult to injury, you got in a whole relationship with her.”
“Annie—”
“So go find her.”
She steps around him. “Leave me alone.”
Ryan grabs her wrist. “Don’t leave.”
Annie freezes. Slowly looks down at his hand. Then back up at him.
Her eyes go wide. “If you don’t let me go.”
Something in her voice makes him release her immediately. Annie jerks her arm away. Then walks off without another word.
Ryan watches her leave. Anger bubbling beneath the surface…
The game ends with a home team victory. The crowd spills from the field in every direction. Students laugh. Car horns sound in the parking lot. People celebrate as they head toward their cars. Annie is walking beside Devin, laughing about something, when somebody slams into her shoulder. Hard.
Annie stumbles. “What the hell?”
She turns around. Dana. Of course.
Dana folds her arms. “Watch where you goin’, bitch.”
Annie instantly shakes her head.
“Nah. You watch it, hoe.”
Dana’s eyes widen. “Hoe?”
“Yeah. You heard me. Hoe.”
Dana steps closer. Immediately.
Ebony slides between them.
“Bitch, you just mad ’cause I got yo man.”
Annie laughs. Really laughs. “Mad?”
She points at Ryan standing several feet away. “Girl, you can have his sorry ass.”
Dana’s face twists. “Please.”
Annie keeps going. “Tell yo man to stop begging me.”
“Begging you?”
Dana scoffs. “I doubt that.”
“You delusional.”
Annie shakes her head. “If I wanted yo man back, you would’ve been good and dropped.”
“Oooohhhhh!” Devin yells.
Ebony immediately turns. “Devin!”
“What? I’m just sayin’.”
Dana takes another step forward.
“Nah, fuck you.”
Ebony throws her hands up. “Y’all chill out.”
“Nah.” Dana points at Annie. “This bitch think she can take my man.”
Annie laughs again. “You got one more time to call me a bitch.”
Dana smirks. “Or else what?”
She steps even closer. “What you gon’ do, bitch?”
Annie lunges.
Immediately. Devin and Ebony grab her.
“ANNIE!”
“Let me go!”
“Girl, stop!”
Annie jerks against them.
Dana steps backward. “Yeah, that’s what I thought.”
Annie points at her. “Nah. You lucky.”
“Sure.”
Annie stares at her for a second.
Then suddenly reaches into her purse.
Everybody freezes. Dana’s friends look confused. Annie pulls out a stack of folded letters. Ryan’s letters. Every last one.She throws them directly at Dana’s chest. The papers scatter everywhere.
“There!”
Dana jumps. “What the hell?”
“There’s yo proof.”
Annie points toward Ryan. “Now keep your dog on a leash.”
The crowd around them erupts.
“Daaaaamn!”
“Oh shit!”
Dana and her friends scramble to pick the letters up.
Meanwhile Devin is bent over laughing.
“Damn, Annie.”
She wipes tears from her eyes.
“Not you threw the damn letters at her.”
Annie is still fuming. She doesn’t even respond.
They walk off. Ebony wraps an arm around her shoulders. “It’s cool, Annie.”
“I’m so sick of them.”
“I know.”
Ebony nods. “But calm down.”
Devin finally catches her breath.
“She only mad ‘cause she saw y’all talking at the concession stand.”
“Exactly,” Ebony says.
“I saw her staring too,” Devin adds.
Annie throws her hands up. “See?”
She shakes her head. “This is exactly why I ain’t never taking him back. Too much drama.”
Devin adds “Way too much.”
Ebony sighs. “That’s ’cause everybody want him and he wants you.”
“Not now, Ebony.” Devin says
Rhonda finally cuts in. “Nah, Annie right.”
Everyone looks at her.
Rhonda shrugs. “A dude ain’t worth all this shit.”
“Thank you,” Annie says.
“If you gotta fight other girls, deal with jealousy, and constantly wonder what he doing…”
Rhonda shakes her head. “Then he ain’t worth having.”
Annie smiles. “Exactly.”
For once, somebody gets it. And as she looks over at Dana arguing with Ryan while holding those crumpled letters…Annie realizes she doesn’t miss him at all, not even a little bit.
🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃
Down in the city Smoke is pulling up to Pete’s Place. The club sits on the east side and has a completely different vibe than most spots in Kansas City.
Pete’s was twenty five and up.
No teenagers. No knuckleheads.
No constant fights. No riff raff.
Just grown folks drinking, dancing, and having a good time.
The music was a mix of old school and new school. One minute you’d hear Maze and Frankie Beverly, the next it’d be Usher or Alicia Keys.
Smoke wasn’t twenty-five yet, but that didn’t matter. His mama had known Pete for years.
Everybody knew Yolanda.
Smoke parks and climbs out.
His friend Tobias is already waiting.
A skinny high yellow dude with braids.
The two head inside.
The bass vibrates through the floor beneath their feet. Colored lights dance across the crowded room.
Women laugh loudly near the bar.
Couples fill the dance floor.
The smell of perfume, cigarette smoke, and liquor hangs in the air.
Usher’s “Yeah!” is blasting through the speakers.
Smoke and Tobias post up against the wall.Just watching.
People immediately begin speaking.
A few regulars shake Smoke’s hand.
Some older hustlers nod at him.
A couple of clients stop him for quick conversations.Smoke handles it all casually.
Then Tobias nudges him. “There go Tamika.”
Smoke follows his gaze. Sure enough. Tamika is on the dance floor.Dancing with her friends. She looks good.But he doesn’t feel a damn thing.
“So?” Smoke says.
Tobias looks at him. “Nigga, you ain’t gon’ go speak?”
“Hell nah.”
Smoke takes a sip of his drink. “I been off that.”
“Oh yeah.”
Tobias smirks. “I forgot. You on Monica now.”
Smoke immediately cuts his eyes at him.
“I ain’t on that either.”
“Mm-hmm.”
“We just cool.”
Tobias laughs. “Man, whatever.”
Smoke shakes his head.
Tobias side eyes him “You spend a lot of time over there.”
“Nigga, my brother live there.”
“Yeah okay.”
Tobias lifts his hands. “I’ma leave it alone.”
Smoke is grateful he does. Because he doesn’t feel like explaining shit. A few moments later, Tamika spots him. The second their eyes meet, Smoke already knows what’s coming. He exhales heavily. Here come the bullshit.
Tamika makes her way across the floor. Confident. Like she belongs there. Like nothing ever happened.
She stops in front of him. “Sup Elijah.”
Smoke’s jaw immediately twitches.
“Don’t call me that.”
Tamika sucks her teeth. “Damn. It’s like that?”
“Hell yeah.”
Smoke folds his arms. “It is.”
She studies him for a moment.
“What the fuck you want, Tamika?”
She rolls her eyes. “I ain’t heard from you in a while.”
“And?”
“I know you been messing wit Monica and the rest of them hoes you be dealin’ wit but damn.”
Smoke says nothing.
Tamika continues. “I used to mean somethin’ to you.”
Smoke nods. “Used to.”
Her face hardens. “That’s cold.”
“Nah.”
Smoke shakes his head. “What’s cold is trying to have yo bros shoot at me.”
Tamika’s expression immediately changes.
Smoke leans forward slightly
“You think I forgot that shit?”
The tension between them thickens instantly. The music keeps playing.
People keep dancing. But the conversation turns ice cold.
Tamika folds her arms. “Man, let that shit go.”
Smoke laughs. A dark laugh. “Fuck No. You out yo fuckin mind.”
Tamika drops her arms “You tried to play me and I ain’t no bitch you can play wit.”
Smoke steps closer.
His voice drops lower. “You lucky I ain’t kill them niggas.”
Tamika swallows.
“I had to think about yo mama.”
His eyes lock on hers. “That’s the only reason you and them niggas still breathin’.”
Tamika’s confidence disappears. Just a little. “You don’t mean that shit.”
Before Smoke can answer, movement near the entrance catches his attention. His mother walks through the door. His Aunt Racheal right beside her.
Smoke immediately looks back at Tamika.
“Get the fuck out my face, Tamika.”
She starts to speak. He points toward the entrance. “Before I have my mama beat the fuck out you.”
Tamika turns. Sees Yolanda.
And immediately decides she’s had enough. She sucks her teeth and walks away. Smoke watches her go.
Then turns toward his family.
His mama spots him immediately.
“There go my baby.”
Smoke groans. “What y’all doin’ here?”
Aunt Racheal laughs. “Nigga, we came to have a good time. What else?”
Smoke shakes his head. “Y’all too old.”
Yolanda immediately smacks his arm.
“Boy. You ain’t never too old.”
Before Smoke can respond, The Whispers’ “In the Mood” comes through the speakers.
The crowd immediately reacts.
A few people cheer. Others rush toward the dance floor.
Aunt Racheal’s eyes light up. “Oh yeah.”
Smoke already knows. “No.”
She grabs his hand. “Come two step wit yo auntie.”
Smoke groans dramatically. “I don’t feel like it.”
“Boy please.”
His mama points toward the dance floor.
“Get out there with yo auntie and two step. Ain’t nobody in here worried about you.”
Before Smoke can escape, Aunt Racheal drags him onto the floor.
The crowd parts. People already know what time it is.Two-stepping wasn’t just dancing in Kansas City.
It was serious business. There were competitions. Championships.
People practiced for years.
You had to know how to stay on beat.
Know your spins. Know your footwork.
Know how to lead. Know how to follow. Yolanda had taught both her sons when they were little.
And Smoke had become damn good at it. The music swells.
Smoke immediately falls into rhythm.
Step. Step. Turn. Spin.
Aunt Racheal laughs as he guides her effortlessly. They move like they’ve done this a thousand times. Because they have.
People stop dancing just to watch.
Women smile. Men nod approvingly.
They both spin. Smoke Catches her hand again. Never missing a beat. Not once. The song ends to applause and whistles.
Aunt Racheal laughs. “Still got it.”
Smoke smirks. “Always.”
Back near the wall, he spends the next hour handling a few transactions and speaking with clients. Business never stopped. Not even at the club.
Throughout the night, women approach him. Young women. Older women. Some asking him to dance. Others just trying to flirt. Every single one gets the same answer.
The colorful lights flash across the room. Couples sway together.
Laughing. Dancing. Enjoying themselves.
For some reason…His mind drifts somewhere else.
To a pretty girl with a wrap and glossed lips. A girl who gets flustered when he looks at her. A girl who smiles like she doesn’t realize how beautiful she is. A girl who probably doesn’t even know how to two step.
A small smile pulls at the corner of his mouth.
Tobias catches it immediately. “There it is.”
Smoke shakes his head. “What?”
“You thinkin’ about somebody.”
Smoke doesn’t answer.
Because for once…Tobias is actually right.
🦀🦞🦀🦞🦀🦞🦀🦞🦀🦀🦞🦀🦞🦀🦞🦀The next evening at Red Lobster, the restaurant is absolutely packed. Saturday nights were always busy. Families crowd the waiting area near the entrance. Kids run between tables while parents try to wrangle them. Servers weave through the dining room carrying trays loaded with shrimp scampi, lobster tails, and baskets overflowing with cheddar biscuits.
The air is thick with the smell of garlic butter, seafood, and fryer oil. Orders are flying into the kitchen nonstop. The ticket machine won’t stop printing. The entire restaurant feels like controlled chaos.
So far Annie has been holding her own.She’s actually proud of herself. She’s greeting tables faster. Remembering biscuits. Keeping drinks filled. Remembering to smile even when her feet hurt. For most of the night she’s been doing good. Then the dinner rush really hits. And suddenly she’s drowning. A hostess appears beside her. “Double sat.”
Annie looks down at the chart.
A three-top. And a six-top.
At the same time. “Oh Lord.”
She grabs her order pad and heads toward the first table. Then the second. She moves as fast as she can.
Drink orders. Appetizers. Refills.
Biscuits. Extra napkins.
Questions about menu items.
Children wanting crayons.
The six-top alone feels like three separate tables.
By the time she finally gets a chance to breathe, she rushes to one of the computers to enter everything.
Her heart is racing.
She flips through her order pad.
She starts to put the Three-top in
She flips the page. And freezes.
Her stomach immediately drops.
A steak order.
From the six-top she put in earlier
Written on the back of the page.
A medium rare sirloin.
One she never entered. “Oh my God.”
The color drains from her face.
“No no no no no.”
She stares at the screen.
The rest of that table’s food is probably already cooking.
If she doesn’t get that steak started now, everybody else’s food is going to come out first.
The customer is going to be sitting there watching everyone eat while they wait.
Her heart starts pounding harder.
Panic immediately settles in.
She can practically feel Michelle’s disappointment already.
Without thinking, Annie takes off running toward the kitchen.
The heat hits her instantly the second she pushes through the doors.
Fryers hiss. The grill sizzles.
Cooks yell orders back and forth.
Plates crash together.
Annie rushes to the service window.
“Hey Brandon!”
Her voice cracks slightly. “Can you cook a medium-rare steak for me real quick? I forgot to put it in!”
Across the kitchen, Smoke is helping at the fryers. His back is turned.
But the second he hears Annie’s voice, his attention sharpens. He doesn’t turn around. Doesn’t need to.
He can hear the panic. The frustration. The embarrassment. He immediately knows something went wrong.
Brandon looks up from the grill. “Where’s the ticket?”
Annie swallows. “I forgot to put it in.”
She looks mortified even saying it.
“I’m gonna go do it right now.”
Brandon shrugs. “No ticket. No steak.”
Annie blinks. “What?”
“No ticket. No steak.”
Her shoulders sag. “Can you at least start cooking it for me?”
“No.”
Brandon doesn’t even look at her. “Not until I have a ticket.”
Smoke’s jaw tightens instantly.
He keeps dropping baskets into the fryer, but irritation crawls up his spine.
Seriously?
The girl has been working there what?
Three weeks? Maybe.
She’s obviously new. Obviously overwhelmed. And anybody with eyes can see she’s panicking.
Mistakes happen. Especially on a Saturday night. Brandon could easily throw the damn steak on the grill and save her table.
Instead he’s doing what Brandon always does. Being an asshole just because he can.
Annie’s face falls. “Okay.”
Her voice is quiet this time.
Defeated. She turns around and practically stomps back toward the dining room.
Smoke watches her go.
The frustration on her face bothers him more than it should. A lot more.
The second she’s gone, he shakes his head.
“Man, that’s some bullshit.”
Brandon shrugs. “Nigga it’s the Rules.”
Smoke sucks his teeth “Yeah. Aight nigga”
He doesn’t say anything else.
But he already knows what he’s about to do.
Meanwhile Annie is trying not to lose her mind. Both computers are occupied when she gets back to the server station.
Of course they are.
She bounces anxiously from foot to foot while waiting.
Every second feels like an hour.
Come on. Come on. Come on.
Finally a computer opens up.
She practically throws herself in front of it. Her fingers fly across the screen.
She enters the steak. Hits send.
Then immediately rushes back toward the kitchen.
Please don’t let that customer be mad.
Please don’t let that customer be mad.
Please don’t let that customer be mad.
The thought repeats over and over in her head.
She arrives at the service window and immediately looks toward the grill.
Toward Brandon. Her stomach twists.
Brandon’s back is turned.
He’s busy working another order.
Before Annie can even open her mouth—A plate slides through the window. Right in front of her.
She blinks. A medium-rare steak.
Perfectly cooked.
Juices still glistening beneath the kitchen lights. Steam rising from the plate.
Annie stares at it.
Then follows the arm attached to it.
Smoke.
Her eyes widen. She points at herself.
As if to say…Me?
Smoke nods once.
Yep. For you.
The relief that washes over Annie is immediate. It hits so hard she almost laughs. The knot in her chest loosens instantly. Oh my God. She doesn’t say it out loud.
But it’s written all over her face.
Then she smiles. A real smile. Big. Bright. Grateful. The kind that reaches all the way to her eyes.
And just like every other time she smiles at him… Smoke feels it. Right in his chest.
His stomach drops. Again.
It makes absolutely no sense.
She’s just smiling. That’s all.
But somehow that smile hits him harder than it should. Hard enough that he has to look away for a second.
Annie clasps her hands together in front of her chest. Like she’s praying. Her eyes full of gratitude.
Then she mouths: Thank you.
Smoke can’t help the smirk that tugs at the corner of his mouth.
He shakes his head once.
Then mouths back: No problem.
Annie grabs the plate carefully.
Still smiling. Still looking relieved.
Then hurries back toward the dining room.
Smoke watches her disappear through the kitchen doors.
And for the rest of the night, every time he thinks about that smile…
He catches himself damn near smiling too.
🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆
It’s the following Wednesday evening.
Annie is stretched out across her bed in an oversized T-shirt and shorts, absentmindedly flipping through a magazine, looking at hairstyles.
The television is on low, playing reruns she isn’t really paying attention to.
Her mind keeps drifting. To work. To the money she’s been making. To Smoke.
Her cell phone suddenly rings, causing her to jump. She reaches over and grabs it from her nightstand. Rhonda.
Annie smiles and answers. “Girl, call the house phone. It’s not after nine. You know my minutes ain’t free.”
Rhonda laughs. “You right.”
Annie laughs too and hangs up.
About a minute later, the see through corded phone rings on her nightstand. Annie sits up and grabs it. “Hello?”
“What you doing?” Rhonda asks.
“Nothing, girl. Just laying here.”
“Hmm.”
Rhonda pauses. “Anyway, let’s go to the mall Saturday.”
Annie perks up a little. The mall. She hasn’t been shopping in a minute. She thinks about the money tucked inside the little box in her dresser.
Money she earned. Her money.
A smile pulls at her lips.
Shopping actually sounds nice.
“Okay. We going to Bannister, right?”
Rhonda immediately scoffs. “Girl, hell nah.”
Annie pulls the phone away from her ear.
“What?”
“We going to the Landing.”
Annie’s mouth falls open. “The Landing?”
“Yes!”
“Girl, my parents ain’t never gonna let me go in the city.”
Rhonda laughs. “You act like we going to another state.”
“I’m serious! My daddy barely let me go anywhere.”
“Then have him drop you off at Bannister.”
Annie pauses.
Rhonda keeps talking. “We can catch the bus there and back.”
Annie sits quietly. Thinking.
It honestly doesn’t sound like a bad idea.
And the Landing had some of her favorite stores. Way better than Bannister.
She could finally buy herself something nice. Maybe a new outfit. Maybe some jewelry. Maybe just enjoy having money in her pocket for once.Still… She knows her parents would absolutely lose it if they found out.
Rhonda senses her hesitation. “Come onnnnn, Annie.”
Annie sighs. “I don’t know.”
“Girl, yes you do.”
Another pause. Then Annie gives in.
“Okay.”
Rhonda squeals. “Yesssss!”
“But,” Annie quickly adds, “we gotta make sure we get back in time.”
“We will.”
“I’m serious.”
“I know.”
“Rhonda.”
“Girl, I said we will.”
Annie laughs. “Okay.”
“I can’t wait. We finna have so much fun.”
Annie smiles to herself.
For the first time in a while…
She can’t wait either.
🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆
Saturday finally comes, and around noon, Annie is in the car with her dad. She looks over at him. “Thank you for lettin’ me go,”
He looks back, one hand on the wheel. “You’re welcome. I know I gotta give you more freedom since you’re eighteen now.”
Annie smirks and looks out the window. Progress.
They pull up to Bannister Mall, and Annie quickly unbuckles her seatbelt.
She hops out, then leans back into the open window. “I’ll call you when I’m done.”
“Okay,” her dad replies. “Be careful.”
“I will.”
She shuts the door and watches him pull away.
As soon as she steps inside the mall, she spots Rhonda standing near the entrance.
“There yo’ slow ass go,” Rhonda teases.
Annie laughs and hugs her.
The two of them stand by the doors, watching her dad’s car disappear from the parking lot.
The second it’s out of sight, Rhonda grabs Annie’s hand. “Come on.” Annie laughs.
They hurry back outside and head toward the bus stop.
A warm September breeze blows by as they sit on the bench.
“I hope we meet us some fine ass niggas down there,” Rhonda says. “The Landing got all the fine ones, Annie. Watch.”
Annie busts into giggles. “Look at you. You don’t even care about gettin’ no clothes.”
“And I don’t,” Rhonda says with a shrug. “Unless I’m tryna impress a nigga.”
Annie throws her head back laughing.
“You so crazy.”
“I ain’t crazy. I’m realistic.”
Annie looks at her. Rhonda looks back at her.
Then both of them bust out laughing.
♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️
Smoke’s driving through the city with Tobias riding shotgun.
The windows are cracked just enough to let the warm breeze in. A CD is playing low in the background while they cruise down the street with no real destination.
Smoke glances down at his feet.
Then shakes his head. “Aye, let’s hit the Landing real quick. I need some more Forces.”
Tobias looks down.
Smoke lifts his foot. “I done creased these.”
Tobias busts out laughing. “Man, you got too many damn shoes.”
He shakes his head. “Them shoes still look brand new.”
Smoke sucks his teeth. “Nah.”
He glances at his shoes again. “These threw”
Tobias laughs even harder. “Threw? Nigga, I don’t even see the crease.”
“It’s there.”
“No it ain’t.”
“Yes it is.”
Tobias looks at him like he’s crazy.
Smoke shrugs. “You can never have enough shoes.”
He lifts his foot again. “And you know I don’t do creases in my shit.”
Tobias shakes his head. “You bougie as hell.”
Smoke grins. “Nah. I just take care of my shit.”
“Man, whatever.” A small laugh leaves him. “Yeah aight. Let’s go.” He sits up a little. “I need me a pair too.”
Smoke smirks and turns toward the highway. “That’s what I’m talking about.”
The two continue riding toward the Landing, completely unaware that Annie and her friend are headed there too.
♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️♾️
They finally make it to the Landing.
The mall is packed.
Music plays softly over the speakers while people crowd the walkways carrying shopping bags. Kids run ahead of their parents, teenagers gather in groups, and the smell of pretzels, cinnamon, and popcorn fills the air.
Rhonda’s eyes light up the second they walk through the doors. “Aye girl, let’s go to Wet Seal first.”
Annie huffs. “I wanted to go to The Limited first.”
Rhonda hooks her arm through Annie’s. “We can go there next.”
Annie laughs. “Fine.”
They head into Wet Seal.
The store is full of bright colors and trendy outfits. Rhonda immediately starts digging through racks. Annie takes her time. She smiles as she flips through the clothes. This feels nice. Really nice.
She has money in her purse. Her money. And for the first time, she doesn’t have to ask anybody for permission to buy herself something.She picks out a couple of cute outfits. Then grabs some jewelry.
A gold necklace. A few bracelets. And some hoop earrings.
Rhonda holds up a shirt. “This cute?”
Annie squints. “Mmm… it’s a no.”
Rhonda gasps. “You a hater.”
Annie laughs. “I saved you.”
Afterward, they head into Spencer’s.
Immediately Rhonda starts laughing at some of the weird stuff sitting on the shelves.
Annie spots something. “Ooh!”
Rhonda turns. “What?”
Annie points. “Let’s grab some magnetic earrings.”
Rhonda looks confused. “What for?”
“I want a cartilage piercing.”
She sighs. “But my parents won’t let me, so these will do.”
Rhonda laughs. “I guess.”
A few minutes later, they’re walking out of the store.
Both girls immediately take the earrings out of the packaging.
Annie carefully places one on her ear.
Rhonda does the same.
Then they both stop and stare at each other. “Oh my God.”
“It actually look real!” Rhonda says.
Annie grins. “I know!”
They spend the next few minutes admiring themselves in store windows.
Eventually, they end up at the photo booth in the middle of the mall.
“Come on!” Rhonda says.
Annie laughs. “You so childish.”
“And?”
She pulls the curtain closed.
The machine flashes.
Click. First picture.
Both girls smile.
Click. Second picture.
They kiss each other’s cheeks.
Click. Third picture.
They make the ugliest faces they can.
Click. Fourth picture.
They throw up peace signs and start laughing before the picture even snaps.
The photo strip prints out.
Rhonda squeals. “Awww.”
Annie smiles. “We look cute.”
They step out of the booth and continue walking. As they pass a group of guys leaning against the railing, one whistles. “Damn!”
Another one grins. “Where y’all headed?”
“Y’all fine as hell.”
Annie immediately blushes.
Rhonda busts out laughing.
She eats that kind of attention up.
“Damn,” she says. “They fine.”
She starts slowing down. “Let’s go talk to them.”
Annie looks horrified. “No.”
Rhonda turns. “No?”
“No, girl.”
Annie grabs her arm. “I’m trying to go to Topsy’s.”
Rhonda laughs.”Look at yo scary ass.”
“I am not scary.”
“You are.”
Rhonda starts walking backward.
“You need a new nigga to help you get over Ryan ass.”
Annie rolls her eyes. “I been over him.”
Rhonda smirks. “I can’t tell.”
“I have.”
“Mhmm.”
“I really have.”
“If you say so.”
Annie laughs and shakes her head.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the mall, Smoke and Tobias are leaving Foot Locker.
Both have shopping bags in hand.
Smoke ended up buying another pair of Forces and immediately put them on.
Tobias shakes his head. “I still think you crazy.”
Smoke grins. “You just don’t understand.”
“I don’t.”
They continue walking.
Tobias suddenly stops. “Aye, let’s stop by Topsy’s.”
Smoke looks at him. “For what?”
“I need some popcorn.”
Smoke chuckles. “Nigga, you always need some popcorn.”
“So?” Tobias shrugs.
“Topsy’s got the best damn popcorn in the city.”
Smoke can’t even argue with that.
Topsy’s was a staple at the Landing.
It carried every flavor imaginable.
Caramel. Cheese. Butter. Cinnamon.
People literally came to the mall just for the popcorn.
Smoke smirks. “Aight. Let’s go.”
The two start walking toward Topsy’s.
Completely unaware that Annie and Rhonda are headed there too.
The line at Topsy’s is long.
Like always.
Teenagers crowd the small popcorn shop, laughing loudly and arguing over flavors. The sweet smell of caramel popcorn mixes with buttery cheddar and cinnamon sugar, filling the air.
Annie and Rhonda get in line.
Annie immediately starts looking inside the glass showcase. There are rows and rows of popcorn.Caramel. Cheddar. Butter. Cinnamon.
Chocolate drizzled. Every flavor imaginable.
“Girl, I don’t even know what I want,” Rhonda says.
Annie laughs softly.
Meanwhile, Smoke and Tobias walk into Topsy’s.
And Smoke stops dead in his tracks.
Annie.
