Page 357 of Kentrell

“Knock, knock.”

I recognized my mama’s voice instantly… and just like that… my eyes prickled with fresh tears.

“My baby!” Mama rushed in, arms open like she’d been waiting all morning for this moment.

“Zoeeee!” Ayesha’s voice chimed in right behind her, coming back to the suite after checking on Rashad with Mars.

Stacia had already gone off on her own mission—trying to find something for her 89-year-old Granny to snack on before her blood sugar dipped and she passed out in a pew.

“I’m not crying,” I lied, sniffling as Ayesha came to my side. “A lot…” I added, which just made all the girls laugh and cry harder right along with me.

“Hey, Beanie,” I heard Mama’s voice bloom with affection as she crossed the room to embrace her old best friend.

That one moment—watching them hug—nearly did me in.

Since coming clean about her past… Mama had visited Shaniece every Monday and Tuesday, without fail, until her release back on February 27th.

Not just giving her emotional support… but taking the stand as the witness she never got a chance to be… thirteen years ago.

That act alone had healed more than any of us realized.

For Mama and Shaniece.

For me and Kentrell.

And when I thought about the way Kentrell had held his mama that day she walked free… long and snug, rocking her back and forth like he was trying to make up for every day he didn’t get to…

It made everybody standing outside that courthouse cry—including me.

My honey got his mama back.

And now?

He’d moved her right into our guest house…

Catering to her every whim just like he did for me and Baby K.

“Girl, you look good.” I heard my mama say, pulling me from my thoughts before I got too misty-eyed.

I caught Ayesha’s brow-lifted glare aimed right at me for being on the verge of tears again.

“Sorry,” I mouthed, giving her a guilty smile as she rolled her eyes upward, smirking like she already knew this was gonna be one ofthosedays for me.

“Me? Girl, look at you!” Shaniece gushed at my mama, her whole face lighting up as she took her in.

Unknowingly to her, I’d dressed both of them alike on purpose. Same color scheme—deep champagne with mocha undertones.

Mama’s dress was off-the-shoulder, with a structured bodice and a dramatic, flowing skirt that hugged her hips before flaring at the bottom, showcasing the banging body she’d blessed me with and somehow still kept in shape.

“Oooh, we takin’ a bunch of pictures!” Shaniece slapped fives with my mama like they were two teenage girls skipping class together.

“Oooh, yes! I wanna take a few lakefront pictures?—”

“Me too! That’s all I kept thinking about on my way back here. It’s cold as hell outside, but the skyline is clear today,” Shaniece said, already imagining it. “I need a little snow drop background for this chocolatey Elsa look I got goin’ on.”

I smiled, but respectfully tuned them out for a second as they kept going.

They were fully in their girlfriends mode.

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