Page 347 of Kentrell

Zoe was curled up on the sectional beside me, her plate already halfway cleared like the little bit of appetite she had left after this morning finally caught up with her.

Her mama, Zora, was posted at the head of the dining room table—taking every compliment on her dressing like she didn’t already know she was That Girl in the kitchen.

Darius… sitting not far from her… sipping slow on a glass of bourbon like he was still mentally adjusting to the fact that this was real life now. That his daughter had accepted him into her life with no resentment. Just love bubbling over, like she’d done for me after I’d hurt her, too.

Ayesha and her man Rashad sat close on the other side of the room, posted up near the window… talking low but laughing with Lex and Wani. Rashad had been sliding money into Wani’s and Lex’s projects for months now, so the bond was already there.

Her auntie Zonda and uncle Ahmad were right behind them, playing spades with Shemar and Stacia…

While Mars?

Mars was doing exactly what she always did—talking loud, laughing louder, and pretending she wasn’t sneaking looks at Shareef every two minutes.

And Shareef?

Sitting back on the arm of the couch, cool as hell with his Timberlands on and his chain swinging as he laughed at something Oshon said. Acting unbothered on the surface… but I could see the way his eyes cut toward Mars every time she so much as shifted in her seat.

That whole situation was a ticking time bomb.

The twins—Wave and Oshon—were in rare form. Already in the middle of a roast battle with Kensei about who had the weakest plate and who had the most women texting them right now.

Kensei, of course, wasn’t backing down.

Lex stayed posted near the liquor cart, taking sips between jokes, looking like he was one laugh away from saying something completely out of pocket.

And me?

I sat back… one arm draped around Zoe… plate in my lap…

Just soaking all this shit in.

The house that used to feel too big and too empty…

Now felt like something else entirely.

Full.

Right.

Like this…

Was exactly how it was always supposed to be.

I was mid-thought… just sitting back, soaking it all in…

When I felt my damn plate shift.

I blinked, looking down, catching her fork right in the act—digging into my greens like she paid for ‘em.

“Why you eatin’ my food when you gotcho own?” I asked low and slow, dragging the words out as I turned to her.

“You still had some greens left,” she said all innocent-like, already chewing, like that made it okay.

“Man… don’t be stealin’ my shit just ‘cause you slurped yours down soon as you sat down.” I shook my head, trying to sound annoyed but not even close.

Her giggle was light and warm against my side as she kept forking more of my food onto her plate like she didn’t hear a word I said.

“Don’t be mean to me,” she pouted, turning them hazel eyes up at me, playing it full dramatics. “I’m pregnant.”

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