His eyes lock onto her instantly.
She’s here? In the city?
She’s wearing a short denim skirt and a white off shoulder Baby Phat crop top that shows just a sliver of her stomach.
A silver herringbone chain rests against her chest, matching the silver bracelets on her wrist.
Fresh white Reebok Classics cover her feet.
But it’s her hair that gets him.
Long curls from a roller set.
Full. Bouncy.
Every time she moves her head, the curls sway softly against her shoulders.
Her legs shine from baby oil.
Her lips are glossy.
And she looks…Damn.
Smoke’s heart damn near stops.
She’s beautiful at work.
But out here? Looking like this?
He wasn’t ready… AT ALL.
Tobias notices Smoke isn’t moving.
“Nigga… you good?”
Smoke blinks. “Yeah, bro.”
He clears his throat. “I’m good.”
He’s absolutely not good.
Because he can’t stop looking at her.
Rhonda notices first.
She sees this fine ass man staring holes through her friend.
Her eyes get huge.
She immediately leans toward Annie.
“Oh my God.”
“Hmm?” Annie says absently.
“Some fine ass nigga staring at you.”
Annie looks up. And freezes.
It’s Smoke.
Her stomach drops instantly.
He looks…sexy as hell.
She can’t even pretend he doesn’t.
He’s wearing a green and white striped Rocawear polo with baggy dark-blue jean shorts.
A brand new Boston Celtics fitted sits low on his head with a durag underneath.
A platinum chain hangs around his neck. A Rolex shines on his wrist.
Big diamond studs glisten in his ears beneath the bright mall lights.
And fresh white Air Forces.
Everything about him screams effortless. Like he didn’t even try.
But somehow still looks perfect.
Annie’s eyes slowly travel from his shoes all the way back up.
Then she hurries and looks away.
Way too fast.
Her heart starts racing.
What is he doing here?
And why does he look this damn good?
Smoke and Tobias get in line directly behind them.
Annie doesn’t say anything.
She literally can’t.
Then his cologne reaches her.
Burberry Brit. Warm. Clean.Masculine.
It instantly surrounds her.
Rhonda’s eyes get even bigger.
“Damn, Annie.”
She whispers. “He ain’t took his eyes off you yet.”
Annie says nothing.
“And his friend fine as fuck too.”
Still nothing.
Because Annie can barely breathe.
Smoke steps up beside her to look into the glass case.
Close. Too close.
She can feel his body heat.
Then he catches a soft scent.
Curve Crush.
He almost smiles.
Sweet. Pretty. Just like her.
Smoke pretends to study the popcorn.
But he’s not looking at popcorn.
He’s stealing glances at her side profile. She’s even prettier up close.
Her skin is glowing. No makeup.
Just lip gloss.
And somehow that’s making him look harder.
He’s never seen her outside of work.
Never seen her in regular clothes.
And now that he has…Yeah.
Shorty fly as hell.
He can’t even deny it.
And her hair… The curls bounce every time she turns her head toward her friend.
They look so soft. So full.
For a crazy second, he wonders what they’d feel like wrapped around his fingers.
The thought catches him off guard.
He shifts. Moves a little closer.
His arm brushes hers.
Annie inhales sharply.
The contact is brief. But enough.
This is the closest they’ve ever been.
She can feel the warmth radiating from him. Smell his cologne.
Hear him breathing.
Her heart is beating so hard she’s almost positive he can hear it.
She steals another glance.
This time, she notices things she hadn’t before.
His beard. Trimmed perfectly.
The shape of his lips.
The way his earrings catch the light.
He really is fine. Like…ridiculously fine.
Just then Smoke turns his head fully toward her and stares back.
Tobias looks between them.
Then back at Smoke. Then at Annie.
His eyebrows slowly rise.
Oh. Ohhhhh.
He knows that look.
At the same time, Rhonda is doing the exact same thing.
Her eyes move from Annie…
to Smoke…back to Annie.
Then she looks up and catches Tobias looking too.
The two exchange a look.
Both of them silently thinking:
These two got some shit going on.
Even though they haven’t said a single word.
Tobias breaks the silence.
“Aye bro, what you gettin’?”
Smoke finally looks away from Annie.
“You already know.”
He smirks. “I like my shit sweet.”
He points toward the case.
“I need that cinnamon.”
Annie’s ears immediately perk up.
She files that information away.
He likes cinnamon. Interesting.
Smoke looks back toward the showcase.
And catches her looking at him.
Again. Their eyes meet.
Annie immediately drops hers.
Smoke tries not to smile.
He fails.
A small grin tugs at his lips.
A few moments later, it’s finally their turn.
Rhonda orders first.
Then Annie steps up.
She points inside the case.
“I want the cheddar and caramel one.”
The cashier nods. “What size?”
“I want the bag.”
Smoke immediately speaks.
“Get her the canisters.”
Annie turns. Confused.
He reaches into his pocket and pulls out his wallet. “I got it.”
Both girls’ eyes get huge.
“What?” Rhonda says.
Smoke pulls money out.
“I’m paying for both of theirs.”
Annie blinks. “No. You don’t—”
Rhonda elbows her hard.
Hard enough that Annie jumps.
Smoke almost laughs.
The cashier says the total.
Smoke reaches across Annie and hands over the money.
His chest brushes against hers.
Goosebumps immediately rise along her skin.
Annie swallows. Then looks up at him.
Smoke looks right into her eyes.
“You too good to let me buy somethin’ for you?”
His voice is calm. Deep. Intense.
Annie completely forgets how words work. Her eyes drop. To his lips.
Then once again she notices the golds.
Her stomach flips. “No… it’s not that. I just…”
She trails off. Because honestly?
She doesn’t know what to say.
This man has her completely flustered.
So instead she says softly: “Thank you.”
Smoke’s expression softens.
He gives her a nod.
Then he leans forward slightly.
Close enough that she can feel his breath near her ear.
His deep baritone sends a shiver straight down her spine.
“Next time…”
He pauses. “Try the cinnamon.”
Annie smiles. A real smile. “Okay.”
She takes the canisters from the cashier. Turns.
And practically floats away with Rhonda.
Smoke watches her go.
Watches her curls bounce.
Watches her laugh when Rhonda immediately starts whispering in her ear. Then he slowly shakes his head.
Tobias looks at him. Looks toward Annie. Looks back at him.
Then grins. “Nigga.”
Smoke doesn’t answer.
He just keeps watching her walk away.
Because for the second time in less than a week…
That girl got him almost smiling at absolutely nothing.
Once Annie and Rhonda are out of Topsy’s, they both squeal.
“Damn!” Rhonda says. “I think he likes you, Annie! Why you ain’t get his number?”
Annie grins and shrugs.
“I don’t know.”
“What if you never see him again?”
Annie starts laughing.
“I’m gonna see him again.”
Rhonda stops walking.
“How you know that?”
Annie looks at her like it’s obvious.
“’Cause I work with him, girl.”
Rhonda’s mouth drops open.
“What?!”
Annie cackles.
“Mhmm. He’s a cook.”
Rhonda looks offended.
“You work with that fine ass nigga and ain’t tell me?!”
Annie laughs harder.
“He ain’t just some random dude?” She asks
“No.”
“Oh my God.”
Rhonda grabs Annie’s arm.
“You need to talk to him, Annie.”
Annie rolls her eyes.
Rhonda clicks her tongue
“He was staring holes through you! Then he bought our popcorn.”
Rhonda shakes her head.
“I knew it was more to it.”
“Girl…”
“No. Annie, you need to lock that down.”
Annie laughs. “I don’t even know how old he is.”
Rhonda’s eyes get big. “You don’t know how old that man is?!”
“I ain’t never asked him. We haven’t really talked.”
Rhonda looks at her suspiciously.
“Could’ve fooled me.”
Annie laughs.
“Why you ain’t tell me about him? And his friend fine as fuck too.”
“There’s nothing to tell.”
“Nah.” Rhonda points at her. “You gotta get him.”
She grins. “That’ll really piss Ryan off.”
“Fuck Ryan.”
They both busts out laughing.
By the time they reach the bus stop, they’re still giggling.
The sun is beginning to set, painting the sky orange and pink. Cars fly by on the street.
A few other people are waiting for the bus.
Then a classic two door dark blue Buick Regal slows down.
Music is blasting inside.
A group of guys are packed in the car.
The passenger hangs out the window.
“Aye!”
Both girls look.
“Y’all need a ride?”
“No,” they say in unison.
The guys laugh.
“C’mon. We ain’t gon’ bite.”
“Nah, we good,” Annie says politely.
But they don’t leave.
The Regal stops completely.
“Damn, where y’all headed?”
“Y’all too pretty to be on the bus.”
Another guy whistles.
Annie’s smile disappears. She folds her arms.
Looks away. She hates this.
Rhonda notices immediately.
The guys keep talking. Keep staring.
Annie shifts uncomfortably.
Her stomach starts knotting.
She hates feeling trapped.
And right now… She does.
Meanwhile, Smoke and Tobias are leaving the mall parking lot.
Smoke is halfway through a story Tobias is telling when his eyes land on the bus stop.
He sees Annie immediately.
Then he sees the Regal
Sees the guys hanging out the windows.
Sees Annie’s body language.
The way she’s folded into herself.
The way she isn’t smiling anymore.
And something ugly twists in his chest. Protectiveness. Irritation.
And something else he doesn’t want to name. Because why the fuck are they over there bothering her?
He doesn’t even know why. He just doesn’t like it.
Not one bit. Without thinking, he cuts the wheel.
Tobias looks over. “What you doin?”
Smoke doesn’t answer.
He pulls up directly behind the Regal
The guys look back.
Smoke leans over and rolls the window down.
“Y’all come on.”
Both girls blink.
Rhonda’s eyes get huge.
Annie’s too. They look at each other.
Annie hesitates. Rhonda doesn’t.
“Oh hell yeah.”
“Rhonda…” Annie says.
“No.”
Rhonda grabs her hand.
“We getting in.”
The guys in the Regal look annoyed.
One sucks his teeth.
Another rolls his eyes.
Smoke doesn’t even look that way
His eyes stay on Annie. Waiting.
Finally…She nods.
Tobias gets out. “Either one of y’all wanna sit in the front?”
They both shake their heads.
“Nah.”
“Aight.”
He lifts the front seat forward.
Annie climbs in first.
She ends up sitting in the middle, almost directly behind Smoke.
Rhonda sits behind Tobias.
The second everyone’s inside, Smoke pulls off. Fast. Pipes so loud that Annie jumps.
The Regal disappears behind them.
Annie doesn’t realize she’d been holding her breath until now. She exhales. Her shoulders finally relax.
The truck smells like cologne, weed and air freshener.
Rap music hums softly from the speakers.
She looks around. The inside is spotless.
“Damn,” Rhonda says aloud.
“This nice.”
Smoke glances up. “Preciate it.”
Then he asks, “Where y’all going?”
“Out south.” Rhonda answers. “You can drop us off at Bannister.”
Smoke raises a brow.
Tobias turns around. “Damn. Y’all goin’ to another mall?”
Rhonda grins. “Yep. We love to shop.”
That makes Smoke chuckle.
He gets onto 71 Highway.
Then turns the music up.
Messy Marv’s “Sei Luv” comes on.
The beat rattles the seats.
Smoke starts nodding his head.
Then his eyes drift to the rearview mirror. Annie.
The sunset spills through the window beside her.
Golden light dances across her skin.
Makes her glow.
Her curls look even softer somehow.
Her gloss shines.
And she’s looking out the window quietly. Beautiful.
Smoke’s eyes linger.
Then the words come through the speakers.
🎶 Say love, say love, let me talk to you for a moment… Get to know you, let me show you I’m the one you need… 🎶
His eyes stay in the mirror.
Because that’s exactly what he wants.
To talk to her. Get to know her, but he doesn’t want to scare her.
The song keeps playing.
🎶 Is it alright if I spend some time, get you fly, ’cause I wanna make you mine🎶
Annie looks up. And catches him staring. Again. He doesn’t look away this time. Neither does she. Their eyes hold. Just for a second. Then she smiles softly.
And looks back out the window.
Smoke’s chest tightens.
🎶 Baby come and take this ride, my s5 get you fly. Show me all the things you like, i'll do them for you🎶
Tobias notices them. Of course he notices.
He doesn’t say shit. Just smirks to himself.
A few minutes later, he pulls a blunt from his pocket and sparks it.
He turns around. “Y’all wanna hit this?”
Annie shakes her head immediately.
“No thank you.”
Rhonda grins. “Yeah.”
Before Tobias can hand it back—Smack.
Smoke hits his arm. “Put that shit out.”
Tobias looks confused. “Why?”
Smoke just gives him a look. One of those looks.
Tobias glances from Smoke…to Annie… then back.
And suddenly understands.
“Ohhhhh.”
Smoke cuts his eyes. Tobias starts grinning.
He puts the blunt out.
The whole ride, Smoke keeps stealing glances through the rearview.
And every now and then…Annie catches him.
Every time she does, she smiles.
Every time she smiles…
Smoke has to fight one of his own.
When they finally pull up to Bannister, everyone gets out.
Smoke and Tobias climb out first.
Smoke lifts the front seat. Annie moves to climb out. Without thinking, he reaches his hand out.
She looks at it. Then at him.
Then places her hand in his.
The second their hands touch..There it is again. That spark. That weird pull.
Annie feels it. Smoke feels it too.
She steps down slowly.
But he doesn’t let go right away.
Neither of them says anything.
Rhonda and Tobias exchange another look.
Because this shit is ridiculous.
They haven’t even had a real conversation.
Yet they keep looking at each other like that.
Finally, Smoke lets her hand go.
Meanwhile—“Aye.”
Tobias looks at Rhonda. “Lemme get yo number.”
Rhonda grins. “Okay.”
She gives it to him.
Annie sees and starts giggling.
Rhonda giggles right back.
Annie adjusts her purse strap and gets ready to walk off.
Then—Smoke says “You dropped somethin’.”
She turns. Looks at the ground.
Nothing. Then looks up.
Smoke is holding a hundred dollar bill.
Her brows knit together. “I didn’t drop that.”
Smoke just stares at her. “You did.”
She blinks, looks at the money.
Then at him. Then back at the money.
Slowly…She catches on.
He’s giving it to her.
Again. Her eyes widen.
She shakes her head.
Smoke nods.
She shakes her head again
Smoke nods “Take it.”
She can’t help but smile.
This man is crazy.
But eventually…She reaches out and puts her hand in his to take it.
Only—Smoke doesn’t let go.
He holds onto her hand.
And looks directly into her eyes.
Big. Brown. Beautiful.
So big he feels like he could get lost in them.
Hell…He almost does.
Neither of them moves. Neither of them speaks.
The world feels strangely quiet.
Then Smoke realizes he’s been holding her hand too long. Way too long. He lets go. Clears his throat.
Summary: When you meet your first love, life changes. In the summer of 2004, Elijah “Smoke” Moore a man from Kansas City’s East Side is focused on family, work, and chasing his dreams, love is the last thing on his mind. Then he meets HER. A young, shy, vibrant, ambitious Annie. What starts as a spark becomes a love that will test them, shape them, and leave a mark that lasts forever. Because no matter who or what comes after… You’ll never forget your first love.
Chapter 2 (pt.1)
“Constantly”
It’s Monday morning, and Annie has barely made it to the front doors of school before she groans.
The line stretches out of the building and down the sidewalk.
Random check day.
Two police officers stand at the entrance with metal detecting wands while school security digs through backpacks, purses, and gym bags.
Students complain loudly. Some turn around and leave altogether.
A cool breeze brushes against Annie’s face as she shifts her backpack higher on her shoulder. “Damn it.”
Ebony appears behind her. “I got my mace in here. Walk with me to put it in the bushes.”
Annie immediately starts giggling. “Girl.”
The two step out of line and head toward the shrubs near the parking lot.
As they get closer, Annie notices they aren’t the only ones.
Several boys are stuffing little bags of weed into the bushes. One guy shoves a handgun into a duffel bag and kicks leaves over it.
Annie stares in disbelief. She shakes her head. “A mess. That’s what all y’all are.”
Ebony clicks her tongue. “Girl, I’m not. I’m never leaving home without my protection.”
Annie laughs. “You act like somebody after you or something.”
“Annie, you just naive. Anything can happen. We girls.”
Annie shrugs. “I guess.”
Ebony lowers her voice. “I can get you some if you want.”
“No thanks. I’m not tryna be out here stuffing stuff in bushes like you.”
“Aight. Don’t say I ain’t try to help you out.”
Five minutes later, they finally make it into the building.
The familiar smell of floor wax, cafeteria breakfast, and cheap cologne fills the hallway. Lockers slam. Teachers yell over the noise.
Students rush in every direction trying to beat the bell.
Devin joins them, slightly out of breath.
“Hey y’allllll.”
“Sup girl. We just got in here. I’m so annoyed I had to leave my shit outside,” Ebony says.
“I told you about bringing that shit,” Devin replies.
“I don’t care. I’m never gonna stop.”
Ebony suddenly freezes. “Oh shit. Here come Mr. Harriston.”
Annie groans.
Mr. Harriston was the vice principal and easily the most annoying person in the building. He always had something to say.
He was a tall brown skin man with a head half full of hair because he refused to let it go.
Annie huffs and starts digging through her purse.
Mr. Harriston steps in front of them.
“Where are your ID badges?”
Annie immediately pulls hers out.
“Right here.”
Ebony yanks hers from underneath her shirt.
“It needs to be visible around your neck.”
Then his eyes land on Devin. “Devin, where is your badge?”
“I ain’t got it.”
One eyebrow rises. “Come on and go with me to get another one.”
Devin rolls her eyes. “Why? You already know me by name.”
He crosses his arms. “That doesn’t matter. It’s the rules. Either you come get another badge or you can go home.”
Devin rolls her eyes so hard Annie thinks they might get stuck.
Annie and Ebony both bust out laughing.
“We’ll see you in a minute,” Annie says.
“Yeah girl, gone head to the office. See you at lunch.”
Devin walks off muttering under her breath.
Annie slips her badge back into her purse.
Ebony cackles. “We so damn hardheaded.”
“Yep.”
They reach Annie’s locker.
The second she pulls the metal door open, something flutters to the floor.
A picture. And a folded letter.
Annie’s stomach instantly drops.
She already knows who it’s from.
She bends down and picks up the picture first. It’s her and Ryan at a football game.
Ryan is still in uniform. She’s wearing a school t shirt Both of them are smiling so hard their cheeks look like they hurt.
Ebony immediately recognizes it.
“Awwww. That’s the picture I took of y’all.”
Annie groans. “Not him pulling out all the stops.”
“At least he trying.”
“I’m really not in the mood.”
“It’s like he can’t take a damn hint.”
Ebony leans against the lockers.
“Damn, Annie. So you really ain’t gon’ give him another chance?”
“No.”
She stuffs the letter into her purse.
“What you mean no? He made a mistake.”
Annie shakes her head. “It wasn’t a mistake. It was a choice.”
She closes her locker. “And dudes like him? You can’t give them second chances. They’ll keep doing it.”
Ebony sighs. “Girl, he had a moment of weakness. He fine, all the girls want him, but he still want you. I think you should at least consider it.”
“No.”
They start walking toward class.
“I’ve made up my mind. It’s too many guys in the world to let one play with you.”
Ebony huffs. “You gonna regret it.”
“I doubt it.”
By second period, Annie finishes her test before everyone else.
Pencils are still scratching against paper all around the room. The clock ticks loudly above the whiteboard.
Rhonda sits behind her. “Damn. You quick.”
Annie giggles.
“Shhh.” The teacher doesn’t even look up from her desk.
Annie sighs and pulls Ryan’s letter from her purse. She unfolds it. The paper smells faintly like whatever cologne he wore.
Her eyes narrow.
Wuz Good?
I really can’t believe you done wit me. I just knew you was gonna turn around and come back to my locker the other day. Guess I’m the clown.
But what is it though, Ann? You got another dude or somethin’? I thought we was better than this.Damn, I feel like I deserve another chance. We got history. Don’t that mean anything?I gave you that picture to remind you of what we had. What we both missing.
You remember that night? You cheering me on from the stands? I swear I could hear you louder than everybody else. I ain’t gonna lie, I miss that.
I miss you waiting for me after games. I miss calling you before bed.
I miss knowing somebody had my back no matter what.
Come on, Ann. Just give me one more shot. That’s all I’m asking.
We got a game Friday night. I hope you come.
I’d love to see you cheering me on again.
Peace,
Ryan
Annie stares at the paper for several seconds.
Then she snorts. The audacity.
She opens her notebook.
Pulls out her favorite bright pink gel pen.
And starts writing.
9/3/2004 Location: 2nd period Time: 10:18 AM
Ryan,
I really wish you could just move on.
Everything you’re doing and saying don’t feel genuine because if it was, you would’ve never disrespected me in the first place.
And trying to stir up memories is not gonna work.
Memories will NEVER be enough to erase the shit that you did.
You keep talking about history, but history ain’t a reason for me to stay where I’m not valued.
I deserve better than your attention-seeking ass.
I let all the flirting slide. Then you took it a step further. And that’s when I was done.
You asking if there’s another dude, but honestly that ain’t your business anymore.
As a matter of fact, none of my business is your concern now.
You made your choice. Now live with it. Let me go and do me.
I want a fresh start with somebody who knows how to appreciate what they got before they lose it.
And that somebody won’t be you.
Goodbye,
Annie
P.S. If I go to the game, I WILL be booing you.
A smile tugs at the corner of her mouth.
Petty? Maybe. Deserved? Absolutely.
She tears the page from her notebook.
Folds it once. Twice. Then a third time for good measure.
The bell rings moments later. Students flood into the hallway.
Annie slips through the crowd, stopping briefly at Ryan’s locker.
Without hesitation, she slides the letter through the vent.
Then keeps walking. Not looking back.
Not even once.
🌇🌇🌇🌇🌇🌇🌇🌇🌇🌇🌇🌇🌇🌇🌇🌇
Smoke pulls up to his mama’s house in the heart of the East Side. The neighborhood hasn’t changed much since he was a boy. Abandoned houses sit with their windows boarded up, weeds swallowing front yards that nobody bothers to cut anymore. A shopping cart rattles across the street as a man pushes it along the cracked sidewalk. Somewhere in the distance, a siren wails. A few seconds later, a series of gunshots pops off several blocks away. Nobody even reacts. Just another day. His mama has lived in this same little house for twenty-five years.
Complacent. Comfortable. Refusing to leave.
Smoke kills the engine and grabs the bags of groceries from the backseat.
Their father, Adam, had been locked up since the twins were four years old. Life without parole. He spent his younger years robbing people, selling drugs, and claiming corners he didn’t own. When he first went away, he left behind enough money to keep Yolanda afloat for a while. But eventually the money ran dry. After that, the twins had to figure it out. They were just boys trying to help keep the lights on.
Smoke walks up the porch steps and immediately notices the front door sitting cracked open.
His jaw tightens. He pushes it open.
“Mama, what I tell you about leavin’ this damn door unlocked?”
“I was just outside,” she calls from the kitchen.
Smoke kicks the door shut behind him and heads toward the smell of smoked turkey and collard greens simmering on the stove.
“I don’t care. That’s dangerous.”
The kitchen is warm, almost stuffy. Pots bubble softly on the stove while an r&b station plays low from a radio sitting on the counter. His mama stands over a pot, stirring with a wooden spoon.
Without even turning around, she says, “Boy, I been in this neighborhood over twenty years. They know not to mess with my house, and they know who my sons are.”
Smoke shakes his head. “That don’t mean nothin’.”
He leans down and kisses her cheek.
“I don’t wanna have to kill nobody, woman.”
Yolanda snickers. “You always worryin’, Elijah.”
“Cause you don’t.”
“I’m okay. Relax a little.”
Smoke opens the refrigerator and starts putting away groceries. Milk. Eggs. Bread. Fresh vegetables. Things he knows she won’t buy herself.
Yolanda notices immediately.
“I told you that you don’t gotta keep buyin’ me groceries.”
Smoke looks over his shoulder.
“And I told you I’m gon’ keep doin’ what I wanna do.”
He shuts the refrigerator door.
“I’m always gon’ take care of you.”
Her eyes soften. No matter how old he gets, he’s still her baby.
Smoke reaches into his pocket and pulls out a fresh pack of cigarettes.
“Here.”
A smile pulls at her lips. “Thank you, baby.”
“Mm-hmm.”
He drops into a chair at the kitchen table.
“What you been doin’?”
“Nothin’.”
She shrugs. “Been down at the boat wit yo auntie.”
Smoke’s expression immediately hardens.
If there was one thing he hated, it was that damn casino.
His mama could lose herself in there for hours. Days, if you let her. No windows. No clocks. Nothing but flashing lights and ringing machines designed to keep people sitting there.
“You know I hate you goin’ there.”
Yolanda rolls her eyes. “There you go.”
“How many times this week?”
She clicks her tongue. “Just twice.”
Smoke doesn’t say a word.
He simply stares.
Yolanda sighs dramatically. “I’m serious.”
Still silence.
“I ain’t have enough money to go no more anyway.”
Smoke leans back in his chair and folds his arms. “That’s supposed to make me feel better?”
“It should.”
“It don’t.”
Yolanda laughs softly before her smile fades. A heaviness settles across her face.
Smoke notices immediately. “What?”
She stirs the pot a little longer before answering. “Stack.”
Smoke exhales through his nose. Of course. “What he do now?”
“Nothin’.”
“Then what’s wrong?”
Yolanda turns and looks at him.
The worry in her eyes makes her look older than she is. “I’m tired of worryin’ about him.”
Smoke’s expression softens.
She wipes her hands on a dish towel.
“Every day it’s somethin’.”
“Mama—”
“No, let me talk.”
She points the spoon at him. “That boy stress me out.”
Smoke can’t even argue. Because she’s right. Stack always has.
Even when they were kids.
“Every time my phone ring late at night, I think somethin’ happened.”
Smoke looks down at the table. “I know.”
“I wish he’d slow down.” She shakes her head. “I wish he’d be more like you.”
Smoke laughs once. A dry laugh. “Me?”
“Yes, you.”
She sits across from him and pulls a drag from her cigarette. “You always been the responsible one.”
Smoke shakes his head. “Mama, I done my share of dumb shit too.”
“But you learned.” She points at him. “You think before you move now.”
She pauses. “Stack still act like he invincible.”
The room falls quiet.
Yolanda reaches over and pats his hand.
