Page 4 of Fallynn West

Dad expelled a sigh and explained. “I hate to do this, but your mother and I needed to ask you if we could borrow some money until my check comes in.”

“Of course. How much?”

“Two thousand.”

Without hesitation, I agreed. “I’ll send it now. Y’all know I’ll do anything for y’all. Why is Mama and Serenity making it seem like a big deal?”

Serenity took a sip of her wine and said, “You didn’t ask what it was for.”

“Why do I need to know?” I angled my head to the side, reading the worry lines forming in Serenity’s forehead as she remained silent. “You said it wasn’t bad, Serenity.”

“It’s not,” Dad chimed in. “I’m having a small procedure done next week, and we need to pay before they move forward. I thought my check would’ve been here by now, but you know the government moves on their own timing when it comes to others.”

The only thing I caught from Dad’s explanation was he needed surgery, soon, and I was just now finding out. “So, when was I going to find out about the procedure? And what kind of procedure is it?”

Since Serenity was in my presence, she was the one who caught my dirty look. To know my family was keeping secrets from me didn’t sit well with me. Dad never thought anything wasa big deal, so him being nonchalant didn’t bother me. It was the fact Mommy and Serenity didn’t say anything to me prior.

As I expected, Dad was the one to speak up. “It’s nothing serious, Colony. I’m getting another colonoscopy and a biopsy done because they found a few polyps on my colon. I don’t think it’s anything, but they want to double check to be sure.”

Immediately, my mind became fatigued as my thoughts produced the worst outcomes. Dad could mask it all he wanted, but colon cancer was known to travel through our family, specifically his side. I silently prayed to myself that it wasn’t anything serious and everything would come back benign.

“What day and time?” I asked, finally finding my voice.

“Oh, don’t you come this way and make a big deal out of it,” Dad fussed. “I’m fine.”

“And I didn’t ask that. Mommy?”

Mommy snickered before rambling the date and time. I locked it into my calendar and promised them I would see them next week. Once we ended the call, Serenity and I continued with our lunch date. My heart was heavy, but Serenity eased some of the weight. Being around her meant I didn’t need to think too much or worry about anything, but behind her eyes, I could see we shared the same feelings about the situation. We were both daddy’s girls to the core.

An hour and a half later, we were going our separate ways. I sent Olive a text, checking on Parker as I headed back inside the center. I’d made it just in time to catch Kehlani leaving. When she saw me, she tore away from her aunt and ran to hug my legs.

“Bye, Ms. Miles. Auntie is here to pick me up.” She lifted her head, and her round, doe-shaped brown eyes captured my soul. “Will I see you tomorrow?”

“Yes, you will. I’ll come up here just to see you, sweet pea.” I tapped her nose with my index finger before squatting tobecome eye level with her. Holding my pinky out, I said, “But you can’t tell anyone. It has to be our secret. Okay?”

Giddily, Kehlani latched her pinky onto mine and burst into a fit of giggles. “Okay, but is it okay if I tell my daddy? I can’t keep secrets from him.”

The sentiment warmed my heart. Being a certified daddy’s girl, I understood where she was coming from. “Of course. Never keep secrets from him. Always tell him everything, okay?”

“I do!”

“Good. Keep it that way.”

I watched as Kehlani skipped over to her aunt and held her hand. Waving bye to them, my mind wandered to her father. I’d never seen him before, but Kehlani always talked about him, never mentioning her mother. The closer I got to her, the more I wondered what her story was. She was such a sweet girl. If her father was the only one raising her, he needed a pat on the back because he was doing a damn good job.

Maybe one day, I’d be able to meet the man Kehlani loved so much.

I keptmy eyes closed as I heard my room door creeping open. The light sounds of Kehlani’s bare feet against the wooden floors let me know it was time to wake up. Like clockwork, she came in before my alarm could go off. My baby girl was an early bird, and sometimes, I wished she’d let me sleep in, even if it was for only ten minutes.

When I felt her presence closer to me, I counted down from five in my mind before popping my eyes open and playfully snatching her up. Her shrill screams filled the air as I kissed all over her sweet face.

“Daddy, stop!” she demanded in between giggles, trying her hardest to pry me away from her.

I kissed her a few more times before tossing her onto the other side of the bed. That had become our morning routine, and as tired as I was, I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.

Once she caught her breath and calmed down, she crawled up to me with her favorite stuffed bunny, Rabbie, cradled in her arms. She snuggled against my chest and peered up at me with eyes that made me give into her each and every time.

“Daddy?”