“Keep lookin’ out for yo brother.”
Smoke stares at the wood grain of the table.
His jaw flexes.“It’s gettin’ harder.”
Yolanda frowns.“What you mean?”
Smoke sighs heavily. “He’s a grown man.”
He rubs a hand across his beard.
“I can give advice. I can help. I can pull him back when he go too far.”
He looks up at her. “But I can’t make him listen.”
Yolanda’s shoulders slump. “He’s hardheaded.”
“Been hardheaded since birth.”
That earns a laugh from both of them.
Smoke shakes his head.
“I’m always gon’ be there for him.”
His voice grows quieter. “But he gotta start figuring some things out himself.”
Yolanda nods slowly.
She doesn’t like hearing it. But she knows he’s right.
After a moment, she reaches across the table and squeezes his hand.
“Thank you for never givin’ up on him.”
Smoke squeezes back. “That’s my brother.”
Then he smirks. “Besides, if I don’t watch him, who will?”
Yolanda squeezes his hand one more time before letting it go.
The conversation settles for a moment.
The only sounds in the kitchen are the pot bubbling on the stove and an Anita Baker song crackling through the radio on top of the refrigerator.
Then she gives him a look. The look.
The one that means she’s been thinking.
Smoke notices immediately. “What?”
Yolanda smirks. “Nothin’.”
“Mama.”
She points at him. “How much longer?”
Smoke furrows his brows. “How much longer for what?”
“You know exactly what I’m talkin’ about.”
He sighs.
Culinary school.
The dream he’d been carrying around since he was a boy standing on a chair beside her stove. The dream he’d pushed aside because life kept demanding something else. Rent. Bills. Food. Stack. His mama.
Yolanda sits across from him at the table.
“Are you almost done savin’?”
Smoke leans back in his chair. “Almost.”
“Almost ain’t an answer.”
A small smile tugs at his lips. “I’m serious, Mama.”
“So am I.”
She folds her arms. “How much you got?”
Smoke groans. “Mama.”
“Boy, answer me.”
He shakes his head. “Almost ten thousand.”
Her eyes widen. “Elijah!”
“What?”
“You got almost ten thousand dollars?”
Smoke shrugs. “I been savin’.”
Yolanda stares at him in disbelief.
The man worked doubles at Red Lobster.
Picked up extra shifts. Hustled. Skipped buying things for himself.
Put money away every chance he got. And somehow he’d managed to save that much.
“How much more you need?”
“A lil more.”
Her face softens. “You really gon’ do it.”
Smoke looks down at his hands. “Yeah.”
The word comes out quiet. Certain.
Yolanda smiles. “Look at you.”
Smoke chuckles awkwardly. “What?”
“You always loved food.” She laughs softly. “You remember when you was ten and tried to make biscuits by yourself?”
Smoke groans. “I don’t wanna talk about that.”
“You almost burned my kitchen down.”
“I was experimentin’.”
“You was wastin’ flour.”
Smoke laughs.
Yolanda shakes her head.
“But even then I knew.”
“Knew what?”
“You was meant to cook.”
The smile slowly fades from Smoke’s face.
Nobody ever really said that out loud before. Not like that. Not seriously.
Yolanda reaches across the table and squeezes his hand. “I’m proud of you.”
Smoke looks away.
His mama doesn’t say things like that often.
Life had always been too hard for a lot of softness.
“I’m just workin’.”
“No.”
She shakes her head. “You takin’ care of us.”
Her eyes glisten slightly. “You help with bills. You buy groceries. You make sure I got what I need.”
She squeezes his hand again. “A lot of young men would’ve just left.”
Smoke shrugs. “I couldn’t.”
“I know.”
Yolanda smiles sadly. “You got a good heart, Elijah.”
Smoke looks down.
Compliments always made him uncomfortable.
She lets go of his hand and leans back.
“Just promise me somethin’.”
“What?”
“When you get enough money…”
She points at him. “Go.”
Smoke raises an eyebrow. “What?”
“Go to culinary school.”
The firmness in her voice surprises him.
“Don’t keep puttin’ it off.”
“Mama—”
“No.”
She shakes her head. “Life gon’ keep happenin’.”
Her voice grows softer.
“There always gon’ be bills. There always gon’ be somebody that need help.
There always gon’ be another reason to wait.”
Smoke knows she’s right. Because he’d already delayed it twice.
Once when the transmission went out in her car.
And once when Stack got into trouble and needed money.
Yolanda smiles.
“You deserve somethin’ too.”
Smoke nods slowly. “Yeah.”
“I’m serious.”
“I know.”
She points the spoon at him again.
“And don’t let that hardheaded brother of yours talk you into spendin’ yo school money either.”
That makes Smoke chuckle.
“Trust me, I’m not.”
Yolanda laughs too. “Good.”
Then she shakes her head.
“Lord knows one son stress me out enough.”
Smoke smirks. “Stack?”
“Who else?”
And just like that, the conversation shifts back to the twin who keeps them both worried.
🦀🦞🦀🦞🦀🦞🦀🦞🦀🦞🦀🦞🦀🦞🦀
It’s Annie’s third week at Red Lobster, and today is her first shift on her own.
No shadowing. No following another server around. Just her.
The restaurant is already buzzing when she clocks in. The scent of garlic butter, fried shrimp, and freshly baked cheddar biscuits hangs thick in the air. Dishes clatter from the kitchen while servers weave around each other carrying trays loaded with food.
Annie smooths down her uniform shirt and takes a deep breath. She can do this.
Michelle walks over holding a floor chart.
“Alright, Annie. You got Section Four today.”
Annie looks down at the paper.
Three booths. One six-top. Her own section.
A nervous smile spreads across her face.
“Okay.”
Michelle pats her shoulder.
“You got this.”
Annie nods.
“I got it.”
At least she hopes she does.
Her first table is sat almost immediately.
A couple.
The woman is dressed nice, probably coming from work. The man sits beside her scrolling through a newspaper.
Annie grabs her order pad and approaches the table with a smile.
“Hello. My name is Annie and I’ll be taking care of you today. Can I get you guys started with something to drink?”
The woman closes her menu.
“I’ll take a Lobsterita.”
“And I’ll have a Coke,” the man says.
“Perfect. I’ll be right back.”
Annie heads toward the galley.
Her heart is beating a little too fast.
Not because the order is hard.
Because she’s finally doing it herself.
She fills the Coke at the soda station and starts turning away when Megan yells from across the galley.
“Annie! Don’t forget the biscuits!”
Annie’s eyes widen.
“Right!”
She almost forgot. Again.
She hurries over to the warming drawer and grabs a basket.
Meanwhile, across the kitchen, Smoke watches the entire thing.
He doesn’t mean to. At least that’s what he tells himself.
But every time Annie walks through the kitchen doors, his eyes find her automatically.
She’s moving fast today. Almost bouncing from place to place. The drink station, the salad station, the biscuit station, the window.
Her ponytail swings behind her. Order pad tucked under her arm.
Trying so hard to prove she belongs. Something about it makes him almost smile. She’s nervous. He can tell. But she’s doing good. Real good.
Smoke watches until the kitchen doors swing shut behind her.
Out on the floor, Annie grabs the Lobsterita from the bar and carefully balances everything before heading back to the table.
A few minutes later she returns with another order. Then another. And another.
Before long her section fills up. A family gets sat at the six-top. Then another couple at a booth. Suddenly she’s moving nonstop.
Greeting tables. Refilling drinks. Running food.
Punching orders into the computer.
She’s finally finding a rhythm. And it feels good. Really good.
For the first time since she started working here, Annie feels like an actual server.
Not a trainee. Not somebody following directions. A real server.
When the kitchen bell rings and her food is up, she rushes over.
The plates feel heavier than she expected.
She still hasn’t learned how to balance a tray properly.
So instead of carrying one on her shoulder like everyone else, she carries it with both hands.
Carefully. Slowly. Like she’s transporting glass.
Melissa notices first. Then Lindsey.
Both of them laugh.
“Girl, look at her.”
“She carrying that tray like it’s a newborn baby.”
The two snicker.
Annie hears them. Pretends she doesn’t. Keeps walking. But her cheeks warm anyway.
Across the kitchen, Smoke hears it too.
His jaw tightens instantly. He doesn’t like it. Not one bit.
She’s learning. Everybody had to learn.
Hell, she been doing this by herself for less than a day. What the fuck was so funny?
Smoke looks over at the girls.
The laughter dies down almost immediately when they catch the expression on his face.
Neither one says another word. Annie doesn’t notice. She’s too busy making sure she doesn’t drop somebody’s dinner.
The dinner rush rolls on.
And little by little, she gets better.
Moves faster. Stops second guessing herself. Starts remembering things before people ask. Extra napkins. Refills. Biscuits.
When she comes back into the kitchen for another order, she reaches for a plate.
Smoke happens to glance up at the same moment.
Their eyes meet. Just for a second.
Annie freezes. Her stomach immediately does a somersault.
Smoke looks away first. Like he wasn’t staring. Like he hadn’t been watching her all evening.
A smile threatens to tug at Annie’s lips.
She quickly looks down and grabs her plate.
But the butterflies are already there…
The dinner rush is finally over. The restaurant is quieter now.
A few tables remain occupied, but most of the customers have gone home. The smell of garlic butter and seafood still lingers in the air while bussers wipe down tables and servers finish their side work.
Annie slides into an empty booth near the front windows.
Her feet ache. Her back is sore.
But she doesn’t even care.
She pulls her tips from her apron and starts counting.
Twenties. Tens. Fives. A pile of ones.
Her fingers move quickly as she stacks the bills into neat piles.
“Eighty-two… eighty-three… eighty-four…”
A smile starts creeping onto her face.
“Eighty-five… eighty-six…”
Then she counts the last dollar.
“Eighty-seven.”
Annie freezes. Her eyes widen.
“Eighty-seven dollars?”
She says it quietly to herself.
A grin immediately spreads across her face. Not one of those polite smiles she gives customers. A real one.
Bright. Unfiltered. Proud.
She looks down at the money again.
Eighty seven dollars. In one day. Her money. Money she earned herself. Money nobody could take from her.
Nobody could tell her what to do with. Nobody could hold over her head.
For the first time in a long time, Annie feels a little piece of freedom. And it feels amazing.
Across the restaurant, Smoke steps out of the kitchen. He grabs his keys from his pocket and starts toward the front door.
Then he sees her. His steps slow.
Annie is sitting alone in the booth counting her tips. Looking down at that small pile of money like she just hit the lottery.
The smile on her face stops him cold.
Smoke finds himself staring.
Again. He can’t help it.
He can tell exactly what she’s thinking.
She isn’t excited because of the amount.
She’s excited because she earned it.
Every single dollar. On her own.
Something about that does something to him. His chest tightens. His heart skips once. And he doesn’t fully understand why.
Maybe it’s because she’s proud of herself.
Maybe it’s because she’s independent.
Maybe it’s because she’s finally realizing what she’s capable of.
Whatever it is…It’s beautiful.
And somehow sexy as hell.
Smoke shakes his head slightly.
He shouldn’t be thinking about a girl like that. Especially one he barely knows. But there he is. Watching her smile at eighty seven dollars like it’s the greatest thing she’s ever seen.
Annie suddenly looks up. Their eyes meet.
Her smile instantly falters. Not because she’s unhappy. But because she got caught. A blush spreads across her cheeks.
She quickly looks down at the money.
Smoke almost smirks. A few seconds pass.
Then Annie gathers enough courage to look back up.
Smoke gives her a small nod.
Nothing dramatic. Just acknowledgment.
A silent good job.
Annie’s cheeks warm even more.
She returns the nod.
For a moment neither of them says anything.
Then Smoke turns and heads toward the door.
Annie watches him leave.
And for reasons she can’t quite explain, her stomach does that little flip again.
The same one it’s been doing every time he looks at her.
🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃
When Annie gets home, the house is finally quiet.
The younger kids are asleep. The television hums softly somewhere upstairs. Pipes groan as someone runs water in another bathroom.
Annie takes a shower, washing away the smell of seafood, butter, and restaurant grease that clung to her all day.
Afterward, she pulls on an oversized T-shirt and a pair of shorts before heading downstairs to the basement.
Edward’s room.
The one place in the house where she can breathe. The door is cracked open.
Edward is sprawled across his bed with a magazine open beside him and music playing softly from a radio.
The second he sees her, he grins.
“Hey, sis.”
Annie immediately drops onto the foot of his bed.
“Hey, bro.”
Edward studies her for a second.
Then smirks.
“Damn. You seem real happy.”
Annie rolls her eyes.
“What happened to you? Or should I say who happened to you?”
Annie busts out laughing.
Immediately her mind flashes to the eighty seven dollars tucked safely in her purse.
Then to Smoke. The way he’d looked at her. The way he’d nodded.
The butterflies start all over again.
She shoves the thought away.
“Shut up boy.”
Edward laughs.
“Nah. I’m serious.”
“I made some good money tonight. I’m just really happy to have my own.”
“Mhmm.”
He gives her a look.
“I get that. But I got a feeling it’s something else too. Who is he?”
Annie groans.
“Must everything be about boys?”
Edward sits up dramatically.
“Hell yes, girl. You know we live for them.”
Annie cackles. That was Edward.
No matter what was going on in their lives, he always found a way to make her laugh.
The two of them had always been close.
Closer than any of the other siblings.
Maybe because they were closest in age.
Maybe because they both understood what it felt like to be trapped in that house.
Or maybe because they spent so much time protecting each other. Especially Edward. Their parents never understood him. Even as a little boy, he’d been different.
While other boys played football and wrestled in the yard, Edward wanted to sing. Dance. Act. Design outfits.
Most of his friends were girls, he was tall and dark with model features. The girls flocked to him.
He loved fashion. Loved music. Loved being creative.
And their father hated it.
The older Edward got, the more tense things became. Church services. Lectures. Prayer circles. Talks about masculinity.
Talks about what a young man should be.
Annie had watched her brother shrink into himself for years. Watched him become quieter at home. Watched him find every excuse possible to stay gone. Choir. Theater. Band. Anything to avoid being there.
Their parents had even told Annie she needed to spend less time with him.
That her influence wasn’t helping.
As if Edward was some problem that needed fixing.
As if he wasn’t perfect exactly how he was.
Annie had hated every second of it.
And whenever kids at school picked on him, she was right there.
Ready to fight. Ready to argue. Ready to defend him. Every time.
Because nobody messed with her brother. Nobody.
“Annie?”
Edward’s voice pulls her from her thoughts.
She blinks.
“Huh?”
He narrows his eyes.
“See. You daydreaming.”
“I was not.”
“You absolutely was.”
Annie laughs.
“Fine. Maybe a little.”
“Mhmm.”
Edward points at her.
“So tell me about this man.”
Annie groans.
“There are some cute dudes there.”
Edward’s eyebrow shoots up.
“Dudes? Plural?”
Annie laughs loudly.
“Hell no. Not for me.”
“Okayyyyy.”
“There is one guy though.”
Edward immediately scoots forward.
“There we go.”
Annie rolls her eyes.
“He’s really fine.”
“Define fine.”
“Like…”
She pauses.
“Really fine. Like movie star fine.”
Edward gasps dramatically.
“Oh lord.”
“Shut up.”
“So what’s his name?”
“Smoke.”
Edward stares.
“His mama named him Smoke?”
Annie starts laughing.
“No! That’s his nickname.”
“Girl.”
Annie laughs harder.
“His real name is Elijah.”
Edward shakes his head.
“Okay. Continue.”
Annie shrugs.
“There’s potential there, I think.”
“You think?”
“Yeah.”
“Have y’all talked?”
Annie shakes her head.
“No.”
Edward stares.
“No?”
“No.”
“You got a crush on a man you ain’t talked to?”
“We’ve talked a little”
“Then what y’all talk about?”
Annie thinks.
“He helped me roll silverware. But he mainly just stares at me. I’ve caught him looking at me so many times.”
Edward falls backward onto the bed.
“Oh my God.”
Annie laughs.
“What?”
“You got it bad already. I can tell.”
“I do not.”
“You absolutely do.”
Annie throws a pillow at him.
Edward catches it.
“So y’all ain’t really talked?”
“Only a few words and he gave me two hundred dollars.”
Edward’s eyes get big.
“Two hundred dollars?”
“ mhmm”
“And you like him?”
Annie sighs.
“He makes me nervous, Ed.”
That gets his attention. His teasing fades.
“That’s strange.”
“I know.”
Annie stares at the ceiling.
“I don’t get nervous like that around people.”
“You really don’t.”
“But he seems sweet.”
Edward nods.
“The two hundred dollars thing was sweet.”
Annie smiles.
“Yeah.”
Edward suddenly sits up.
“Wait. I’m still stuck on that.”
Annie laughs.
“Bro.”
“No. Seriously. He really gave you two hundred dollars?”
“Yeah.”
“Just because?”
“I guess.”
Edward points at her.
“That’s husband behavior.”
Annie nearly chokes.
“Ed!”
“I’m serious.”
“He probably just felt bad because Meagan left me with all those damn silverware rolls.”
“Okay and?”
Annie shakes her head.
Edward continues.
“Sounds like a keeper already.”
“Stop.”
“You need to talk to him.”
“And say what?”
“I don’t know.”
He shrugs.
“Tell him thank you.”
“For something that happened two weeks ago?”
“Then tell him he fine.”
Annie throws another pillow.
Edward cackles.
“I’m serious!”
“The other girls like him too.”
“So?”
“I don’t wanna step on nobody’s toes.”
Edward sucks his teeth.
“Girl, please. Fuck them other girls.”
Annie laughs.
“No seriously.”
“It’s obvious he likes you.”
“You don’t know that.”
“Annie.”
“What?”
“You said he watches you.”
Her eyes widen.
“So?”
“Everybody has probably noticed.”
Annie immediately buries her face in a pillow.
“Oh my God. I hope it’s not all in my head. I don’t wanna be delusional.”
Edward howls with laughter.
“See! Look at you! Blushin’ in the pillow”
“I’m not talking to you anymore.”
“Good. Go talk to Smoke.”
Annie groans.
Edward’s tone turns serious for a moment
“So you still stuck on Ryan?”
Her smile disappears.
Annie immediately shakes her head.
“Hell no.”
“Good.”
“That ship has sailed.”
Edward nods approvingly.
“Great.”
“Definitely ain’t him.”
“Then give yourself permission to move on.”
Annie is quiet for a second.
Then she smiles. “Maybe.”
Edward grins. “That’s what I thought.”
A mischievous look suddenly appears on his face.
“Anyway.”
Annie narrows her eyes. “What?”
“I met somebody.”
Her entire face lights up. “What?!”
Edward smirks. “His name is Montreal”
Annie immediately starts laughing.
“Oh Lord.”
“What?”
“The chat line again?”
“It’s a valid way to meet people.”
“You be falling in love with voices.”
Edward gasps. “And?”
“What if he ugly?”
“With a voice like his? I doubt he ugly.”
Annie laughs harder.
“He older too.”
“How old?”
“Thirty-two.”
Annie sits straight up. “What?!”
Edward starts laughing.
“What?”
“Brother! You sixteen!”
“Technically.”
“Technically?!”
“He thinks I’m twenty.”
Annie’s mouth falls open.
“So y’all both just lying?”
Edward shrugs casually. “Maybe.”
Annie throws her hands in the air.
“Oh my God.”
“He might be lying too though.”
“That does not make it better. You’re gonna mess around meet Ted Bundy”
Edward laughs so hard he nearly falls off the bed. Annie joins him.
For a few minutes they sit there laughing until tears form in their eyes.
The kind of laughter that makes everything else disappear.
The stress. The responsibility. Their father. The pressure. All of it. For just a little while.
Edward nudges her shoulder.
“Everything gon’ work out, sis.”
Annie looks over at him. Her best friend. Her safe place. The one person in the house who understood exactly how she felt.
She smiles. “Yeah.”
For the first time all day, she realizes she believes it. “Yeah, I think it will.”
🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃
Smoke is laid up in bed watching Midnight Love on BET. Immature’s-Constantly video is playing. The television casts a blue glow across the room
A half smoked blunt rests between his fingers. The house is quiet. For once. No Tobias. No Stack. No women calling his cell or house. Just peace.
Smoke takes a slow pull and exhales toward the ceiling. Then the house phone rings. He reaches over to the nightstand and grabs the cordless. Looking at the caller ID. Stack. Smoke already knows this nigga finna be on some bullshit.
He answers anyway. “Wat it do?”
“Sup nigga. What you got up?”
“Nothin’. Chillin’.”
Stack pauses. “You in early.”
“I’m tired as hell.”
“Damn. You ain’t been over here in hellas. Monica been asking ’bout yo ass.”
Smoke huffs.
“She got my number.”
“Nigga, she said you ain’t been answerin’.”
“I be doin’ shit.”
“Yeah okay.”
Stack laughs.
“Aye, slide through real quick. I’m tryna match.”
Smoke immediately shakes his head.
“I’m good.”
“You must got a bitch over or somethin’.”
“Nah nigga. I don’t.”
Smoke rubs his beard
“I just said I’m tired, fool. I just got off. Can’t a nigga get some fucking rest?”
“Mannn save that shit.”
Stack isn’t buying it.
“I ain’t Monica. I know you and I know another bitch got yo attention.”
Smoke rolls his eyes.
“Here you go.”
“Monica just too stupid to notice.”
Smoke sucks his teeth.
“You don’t know shit.”
“Yeah aight, nigga.”
Stack laughs.
“I’m Elias Moore. King of playing these bitches.”
Smoke groans.
“Man shut the fuck up.”
Stack keeps going.
“Anyway, slide through tomorrow fool. She gon’ be at work.”
A pause.
“Since you ain’t tryna run into her.”
“I might.”
“Yeah whatever.”
Stack laughs again.
“See yo ass tomorrow.”
Then his voice gets louder.
“Tell that hoe you got over there yo bro said what’s good.”
Smoke hangs up without saying goodbye.
The second the line disconnects, the room goes quiet again.
Smoke drops the cordless back onto the nightstand. Then stares up at the ceiling.
Stack was spot on. As usual.
That was the problem with having a twin.
Especially one that shared your blood, your face, and damn near your thoughts.
Stack knew him better than anybody.
Sometimes better than he knew himself.
The truth was…
He’d been avoiding Monica.
And that was strange. Really strange.
Because Smoke was single.
He could do whatever he wanted.
Talk to whoever he wanted.
Sleep with whoever he wanted.
Nobody could tell him shit.
Messing with more than one woman wasn’t unusual for him.
He was handsome. He had options.
And he had needs. Was he wild like Stack? Hell no. But he definitely wasn’t the type to lock himself down to one woman either.
At least he never had been.
Yet somehow Monica’s calls kept going unanswered.
And Smoke knew exactly why.
He just didn’t wanna admit it.
His eyes drift toward the television, but he isn’t really watching anymore.
Instead, his mind wanders back to Red Lobster. Back to a certain booth near the front window. A certain smile.
A certain girl counting eighty seven dollars like she’d won the damn lottery.
The memory makes him shake his head.
It shouldn’t affect him the way it does.
But it does. He can still see the look on her face. The pride. The excitement. The freedom. Like earning that money meant something bigger than the money itself.
And maybe that’s what got him.
Not just her looks. Not completely anyway.
It was the way she smiled.
The way she got excited over things most people took for granted.
The way she worked hard.
The way she seemed genuinely grateful for everything.
He thinks about her ignoring the two girls who laughed at her.
The fact that she didn’t even give them her energy makes his heart flutter. She was more mature than most older bitches he knew and dealt with.
Smoke takes another pull from the blunt.
Exhales slowly. It’s strange.
He doesn’t know her. Not really.
Hell, they haven’t exchanged more than a handful of words.
Yet he wants to know her.
More than he’s ever wanted to know anybody.
And that’s the shit keeping him awake.
Keeping him away from Monica.
Keeping him away from every other woman that’s been blowing up his phone lately.
Because every time he tries to focus on somebody else…
He ends up thinking about Annie.
And his desire for anyone else disappears.
And that realization bothers him more than he’d ever admit out loud.
Smoke stares at the ceiling.
The music video changes. Another song starts. But he barely notices.
For the first time in a long time, a woman has his attention without even trying.
And that might be the most dangerous thing of all.
🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆
It’s Friday night, and the football stadium is packed.
The bright stadium lights illuminate the field like daylight while music blasts from the speakers between plays. The smell of popcorn, nachos, and hot dogs, drifts through the cool evening air.
Annie climbs the bleachers and spots Ebony, Rhonda, and Devin sitting halfway up.
“There y’all go.”
“About time,” Ebony says.
Annie rolls her eyes and squeezes in beside them. The second she sits down, she notices Ryan standing on the sidelines in his uniform. Looking directly at her.
When their eyes meet, he smiles. Annie immediately rolls hers.
Ebony groans.
“Don’t do him like that.”
“Do him like what?” Annie asks. “You’d think he would’ve gotten the hint since I wrote him a whole damn letter telling him I don’t want him no more.”
Ebony shakes her head.
“You crazy, girl. He literally begging you.”
Annie huffs.“I don’t care. And I really don’t wanna spend the whole night talking about his cheating ass.”
“I agree,” Rhonda says.
“Thank you.”
When Annie looks down toward the track, she spots Dana standing with the other cheerleaders.
Dana is already looking at her.
Actually… Several of the cheerleaders are.
Dana rolls her eyes. Annie laughs.
The audacity.
Devin follows her gaze. “Someone need to smack that bitch.”
Rhonda snorts. “See? It’s all Ryan’s fault. Now she think she won some type of prize.”
Ebony shrugs. “She just mad ’cause her man still want you.”
Annie shakes her head. “Good luck to her.”
The game starts shortly after.
The crowd erupts every time the home team makes a play.
Annie finds herself having fun despite the drama. She cheers with her friends.
Laughs. Jokes around. Even joins in with some of the cheers the cheerleaders are doing.
Summary: Smoke has had it. It's time to go home where he last left his beating heart, even if he has to do it alone. He begins to reflect on how he even made it this long in Chicago as an empty husk with his heart back in Clarksdale. We also see what life looked like for Annie while he was gone.
A/N: Thank you for the comments, likes, and reblogs for Chapter 1. Also, I don't have a beta reader so there may be a typo here or a grammatical error there.
They had already been here 5 years too long. The plan had been to be here for 2 years at the longest. It was now the seventh year. He had been in a near perpetual state of agitation since their arrival in Chicago considering that he never wanted to leave Annie or their baby in the first place.
On that train ride up to Chicago, Smoke had been silent in a way that expressed the exact meaning behind it. The long train ride had held the weight of what Stack's manipulation had meant for their relationship. The comfort, even in silence, they had experienced being side by side the entirety of their lives was now marred. What surrounded the silence was as thick as the suffocating ash and smoke that only escalated the devastation of a fire. Smoke had breached the silence once throughout the ride that took nearly a day,
"As soon as this mission is done, so am I."
By the end of the fifth year, as the sixth year signified another year of misery for what he left behind. They had already made their last move and waited it out long enough to return home, as the suspicion towards them robbing their respective gangs had already passed. Smoke couldn’t risk being discovered so he and Stack had also planted evidence for someone else to unknowingly take the fall. He knew it was cutthroat to sign an innocent person up for a death sentence, but living here—walking around without his heart in his chest made him ruthless in a way he hadn’t been since meeting Annie.
He couldn’t remember exactly when Elijah was lost as an unwilling, yet necessary sacrifice in order to guarantee his survival in a world hellbent on his destruction. What he did remember was that the creation of Smoke is what followed the loss of his innocence, vulnerability, and softness. Smoke was not a split personality. Not in a way like he heard about in mental asylums where people had lost their mind or multiple identities lived in one body somehow. Smoke was how he survived, how despite trauma taking root in his body and metastasizing to the point where it manifested itself as physical pain he persisted. Proof of his existence and that once he had the strength, the rage, and mental fortitude he would destroy any person, system, or thing that stood in his way or was sent to take him out. His drive to survive was not even from a want to live but out of spite combined with feeling responsible for Stack’s survival. Until that Spring day when he met her, where he discovered that he had never killed Elijah all the way. Instead Elijah bided his time, lying in wait, until he came across the person who would resuscitate what was long thought to be dead—his heart.
The introduction of Annie into his life and the way she invaded his thoughts, senses, his day-to-day and ultimately his heart had become a welcome takeover. Smoke had always been powered by a need for control, yet he found himself freely giving it up. Through loving Annie, he discovered that consequences did not have to be inherently negative. The consequence of not depriving himself of the emotions his feelings for Annie elicited was not only loving, but being able to be loved. Within those four walls, while holding her in his arms, expressing emotions he thought he no longer felt, revealing truths that had been buried so deep he never hoped to recover them he had a realization—there was one place in the world where he knew that he was free.
Each second, minute, hour, and day spent with Annie had begun to slowly, but surely erode the boundary that distinguished Smoke and Elijah from each other. Smoke had begun to be more vulnerable and express emotions that he normally would’ve hid, which were characteristics of Elijah. In turn, Elijah had become fiercely protective and possessive. Not in a way rooted in control of Annie, but in a way where he felt completely responsible for her safety and comfortability, and anyone who threatened that faced a punishment of his choosing that fit the crime. The fact that the two sides of his personality, who could not be more different from each other, would build their world around the same woman and love her in a way that was both paradigm shifting; in the way it permeated his previously indestructible defenses to the point he had never seen loving her as a loss, but instead as his biggest gain. While also being world shattering, as the thought of losing her would have been catastrophic in a way that would leave scars so deep he could never hope to possibly recover from.
That was years ago, though. As he drove away from the person who had been the only home he had ever known, his heart was not the only thing he had left behind. He left Elijah back in Clarksdale too. Elijah was not going to guarantee his survival. He needed Smoke, the one with a nature so chilling he could rival the bitter winter storms Chicago had been known for. Smoke had practiced precision and valued logic above all else in decision making, which was the only way he would wrap up this shit up as fast as possible. In order to get back to the life he freely chose, not the one he was manipulated into living.
Stack had continuously found ways, or made excuses, to talk him into staying longer. Whether it was taking the time to plan their business venture upon returning or it was insisting everything had to be settled before they could leave. Smoke could not do this shit no more. He already sacrificed the very thing that meant more to him than any gang, loot, money, or notoriety.
As light of day slowly filtered in, he sat up in his bed in his room cloaked in darkness, both in decoration and lighting. Dark grey walls were surrounded by accents of black. Wood painted black served as the foundation for his bedframe with black velvet bedding to match. Plush black carpet ruffled beneath his feet whenever he walked across the floor. The only vivid color found in his room was the various shades of blue that made up his wardrobe in full.
To most people, his room would be seen as bland. To him, he saw no need for anything other than the essentials: a bed, dresser, nightstand, and clock. The handful of toiletries he needed sat neatly on his bathroom sink. He didn't want his room to feel lived in because this wasn't his home. This wasn't where he was laying down roots. He viewed his apartment as nothing more than a place to sleep, eat, and bide his time while trying to return to the place he actually longed for.
He wasn’t giving Stack any more time or a choice—the same way Stack hadn’t given him one all those years ago. Smoke walked with purpose down the hall to bang on Stack's door punctuated by the sound of his feet meeting the hardwood beat by beat. Not caring if the nigga was asleep or laid up with one of his flavors of the night he had on a rotation like a well oiled assembly line.
“Stack, wake the fuck up!!” He yelled as he pounded on his door. After not hearing any movement he barged through the door. He immediately grimaced looking around the room remembering just how gaudy and loud Stack had decorated his room. Bright red walls with burgundy and black velvet bedding to match with random posters and canvases all with the same theme—gold. Despite his entrance into the room with as much grace as a bull in a china shop, somehow Stack remained asleep.
Amidst his frustration, Smoke forgot that since childhood it had often been a bitch to try to get Stack to wake up as he slept like the dead. There was one trick that always worked without fail. Stack would be pissed about the method but Smoke simply didn’t give a shit currently.
‘Rise and motherfucking shine, nigga.” Smoke offered with an annoyed snarl as he splashed a cup of ice cold water at Stack in his bed.
“The fuck is yo problem???” Stack yelled at Smoke at the method he took to attempt to wake him up.
“Be mad at yourself, nigga. You refused to wake up and this couldn’t wait,” Smoke announced in the straight forward manner Stack had come to expect from him.
“Okay...what you got to say?” Stack asked, confused as his brother was not often withholding.
“We’re going home. You got a week to tie up any loose ends.”
“WOAH.” Stack exclaimed loudly to express how taken back he was at the announcement.
“I don’t even know why you’re tripping.” Smoke replied incredulously as this shouldn't have come as a surprise to Stack considering how often they had discussed returning home. The only difference was Smoke putting his foot down this time. “We did everything we set out to do. Even more to be honest.”
Stack silently nodded as he was slowly taking in what Smoke had to say.
“That’s why we been having Bo and Cornbread get things together for your juke opening.” Smoke reminded him.
Stack had decided he wanted to open a juke joint. Originally, Smoke thought this was another one of his get rich quick schemes until Stack gave him the whole pitch. He had never seen his brother so impassioned about an idea he had. It seemed like even with money being the original motivation, Stack had also grown to want this to be one of the few places that existed where their people could just enjoy themselves for one night a week. They had already used Bo as a proxy to purchase the juke from a respected black businessman, who had somehow been able to keep the mill and land in his family. They heard stories of properties purchased from white men serving as set ups to straight up murder niggas, so they wanted to avoid that altogether.
Bo and Cornbread had also been helping in hiring a trusted crew, while also safekeeping items sent from Chicago to prepare for their return in this last year. Whenever Smoke would call them to discuss the next drop or to do-item on the list, he would have to bite his tongue to not ask every question he had about Annie. He would remind himself that they would be home soon where he would be in a situation where the talking would be on him.
Smoke wasn’t a fool though. He knew that he would have a hell of a lot to make up for. Hell, there was a good chance that Annie wouldn’t even be willing to talk to him at first. Annie being headstrong, independent, and grounded were traits he loved that she possessed but knowing her means knowing she would not fall into his arms or lap just because he returned. Their communication was consistent that first year. A few letters exchanged each month. A couple of phone calls monthly too. Communication became more sparse that second year. Nearly nonexistent the third year.
That last phone call between them still gave him nightmares. He had been short and matter of fact in a way he never was with her. He felt his hands begin to shake as he held the payphone. Small beads of sweat slowly cascaded down his face. The drum of his heart so ferocious his ears began to ring. His throat had suddenly become dry as if every part of his body worked together to prevent him from forcing out words that reflected the last thing he ever wanted to do—cutting contact.
His performance may have convinced anyone else. Not her though. She knew him to his core. She knew his love up close for years, having it wake up with her everyday and surround her as she went to sleep. Immediately clocking that something was wrong, she implored him to tell her what was going on, that all he had to do is be forthcoming. Hearing how this was breaking her, broke him too. Smoke chewed on his inner cheek to the point of sharp, shooting pain in an attempt to prevent himself from breaking and spilling it all. It took all he had to end the call but not before leaving her with two truths; albeit not the truth she wanted to hear,
"I'm so sorry, and I love you, STILL."
He couldn't expect that him telling her the truth almost four years later would absolve him of the pain he caused her due to years of radio silence. All he could hope for was for a chance to explain how the decision he made then was him prioritizing what he always had—her protection.
“SMOKE!!” Stack yelled as he had been waiting for Smoke to continue. He had not realized he had become so preoccupied with his thoughts about Annie to the point of silence mid-thought with his eyes fixed on the center of Stack's wall above his bed.
“Right.” Smoke continued. “We’re in the clear to leave no suspicion about the money. We got enough Irish and Italian liquor for the first six months. Minus some small details we gotta handle once we get there we good.”
“So like I said. You got a week, nigga.” Smoke said sternly with his stiff body language showing he was not willing to budge on it.
“You dropping on this me, now. I need more than a week to tie shit up here.” Stack disputed.
Smoke’s jaw tightened at Stack’s audacity. He couldn’t believe that this nigga was being serious right now.
“What you got to do, nigga?” Smoke started. “Tell the women who don’t know about each other that you in fact never had any intentions of being serious with them and all that slick mouth was good for was empty promises and late night pull-ups?”
Stack grimaced as Smoke continued.
“You lucky I even gave you that long.” Smoke laughed bitterly. “You don’t remember? That’s how long you gave me. Not to leave some women I don’t care about but to leave the love of my life. My child.” Smoke tried his best to keep the anger in his chest at bay. “You KNEW that having to leave Annie destroyed me. You KNEW how the loss of Luna tore me up. You also knew that I couldn’t survive losing you too. So you forced my hand.”
The resentment suddenly made the room feel suffocating.
“Now, I'm forcing mine. A week or I’m leaving without you.”
“This ultimatum should be familiar...it’s the same one you gave me.” Smoke said coldly .
“You wanna chase tail. You can do that shit at home too.” Smoke said as he left the room.
As he said, seven days later they were on the road in the Ford Truck they purchased shortly before they left Chicago. They had some items such as liquor and guns they needed to take with them so they had to take the drive that was about 18 hours back to Clarksdale. Luckily, they could split the driving.
Things had gotten tense when Smoke made an ultimatum of his own but with a lifetime of being twins Smoke and Stack knew it would subside. This was always a sore subject with them and seven years hadn’t changed that fact. Smoke knew he still held some resentment toward Stack he probably always would. Although Smoke ultimately made the decision himself which he would always regret even if it ended up increasing Stack’s odds of surviving, Stack used his fear and grief to force him to make an impossible choice.
It had taken them years to even get back to this place in their relationship. During the first year, Smoke only spoke to Stack when absolutely necessary. When he did, it was either to confirm their plan in their respective gangs or going the fuck off because Stack never acknowledged the weight of what he had Smoke sacrifice.
The near year of silence, as well as witnessing how his brother was not the same man he’d known as if something was missing, helped Stack see what his immaturity and selfishness had cost Smoke. Maybe six months in, Stack had come home earlier than he originally told Smoke he would be in which wasn't planned. Stack witnessed something he never thought he’d ever see. As he walked past Smoke's cracked door he saw him crumpled in front of his bed—in tears. Not a single tear, that slipped past his defenses. The kind of tears that flowed without permission and only stopped when there was nothing left but drought. He heard the muffled grief-filled screams bellowed into a pillow to muffle the sound. It was as if even in the privacy of his own room Smoke tried to physically silent his pain as if it would make it easier to carry.
Throughout their whole lives they had gone through things most people did not survive. Whether it was the abuse their father put them through; the horrors of war that stuck with them; living in a time where it wasn’t uncommon to see black men lynched simply for existing—none of that elicited tears, but having to leave Annie and still grieving the loss of their daughter had brought a man Stack had seen as invincible to his knees. He didn’t know what it said about him that it took this much for him to realize just how selfish he had been and that Annie had literally become Smoke’s world, but he knew he couldn't charm himself out of this. Stack had to be something he often wasn’t when it came to his emotions--100% genuine. He not only apologized but actually held himself accountable for his action for once but words had never been enough for Smoke. So, Stack proved it. He actually started changing which opened the door for them to work through their issues. Even if he couldn’t go back and they may never be exactly as they were, maybe that was a good thing. They could be better.
Somehow the 18 hours went by much quicker than they expected. Night surrounded them as they started their journey back. They left in the dead of night on Friday so that they would get in town around 6pm Saturday as they wanted to check in with Bo and Cornbread first knowing they would be dead tired once they made it to Stack's place. Between musing about what it will be like to be back, what may have changed, and taking turns napping while the other drove time flew. They were about an hour away at this point and Smoke began to feel the weight of what may or may not be waiting for him.
The last words Annie said to him still haunted him,
“By the time you return, the bones of the home you forsook may be the only thing here to welcome you back.”
His panic started to set in which was evident by the way his hands began to shake. Over the last seven years, Stack had learned the signs of when Smoke’s anxiety was taking hold of him.
“Smoke, you good?” Stack asked as he was genuinely concerned but he could guess what brought this episode on.
“I’m fine.” Smoke knew he wasn’t but he hoped he could trick himself into it being true.
“No, you ain’t. Holding it in ain’t helping and it don’t prepare you to see her.” Stack offered. He knew by the time they got into town Smoke probably wouldn’t have time to go see Annie, but he would the next day. So, he needed to be prepared to see something he might not be ready for.
“Since when do you care? You wanting to help me out with Annie, now?” Smoke replied incredulously.
“You seen how I started changing in regards to that. I’m a big part of the reason you in this position with her. You ain’t never wanted to leave. This the least I can do and it still lacking.” Stack said earnestly in a manner unlike himself.
“I can’t focus on my fears and worries. I don’t have a right to when she was the one alone.” Smoke said plainly. “All I can focus on is what I’m gonna do and that’s whatever it takes to get back to us no matter what obstacle I have to remove from the situation.”
Stack waited a beat. He decided to ask a question that came to his mind as soon as he knew Smoke’s sole motivation for going home—Annie. He hesitated as he was sure what sat at the tip of his tongue would get him cussed out.
“I got something to ask that you not gon’ like. I do think it is something you gotta consider.”
Smoke sat silent to give Stack the space to ask without shutting him down which was uncharacteristic of him.
“What you gon’ do if she moved on and she got another nigga?” Stack asked hesitantly, ready for however Smoke chose to apply.
Smoke didn’t know what to expect coming out of Stack’s mouth but it wasn’t something that hadn’t crossed his mind. Her last words before he left combined with the fact it had been four years since they spoke definitely meant it was a possibility but he didn’t know. He could only focus on what he did know which was this--that he was still Smoke and she was still Annie. There was not a single soul dead or alive that could ever replace the other. What they had, felt, and created could not be replicated by another person attempting to take a spot that was already filled. His belief in the supernatural was shaky at best. The love they found in each other was the singular proof that the cosmic, fate, and destiny had to exist in at least one instance.
So, while the thought of another nigga getting to hold her, kiss her, and getting to be in her presence made him feel, in a word—murderous. He also just saw the potential who-the-fuck-ever as a roadblock to be removed. He would do that no matter the method he would have to take.
“That don’t change shit. I’m still gon’ do what I just said. Remove any obstacle—whether that’s the pain my absence created or some nigga who might find himself no longer of this world.” Smoke replied in a manner so straight forward that made it clear there was nothing else for him to add.
Stack knew whatever was about to happen once they returned was about to be some—
“Shit.” Stack mumbled knowing Smoke was serious about removing any obstacle even if his methods were in a word, final.
MEANWHILE IN CLARKSDALE,
Annie was moving around the house tidying up and preparing for a much needed girl’s night. When schedules permitted, she, Pearline, Therise, and Grace would get together and just talk about life, eat some good food, and unwind from their regular day-to-day. She had been feeling unsteady recently and she could not put her finger as to why but she trusted her instinct.
One of the first things she learned from her grandmother and aunt who had guided her in her practice of hoodoo, including the rootwork that was central to said practice, was to trust her gut and she carried that with her even now. It felt like a return was coming that she was not ready for but would be faced with regardless.
Trusting her gut meant being honest with herself at the very least. She could pretend with others that she didn’t know why she felt unsteady.
She knew what...or who was currently unnerving her.
Smoke. For some reason, she could feel he was coming back and soon. She could feel it in her bones and she felt a lot of different things about his impending return. Anger was the first emotion that him returning now elicited. Hurt, frustration, betrayal, and intrigue were the next emotions demanding to be felt. Their contact falling off four years ago really did a number on her emotionally and physically. It was already hard enough with him being so far but when their communication was consistent she at least had some hope that they could make it through the distance. Silly as it is, the consistency even made her feel like he really might not be gone for that long.
Everything fell apart that third year. The letters and phone calls just stopped abruptly, without any explanation. At first, she feared the very worst. She wasn’t naive; she knew the kind of “work” he did. That was part of why she was so insistent on him keeping his mojo bag on him.
Then, came that final phone call.
She still remembers everything from that day. The new recipe that simmered on the stove as it's warming aroma filled the room. The warm weather accompanied by cool breezes that signaled the transition from one season into the next. The clients who visited her shop that day and what they purchased. The feel of his uneasiness on the phone which he never had before. His refusal to relent and reveal what was going on almost as if he hoped she would be able to see he was doing this for a reason he could not communicate. His last words ensuring that this would be another day that marked her losing another part of her,
"I am so sorry and I love you STILL."
Four months had passed since the phone call and she struggled to keep food down. Their last conversation played on a loop in her mind because she could feel something was off he had been curt and clearly withholding. While that is not unheard of behavior of his, he had never been that way with her. She spent months trying to decipher what he was trying to tell her that he couldn’t say. She would have a fleeting thought where she even questioned if there was a message or was she trying to find a way to justify his behavior. Not being able to accept that as reality, she went back to desperately trying to figure out the message beneath his behavior.
She had become a shell of her former self. Her friends had become deeply worried for her mental wellbeing and decided to make an unplanned drop in. Therise, Pearline, and Grace had firmly and kindly suggested that maybe there wasn’t an underlining message. The way their brows furrowed and eyes pleaded showed her this was out of concern but she wasn’t able to fully accept it. The down side to knowing someone as deeply as she knew Elijah was that when something was even a little off she just couldn’t make peace with the situation until she knew why.
Her reality check came when she realized just how much she was suffering in the name of “love”. She had been loved so thoroughly by him that she could never question if he loved her. In fact, it is one of the very things she still believed. However, she got to the very point that she warned him of the day he drove away. Love isn’t always enough. If it had been, he would have stayed. His sense of duty won out. Even if she was able to contact him, why should she be the one to try to pry information out of him. Food had lost its taste. She had unintended weight loss at a frightening rate due to being in a constant state of distress. She spent more time crying than anything else. And worst of all, her connection to her center suffered. She was struggling with her rootwork which was a lonely devastation. The one thing that she had felt deeply connected since she was a young girl in Louisiana learning from her grandmother and aunt. Shit, had to change. It was time for her to take a page from his book and put herself first, while she still could.
That fourth year was when she found herself again. Food had flavor and warmed her soul again. She no longer was losing weight from being in a perpetual distressed state and had found her figure and glow again. Her connection to her ancestors and rootwork had not only been reaffirmed but was somehow even stronger than it had been. Her relationship with her friends had been reforged and she was able to thank them for loving her when it was hard to accept it in the midst of her pain. She smiled genuinely again. That’s also when the unexpected happened.
Her shack needed repairs so she reached out to Grace to find out who she and Bo used for their businesses. That led to her meeting Jeremiah. He was kind, friendly, a hard worker, and thoughtful, which led to a friendship after the repairs had finished with strict boundaries. It didn’t hurt that he was easy on the eyes. His cinnamon toned skin, black hair that was parted to the left and slicked neatly with pomade, deep brown eyes, thick lips that perfectly framed his face, dimple on his left cheek, all paired with a height of 6”0. His broad shoulders, well-defined biceps, and big hands showed why he chose a hands-on profession.
Not being familiar with hoodoo or rootwork he asked all about what she practiced and what it meant to her. She could tell that he had wanted more but was patient and she was nowhere near ready. It didn’t hurt that he was easy on the eyes. They had gotten to know each other on a deeper level as time went by. He talked about his past as she slowly opened up about hers. When she told him about Luna, he expressed condolences in a way that she had never experienced. Even with her closest friends, she felt an undertone of pity, which she knew wasn’t intentional. He had not only been genuine, but showed that he still saw her exactly the way he had before she shared that with him. Not in a way where she felt like her grief from Luna’s loss was not acknowledged but in a way where her whole being had been seen.
It was not surprising that he had already known that she was with Smoke. Smoke had that way about him and his reputation had preceded him. The SmokeStack twins had become legend in Clarksdale. It was more intriguing to her that Jeremiah knowing that did not deter his romantic interest in her. Smoke was the type to shoot a nigga over stealing from him. One could imagine how far he would go for someone trying to push up on Annie. But he's gone.
Whether it was a purposeful or an accidental slip of the tongue, she referred to him as her ex-husband. While it felt heavy and unfamiliar on her tongue, it didn’t feel wrong. He wasn’t here and she doubted he would ever return so she did not correct herself and had no plans to.
Slowly but surely, Jeremiah became a fixture in her life. It had been two years since they met and overtime they had found themselves spending more time together. He would accompany her as she would seek out seasonal herbs and roots for her practice. She would join him on inventory runs for work when she had no clients and didn't expect visitors. They would even attend community events together.
Last month, they had even gone to a nearby juke joint together. Their bodies close, staring deeply into each other's eyes, moving together in a single rhythm was the closest she had been to giving in to feelings she had tried to talk herself out of for months now. A part of her still felt guilty for even having feelings for another man but she had accepted that their relationship had been laid to rest that day that marked four years to the day of his absence.
Over time, she noticed her body language change. Almost as if, her body knew that her feelings for Jeremiah had changed, or evolved, before her head would allow her to accept the truth. She’d catch him staring at her while she was in her element and she had begun to do the same. She would feel a shiver up her spine in response to their hands grazing each other It all came to a head one night while he was waiting out a storm at her place. The turbulent storm outside was the perfect contrast to the soft glow from candles, sitting close enough to feel each other’s body heat for warmth, and staring deeply into each other’s eyes after both reaching for a glass that fell to the floor. Confessions were made and passion bore fruit starting with a kiss that unleashed all the desire that she held under lock and key. That was a year ago.
A year of discovering what she was like in a romantic relationship again. A year of being cared for, desired, considered, and valued. Sometimes her brain led her to play the comparison game which she knew was unfair. What she had with Jeremiah was healthy and happy, but it wasn't them. Nothing else ever would be and she had to accept that and was learning to. The love, passion, and connection she had with Elijah—the home they created in each other—could never be replicated and that’s a part of what made it so once-in-a-lifetime.
She had seen Jeremiah this morning for breakfast before sending him away as he knew she was having a girl’s night. They usually alternated between staying at each other’s places. Annie still wasn’t ready for another man to be living in her house. If she and Smoke had just bought this home, she may have been able to, but they built this home. Chose the wood that would become the floorboards together, fussed over why the house had to be painted haint blue. Came up with the layout for the kitchen, her work area, their bedroom. They didn’t just make their house a home. It was theirs.
On his way out the door, Jeremiah added, “Try not to miss me!” in a cheeky way Annie had become accustomed to.
“How will I ever manage when I will see you in what—less than 24 hours from now?” she responded with a smile on her face.
Pretending to walk to the door, he turned around and scooped her up for a kiss as he could never leave without some sugar to send him on his way. Annie instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist as she leaned into a lengthy heated goodbye kiss.
As their tongues, then lips separated and Jeremiah let Annie down, he lifted her chin with his index and thumb finger before acknowledging something he had noticed over the last week.
“You know you can come to me with anything right?” Jeremiah expressed genuinely.
“I can tell that you’ve been feeling off this last week and I’m not pressing you. I just want my lady to know she can always depend on me.”
“Yeah, I know.” Annie remarked with a smile as he winked and walked out the door. She couldn’t help but feel like he might not be so ecstatic if he knew what or who was making her antsy. If her intuition had been right, she would be in deep shit.
How do you explain that your shoot first ask questions later “ex- husband” is still very much still your husband?
A/N: Thanks for reading. Please let me know your thoughts! We are picking up at girls' night next chapter! If I somehow missed you and you wannabe tagged you can either comment or reply to my taglist h e r e ♡
Annie, an 18-year-old from New Orleans, moves to Clarksdale with dreams of building a life all her own. There she meets Smoke, a 21-year-old war veteran with a dangerous reputation. What grows between them is sweet, sticky, and Southern— a smoldering love set against a world of bootlegging, Hoodoo, and blues.
Chapter 8
He didn’t need to know what was said.
Didn’t even need to know who said it.
Smoke drove with both hands on the wheel, grip steady on the leather. The door of the Colored schoolhouse swung open in its hinges before fitting into its frame, and he walked through the threshold with a quiet determination. He wasn’t there to argue. He was there to be clear; to shut an old door he never meant to leave cracked open in the first place.
The kids were long gone. All that remained was the ghost of their feet shuffling against the floorboards and the echo of high-pitched laughter. And her. She sat at the desk at the front of the classroom with a stack of papers and a thick red pencil, making straight lines across words with clean, even strokes, and just the right amount of pressure.
Sunlight cut across the empty desks, catching the chalk dust that still hovered in the air. The classroom was quiet, but it wasn’t empty. History, resentment, and two different versions of the truth hung between the two of them like a physical weight that made the room feel smaller. It pressed against the walls and the lone window on the side of the building like it could feel the tension brewing and wanted out.
Smoke cleared his throat.
She scoffed. A quiet, annoyed expulsion of breath. Then she looked up, and when her eyes met his they held his gaze, then went up and down his form slowly. Canvassing, maybe. Taking in the seriousness in his posture. Taking notice of the cold calm he carried.
“Demetria.” Smoke’s voice was cold too, which wasn’t out of the ordinary. It usually was. But this kind of cold was more resolve than anything.
“Smoke,” she said back.
“We need to talk.”
“Well, hello to you too,” she said sharply.
“Hey,” he said. “We need to talk,” he repeated, tone flat.
She sat back in her chair and crossed her arms. “About?” she asked with a challenge in her tone.
“Us.”
The word made her lean forward on her elbows.
“I just came to say we’re done. For good this time,” he said firmly. He opened his mouth, then closed it, like he had something more to say but decided against it.
“That’s it?” The look on her face went from amusement to surprise to something else in the span of a few seconds. “That’s all you have to say to me?”
“I’m sorry it took so long for me to say out loud. I should have said it sooner. That’s on me. But we been done a while. You know that.”
“You always did think silence was kinder than the truth,” she fired back.
Smoke hung his head. Because she wasn’t wrong. Her anger, he could take on the chest. He at least owed her that.
“Look, I don’t know what’s been said or who you been sayin’ it to,” he started. “But whatever’s been said, I’m here to put it to rest.”
Something flashed across her face and left just as quickly. Recognition. And the sinking feeling of dread. “You must got somebody you care about a whole lot, to come all the way over here just so you could say it plain,” she said. “She know about me?”
“I’m sayin’ it now,” he said, voice low.
“Does she know about me?” She asked again. A little louder this time.
Smoke’s jaw ticked.
“So there is somebody else,” she said carefully.
Smoke didn’t answer.
She studied his face for anything— regret, sadness, anything. She closed her eyes to keep her composure and shook her head like it would somehow make the sting go away. It didn’t. But she put her dignity back on anyway.
“Well,” she said, almost breathless. “There it is.”
Smoke nodded once. Demetria looked at him like she couldn’t recognize the shape of the man standing in front of her anymore, then she went back to her papers with the same measured carefulness she always used. The force of her pen made the paper crackle on the desk. Her corrections felt more personal now. Like she was trying to cross him out of her life one red line at a time.
“You take care.”
“Or not,” she snapped.
Smoke nodded like he accepted the ire, then he turned towards the entrance. He walked into the cool Mississippi air outside and away from the tension that sat between them, ready to snap like a rubber band pulled taut. And when he closed the door to the schoolhouse behind him, he made sure it shut all the way.
“Mwen kontan.”
She said it in such a sultry, whispery tone. Not on purpose, that’s just how Annie’s voice sounded to Smoke. Alluring and fragrant, like the scent of the magnolia blossoms scattered around them on the ground.
It was an early Sunday evening in November. The magnolia tree that stood tall on the side of the boarding house was changing. Its delicate, white petals drifted loose from the branches overhead and fell soft into the yard like the last bit of summer was shedding itself, piece by piece.
They sat on her patchwork quilt under the remaining shade of the tree. Annie had her knees tucked beneath her, her new sketchbook open on her lap. Smoke was across from her, one knee up, forearm casually resting over it. His eyes were anything but casual, narrowed with a fierce concentration. A lantern sat close by the edge of the quilt. Its flame burned low and steady, painting gold shadows over the pages of Annie’s sketchbook and the tips of her fingers.
“Hold on,” Smoke fussed. “You gotta say it slower.”
Annie chuckled. “Mweh con-tan,” she sounded out slowly.
Smoke was staring at her lips, trying to mimic the way she formed the words when she spoke. She was amused by his focus. Impressed. He had it in everything he did. That bitter resolve.
“What that mean?”
“It means I’m happy.”
“Mwen-kun-tin,” he tried.
Annie winced. “Close, but…just try it again,” she urged.
“No,” Smoke said flatly.
“Why not?”
“I said it just how you said it.”
“No,” Annie shook her head. “You didn’t.”
Smoke’s mouth twitched. He looked away before it could fully turn into a smile. “Sounded close enough to me,” he grumbled.
“Mweh con-tan,” she said slower.
“Mwen kun-tan,” he repeated.
Annie bit the inside of her cheek. He was doing it on purpose, with his stubborn self.
“You laughin’ at me?” Smoke asked bitterly.
“No.”
“Yeah…you are.”
“Am not.”
A magnolia petal landed on the page. Smoke picked it up without thinking, turned it once in his hand, then placed it on the quilt like he was afraid to hold it too long for fear he’d crush it in his hands.
“Say it again.”
“You’re enjoyin’ this too much,” he huffed.
“And you bein’ difficult on purpose.”
“Mm.”
“Mm,” she said louder. She laughed softly and shaded something with her pencil near the corner of the page. It was a sketch of the shape of his mouth. Just the corner and how it curved around the sound he kept getting wrong. How he’d pushed a nasal sound outward instead of dropping it down.
Smoke shifted closer by a fraction, looking down to the sketchbook curiously. “Can I see?”
Her fingers tightened around it out of instinct.
“You ain’t got to.”
The gentleness in his words made her look up. Made her grip loosen. She turned the sketchbook towards him, setting it between them. On the page wasn’t just one drawing. There were several spread across the paper. The curve of a leaf. The twist of a root. The slope of a hand pouring tea. Felix curled up on the porch. Halfway tucked in the pages was a loose leaf drawing of the inside of a small house. Smoke stared at that one the longest. He knew instantly what it was. He’d seen her sketch of the outside of her shop before. But this one was different. She pulled it out from where it was wedged and placed it in her lap.
Bundles hanging from the ceiling on one side.
A long counter in front.
A curtain that led to other rooms.
Small jars lined up neatly on shelves.
He took in every section, every detail.
“Your shop,” he said finally.
“One day,” Annie replied shyly.
“One day, when?”
Annie looked up. “When I got enough saved. When I know enough,” she listed off. “When Aunt Della thinks I’m ready. When…” she huffed out a breath softly. “When the world lets me, I guess.”
Smoke’s jaw worked.
“It wouldn’t just be remedies,” she said, rushing to fill the quiet before it got too loud. “I’d sell teas, salves, tonics, food, too. It wouldn’t just be a shop,” she continued, searching for words that would land. “It’d be somewhere people can come when they got things they ain’t ready to say out loud, but they ready to stop lettin’ it hurt them.”
Smoke kept quiet beside her.
Annie took a deep breath. “My grandma had an apothecary. Nothin’ fancy,” she said softly. “Just a place where people came in whisperin’ and left breathin’ easier.”
Smoke watched her. Her eyes, the way they softened around certain words. Her hands, and how they fidgeted on the edge of the paper. He looked at the page again while she ran her finger lightly over the built-in shelves she drew.
“I want that. Somethin’ with my name on it. Somethin’ I know how to keep.”
He looked at her again. “You will,” he said firmly.
The certainty in his voice made her go still. “You sound sure.”
“I am.”
“You don’t know that.”
“I know you.”
Annie tucked the drawing away and closed her sketchbook halfway, her hand smoothing over its cover. “You know some of me.”
Smoke nodded once. “I know enough.”
Silence settled between them again. Easy. Annie watched him for a moment, trying to read what had changed in his face. He looked the same mostly. Quiet. Steady. Shoulders still carrying that heaviness. But his eyes looked different.
He sat up straight and faced her. “Annie.” He said her name and she felt her heart thump hard in her chest. She couldn’t figure out why. He’d said her name a million times, but he’d never said it quite like this.
“Yes?” she replied.
“I talked to your aunt.”
“About what?”
“You.”
The night moved around them. Crickets chirping in the trees, distant voices from a house down the street. Dogs barking, chickens roosting. It all seemed to quiet around this very moment.
“I told her I wanna court you. Proper.”
“You did?”
“I did.”
“And now?” she asked quietly.
“Now I’m comin’ to you.”
He leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees, eyes piercing. “I ain’t askin’ you for nothin’ you don’t wanna give,” he said. “And I ain’t askin’ you to stop what you been showin’ me.”
Annie’s throat tightened. “That matter to you?”
Smoke’s eyes moved to the sketchbook, then back to her. “It matters to you,” he said plainly. “It matters to me.”
“I thought you ain’t believe in all that stuff,” she said. “Hoodoo.”
“I don’t.” He shrugged. “I believe in you.”
Annie drew in a small breath, tilting her chin up a little. “What does courtin’ mean to you?”
Smoke took his time to answer.
“It means I come correct. I don’t sneak around corners with you. Don’t have folks guessin’ what you mean to me. It means if I spend time with you, it’s cause I’m serious about you.”
“You are?”
“I am.”
She looked at him— a silent urge to keep talking, like he wasn’t already undoing her under this magnolia tree.
“I ain’t sayin’ I got everything figured out. I don’t. I got work that ain’t clean. I got Stack.” His mouth tightened faintly. “And I got things I still need to make right before I can ask for more than this.”
He sighed. “But I know what I mean,” he said. “And I don’t mean to waste your time.”
Annie looked down at the sketchbook in her lap. This man, whose words always held weight, had looked closely at her dreams sketched in graphite and smudged lines and simply said —he wanted to be part of them.
She looked back at him. “If I say yes,” she said slowly. “I want my shop. I want my work. I want…I wanna be somebody outside of who I’m with.”
“You already are,” he said, voice low.
Annie blinked.
His voice stayed low. “I ain’t askin’ to make you smaller.”
Annie’s breath caught. “Then what you askin’?”
He paused for a moment, then— “To walk beside you while you grow.”
The silence that sat between them wasn’t empty. It was so full that Annie had to look away just so she could breathe.
That’s when she felt it.
A nervous laugh.
It rose up in her throat— not because anything was funny, but because the weight of this moment was so heavy, she had to lighten it somehow before it swallowed her whole. She tried to suppress it, but the corners of her mouth had already turned up.
“You laughin’ at me?”
He noticed. Of course he did.
“No!”
Smoke’s mouth twitched. “Yes you are.”
“No I’m not!”
“You a bad liar.”
“I'm not lyin'...you just...makin’ me nervous right now,” she admitted softly.
His eyes softened. “You can take your time to think about it.”
Annie shook her head immediately. “No,” she said. “I don’t need time,” she assured him.
His eyes got serious again.
“I’ll let you court me.”
Something moved across his face. Not quite a smile. Something much more dangerous to her composure. “Yeah?”
Annie’s lips curved into a fully encompassing smile that spread gently across her face. “Yeah.”
He held out his hand for her. A question. She put her hand in his and they laced their fingers together carefully, palms warm and steady against each other. The answer.
The tree shed another petal. It drifted down between them and landed on their intertwined hands. They didn’t move it. The lantern burned low. They sat like that beneath the magnolia tree as the last of summer continued to fall around them.
The next morning was a blur. Between the demands of empty stomachs and the nervous tremor of her own hands, a nagging anxiety sat on her shoulders and butterflies fluttered violently in the pit of her belly. A sigh of relief left her lips as the last lodger headed out the door, leaving her and Aunt Della to at least be able to clean up the kitchen and dining room in a tempered silence.
The wind chimes on the porch fluttered in the breeze, whistling a throaty, breathless jingle that did nothing to calm her nerves. Aunt Della glanced her way a few times, but said nothing. Even Felix tried to soothe her, his purrs doing little to bring her any real solace.
Annie shoved a biscuit in her mouth to give herself something to do. The warm fluffiness filled her mouth and the butter satisfied her tastebuds with its rich, melty goodness. She sighed then took another bite, closing her eyes as the sustenance moved through her body.
Maybe she was just hungry. And maybe her anxiousness had nothing to do with him.
She moved quicker, stacking, sweeping, wiping, scraping until the house smelled like eucalyptus, lavender, and bleach.
Annie collapsed on the couch in the front room, but not from exhaustion. From adrenaline that had nowhere else to go. Her heart beat rapidly and she fingered her ileke beads like that could somehow calm it. Morning light cut warm and light through the front windows like a balm on her skin. She tilted her head back and let her eyes close, basking in the quiet after the chaos of breakfast.
The scent of tobacco, peppermint, and bay rum floated through the screen door. Slowly—like the rich, layered smells that arrive in a kitchen when meat, butter and herbs fold into each other on the stove.
Then the screen door cracked open and Smoke stepped through.
Annie’s mouth went dry.
The first thing she noticed was the way he darkened the doorway once he stepped past the threshold. He was tall, well over six feet. Large and imposing frame, and even though she was a tall woman herself, it felt like he towered over her. The muscles on his arms and shoulders filled out every inch of his white collared shirt, pressing against the starched fabric with a powerful, restrained strength. His suspenders held up trousers that sat comfortably around his hips. His boots were heavy on his feet even though his steps were light. It was a subtle contradiction that made her tongue feel like cotton in her mouth.
The second thing she noticed were the flowers in his hand. Two separate arrangements— one a mixture of white, cream, and greenery. The other was a mixture of vivid colors that looked like a rainbow painted the petals. Each was wrapped in brown paper and tied gently with twine.
Smoke removed his hat and turned to see Annie spread lazily across the couch. Apron halfway untied, scarf to the side, legs hanging off the edge, dress tracing the curve of her hips. She looked beautiful with her feet dangling in the air, bent nickel hanging loosely off a string around her left ankle, shoulders relaxed like she didn’t have a care in the world. He liked that look. Wanted to see more of it.
He was doing that staring thing again, Annie thought to herself. The way his eyes slowly swept up and down her body gave her goosebumps, and she suddenly became very aware of how she was presenting. Worn dress, apron smudged with stains, hair fuzzy in her cornrows, barefoot and lounging on the couch. But the heat in his eyes turned a casual glance-over into a smoldering glare that pinned her in place. The paper around the bouquets crinkled under his grasp as he adjusted them in his hand. When his voice finally broke the loaded silence that had overtaken the front room of the boarding house, it was rough with something that made her spine snap straight. Her legs followed, then her hands, dragging her upwards until she was sitting up completely.
“Good mornin’.”
Annie smiled up at him, a sight that beamed brighter than the morning sun. “Good mornin’.”
Smoke took a step closer, then two, and with one hand grabbed the white bouquet out of his other and extended them towards Annie. “For you.”
“Thank you,” she said, inhaling their scent.
Smoke nodded once, then looked around the room. “Where’s your aunt?”
“Somewhere out back,” she said breathily, taking another sniff of the flowers.
“These for her.”
“Awww, ain’t you sweet?”
“Don’t tell nobody,” he said in that low register that made her skin tingle, with a timbre that told her he wasn’t joking even though the corner of his mouth lifted when he said it.
He proceeded into the kitchen then out the back door, leaving Annie with her own thoughts and the absence of…him. His presence stayed in the room even though he was gone, and it wasn’t just because the smell of his cologne lingered behind. Her head tilted when she realized what day it was. Monday. What was he doing here?
“What we doin’ today?” He asked as he stepped back into her space.
Annie’s breath stuttered.
Aunt Della listened in from the kitchen, looking entirely pleased with herself.
Annie cleared her throat and shut her mouth that had opened at Smoke’s words. Not because she wasn’t used to him being forward. But because the look in his eye told her he was dead serious when he asked her that question.
“I gotta stop by Chow’s,” she started, to which he acknowledged with a nod. “Then the drugstore,” she continued. She listed things off until she stopped to look down at what she needed to do before anything else. “I gotta wash up first. Change.”
“I’ma be right here,” he assured her, sinking deep into the couch, putting his head back, and spreading his legs.
Annie took one more look at him and darted up the stairs.
Thirty minutes later she was in front of the mirror, blouse tucked into a halfway-fastened skirt. Her hair was taken down from her cornrows, oiled, greased, parted down the middle, and pulled back.
Except one piece that just wouldn’t lay flat.
She brushed it once, then brushed it again. It refused to lay right, refused to stay right. Her hairbrush clattered on the dresser where she dropped it.
“What am I doing?” she asked like the walls could talk back.
She gripped the edge of the dresser, then touched the open edge of her blouse still unbuttoned at the throat. Her fingers rested there a moment before she remembered to button it.
Her fingers weren’t steady. She cursed under her breath, buttoning it with trembling hands. She smoothed the front down, turning to the side to make sure it was tucked all the way in.
Then she picked up her hairbrush again. Went over the same spot. Got the same result.
She threw her hairbrush down with frustration, flustered.
All of a sudden she felt very alone. More alone than she’d felt since she got to Clarksdale. She tried to blink away the tears but one escaped her eye. It rolled down her cheek, dropping onto her dresser.
She missed her friends from home.
She missed her family.
She didn't expect this. Didn’t expect him.
And now she was standing in the middle of something new surrounded by people who barely knew her. No mama who always knew what to say. No brothers teasing. No daddy who would pretend it wasn’t making him emotional seeing his little girl stepping into her role as a woman.
Maybe it was a sign.
She didn’t know what she was doing. She couldn’t even get her hair right without falling apart.
What did she know about being courted?
The word felt strange in her throat. New. Like a dress made out of fine fabric that she hadn’t yet learned how to move in. Like something she wanted to be careful with, to not wrinkle. Something she wanted to spin in front of the mirror just to see how it caught the light.
And maybe, just maybe….if it fit just right, she could keep it.
Her stomach fluttered.
She didn’t know what came after she said yes.
She’d heard stories from her friends back home, but she was never in the thick of it to look around and see how it felt.
She didn’t know how close she was supposed to stand beside him, what folks would hear if he said her name too soft. Didn’t know if holding his hand would feel natural or if she’d overthink every step. She didn’t know what part of herself was meant to stay guarded and what part was allowed to lean.
But between the frustration, and the fear, and the homesickness that had a vice grip on her nerves…she still wanted to try.
That was the part that kept resurfacing.
She wanted it. Wanted him beside her. Wanted to be beside him. And she wanted folks to see.
The truth of it rose up so plainly, it didn’t leave room for her to argue with herself about it.
She wanted to know what Smoke looked like when he didn’t hold himself back so much. Wanted to learn what his quiet felt like when it belonged to her. Wanted to see if walking beside him in the daylight felt like sitting beside him under the magnolia tree in the backyard.
She rubbed her ileke beads and let the touch ground her. Then she put some oil on her fingers, the special blend her mama made that halfway leaked out in her trunk, and brushed the worrisome part of her hair the way her mama always did when she got too frustrated to do it herself. Rub, smooth, brush, set.
She looked in the small, age-spotted mirror again, and her mouth curved up into a small, winsome smile.
Maybe she didn't know what she was doing.
But maybe the only thing she needed to do today was walk downstairs, meet his eyes, and take it one step at a time.
The floorboards upstairs groaned and Smoke’s head snapped towards the sound. He rose slowly from his spot on the couch, keeping his eyes trained on Annie as she walked down the stairs with a hand on the banister.
His gaze moved over her.
She wore a deep mustard-colored blouse tucked into a navy blue ankle-length skirt and high button leather boots. Her purse was slung over her shoulder and her skin still looked warm from her bath.
“You look nice.”
“Thank you.”
“Real nice.”
Annie’s cheeks warmed.
“Ready?” he asked.
Annie smiled once she got to the bottom of the staircase. “I’m ready.”
Aunt Della stood in the threshold between the kitchen and the front room, arms crossed over her chest. Her eyes went from Smoke to Annie and back. “Y’all don’t have too much fun out there,” she smirked. “And watch my baby,” she said to Smoke.
“I will,” Smoke said as he put his hat back. He opened the door for Annie and stepped back to turn to Aunt Della. “Always.”
Aunt Della shook her head playfully and turned back to the kitchen, arms still folded but a grin on her lips.
The ride over to Fourth Street was quick—just two short blocks. People in front of Chow’s Grocery were few and far between, but the sidewalk was far from empty. Outside, business moved as usual. A vendor restocked produce while a worker inspected their freshness. A few customers left the store with items wrapped tightly in brown paper while their children skipped alongside them with peppermint sticks and molasses chews in hand. Wagons trekked by slowly with mounds of cotton in the back, and the constant hammering of picks chipping ice blocks apart echoed in the street.
Smoke rounded the front of his truck to open the door for Annie. He held up a hand for her to balance herself on and took care to make sure she was steady once she stepped out. He followed behind her as they walked to the entrance, his hand on the small of her back as he held the door for her.
The inside held the sweet pungency of chicory in burlap sacks being hauled from the back and piled high by the windows. Charles and Bo Chow stood behind the front counter, Charles weighing something on the scale while Bo wrote an entry in the ledger. A smirk spread across Bo’s face when he saw Smoke and Annie at the door and clocked their closeness. He nodded at Smoke, then slid his eyes over to Annie and waved at her, drawn by the warmth that always seemed to radiate off her.
“Baby,” Smoke started, exchanging a look with Bo. “I need to go holler at Bo real quick.”
“Okay,” Annie responded in that sweet, syrupy Louisiana drawl of hers.
She drifted across the store looking at her list, then made her way down one of the aisles in search of something else entirely. Smoke watched her go, watched her disappear, replayed it in his head. Then he turned to Bo. He was wiping down a display as Charles rang up a customer at the till.
“How you been, man?” Bo asked.
“Good, good,” Smoke said. He greeted him with a firm handshake, then pulled back to get a good look at him. “Damn, fatherhood huh?”
“I look that bad?”
“You look like shit.”
Bo laughed, the corner of his eyes crinkling with it. He looked tired, but content in a way that made his eyes twinkle. Like he was at peace despite it all. “Tired as hell. But I’m happy,” he nodded. “We happy.”
“I’m happy for you, Bo.”
“Thanks man,” Bo replied, shaking Smoke’s shoulder. His eyes flicked over the store. “Della’s girl…that’s you?”
“You mean Annie,” Smoke corrected.
Surprise overtook Bo’s face and he raised an eyebrow. A question. “Yeah, I mean Annie.”
“Yeah,” he answered. Firm. “She mine.”
Bo clapped Smoke on the shoulder, looking at him with a sense of shock and awe. “Oh shit,” he exclaimed, putting a fist in front of his mouth. “Look at you, fixin’ to be in my shoes soon, Smoke.”
Smoke shot him a look as he walked away, but something in him got quiet when the thought crossed his mind. Then it got warm.
Annie, a mother.
Him.
A father.
He shook the thought away just as quickly when they became poisoned by thoughts of his own father.
That felt like a metaphor for his own life— innocence being corrupted by its own blood.
The thought of being a father after putting his own in the ground felt devastatingly ironic, but hope flickered somewhere that maybe it could rewrite whatever went wrong with his own.
He shook his head and kept walking through the store, his legs carrying him past the aisles in slow, measured steps. He didn’t rush. He knew exactly where Annie was.
Annie was still reeling.
From him calling her baby. From the way he said it with that deep Mississippi drawl. Her cheeks were warm, skin flushed, and all of a sudden, everything felt hot despite the store being cool.
She stood in the aisle, humming under her breath, half bent over as she flipped through a wire basket on a shelf filled with seed packets.
“Why she want this when we got it in the backyard?” She fussed.
She shook her head, plucked the seed packet from the stack, and stood up. They dropped into her shopping basket as she walked further down the aisle. She picked up the small bag of feed and saw a shadow out of the corner of her eye. She ignored it and went about her business crossing items off her list when she heard it.
“Hey stranger.”
She turned around.
Reverend Carter stepped around the corner.
Red button up, brown tweed waistcoat, gold pocket watch hanging. And that silver signet ring that he rubbed with the pad of his thumb. She looked down in his shopping basket and her brows knit at the contents inside.
Her lips tightened into a line, that same odd sense of familiarity crept up on her again and made her insides tumble with unease.
“Hey.” She adjusted the strap of her purse around her shoulder.
A grin spread across his face. “How you been?”
“Good,” she nodded. “You?”
Carter nodded like he was choosing his words carefully. “I’ve been doin’ just fine,” he said slowly.
Annie shifted her weight. “So you’re back?”
“For a little.”
She blinked. “Where you speakin’ at this time?”
“Church off Yazoo,” he said quickly.
She frowned for a second, then relaxed her face.
Carter chuckled under his breath. “What’s wrong?” he asked.
“You stayin’ at the house?”
He smirked to the side then looked back. “I’m stayin’ with the pastor.”
“Makes sense.”
“Yeah…makes perfect sense.”
His eyes dropped to her ileke beads, then back up. The glance was quick, barely even noticeable. But she did. The hand that wasn’t holding her basket rose to touch her beads protectively.
Smoke noticed it too.
He was at the top of the aisle, watching.
He saw Carter’s eyes dip to her chest. It was just a brief second, but the flicker made his chest tighten.
He crossed the aisle in three long strides. He kept his eyes forward, locked on Carter who had sensed him looming and had since looked up from Annie.
Smoke stepped behind her and wrapped an arm around her waist, the motion tucking her into his side. The gesture was smooth, natural, like her body had no business not being there all along.
Annie let out a quiet exhale. It was a short, controlled breath that made her shoulders relax.
Then she moved—but she didn’t move so much as melt. She relaxed back into Smoke’s touch, folding easily into him. His fingers curled around her hip, but his eyes didn’t leave Carter’s.
“Afternoon,” Carter said politely to Smoke.
Smoke just stared at him, his dark hooded eyes like black orbs piercing into the depths of whatever lay behind Carter’s. No nod. No acknowledgement. Just a cold, tactical assessment.
Carter blinked. “Y’all goin’ to the Harvest Party next month?”
“Yeah,” Annie replied quickly. She felt Smoke’s grip tighten on her hip.“We—”
“What business a preacher got at a juke joint?” Smoke asked, voice flat.
“I ain’t goin’,” Carter said, rubbing his signet ring. He looked down at it, then looked back up at them. “Just tryna make conversation.”
Smoke and Annie glanced at each other out of the corner of their eyes.
“Well,” he said, tipping his hat. “Y’all have a good rest of your day.”
Then he walked away.
The bustle of Chow’s went on around them but they didn’t hear it— like they only existed now in their own little bubble. Then Smoke dipped his head to her ear and pressed his lips there.
Three short kisses. Soft despite the intensity of the feeling behind them. Warm, from the closeness and something else entirely. They felt less like a kiss and more like a claim.
One right behind the ear, one lower on the skin right above the neck, and one right on the shell. His nose nuzzled there for a second before he opened his mouth and hummed right into her ear. Low, deep, right into the part of her ear that made his voice vibrate right down her spine.
“You good?”
“Mhmm,” she hummed.
She looked over her shoulder at him and his eyes were closed at the sound of her voice. She stroked his beard and his eyes opened to find hers darker. Her fingers grazed the shell of his ear. A gentle touch that made him fight off a shiver.
“Behave,” he said, squeezing her hip gently.
Annie grinned. She turned away from his grasp and slinked out of the aisle like nothing happened. Then she glanced over her shoulder at him once more to bat her eyes at him before slipping completely out of his sight. Smoke stood there watching her walk away, his body still warm from where she rested against it. He flexed his hands at his sides to subdue the fire she stoked in him, then followed behind her.
Outside, the air smelled like spice and the bite of the chilly November air. Annie adjusted the paper-wrapped bundle from Chow’s against her hip and slipped it into her purse. Smoke stepped out behind her with the chicken feed sack tucked under his arm and the rest of Aunt Della’s order in his other hand like it weighed nothing. He watched a shiver run down Annie’s spine that she tried to hide.
“Cold?”
“A little.”
“Here.”
Smoke shrugged off his jacket and laid it over Annie’s shoulders as they walked towards his truck. The smell wafting from King’s Tamales Stand next door stopped Annie in her tracks as a man working the booth shouted his prices to folks passing by and wrapped hot tamales in paper. Warm masa, spice, meat steamed softly inside of corn husks. Steam curled up from a heavy pot blackened by use and hit the inside of the tin roof of the stand that had a crooked hand-painted sign attached to the front.
Smoke glanced at Annie. “Hungry?”
Annie looked at him with those wide brown eyes of hers. Then her stomach answered before she got the chance. She scoffed, looking down at it like it betrayed her thoughts, then back up at Smoke.
Smoke’s mouth twitched. “Come on.” He shifted the sack higher beneath his arm and stepped towards the stand. “How many you want?”
“One.”
“Just one?”
Smoke looked towards the tamale man. “We’ll take four.”
Annie blinked. “Four?”
Smoke looked back at Annie. “I’m hungry, too.”
The man behind the stand grinned like he’d seen this before. “Two for the gentleman, one for the lady now, and one for when she gets hungry later.”
“Exactly,” Smoke agreed.
Annie scoffed, looking away before a smile broke out on her face.
“Hot?” the man asked.
Smoke looked back at Annie again. She lifted her chin, offended despite herself. “Hot.”
Smoke looked back to the grinning man and nodded once. “Hot.”
“You think I wouldn’t like hot?”
“I didn’t know that’s why I asked.”
“You forget where I’m from?”
“I remember.”
The tamales came wrapped in paper, steam rising as the man passed them over to Smoke. He paid, coins dropping clean in the man’s palm. “Enjoy,” he said as they turned down the sidewalk.
They walked a little ways down the side of the building, stopping by a patch of shade where the street noise softened around them. Smoke set Aunt Della’s things carefully by his feet, then handed Annie her tamales. He unwrapped his own with easy hands. Annie watched him without meaning to. The way he carefully peeled back the husk. The way the steam curled around his fingers. The way he took the first bite and let it sit in his mouth before he started chewing. He chewed once, twice, then nodded faintly to himself.
“That good?”
“Mhmm.” He took another bite.
Annie unwrapped hers, holding it carefully between her fingers as the heat bled through the paper. The first bite was soft and smoky. The cornmeal was tender, but not enough to fall through her fingers. The meat was rich with salt, pepper, and something earthy underneath. She chewed thoughtfully, her mouth analyzing every flavor. Smoke was already on his second tamale, but was chewing slower now, watching her.
“What?” she asked.
“You makin’ a face.”
“I’m thinkin’.”
Smoke’s brows knit together. “About a tamale?”
“Mhmm.”
His mouth curved. “That so?”
“Absolutely.”
She took another bite, slower this time. “It’s good.”
Smoke nodded but kept his eyes trained on her for the—
“But.”
“I knew it.”
Annie smiled faintly. “It could use a lil’ more depth.”
“Depth?”
She nodded. “Depth.”
Smoke looked down at his half-eaten tamale then back up at Annie. “It’s a tamale.”
“And?”
Smoke looked amused now. He tilted his head. “What would you do to it?”
Annie shifted her weight. “I’d give it somethin’ to round out the pepper,” she said. “So it don’t just sit on top.”
Smoke just looked at her. “You always this particular?”
“With food? Yes.”
“And everything else?”
Annie opened her mouth, then closed it. She looked down at her tamale, then back at him. And when she spoke, her words came out softer than she expected them. “I know what I like.”
Smoke’s gaze hadn’t left her. “Good.” He took another bite, slowly. The cornmeal broke apart clean between his teeth. A long chunk of saucy meat landed on his tongue and he slurped it down his mouth without breaking eye contact.
“You starin’.”
Annie blinked. “Am not.”
“What you lookin’ at then?”
“You got somethin’ on your face.”
He ran a hand through his beard. “For real?”
“It’s gone now.”
He couldn’t ignore the mirth in her eyes. She looked away, unwrapping the last tamale with more attention than it needed. The corner of Smoke’s mouth lifted.
“Where I’m from, folks put more life into they food,” she said, turning back to him.
“More life?”
“Yep.”
“What that mean?”
“It means…” she said, looking towards the street like she could find the words there. “Food should taste like somebody remembered where they came from when they made it.”
“You sayin’ the people who made this…forgot where they came from?”
“No.” She smiled into her food. “They just knew wherever they was goin’ didn’t like it hot!”
Smoke huffed a laugh. Fourth Street moved around them, unconcerned. And the tension from inside of Chow’s softened into something easier. Something with steam, spice, and a little more kick.
“I’ll make sure to let King know.”
Annie swatted his chest. “Smoke, don’t you dare!”
When they were done eating, Smoke gathered Aunt Della’s order again and Annie threw the empty wrappers into a nearby waste barrel. She wiped her fingers against her handkerchief, the taste of pepper and cornmeal still heavy on her tongue.
They left their items from Chow’s locked in Smoke’s truck, which he left in front of the grocery store at Annie’s insistence. Annie enjoyed the scenery as they walked leisurely towards the next stop on her list of errands. Smoke enjoyed the scenery too— her. Her hair, tucked into a thick bun, had tendrils hanging down the sides of her face that blew with the wind. One kept sticking to the shell of her ear, tickling her when it hit just right. The beads tucked under the neckline of her dress rattled if she moved a certain way. And she still had his jacket on to shield her from the wind. The sight of her walking around with his suit jacket draped over her shoulders did something to him that he couldn’t explain and didn’t want to.
They neared the crossroad where Fourth Street met Issaquena, the street lined with shops for personal and grooming services. Luella’s Dressing Room & Alterations, Ritzy’s Beauty Salon, Brown’s Barbershop, and others sat along a row of close-knit brick and wooden storefronts with mended awnings and handmade signs.
The noise of the street got louder as they approached the block where Luella’s and Ritzy’s stood across from the barbershop. Or maybe it was just the noise in Annie’s head. She walked closest to the sidewalk with Smoke right beside her, watching her closely. His hand would find her lower back if he saw her steps falter or slow. They dodged some kids roughhousing, a stand or a low hanging sign, a crack in the sidewalk.
The area in front of the barbershop was full of men standing on lampposts smoking cigarettes, people watching, and chatting each other up. Suspenders loose or off, hats sitting low, legs bent, feet on the brick barbershop building while they waited their turn. The striped pole outside spun slowly with the wind. The smell of shaving soap, pomade, and hot comb smoke drifted upwards from the barbershop and the beauty salon across the street. The men outside let their eyes wander when Annie approached them on the sidewalk— and froze when they saw Smoke right next to her. Conversations paused, necks craned slowly. Smoke guided her through the crowd that parted for them with his hand at her back. The men acknowledged him, some giving him daps, others giving a firm nod. Some said a few polite words, tipping their hats and greeting them both as they walked by. But Smoke kept his hands on Annie. Always on her.
Sunflower Music was painted in gold lettering on a black wooden sign that hung perpendicular to the sidewalk. The awning was a muted red, the color faded by the sun and wear, and stuck out of a narrow brick storefront with tall display windows in the front. Folks walking by would just stop and stare at what was inside— sheet music, instruments, phonographs, a lone Columbia Graphophone. Stacks of records displayed like treasure. Once the shop bell guided them through the door, the smell of paper, varnished wood, and cigars turned the crisp winter air to something with more bite. The space was long and spread out. Wooden floors. Pressed-tin ceiling. Ceiling fans turning slowly overhead. Most of the displays were spread out across the walls except a few items that were secured behind glass cases and oak cabinets shined to a mirror finish.
A musician tested out strings by the wall where the instruments were displayed. A few church mothers Annie recognized from First Baptist Missionary were flipping carefully through church hymn sheet music displayed in stands on the other side of the shop.
The owner stood by one of many phonographs with a record in his hands. He placed it in one, cranked the machine, and dropped the needle, all in one smooth, practiced motion. The customer standing next to him waited for the beat to drop. The record spun, the sound cracked slightly, then the smooth sound of a brass band spread throughout the room. Annie paused. The customer bopped his head to the fast-paced, soulful music coming from the phonograph speakers.
Then the cornet solo hit.
Annie stilled entirely.
The sound of conversation faded away, even the pointed looks of the church mothers who recognized her walking hand-in-hand with Smoke, she paid no mind. The familiarity of the music made her chest twist painfully. It sounded like home. Felt like it too. Like street musicians, second line parades, and rain hitting tin roofs during summer storms.
“Annie?” he asked, voice low. He touched the small of her back.
Once she caught her breath, she whispered, “Yeah.”
“You okay?”
“Yeah,” she replied, blinking back the tear that threatened to drop from her left eye. “Just reminds me of home.” She blinked and she could see it clearly. A rickety old shack. The fierce, stubborn, woman who lived inside who felt more like a spirit than a memory. “My great-grandmama,” she said a little softer. “Before she passed…she loved listening to the cornet. I don’t know why but that was the only instrument that made her face light up no matter how out of it she was.”
Smoke rubbed her lower back and they moved deeper in the store but Annie felt like she was walking through water. They ended up by the stack of records which stood close to the instruments along the wall.
“That’s the thing about music,” he said. “It has a way of bringin’ you back to somebody, even after they long gone.”
Annie exhaled sharply. She went through the Vaudeville records but she wasn’t really looking. Smoke stood by her side, facing her, waiting.
“We lost her to the hurricane. Back in ‘15.”
“I’m sorry.”
“She wouldn’t leave.” Her voice cracked.
“What you mean?”
Annie took a deep breath.
“She lived deep in the bayou. Water filled with gators,” she chuckled, shaking her head. “She knew the storm was comin’ before it did. Said if the water’s fixin’ to take her she ain’t gon’ run.”
Annie looked towards the window like the memory called her there for some reason. “She said she had somebody on the other side waitin’ on her.”
Smoke nodded once, eyes patient. “You know who?”
“No,” she said. “She was sold downriver ‘fo she could remember anyone.”
“Damn,” Smoke whispered.
She smiled. It was faint, like it was pushing through the grief. “She was alone her whole life…’til she started having babies.”
“How many?”
“Fourteen.”
Smoke whistled low.
Annie hummed. “She was somethin’ else.”
The memory of her great-grandmother flashed quickly through her mind like a blur. Eyes that looked different…older than her age, and much younger at the same time. Her frail hands dragging a stick through swamp mud, leaving marks that looked less drawn than remembered.
“What was her name?”
Annie blinked and it was gone. Her hand rose to her ileke beads again, then she looked up at Smoke with the softest, widest, brown eyes, and the tenderness in them made him sigh.
“Antoinette,” she said finally. Like the name pulled something out of her that made her hesitate to say it out loud.
Smoke rubbed her shoulder, pulled her close and kissed the top of her head.
Annie put a hand on his chest, leaning into his touch.
They let the silence sit between them for a few moments. Let the quiet ache until it dulled into something easier to move on from.
“Anyway,” she said finally, pulling herself together. “Let’s get what I came here for.” Her fingers walked the records in search of the ragtime one Aunt Della wanted.
“What kinda music they listen to, over there in France?”
“They liked a lot of the stuff we brought over.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. Our regiment had a band and everything.”
“Were you in it?” She teased.
His mouth twitched. “Nah.”
The musician testing out guitars hit a chord with a slider that made Smoke’s hand tap once against the record box before he caught himself. He looked at Annie and she was already looking at him.
“What?” he asked.
Annie arched her brow. “You like that?”
“It’s nice.”
“Why?”
Smoke exhaled. “It’s slow. Got a little ache to it.”
Annie chuckled low.
The guitar player took his slider off and played something a little louder, a little faster, a deep Blues riff.
“You like this one, too?”
“This more Stack’s style.”
“Mmmhmmm.”
“What?”
“It’s more Stack’s style but your hand been tappin’ away since he started playin’.”
Smoke looked down at his hand then back to Annie. “Don’t mean I can’t enjoy it.”
“You right,” she smirked. “But you tappin’ along like you know this song by heart.”
“I do.”
Annie frowned. “From where?”
“My daddy.” He paused. Looked down. Sighed. “He played the guitar.”
“Oh,” she mouthed. She heard something in his words even though his voice was steady. Pain. Shame. Guilt. Loss. Whatever it was, it weighed heavy.
His jaw tightened. “Back then…” he drifted off. “The music felt kinder than the man.” His eyes found her again.
“I’m sorry,” she said softly.
Annie rubbed his arm, then pulled it around her. The gesture made his shoulders relax, and she wrapped her arms around his chest. “Elijah,” she whispered up to him.
His name on her lips felt as warm as her hand on his chest.
“Hmm,” he answered, looking off into the distance.
She rubbed his back. “You alright?” she asked quietly.
He looked down at her, then wrapped his arms around her tighter.
“Yeah,” he said into her hair. He inhaled her scent—jasmine, rosewater, and vanilla.
Annie didn't push. Just let him stay in the moment a little longer, with her to hold onto.
Across the room, one of the church mothers cleared her throat entirely too loud, and just like that the tenderness snapped. Smoke and Annie both frowned, then looked over with expectant gazes. One cold, one more curious but still annoyed. The church mother’s mouth snapped shut and she scoffed, turning back around. Smoke and Annie both laughed as they walked towards the register, his arm around her shoulder.
“I’ma get an earful on Sunday ‘cause of you,” Annie joked, lacing her fingers with the ones hanging over her shoulder.
“They need to mind they own business,” Smoke said. Loudly. Right towards where they were congregating off to the side by the sheet music.
Their heads snapped over immediately.
Annie swatted his chest.
“What?”
“Lord,” she mumbled. “You was just tellin’ me to behave and you out here talkin’ crazy.”
“Tell the truth, shame the devil. Ain’t that what they say?”
“Smoke!” She tried swatting at him again. This time he caught her hand, brought it to his lips, and kissed it. Annie rolled her eyes but she couldn’t stop a grin from spreading on her face.
“Nuh-uh,” his voice dropped low, right by her ear again. “You know my name.”
Her breath hitched.
“Mhmm,” he drawled.
They stepped to the register.
“Find everything you were lookin’ for?” The clerk asked.
The words sat between them. Smoke looked at Annie.
“Yeah,” Annie said. “Just this.”
“This a good record,” he remarked. “Classic.” He set the W.C. Handy record in its sleeve, then wrapped it twice in newspaper.
Annie listened.
“His band still play around town, in Tutwiler, and down in Mound Bayou.”
Smoke’s jaw clenched, then unclenched. Annie saw it. Saved it for later.
“Bayou?” she asked.
“Mound Bayou. All black town, just a little ways south of here,” the clerk remarked.
Annie nodded curiously.
The clerk slipped the record in a brown paper bag. “That’ll be 75 cent.”
Smoke had it in the man’s hand before Annie could pull out her pocketbook. He watched her hesitate and shot her a look that dared her to pull her own money out. That’s all she needed to see to keep her hand right where it was— wrapped tightly in his.
Smoke kissed her hand again before grabbing the bag.
“Y’all have a nice day,” the clerk said.
They turned to leave a few minutes later, bags between them as they fell in step beside each other. They didn’t talk much, but their hands stayed laced, like they both needed to touch the piece of themselves they just shared. When they stepped out of the building and the noise of the street came back, the moment didn’t disappear. It just followed them out into the cold. The chilly air whipped wildly across their faces, but it did nothing to cool the heat rising between them, or the thrum that sat underneath all the tension.
A month went by, but not quietly.
The air got colder. November flew by like a gust of wind off the gulf where Annie used to catch crabs with her brothers when she was a little girl. The house got louder. Out of towners, people trying to get up North before the snow up there delayed the trains. Blackbird got busier. Annie kept storing her money in the tea tin that fit perfectly under the floorboard in her room. Soon she’d have to get a bigger one, she thought to herself. And find another hiding place.
Annie’s lessons with Aunt Della continued behind padlocked doors.
Dress fittings at Luella’s became less frequent as her Harvest Party look came together.
Smoke got busy, too. Quiet meetings on the outskirts of town. Trips to Memphis and business at Moon Lake. He came around the boarding house even more. This time he didn’t need to feign usefulness.
Meetings under the magnolia tree became their ritual. Every Sunday when the afternoon stretched its arms out into evening he’d come around back. Like clockwork, he’d show up, the side fence creaking open before he stepped through. They’d sit outside and talk until the mosquitos got too bad.
It became a place where they shared pieces of themselves.
A place where ordinary conversation became sacred.
Nellie, Pearline and Gigi squealed when she finally told them about Smoke. And time with them became more frequent too — nights, afternoons, or mornings in town before the roads got too crowded.
As long as it didn’t touch Sunday night.
Those belonged to Smoke.
“Louisiana,” Gigi started. Casual, like she was just asking about the weather. “You ain’t mounted that horse yet?”
The words cut through the laughter, the sound of peas dropping in a bowl, even the phonograph that played soft jazz from the corner. Somebody choked mid-chuckle. Everybody turned to look at Annie, then froze. Three sets of eyes stared at her with a glittering curiosity that made her palms feel clammy in that moment. Gigi tapped her foot on the floor impatiently. Pearline fiddled with her hands. Nellie looked at Annie like she could read the answer in her face. But Annie wasn’t bothered. In fact, she was a little amused. This wasn’t a new question.
The four of them were sitting around the kitchen table after congregating at Nellie's house following their weekday bible study. Nellie’s mother took one long look at the four of them lounging around the front room and put them to work. She set a bowl and some peas on the kitchen table and walked out the room without another word. A pot of greens soaked on the counter. Pepper and onion sat chopped in a cast iron for later. Flour still sat in the cracks of the table from breakfast.
She sighed softly. “No.”
“Why not?”
“She said she ain’t ready, y’all,” Pearline chimed in for her. “She say this every time y’all ask this question.” Then quieter. “It ain’t always like what them singers be goin’ on about.”
“Maybe not for you,” Gigi rebutted. “But you ain’t mountin’ a stallion.”
“More like a donkey,” Nellie joked.
Annie snorted. Even Pearline laughed under her breath.
“So y’all just been kissin’?” Gigi probed.
“Mhmm.”
“You let him…touch you?” The question came from Nellie.
Her body flushed warm at the thought. Annie looked over to Nellie. “No.”
“Shame,” she sighed. “He look like he know what to do with his hands.”
“Mhmm,” Gigi agreed.
“He should know,” Pearline said matter-of-factly. “Him and his brother done ran through half the town.”
“More than half,” Nellie muttered.
Annie sighed. Rolled her eyes.
“Stack more than Smoke,” Nellie confirmed.
“Don’t I know it,” Annie replied.
“I heard Stack got a mean appetite,” Gigi said slyly.
That made Pearline gasp. “Gigi!”
“What?” Gigi asked incredulously.
“Please,” Pearline insisted in a hushed tone.
Annie shook her head. “Oh my God,” she protested. “I don’t need to hear this about my man’s brother.”
“I heard Smoke manhood so big, it touches your soul,” Nellie said.
Annie’s head turned towards Nellie. “Who told you that?”
Nellie shrugged. “Is it true?”
Annie shrugged.
“Every woman in town want a piece of them twins, I’m just surprised you ain’t took a bite yet.”
“Not even a nibble?” Gigi asked. She looked shocked.
Annie chuckled low. “Not even a nibble.”
“But you seen it, though? Felt it? Backed up on him and let it poke you a little?”
“No,” she said. “I ain’t seen it.”
“But you felt it.” Gigi’s eyes grew wide. “It’s big ain’t it?”
“He walk around like it’s big,” Nellie said plainly.
The room exploded with laughter, squeals, and giggles. Annie fumbled with a pea.
“What’s big?” A voice rang out from the other room.
Nellie froze, then groaned and rolled her eyes when she realized who was talking.
“Awww don’t sound too happy to see me lil’ sis,” she continued. She stepped into the kitchen, t-strap heels clacking against the floorboards. Nice dress, nicer stockings, hair styled differently than Annie had seen in Clarksdale or New Orleans. Baby on her hip and another child at her waist, vice grip on his shirt like she was trying to keep him from running off or touching something he wasn’t supposed to.
Nellie rolled her eyes again and kept on shelling peas. “Hey Verity,” she said flatly. She looked up and her eyes softened when she saw her niece and nephew. “Look at how big you are!” she exclaimed.
“Aunt Nellie!”
Verity released the little boy and he ran over to give his aunt a hug. She adjusted her grip on her daughter, bouncing the babbling toddler on her hip.
“Baby,” Verity said calmly with that mom warning underneath, “gon’ and help your daddy outside.”
The little boy rushed out the front door, leaving just the girls in an awkward silence before they quickly changed the subject.
“Hey Verity,” Gigi and Pearline said together. Verity greeted them back, staring curiously at the stranger sitting at her mother’s kitchen table.
“Verity,” Nellie started. “This is Annie, she’s new, from Louisiana. Annie, this is my sister Verity. She’s in town from Chicago.”
Annie wiped off her hands on her apron and held out her hand to shake. “Nice to meet you, Verity.”
“Nice to meet you too, Verity. My goodness, you’re so pretty.”
“Thank you,” Annie beamed.
Verity looked around the room. At each woman’s face individually. “What was y’all in here talkin’ about?” She asked like she’d already heard too much.
“Nothing,” Nellie said firmly.
Verity’s eyes narrowed.
“Men,” Gigi admitted bluntly.
Nellie shot her a look, to which she just shrugged and kept shelling her peas.
“What about ‘em?” Verity asked as her baby grabbed the collar of her dress. She untangled her fingers carefully while waiting for someone to say something.
“Annie here got herself a suitor already,” Nellie called out. “Smoke Moore.”
The look on Verity’s face said that she was busy putting a name to a face before it finally clicked. “Oh, one of the twins!” She wiped drool off her baby’s lips before it dripped on her clothes. “So they both came back from the war,” she remarked. “That’s good.”
Nellie rolled her eyes. “She done forgot about everybody she grew up with.”
“Did not! They’re both so much younger than me.”
“You’re only 27.”
“And I been in Chicago for the past seven years,” she quipped. “How old are they now?”
“21,” Gigi answered.
“Babies,” she whispered, pinching her daughter’s cheek.
“Anyway, do you mind? Us babies,” Nellie said sarcastically, “tryna talk here. About somethin’ you don’t need to know nothin’ about.”
Verity sighed. She was older, but still young enough to remember being where they were. Young and unmarried. Always being in a position to be told or met with judgment. Mostly from the women closest to her.
She’d moved to Chicago and was met with a different type of perspective. The social scene was different, much different, probably something that’d make her mother clutch her pearls if she heard the lasciviousness that was considered normal, and that she had a taste of it before she met her husband.
So, she knew all about flirtation and temptation. About men who only knew how to talk pretty, men who knew how to be tender, and men who confused possession with care. And behind the venom in her words, she could hear something more vulnerable in her little sister’s tone. So, she pulled up a chair at the table, put her baby between her legs, and went to work shelling peas. They worked together in silence for a while. Nothing except the occasional sigh, the sound of the baby hitting the table with her palms, and the house creaking and settling around them.
“Anyone else seein’ anybody new?” Verity asked.
Nobody replied. The air in the tiny kitchen held an uncomfortable type of tension. But it wasn’t anything unique. It was generational. A hesitance that usually exists in the gap between women just becoming and women who’d already been in their shoes.
“How’s your husband, Pea?”
Pearline cleared her throat. “He good,” she responded. She kept her head down while Verity looked at her knowingly.
The front door practically flew open with all the energy of a hyper five-year-old boy. He took his shoes off by the door then ran down the hallway.
Another person stepped in. His steps were much slower, but his energy was just as powerful in a measured, grown man kind of way. All six heads in the kitchen turned at once. Skin the color of chestnuts, bulky shoulders, broad chest, piercing light brown eyes that could stop a woman mid-sentence. He took off his hat to reveal a head full of low-cut slicked down hair. His three-piece suit matched the sharpness of Verity’s dress like a lid to a pot. He flashed a smile and damn near every woman at the table gulped hard.
He waved his hand to greet everyone. “Hey y’all.” His voice was deep and gruff. A hint of southern twang in it, like the South had somehow rubbed off on him but he wasn’t born and bred here.
“Hey,” everybody said back.
Verity smiled, clearly unshaken by his presence because this was her husband.
“Can you take the baby? She gettin’ fussy and I’m tryna help the girls with supper.”
“Sure.” He crossed the room to the kitchen and planted a kiss on her waiting forehead, then grabbed his daughter from her lap.
“Thank you.”
“Hey sugar plum,” he cooed. He spoke softly to his daughter. She giggled and rested her head in the crook of his neck as he took her down the hallway.
Once they heard the click of a door shutting in the distance, the kitchen could finally exhale.
“That’s your husband?” Gigi asked breathlessly, looking towards the hallway like she needed him to reappear out of thin air. “Girl he is too fine!”
Verity grinned. “That’s my man,” she said proudly.
“Where you find him at?” Gigi continued. “And do he have any brothers?”
Annie kept her thoughts to herself as she snapped a pea under her thumb. While they sized him up her thoughts drifted over to Smoke. How his smile was easy when he showed it. How he didn’t show it to anybody but her. The way he’d walk in and suck the air out the room. The way his muscles filled out his clothing. Her breath sped up at the thought. She felt flushed. Hot all of a sudden, all over again.
Verity laughed at Gigi’s remarks and shook her head. “He do, but he’s the only good apple in the bunch.”
“Lord,” Annie chuckled.
Verity looked over at her expectantly.
“I got nothin’ but brothers,” she explained. “Got one, maybe two of them decent. The rest ain’t got the sense God gave a goose.”
Everyone at the table laughed, the tension easing into something more relaxed.
“It would take God and all his disciples to drill some decency into ‘em,” Pearline let slip out.
“Pearlie!” Nellie gasped at the revelation. Sweet little Pearline with her lace gloves, quiet eyes and her perfect posture like she was afraid that if she didn’t stand up perfectly straight someone would come behind her with a ruler to put her back in line.
She shrugged casually, clearly pleased with herself.
“Gigi,” Annie kept on shelling peas. “You ever see Will again?”
Gigi made a sound like she was vomiting and Annie broke out in laughter.
“Verity,” she looked at her. “This man had the worst smelling feet I’ve ever smelled in my life!”
“Not smelly feet.”
“A horse’s hoof smells better than that man’s feet,” she grimaced. “Besides,” she smirked like her face held a secret she’d been dying to tell. Her voice got low. “I’ve been keepin’ company with Rodney again.”
“Not surprised,” Nellie mumbled.
“Who’s Rodney?” Annie asked.
Nellie answered for her. “Just the man she been stuck on since we was kids.”
“Ohh….”
“I ain’t stuck. He’s just familiar.”
“More like that hmmhmm” she gave the table a knowing look, “is familiar.”
“Ain’t nothin’ wrong with goin’ back to an ol’ reliable.” Annie whipped her head around. The voice came from Verity.
“That’s right,” Gigi agreed smugly.
“Annie ain’t even done nothin’ with that twin of hers yet.”
Annie rolled her eyes. “Here we go.”
“Why not?” Verity asked.
She huffed a small breath out her nose. “Just waitin’ for the right time.”
“You waitin’ til the party huh?” Gigi asked with a grin. “All that liquor runnin’ through you will loosen you right on up,” she teased.
Annie shook her head, laughing.
Pearline spoke up quietly. “Don’t let the liquor make you do anything you don’t wanna do.”
“I ain’t,” Annie said.
“You keep it for yourself until you good and ready to give it away.”
“Exactly,” Pearline said. “And if he really cares, he won’t mind. Not one bit.”
“My husband waited a whole year for me to let him in. Didn’t pressure me. Didn’t make me feel bad. Didn’t make it ‘bout his needs,” Verity recalled. “What matters is what he does when wantin’ you, means he gotta take it slow.”
Her words landed.
“Do he know?” Her voice was small. Pearline’s. “That you a virgin?”
Annie exhaled sharply. “I ain’t told him,” she confessed.
“We ain’t been alone like that,” she said softly while fumbling with the hem of her apron. “And I ain’t found the right time to tell him yet.”
“He gon’ wear you out once he get his hands on you,” Gigi said dramatically. “You know that right?”
“I believe it.” And she did.
“Whew, chile,” Nellie drawled. “I’ma say a prayer for you. And for your—”
“Eleanor!” Verity snapped.
Annie snorted.
Verity looked over at Annie, eyes warm. “You’ll find the right time,” she assured.
The kitchen was a little quieter after that. Just the sound of knuckles cracking, shells snapping open, peas hitting the bottom of the bowl, throaty jazz still coming from the corner. And a glaring question that hummed underneath the noise.
“Do you want to…you know, with him?” Pearline asked.
Annie stopped shelling for a moment and looked to the side to collect the whirlwind of thoughts that spun around in her head.
Her and Smoke had been having outings. Not running into each other by chance, not catching a glimpse across the sidewalk. Together. In public. On purpose. It was mostly whatever it was she wanted to do. Smoke liked it that way.
They tucked into their own little routine as what was blossoming between them slowly became familiar. Since her conversation with Aunt Della she hadn’t taken the time to sit down and think about what exactly it was or where it was going to go. All she knew is that in this new rhythm with him…it felt right.
He’d touch her gently. Carefully. Like he was holding onto something fragile. But even the slightest contact sent shivers down her spine.
A hand at the small of her back.
He’d lean in close when he needed to say something to her. Always did.
But sometimes he’d drop his mouth right by her ear just to hear her gasp under her breath.
He’d wrap his hands around her waist and she swore she forgot how to breathe.
But she didn’t move away.
His desire for her was palpable.
He was hungry.
She could see it in his eyes and feel it in his restraint.
But he was tender with her, like he was dousing his own desire until she was ready to cross that bridge, and that ignited her curiosity for more like a spark lit in a dry room.
She knew she was in trouble when she started to notice the absence of certain things. His closeness. His touch. The feeling that came from it.
She thought about his mouth a lot. What it felt like pressed against hers. The way his tongue would trace the seam of her lips like a man standing at a threshold, waiting to be invited in.
Her thoughts usually stopped there because they were too overwhelming.
Kissing wasn’t new to her. Desire wasn’t either. Not entirely.
She’d heard things. Sensed them. She wasn’t naive in an ignorant way.
But as the baby of the family, and the only girl, she’d been crowded. She was always loved and protected. But love and protection always felt like being watched and managed by people who assumed they knew what was best for her.
Then Smoke came along. He unsettled her because he didn’t hover. He waited. With his quiet attention and something deeper that sat underneath the surface.
He listened.
He chose her.
He made space for her to choose herself.
And for a girl who spent her whole life being guarded, space felt dangerous.
It felt like freedom.
Freedom to be held but not held back.
She wanted to step into it, the new version of herself that was emerging from sheltered beginnings.
Craved it.
Craved him.
Badly.
Even though she didn't fully know what that meant, she wanted to be close. Wanted to experience everything that came along with that closeness.
And it wasn’t just a physical thing. It was a primal, desperate ache that rose from the depths and swept through her body, hitting every single nerve ending along the way.
She even started dreaming about him. It was always the same one. She’d wake up in a mess of her own making—nightgown clinging to her curves, sheets damp. Then she’d spend the rest of the day feeling a dizzying pulse between her legs, like her heart had found a new home there.
It was like his soul had floated to hers while she was sleeping, and wanted to make sure she was ready for the day she finally just...let go.
Summary: It's been seven years since Smoke left. A departure he never wanted to take as Annie was a love he never wanted to leave but grief and fear put him in a place he never thought he would be. Promises to return sooner than later and weekly letters and phone calls from community phone lines started consistently and after a year became nearly nonexistent. Now he's back. As irrational as it is for someone whose life (and the way he moves through it) has been dictated by logic, he believes what he and Annie have is eternal and fated so he's sure they will find their way back to love that sustained them and the home they created in each other. Then, he hears whispers of her moving on with someone new in the last year. Even if it's wrong, selfish, and unfair to what she is attempting to create...he'll show her that he loves her STILL.
It’s not something they can pray away, avoid, or convince themselves has died never to be resurrected—a funeral can’t take place for something alive and well. If that would’ve worked, they wouldn’t be in the situation they were currently in.
It is something inevitable—like the Delta heat that walked hand in hand with them since the first day they felt it beat down on their skin, both comforting and overwhelming. Something unyielding like the way sweating bodies grinded close together, prohibited drinks flowed, the smell of Southern delicacies fried in oil, and music woven into the inner fabric of their soul every Saturday at The Juke was the only time their people ever truly felt free.
Neither of them had ever been known for being deceitful in any way, fashion, or form. It was one of the things that bonded them in the first place. Being honest when it was comforting and it felt like a radiating light enveloping them in a warm embrace and when it was hard and felt heavy on the tongue and the truth was the last thing they wanted to hear.
Always being honest was a promise that bound them as well as bonded them, which led to them doing something they never had—choosing to be vulnerable enough to lay their entire selves bare to the other as lasting as ink permanently etched on bare skin.
The versions of them who made the initial promise would balk at the way the current version of them discarded the very promise that was the foundation of their union. They found out that even certain values could be sacrificed if it meant avoiding a life lived without the one they called home.
What good were morals if it led to a fate that would kill you…for what good was a life without the one who made living itself not a penance but a privilege? They barely survived separation the first time as they walked around like haints occupying a body whose true soul had passed on.
EIGHT YEARS AGO…
Annie tried her hardest to start over. Even with them maintaining contact those first two years, she never let herself be lulled into Smoke's promise of returning. The third year when he had gone radio silent was when she had completely lost her whole world all at once. An experience that shook her faith to the core, which led to a deep disconnection in her root work only compounded by the loss of Luna.
From a young age, Annie had always had a strong connection to the Earth, her ancestors, and the sacred practice passed down for generations. The trauma resulting from the loss of her little moon, who was a manifestation of the purest, strongest, and most everlasting love she had ever known was enough to have her question everything starting with why this healing, life affirming practice had not worked the one time she needed it most.
She mourned in a way that would both shake the ground beneath her feet in one moment while she felt so empty she questioned if she could ever feel again in another. Whatever force in this world that thrives off pure devastation decided they weren’t through with her yet as they took her love from her too.
While he was not gone from this world, he was gone from her orbit. The gravitational pull that would keep her connected to the Earth despite the betrayal of such as the loss of a child was gone when he was never needed more.
The most difficult part was that he did not do something foul in a way that she could discard their love or curse his name from the moment she woke till the second sleep overtook her at night. If Elijah had truly betrayed her— the love would have gone sour. Annie was raised by strong women who hammered into her the importance of having her own and not allowing mistreatment or betrayal from a man and those lessons were ingrained so deep that it became a non-negotiable. It was commonplace for men to cheat and have multiple families being loyal to nothing but the urge to keep their dicks wet.
That wasn’t her man though loyalty and fidelity was a huge part of their love and no one could even catch his eye after they met. His love, yearning, passion, and desire for her was a fire that had only burned brighter and had never waned. He had regularly told her that he would live inside of her if he could to which she always playfully rolled her eyes and smirked. Something else led to the exodus he would have never embarked on if it was based on what he actually wanted.
Stack. His selfish, ill-timed, fly-by-the-seat of his pants ass brother determined to go on a dangerous mission (as he called it) to Chicago and expected Smoke to be as he had always been, by his side. Annie felt at times that Stack was a test to push the very limits of her patience by being an ever present thorn in her side when he was around.
This was by far the worst time to be the most selfish he ever had been with such a request or what Stack himself had seen as a guarantee. He could not conceptualize nor fully grasp (or respect) the love they had and what it meant. So, he struggled understanding why Smoke was heavily hesitant where he would have been on board with strict ground rules in the past, but that was before Annie. Before an insurmountable loss they still could not measure. Elijah was not a love that strayed or left; he was a love that planted roots, built something eternal, one you felt in your bones, and was enveloped by a peace that could not be disturbed. Smoke was a love that surrounded, watched, interceded on the behalf of, and above all protected—not being able to do that for his daughter did damage to his self concept and identity that he was not even fully aware of the extent of the damage. ‘Protector’ had become the role he held the longest and the most consistently. Yet, when it was needed most there was nothing he could do in his power to save who mattered most— it was as if he had a mortal wound yet still remained alive.
They grieved differently. Elijah felt grief as deep as the ocean where he would weep or become so lost in thought Annie would have to shake him to the point of his whole body moving to snap out of the frozen state. He had only ever been in trances like that following flashbacks from the War. Meanwhile, Smoke distracted himself and avoided the deep hurt by practicing control—to an even greater extent than before. His leaving being a manifestation of trying to prevent his greatest fear happening again when he felt he could possibly control it was something Annie simultaneously understood but also resented.
Smoke was not blind to his brother’s selfishness. He felt partially responsible for maybe being too indulgent to make up for what their dad had put them through—with Stack being the target who faced the much crueler punishment than he had. While Smoke had no choice but to fall for Annie, he had chosen to build a life with her and it was the first thing he did in his entire life just for him. It was his treasure, his freedom, his joy, and his foundation. That very decision led to a pattern of tug of war that happened with Stack struggling to accept that Smoke’s dream did not mirror his.
Elias desired freedom through his dream of creating worlds and safe spaces for their people while also being able to make a profit. Elijah desired freedom in the creation of a home, a groundedness and a peace that couldn’t be destroyed and was his without question, which he found in Annie through love. The love that he found with Annie was one he thought someone like him who carried a pain, a hardness, a wall 100 feet wide and 50 feet deep would never feel the reprieve of experiencing. She was his salve and his salvation. His kryptonite and strength. His desire and his joy. Stack refused to accept that Annie got access to the innermost part of Smoke and who he was at his core, his most vulnerable, his most free—Elijah. Smoke continued to reject Stack’s plan as he just could not imagine a life where he and Annie were not side by side on the daily. That was before.
Grief was not unfamiliar to Smoke. It was something that walked with him side by side, almost like a companion. The grief of losing his mother and only getting to know her through pictures and the memories of others. The grief of never knowing parental love because of the abusive piece of shit he had for a dad. The grief of not getting to really be a kid as he had to step into a parental role for Stack. The grief of what the trauma from the War took from him with scars and flashbacks he still deals with. None of his prior grief could prepare him for the loss of Luna.
His whole life he felt abandoned by God. Falling in love with Annie and then Luna being a physical representation of how deep that love is— sparked the mustard seed sized hope that maybe God hadn’t completely forsaken him. Being someone who only believed in what he could see he wasn’t one for religion or spirituality but Annie finding, loving, and choosing someone like him had to be due to a force he couldn’t see. The way they lost Luna when she was just over a year extinguished the minuscule hope as if it never existed. The man known for running shit, being immovable, unshakable, had become a shell of himself in the only place he felt safe—at home.
Smoke could count on one hand how often he had cried in his life. Of all the times he had, he never weeped or bellowed in such a guttural way that he felt he could wake the dead with the intensity of the pain alone. A mourning so deep that those who had passed on could feel it. The only way he held on at all was due to Annie and the way they supported each other but it was a grief neither had experienced. Sometimes their days looked like complete silence outside of affirmative grunts. Others looked like shouting until their throats were raw. At their most vulnerable they would spend the whole day crying and holding each other. Throughout it all they vacillated between hard fucking and love making—just to feel something and to remind themselves that they were still here. Somehow.
It had been six months since they lost her and they were surviving solely due to having each other. That is when Smoke had to make a decision that he still regrets to this very day while knowing he was just trying to prevent another loss that would be sure to finish the job of destroying him. Stack decided that he could not wait any longer and was leaving for Chicago next week. Smoke tried his best to reason with the fool but he just wasn’t hearing shit. Smoke was torn in two making this decision—his head and heart in a tumultuous war where either choice would leave catastrophic damage in its wake. Stack’s recklessness and tendency to not watch his back created a serious deficit in his survival instinct, which was the only reason he was even considering leaving. There is no single thing or person that could get Smoke to leave Annie—especially now but he just knew without a shadow of a doubt that his twin would find a way to get himself killed out there which is just a loss that he could not even conceptualize.
Even then his mind wasn’t made up. It couldn’t be when it would mean leaving his heart behind in Clarksdale. He hoped to return within a year but he knew Stack and his often hare-brained schemes lacked planning and discipline. Another failure on his part for being too lenient so Stack over-relied on him. He felt torn in two even breaking the news to Annie that he was considering this.
The next day he reluctantly brought it to Annie. It was still hypothetical as he had still felt stuck between a rock and the hardest place. She responded the way anyone who had lost their precious daughter not even a year ago would only to find now that the love of her life was considering leaving for an indefinite amount of time to watch out for his brother who thought so little of what they were navigating.
Even eight years later he still remembers the look on Annie’s face and how it shook him to his core. How could someone look so despondent as if it was the end of the world as they knew it while simultaneously radiating an anger that could burn down the rest of the world in retribution for their pain? For four days, they had yelled, cried, constantly talked through how he could even consider this, and then didn’t talk at all in a cycle he saw as his own personal hell. Even with his tendency to feel moments instead of filling them with words, their communication had been relatively healthy. So, this departure only served to further break him down.
On the fifth day, he made the decision that would change the trajectory of his life in a way he still felt to this day. Annie had barely reacted once he told her what he decided. Being as bonded as they were, there were times when they knew what the other was going to say or in this case before the words left their mouth. This wasn’t news. She knew from the moment he brought it up what his decision would be. She knew the loss of their daughter had wounded them in similar but different ways which for him showed up in his inability to protect her.
For better or worse, due to their upbringing he was put in a difficult spot of not only being a brother but he was also a father figure. The loss of Stack would not just be the soul crushing loss of a twin, but another child he could not protect. So, on the fifth day she was quiet. Shuffling across the floorboards, pouring liquid from glass bottles for protection charms, and warming water for baths were the only sounds to fill the room after Smoke broke the news.
The sixth day was different. It has settled in Annie's spirit that he was leaving and she felt the weight of it. She had to make a decision about the kind of last day she wanted with him. She tried to remind herself that he wasn’t leaving forever and that he told her as soon as they were done he would be coming back. That was not something she found comforting considering the timing was not up to him. None of this was. If his wants or needs mattered, he wouldn’t be leaving in the first place. She wanted this day to be a memory that could wrap her in warmth when the bitter cold of loneliness and grief threatened her very survival.
“Okay. This is the last full day until—”Annie said to break her silent pact from the day before.
“I know. I’m sor—”Elijah replied before she could finish the thought as if that would make it less real. The relief that comes after waking up from a nightmare that never came true would not find him this time. He made a conscious decision to approach this day as Elijah as this wasn’t the time for Smoke to be at the forefront. At his most vulnerable, his most open, his most free—all emotions he felt due to Annie, the one who brought him back to life through her eyes, her smile, her ease, her centeredness, her love—Elijah.
“Save the words. I already know them.” Annie interrupted as she already knew. She didn’t want the little time they had left littered with genuine yet ultimately meaningless platitudes. Apologies wouldn’t make him stay. They wouldn’t have him change his mind. They wouldn’t save her the heartache of the strongest love she had ever known having to do the very thing he had proven from the very beginning he would never do.
“We’ve talked this through in circles the first four days. Let’s feel today.” She stated clearly as if it was the first thing she could control since the death of their daughter. “Who knows the next time we’ll get to.”
“You’re right. I’ll follow your lead. Take the reins.” Elijah acknowledged as he stared straight into her eyes showing just how much he had meant it. The day was spent doing things they knew made the other feel whole and bonded. They had not separated the whole day acting as shadows for each other. They started with visiting Luna’s grave together and replacing the flowers and fresh bottle of milk as they did everyday. Elijah walked alongside Annie as they went around their land collecting the different roots, herbs, and stones. It reminded him how even the mundane felt special with her.
Every moment of every day felt like a gift, one way too good for someone like him. Hands on projects had always made Elijah feel grounded and got him out of a cycle of debilitating over thinking. He fixed up some walls, floors, and fortified the porch while Annie watched as she cooked their favorites. Cooking reminded Annie of her rootwork practice. Creating something from individual, distinct ingredients that not only filled bellies but touched souls in the same way her ancestors had.
They shared their meal in the way they always did—starting with prayers, Eliajh’s exclamations about how good her food was, Annie smiling because he had done this every day without fail since the very first time she cooked for him, talking about anything and everything under the sun. She talked more while he listened more. In their natural rhythm she moved to her rootwork table preparing ingredients, saying prayers, and combining items while he sat in his chair smoking from his pipe that hung directly above where his chair sat. Elijah’s brows furrowed as he tried to figure out what she was doing as the shop was closed for the day so she could not have been completing an order for a client. In the midst of his line of thinking, Annie called him over.
Elijah moved to stand directly in front of Annie’s work table as she slowly circled around. “You said I take the reins today so I have one thing I need from you before you leave tomorrow.”
Elijah nodded his full attention on Annie.
“Wear this for me and never take it off.” Annie had been making a mojo bag for Elijah as he sat and tried to decipher what she was working on. She knew that he was a person who only trusted what he could see with his very own eyes so his belief in her hoodoo had always been an uphill battle. She knew a secret he would not name. As much as he challenged her on it, the utmost trust and belief he had in her also extended itself to her practice so she knew he would honor request. After all, their love for each other was not something he could see or measure like dollars and cents yet it couldn’t be more real.
“Okay, for you.” Elijah offered without contesting. Normally he would give her pushback but he could not find that in him today. He knew this was a symbol of just how deep and wide her love went for him. She poured everything she had into this mojo bag even with him having to leave. He could never reject an item that was a symbol of her love for him. Not now. Not ever.
In the silence of the moment, not even an inch of space existed between them in this moment. The heaviness of the moment lingered following the expression of their love for each other in its purest form. Annie expressing it through pouring her all into a mojo bag she believed would keep him safe until he returned. As it was what she wanted most. She knew that she would not wait forever and didn't know and couldn’t feel when he would return. When he did, it would be in one piece, limbs in tact, heart beating, brain working the same way it did today. Elijah expressed it through the promise he kept despite his skepticism of hoodoo. He’d seen it protect and he’d seen it not deliver when it was needed most. Still, his love, trust, respect, and belief in Annie had him making space for what he wouldn’t have believed in any other circumstance.
Love was not the only thing felt. Desire made an appearance as it always had. It was always looming even before the very first time they ever touched. It never took much for them. Sometimes the smallest thing would ignite the heat that always wafted right beneath the surface. Annie adorning Elijah with the mojo bag around his neck acted almost like an aphrodisiac.
As they stood face to face, so close they could feel the warmth of their breath, their lips crashed into each other in sync. Elijah’s lips chasing Annie’s with her returning the favor as they moved about without separating. The contrast of feeling of soft, plush lips delivering hard kisses only intensified the lust they were both feeling that demanded to be satisfied. They knew what followed when they got like this. Tongues dancing, titties caressed, dick grabbed, taking turns on their knees, mouths open to pray at the altar of their love; while moans, grunts, nasty words, and squeaking legs of the bedframe served as the soundtrack.
There was a different weight tonight though. They couldn’t stop tomorrow from coming and all the day would bring, but they could spend the whole night feeling. The feel of skin to skin so close they could hear the other’s heartbeat. The feel of being impossibly filled to the point of overflow. The feel of limbs stretched in ways that tested the concept of flexibility. The feel of nails against his back. The feel of sheets caressing them as they tumbled through them.
Exhaustion came second to lust that demanded to be satiated the whole night. The hard and frantic rounds that made them feel like fiends chasing the euphoric feeling of their next hit alternated with rounds that were soft, slow, and deep--where each caress, kiss, stare, thrust, honey laced whisper, and whiskey soaked command was made a memory that could hold them when they were beyond each other’s reach.
The seventh and last day was much more somber. Even with knowing what was coming at the end of the day they still tried to maintain a sense of normalcy until they couldn’t. The same patterns didn’t feel the same when the weight of his departure turned the vivid colors of the life they lived together pitch black. Their meals didn’t fill their bodies and feed their souls the way they always had. The arrangement of the rooms and their accompanying furniture and decor that felt like expressions of their tastes and personalities began to feel drab and mundane. The place they built that housed memories, milestones, and livelihoods had always felt like a perfect fit until now--where the walls closed in tighter with each hour that passed.
Elijah waited to the last possible hour to leave as they were traveling by train. Bo Chow, their childhood friend, had agreed to meet them at the station to keep their car for safe keeping. Stack was already waiting outside but had enough sense to stay in the car because if Annie had a chance he wouldn’t be making it to Chicago. They slowly made their way to the door with each step becoming more hesitant. Once they reached their porch, they knew it was time for the goodbye they had been holding off.
“Elijah, I hope that you find peace in making this decision. My understanding of why you feel like you have to do this does not snuff out the hurt and anger. All three coexist at once. The hope of saving one while abandoning the other,” Annie stated matter-of-factly.
“Annie, I’m not—” Elijah interrupted.
“Let me finish without contesting.” Annie replied frustrated that he even tried to fight what she was saying. She was tired of pain, anger, grief, and fighting. After deciding that he had to go, Elijah had repeatedly told Annie he would keep in contact and then this wouldn’t be a long exodus. Annie knew better though. She knew how shit tended to go with Stack. This was the first time she could not trust his words which wounded her in a way that she couldn’t adequately name. Of all the promises he made, she only had faith that one would be kept--Elijah keeping on his mojo bag. He would not let his only tether to Annie and the strength of the love they shared be something else he sacrificed.
“Elijah, you have only been honest from the first day I ever looked into those eyes that said everything you couldn’t allow yourself to say, before we ever were anything to each other. What was the very first promise we ever made as a way to honor our love? We said we would never lie. That promise is the very foundation of that love. Don’t do me the disservice of lying now.” Annie noted calmly before continuing. “Telling the truth don’t make it pretty--just makes it real. You don’t know if you can keep up with the promise you made. You don’t know even if you can consistently write or call. You can’t even tell me how long.” Annie pauses before she says what’s next as it sounds like a threat but it’s just her honoring her promise to always be true. “Love, even one like ours that feels fated in a way that I’d only heard about from those who came before us, won’t wait or coast on the hope that you may come back someday. By the time you return, the bones of the home you forsook may be the only thing here to welcome you back.”
Elijah was silent. Not in a way that was reflective of the silent nature he was known for. This silence wasn’t a self-imposed decision. It was recognition—the realization in that very moment that he could be coming home to a self-appointed séance of the only love he ever got to freely choose.
He couldn’t walk away using his less is more approach. Not after what Annie had just expressed. Not in this situation.
He had spent his last full day with Annie “feeling” instead of offering platitudes that provided no comfort. Now, it was time for him to speak. This could likely be the most important set of words he ever uttered when the stakes are a life with Annie or barely existing with his memories of what they had being the only thing keeping him in this world.
“Annie, I love you. You know that. Deep. Strong. Without ceasing. I’ve given you parts of me freely that no one else has ever seen.” Elijah said as his hands shook, a trauma response from his time in the war that was elicited whenever he was anxious or panicked. He was not one for impassioned speeches but if there was ever a time to lay it all out there, it was now. “I know my decision feels like I’m breaking us and I’ll hold that. I’m not asking for you to forgive me and I know understanding my motives won’t change how you feel but I’m asking you to believe in what you’ve always known. You’ve never doubted my love, listen to your heart, your intuition, the words your ancestors who guided you told you when you sought guidance and confirmation about our love being destined.” Elijah pleaded with desperation as the floodgates he had used every ounce of strength he had to hold at bay began to break. “I have never lied to you and I won’t now so I can’t promise when but I AM returning. To my heart, my foundation, my reason why, my everything…I love you still and I always will.”
The weight of the moment mixed with Elijah laying his feelings out bare without silencing or pushing them down immediately brought tears to Annie’s eyes.
Now, they both stood in front of the physical home that was reminiscent of the home they found in each other years ago in a place they never thought they would be. Completely broken down. Faces wet with tears, eyes rimmed red, staring into the depths they had always found comfort in. The only sound passing between them is the wind as it shakes the bottles that hang from the Magnolia trees spread out on the property. Elijah pulled Annie into the tightest hug they may have ever shared. An embrace that embodied every feeling they expressed and the ones they were afraid to say out loud.
As they looked into each other’s eyes, nose to nose they leaned into a searing kiss not unlike the kind of kisses they had shared thousands of times. Elijah’s lips creating a seal over Annie’s as his hands framed both of her cheeks so that each part of him had a point of contact with her. Their eyes instinctively shut as if to burn every second into their memory. There was a melancholy beneath this one though as if it wasn’t a promise for a reunion but an acceptance of a reluctant goodbye neither of them ever wanted to have.
Eventually, they separated and he watched her as he walked backwards toward the truck until he was out of her vision on the driver’s side.
Elijah swung the door open prepared to get in, but paused because there was one thing he had to do before he departed. He leaned down to Luna’s resting place and asked something selfish as the man who was leaving.
“Can you do one thing for your fool of a father, baby girl?” Smoked asked aloud. “Please watch over your mama—you and your ancestors together. Protect every hair on her head, organ in her body, don’t let a single injury touch her.” Smoke pressed a kiss to the stone in front of her altar. “You’re the only one I can trust with this.”
That was eight years ago now. Smoke returned the seventh year with the only promise kept being his mojo bag not moving one centimeter since Annie placed it around his neck.
How do you go from years of no communication to a full blown affair that could obliterate the very foundation of their lives as they know it within a year of Smoke returning?
The seeds were sown the day the twins made their way back into the life they left behind...
A/N: Thanks for reading. We are definitely in for a ride! I actually pretty much have the next two chapters written so those chapters should be out pretty soon! If I somehow missed you and you wannabe tagged you can either comment or reply to my taglist h e r e ♡
Summary: When you meet your first love, life changes. In the summer of 2004, Elijah “Smoke” Moore a man from Kansas City’s East Side is focused on family, work, and chasing his dreams, love is the last thing on his mind. Then he meets her. A young, shy, vibrant, ambitious Annie. What starts as a spark becomes a love that will test them, shape them, and leave a mark that lasts forever. Because no matter who or what comes after… You’ll never forget your first love.
Chapter 1 (pt.2)
“Come & Talk To Me”
Before Annie knows it, she’s already tying on her apron and clocking in.
Tonight, Michelle has something different planned for her.
Instead of shadowing a server, she pairs Annie with one of the hosts.
“I want all my servers cross-trained,” Michelle explains. “You never know when somebody gon call in or when we get slammed. Everybody needs to know how to do a little bit of everything.”
Annie nods.
“Okay.”
For most of the night, she stays up front learning the host stand.
The host shows her how to read the floor chart and keep track of which servers have tables and which sections are full.
At first the chart looks confusing.
Circles. Squares. Numbers.
Server names scribbled everywhere.
But after a while it starts making sense.
“See?” the host says. “You don’t wanna keep seating the same section over and over. You gotta spread the tables out.”
Annie nods.
“Okay, I get it.”
She learns how to estimate wait times, answer the phone, greet guests, and organize the rotation.
The work is steady enough to keep her busy but not nearly as chaotic as serving.
Every now and then she catches herself looking toward the kitchen.
Listening to the familiar sounds.
The cooks yelling across the line.
The fryers hissing.
Plates clattering through the galley.
A small part of her wishes she was back there.
Not because she liked the heat.
Or the noise.
But because she liked watching everything move.
Liked the energy of it.
And if she was being completely honest…
She liked seeing Smoke.
Though she’d never admit that out loud.
Still, the change of pace is nice.
After spending all afternoon helping with her younger siblings, it feels good to be somewhere that doesn’t require her to break up arguments, check homework, or answer a hundred questions every five minutes.
For a few hours she gets to just be Annie.
Not a babysitter.
Not a stand-in parent.
Just Annie.
And she realizes how much she needed that.
By the end of the shift, her feet ache, but she’s smiling.
Work is quickly becoming her favorite part of the day.
🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆🌆
Smoke pulls up to his twin brother Stack’s house in the 50’s.
The neighborhood is alive.
Music spills from open windows.
Kids ride bikes up and down the block even though the streetlights are already on.
A dog barks somewhere in the distance.
The smell of barbecue smoke and freshly cut grass hangs in the humid Kansas City air.
Everybody is outside.
Just like always.
When Smoke pulls up, there’s a whole bunch of niggas crowded across Stack’s porch.
Some sitting on the railing.
Some standing.
Some leaning against the columns.
Talking loud.
Laughing louder.
Passing around ideas that usually ended with somebody in handcuffs.
Smoke shuts his truck door and heads toward the house.
As soon as he steps onto the porch, everybody starts greeting him.
“What’s up, Smoke?”
“Sup, bro?”
“What it do?”
Smoke nods at everybody.
Stack stands up from the porch railing.
“Sup nigga?”
“Sup. What y’all niggas doin?”
“Nothin, bro. Tryna hit a lick.”
Smoke immediately shakes his head.
Of course.
“What y’all tryna do now?”
“There a big ass house out in Belton we saw. We tryna hit that muthafucka.”
Smoke sucks his teeth.
“Belton?”
“Yeah nigga. Belton.”
“That’s hot. Y’all gon stick the fuck out.”
Stack shakes his head confidently.
“Nah. We already been in Raymore and was successful.”
Smoke just stares.
No point.
Ain’t no use trying to talk sense into Stack.
There never was.
Stack listened to exactly one person.
Himself.
And even then it was questionable.
One of Stack’s friends, Ramon, cuts in.
“Bro, we gon be good.”
Smoke cuts his eyes at him.
“You always encouraging the stupid shit he plan out.”
Ramon immediately goes quiet.
Stack laughs.
“We doin that shit. I don’t give a fuck what nobody says.”
That was Stack.
Always had been.
Fearless.
Or maybe just reckless.
Smoke still wasn’t sure.
The two brothers couldn’t have been more different.
They shared the same face.
Same height. Same smile.
But that was where the similarities ended.
Smoke moved with purpose.
Every move he made had a reason behind it.
He worked. Saved money.
Made plans.
Thought ahead.
Stack lived for the moment.
If attention was in the room, he wanted all of it.
Good attention. Bad attention.
Didn’t matter.
He dressed better than everybody.
Talked louder than everybody.
Wanted everybody looking at him at all times.
Women especially.
And women loved him.
Hell, Smoke couldn’t even deny it.
Stack was a charmer.
Always flashing those deep dimples.
Always smiling. Always talking.
Always selling a dream.
He could walk into a room full of strangers and leave with everybody laughing.
The problem was…
He didn’t have much direction.
No real goals.
No ambitions beyond making money and having fun.
As long as the streets kept paying, Stack was content.
Meanwhile Smoke was already thinking about life beyond this.
About being a chef.
About school
About ownership.
About getting out.
A car full of niggas suddenly rides past slow.
Everybody on the porch notices.
The energy shifts immediately.
Conversations stop.
Heads turn.
The car creeps by.
The men inside stare.
The men on the porch stare right back.
Nobody says anything.
The tension hangs there.
Heavy.
Then the car keeps moving.
Stack shakes his head.
“Man, it’s fonk season. These niggas better act like they got some sense.”
A few of the homies laugh.
Stack looks back toward the house.
“Monica in there.”
Smoke glances at him.
“Yeah?”
“She off today.”
“Cool.”
Smoke walks inside.
Monica was Stack’s baby mama’s sister.
The twins met both sisters one afternoon at Swope Park.
One conversation turned into another.
And eventually everybody started messing with everybody.
Smoke and Monica never made anything official.
Never even discussed it.
They had an understanding.
They enjoyed each other’s company.
Spent time together.
Looked out for one another.
And fulfilled needs when they felt like it.
That was it.
At least that’s what Monica told herself.
Stack’s situation was completely different.
He got Korrie pregnant.
Now they lived together.
And they were toxic as hell.
Stack couldn’t stop cheating if he wanted to.
And Korrie couldn’t stop retaliating.
Every argument started the same way.
Another woman.
Another accusation.
Another explosion.
Then somehow they always ended up right back together.
Monica was different. Calmer.
Thank God.
Because Smoke couldn’t deal with all that loud shit.
He dealt with enough of it through Stack.
Even though Monica was different from her sister, she was still from the same hood. With no ambition, no goals.
Only thing she wanted to do was hang out on the block or go out with her friends every other day.
Truthfully, Smoke wasn’t looking to settle down with anybody.
Not Monica. Not nobody.
He had too much shit he was trying to accomplish.
Too many goals. Too many plans.
And every woman he met seemed more interested in what he had than where he was headed.
An hour later…
Smoke and Monica are stretched out across the bed.
The television hums quietly in the background.
A box fan rattles in the corner.
Outside, somebody’s music vibrates through the neighborhood.
Monica lays beside him staring at the ceiling.
“Man, Stack and Korrie been getting on my fuckin nerves.”
Smoke doesn’t say anything.
“The poor baby just be in the middle of them arguing. You need to tell yo brother to chill.”
Smoke finally nods.
“I have.”
A few seconds pass.
“I don’t know what you want me to say. He don’t listen and Korrie ain’t no saint either.”
Monica clicks her tongue.
“I ain’t say she was. But Stack always in some hoe face. Then when my sister do it, he blow his top.”
“Stack a grown ass man.”
Smoke shrugs.
“I’m done tryna tell him what to do. He just do the opposite. And all that arguing they do is pointless. They gon turn around and still be together.”
Monica rolls her eyes.
Because she knows he’s right.
“Anyway…”
She turns toward him.
“I called you the other night. You ain’t call me back.”
Smoke stays quiet.
Monica already knows what that means.
“Hello?” she says. “I’m talkin to you.”
Smoke finally looks over.
“Don’t start that shit, Monica.”
Monica sighs.
And lets it go.
Because this is what Smoke does.
He disappears.
Shows up when he wants.
Leaves when he wants.
Never makes promises.
Never explains himself.
The frustrating part was…
She actually liked him.
Way more than she would ever admit.
But she hides it well.
Too well.
Because admitting it would only make her look foolish.
Smoke wasn’t the type to be tied down.
Everybody knew that.
“So can I get fifty dollars to get my nails and toes done?”
Smoke closes his eyes.
Here we go.
“We goin’ to the Starlight to see Ludacris.”
Smoke grows annoyed.
Not because of the fifty dollars.
Because she always asked.
Every single time.
If he offered, cool.
But Monica had gotten comfortable asking.
A little too comfortable.
“I guess.”
He reaches into his pocket.
“You always want something.”
Monica smirks.
“So? You got it. Stop acting like it’s a problem.”
Smoke pulls a roll of money from his jeans.
Hands her forty.
She snatches it.
Smoke gives her a look.
Monica laughs.
“So mean.”
She stuffs the money away.
Then grins.
“Me and my girls wanna come up to yo job. Can you hook us up?”
Immediately Smoke thinks about Annie.
The way she stole glances across the line.
The way they stared at each other the other night.
And just like that his answer is made.
“No.”
Monica blinks.
“No?”
“No. That’s where I draw the line.”
Smoke shakes his head.
“I ain’t hooking up nobody.”
“Damn. It’s like that?”
“Hell yeah it’s like that.”
His tone leaves no room for discussion.
“That’s my fuckin job. Don’t come up to my job at all. I keep that separate. You know that shit.”
Monica grows quiet.
She knows he means it.
Before she can respond, yelling erupts from the living room.
Both of them pause.
Then Monica groans.
“Here they fuckin go.”
They get up and head toward the front room.
Sure enough.
Korrie is standing nose-to-nose with Stack.
Furious.
“Some bitch calling the house phone playing and shit, Stack!”
Stack throws his hands up.
“You giving these hoes the house phone number now?!”
Stack sucks his teeth.
“I ain’t giving out shit!”
Stack points at her.
“I don’t know what you talking about! It’s probably one of them bitch ass niggas you be fuckin wit!”
Korrie lunges.
Tries to swing.
Stack blocks it.
“Bitch, you always tryna hit somebody!”
He steps back.
“Now when I knock yo ass out don’t say shit!”
Smoke immediately steps in.
Grabs Stack.
Pulls him toward the front door.
Monica grabs Korrie.
Trying to calm her down.
Outside, Smoke and Stack’s friends gather around him.
Talking him down.
Keeping him from going back inside.
Smoke rubs his face.
Sick of it.
All of it.
The drama.
The chaos.
The constant stupidity.
As the yelling continues inside the house, Smoke looks out toward the city lights in the distance.
And for the first time that night, he finds himself thinking about somewhere else.
Something bigger.
A different life.
A different future.
Something beyond these porches, these arguments, and these blocks.
Something more.
🦞🦀🦞🦀🦞🦀🦞🦀🦞🦀🦞🦀🦞🦀🦞🦀
One week later…
It’s a Friday night.
The dinner rush is finally over.
The restaurant smells like seafood, grease, dishwater, and biscuits.
Servers are cashing out.
The kitchen is quieter now.
Annie and Meagan sit in a booth rolling silverware.
Meagan’s phone rings.
She immediately answers.
“Hello… Yeah I’m coming Saul… No don’t leave… Here I come.”
Annie already knows that tone.
Meagan huffs dramatically.
“I gotta go. You can finish these right?”
Annie’s mouth drops open.
They’ve barely started.
There’s still two entire tubs sitting on the table.
She wants to say absolutely not.
But instead she nods.
“Yeah. I got it.”
“Thanks.”
Meagan throws a ten-dollar bill onto the table and disappears.
Annie sighs.
“Lord.”
She starts rolling alone.
A few minutes later she hears Michelle and Smoke coming from the kitchen.
“Man, I need you to get on Brandon’s ass,” Smoke says. “He been late every day. You want me to help out everywhere, which is cool, but I can’t do that if I’m the only one runnin’ the grill when the dinner rush start.”
Annie keeps her eyes down.
Listening.
“Done told his ass myself to be on time. He ain’t listenin.”
Smoke’s eyes drift toward Annie.
Like they always do.
Looking straight past Michelle and half listening.
“You’re right Elijah. I’ll pull him first thing tomorrow.”
“It’s Smoke,” he corrects. “And yeah. Cause if that was me you’d be on my ass.”
At the table, Annie checks her watch again.
Her stomach sinks.
There’s no way she’s gonna get done before her dad gets there.
Not with two tubs left.
She glances toward the front windows, already imagining his car pulling into the parking lot and having to explain why she’s still in there and not outside waiting.
Across the dining room, Smoke already knows exactly what happened.
He’s seen Meagan do this shit too many times.
The second Saul called, she was gone.
Running off and leaving her responsibilities behind to chase after a nigga who only seemed interested in seeing her when it was dark outside.
Smoke’s jaw tightens slightly.
He never understood it.
Especially when it meant dumping your work on somebody else.
She tries to keep rolling silverware, he notices her checking her watch every few minutes.
Fidgeting. Sighing. Shifting.
Looking toward the front door.
She ain’t saying nothing, but he can tell she’s in a hurry.
Ride probably already on the way.
Meanwhile Michelle is still talking.
“I got you. Don’t worry. I’ll let him know if he can’t get it together, he will be replaced.”
Smoke nods.
“Good.”
“Have a good night,” Michelle says before turning to leave.
Smoke gives another nod.
“Mm-hmm. You too.”
Annie keeps her eyes on the silverware in front of her.
She hears Michelle’s heels clicking away across the dining room.
The restaurant is mostly empty now.
A few servers are finishing side work.
Someone is vacuuming near the bar.
The kitchen crew is laughing about something in the back.
As Michelle walks away, his eyes find Annie again.
Still sitting there by herself.
Still trying to work through a pile of silverware that shouldn’t have been hers to finish in the first place.
For a moment, Smoke just stands there watching her.
Then he looks at the mountain of silverware.
Back at Annie.
And makes up his mind.
She doesn’t notice Smoke moving until the booth cushion shifts.
Her stomach tightens.
He slides into the seat across from her.
Quiet. Confident.
Like he belongs there.
Annie’s breath catches.
Slowly she raises her eyes.
“Hello.”
Her voice comes out smaller than she intended.
Smoke nods once.
“Hey.”
The deepness of his voice surprises her.
It was the first time she’d actually heard him speak directly to her.
Not across the kitchen.
Not during introductions.
To her.
Annie drops her eyes again.
Smoke reaches toward the center of the table.
Grabs a stack of napkins.
Then a handful of silverware.
And starts rolling.
Annie blinks.
Looks at his hands.
Looks at the silverware.
Then back at him.
“You don’t have to do that. I’m sure you’re tired and ready to go.”
No response.
He just keeps rolling.
Annie swallows and drops her head.
They fall into a rhythm.
The restaurant suddenly feels smaller.
Quieter.
Like everybody else has disappeared.
Smoke watches her while she works.
She can feel it.
Feel his eyes.
It makes her nervous.
Her hands shake slightly.
Her lashes flutter.
Every time she reaches for another napkin she becomes hyper aware of him sitting there.
Smoke can’t stop looking at her.
Not even if he wanted to.
Up close she’s even prettier.
Her skin glows beneath the restaurant lights.
Her French tips stand out against her chocolate skin.
Her lips stay glossy no matter what she’s doing.
And every time she sucks her cheeks in while concentrating…
Smoke has to force himself to look away.
Then she licks her thumb to separate another napkin. And he looks back.
They continue to sit in silence.
Rolling.
The man was clearly not much of a talker, Annie thinks to herself.
The soft crinkle of napkins fills the space between them.
Every few seconds Annie finds herself shifting. Trying to stay still.
Nervous because she really can’t believe he’s this close.
Close enough that she can smell his cologne.
It smells expensive.
Clean.
A little spicy.
Nothing like the Axe body spray boys at school wear.
Every time he reaches for silverware she notices his hands.
Big hands. Long fingers.
Small scars across his knuckles.
The hands of somebody who worked.
Really worked.
Not somebody pretending to.
Annie steals a glance upward.
Smoke catches her immediately.
Their eyes lock.
Annie jerks hers away.
Heat floods her cheeks.
Why did he keep catching her?
Across from her, Smoke hides a smirk.
She’d been doing that all week.
Looking.
Then immediately pretending she wasn’t.
The thing was…She wasn’t slick.
Not at all.
Smoke reaches for another napkin.
His arm brushes the table.
The scent of Love Spell reaches him.
He’d smelled it before.
Girls wore it all the time.
But on Annie it smelled different.
Maybe because it matched her.
Sweet. Soft. Pretty.
Everything about her seemed soft.
Her voice. Her eyes. The way she smiled.
Smoke keeps watching her while she concentrates on rolling.
She studies each piece like she’s taking a test.
Trying to make sure every roll looks right.
“You take this serious.” He murmurs
Annie looks up and laughs softly.
“It’s because I don’t know what I’m doing.”
“You do.”
“No I don’t.”
“You ain’t dropped not one.”
That makes Annie smile.
A real smile.
Not the polite customer service smile she uses on tables.
This one reaches her eyes.
And for a second Smoke forgets what she was saying.
Because damn.
She’s beautiful.
The smile fades when Annie realizes he’s staring.
Again.
The tension settles back over the table.
Not uncomfortable.
Just…Heavy.
Like something neither one knows what to do with.
Smoke’s Nokia rings.
The sudden sound makes Annie jump slightly.
Smoke answers.
“Sup fool?”
Annie finally gets a chance to look at him without getting caught.
The open faced golds on his front teeth flashes when he talks.
His jaw is sharp.
His eyelashes are longer than they should be.
His beard trimmed nicely.
“Yeah… I’m gettin ready to leave in a minute….How much you need?”
Smoke glances at her.
Catches her looking.
Again.
Annie immediately looks down at the silverware.
Her stomach flips.
“…Yeah, I’m finna head to the city. Meet me at Jubilee’s. Bet. One.”
He hangs up.
The silence returns.
Neither says anything.
Neither really needs to.
Eventually they reach the final pile.
Smoke grabs the last fork.
Annie grabs the last napkin.
At the exact same time.
Their fingers brush.
Both freeze.
Just for a second.
The contact is small.
Barely anything.
Yet Annie feels it all the way up her arm.
Smoke pauses too.
His eyes lifting to hers.
Neither pulls away immediately.
Then Annie finally clears her throat.
And the moment breaks.
They finish the last roll.
Smoke stands.
Annie looks up at him.
He notices the ten dollar bill Meagan left.
His jaw tightens.
That shit wasn’t right.
Not after leaving her with all that work.
Without saying anything, he reaches into his pocket and pulls out a roll of
Money, he pulls out two hundred dollar bills.
Drops them onto the table.
Annie’s eyes get huge.
“Oh no—”
Smoke raises a finger to his lips.
Shhh.
The gesture makes Annie smile.
A nervous smile.
A grateful one.
And Smoke swears his stomach drops.
He ain’t never seen a smile like that.
Annie slides out of the booth.
Before she can fully stand, Smoke reaches out. Instinct.
His hand wraps around hers.
Warm. Soft. Small.
For a second neither one moves.
Annie looks down at their hands.
Then back up at him.
Smoke looks right back.
No grin. No slick comment.
Just staring.
Like he’s trying to memorize her face.
Then finally Annie stands.
And Smoke lets go.
Neither one says what they’re thinking.
Neither one knows how.
So he simply nods.
And she nods back.
The look lasts a second longer than it should.
Maybe two.
His eyes stay on hers as he backs away.
Then Smoke turns and starts walking toward the door.
“Thank you.” She calls out to his back.
Annie’s voice stops him halfway to the door.
He doesn’t turn around.
Because if he does, he might stay.
Instead he lifts one hand over his shoulder.
Acknowledging her.
Then keeps walking.
Leaving Annie staring after him long after the door closes behind him.
Melissa and Lindsey emerge from the kitchen seconds later.
Their eyes immediately land on Annie.
Then the front door.
Then the two hundred dollar bills.
Then back to Annie.
“What was that about?” Melissa asks. “He talked to you?”
Annie shakes her head.
“Actually no.”
“What?”
“So what was he doing over here?” Lindsey asks.
Annie clears her throat.
“He helped me roll silverware since Meagan kinda left me hanging.”
Melissa’s eyes nearly bug out of her head.
“Oh wow.”
There is definitely jealousy in her tone now.
“So not only is he fine but he’s sweet too.”
Lindsey folds her arms.
“Annie, how did you get him to do that? You asked?”
Annie shakes her head.
“No. I didn’t do or say anything. He just sat down and started helpin me.”
“But he didn’t say anything?” Lindsey asks.
“Nah. Just looked at me. That’s all.”
Melissa and Lindsey exchange a look.
Both of them had spent the entire week trying to get Smoke’s attention.
And neither had gotten much more than a hello.
Yet somehow Annie—the quiet girl who wasn’t even trying—had him sitting down helping her.
Neither one liked that.
Not one bit.
“I’ve been trying to talk to him and he won’t talk,” Lindsey says.
“Me too,” Melissa adds. “He might say hi back but that’s all. He only talks to the other cooks.”
“He seems like he might be mean,” Lindsey says.
Annie shrugs.
“I don’t get that vibe. But who knows.”
Melissa laughs.
“Well I’m gonna keep trying.”
“Of course you are,” Lindsey says.
Annie laughs.
Her phone rings.
Dad.
“I gotta go.”
“See y’all later.”
They wave.
Annie grabs the money off the table and stuffs it into her apron.
Outside, her dad is already waiting.
Exactly where he said he’d be.
Just like always.
Annie climbs into the car.
The familiar smell of motor oil, coffee, and his work boots fills the vehicle.
“Busy tonight?” he asks.
“Yes. Very.”
“You getting the hang of it yet?”
“I think so.”
“Good.”
His voice softens.
“You made any new friends?”
Annie’s mind immediately drifts to Smoke.
To his eyes. His hands. His silence.
The way he helped her without asking for anything in return.
She shrugs.
“Maybe.”
Her dad raises a brow.
“Maybe?”
Annie giggles.
“Mhmm. It hasn’t been long enough yet.”
“If you say so.”
The conversation fades.
Comfortable. Easy.
That’s how things usually are between them.
Despite how strict he can be.
Despite all the rules.
Annie knows her father loves her.
Knows he’d do anything to protect her.
Which is exactly why she’d never mention Smoke.
Not yet.
Because she already knows.
Her dad would take one look at him and decide he wasn’t good enough.
He’s older
He’s Too street.
He’s Too city.
Exactly the kind of man her father spent years trying to keep away from her.
But sitting there staring out the window, Annie can’t stop thinking about him.
Because the man she’d seen tonight wasn’t what she’d expected.
He was patient. Gentle. Thoughtful.
The complete opposite of what people would assume.
And for the first time in a long time…
Annie wants to know more.
A lot more.
Outside the window, the lights of Kansas City blur past.
And Annie rests her head against the glass.
Thinking about Smoke.
Thinking about his demeanor.
Thinking about his eyes.
Thinking about what might happen next.
And for once…
She finds herself wanting to chase waterfalls.
Fuck what TLC or anybody else says…
🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃
Smoke’s sitting alone at his kitchen table, the house quiet except for the low hum of the refrigerator.
A half finished drink rests beside him, blunt in hand.
The television plays in the background, but he isn’t paying attention.
His mind keeps drifting somewhere else.
To Annie.
He leans back in his chair and rubs a hand across his jaw.
He hits the blunt and holds the smoke in.
It had been hours since he’d left the restaurant, yet he can still picture her sitting there rolling silverware.
Head down.
Trying to finish work that wasn’t hers.
Checking her watch every few minutes.
Trying not to look stressed even though it was written all over her face.
Smoke exhales slowly.
Most people would’ve complained.
Would’ve made a scene.
Would’ve found somebody to blame.
Annie hadn’t done none of that.
She’d just kept working.
Doing what needed to be done.
That was what stuck with him.
Not just tonight.
In general.
She carried herself different.
Quiet.
Respectful.
Never in nobody’s business.
Never causing problems.
Just came in, did her job, and went home.
A rare thing these days, especially for her to be young.
His gaze drifts toward the dark window above the sink.
He thinks about the way she smiled at him earlier.
Small. Shy. Real.
Not the fake customer service smile everybody wore at work.
The memory pulls at something in his chest he wasn’t interested in examining too closely.
Smoke shakes his head.
He’s too old to be sitting around thinking about a woman like this.
Especially one who’s younger than him.
Yet here he was.
Thinking about whether she made it home okay.
Wondering if her ride had been upset she got out late.
Wondering what she was doing right now.
Probably asleep.
Probably not thinking about him at all.
The thought makes him huff out a quiet laugh.
“Yeah,” he murmurs to himself.
“Probably not.”
Still, he can’t stop thinking about her.
About the way she looked at him.
The way she smelled.
The way her skin glowed.
About how, for the first time in a long time, somebody had managed to stay on his mind after he walked away.
Smoke stares down at his drink for a moment before taking a slow sip.
Then he leans back again.
Trying and failing to think about anything else.
He can’t lie, she’s got him intrigued, and he wants to know more about her than just her name…
