Page 39 of Fallynn West

Carefully, I set Kehlani on the couch and placed a blanket over her. Rubbing her loose curls from her face, I leaned down to kiss her cheek. For a moment, I stood there and stared at her, watching the rise and fall of her chest. My love for her had immensely grown. We were connected on a different level, and I prayed nothing ever broke our bond.

Mama came up beside me and pulled me into her by the waist. “What’s on your mind, baby?”

“I love her, Mama. So much. I never thought I could love someone like this.” I released a shaky breath, attempting to keep my tears at bay. It was impossible, being in the comfort and warmth of my mother’s presence. “We’ve grown so close, and it feels so good, but I’m scared.”

“Scared of what?”

“Losing what we share. I mean, I have faith in my relationship with Keondra. It’s different, a good and confident different, but her mother popped back up.”

I hadn’t told anyone, but Demetria showing up worried me. She was Kehlani’s mother. The woman who had brought her into the world. Even with her being gone for so long, her and Kehlani’s bond was different. Selfishly, I worried if she was to come back into Kehlani’s life, it would affect our relationship. I worried she wouldn’t want to see me as much or spend time with me. I worried she wouldn’t be excited to be around me or love me. So much had been going through my mind, and I brushed off every thought because it sounded too selfish for my liking.

“Oh, goodness.” Mama placed her hand on her heart. “You said she was gone for what? Three years?” I nodded, and she asked, “How does Kehlani feel about it?”

“She doesn’t know. No one told her who she was. Surprisingly, she hasn’t said anything about it, but it’s majorly affecting Keondra. I know it feels like the world is on his shoulders trying to figure it all out.”

“And what do you think about it?”

“Honestly, I think he should give her a chance to step up and be a mother. Kehlani deserves it, and he deserves to have a healthy co-parenting relationship. Together, they created a beautiful, smart, and bright girl. Her mother is crazy for missing out on the time she did, but if she genuinely wants to be in her life, she should be. We all make mistakes. While hers was a major one, it doesn’t need to be held against her.”

“That’s exactly what your father just told me too.”

Mama and I jumped at the sound of Keondra’s voice. We turned around to see him and Daddy standing there. They’d snuck in on us, and I wondered how much they heard. My cheeks warmed at the thought of Keondra possibly hearing everything I said.

Breaking away from me, Mama went over and greeted Keondra with a hug. She held onto him longer than normal, and from the way he melted into her, I could tell he needed it.

“It’s nice to meet you, Keondra. You have a beautiful daughter.”

“And so do you,” Keondra replied, smiling.

“Let’s go have a drink,” Daddy suggested, and Mama shot him a look.

“It’s not Friday, Martin.” She fussed.

I glanced at Kehlani to make sure she was good before going over to Mama and looping my arm in hers. “Let him have one drink.”

Mama playfully flitted her eyes upward, but she didn’t protest. We all filed into the kitchen where Daddy grabbed him and Keondra a beer before pouring me and Mama a glass of wine. I scooted my chair closer to Keondra and looked at him. He quickly pecked my lips, pushed his glasses up, and smiled.

“So, Keondra,” Daddy started, taking a seat at the table, “what are your intentions with my daughter?”

“Oh, hell.” I mumbled underneath my breath. My father could be a bit much at times, especially when it came to me and Serenity, so I wasn’t sure what direction the conversation was headed in.

“To love her, plain and simple. I believe we’re headed in the right direction.” Keondra glanced over at me, and the softness in his eyes warmed my insides. “She makes it easy for me to want to cater to her. I look forward to talking to and seeing her every day. The time we spend together heals me in ways that she probably doesn’t realize. And the way she loves my daughter is the icing on the layered cake. I want nothing but the best for her. The best for us.”

Was it crazy that I looked at his response like a verbal love letter?

Keondra held my gaze as he talked, giving me the silent confirmation that his words rang true. Not once did he glance away or even give me a hint that he was unsure of anything he said. His head and chest were high, and his voice was bold. Just like that, he made me fall for him all over again.

“And I want the same,” I confirmed after a few seconds of silence. “The happiness you’ve provided me with makes me feel like a schoolgirl who finally got a chance with her crush. From the morning messages to the weekly flowers, you give me all the reason to have the feels about you, Keondra. Like always, our intentions are aligned. We’ve briefly talked about this, but there can never be enough confirmation.”

Our lips briefly met before my father cleared his throat. I pursed mine together and shot Daddy a look that had him leaning forward with his hands clasped together on the table.

“Don’t look at me like that, Colony. I’m all for this new love you’ve found, but you gotta ease that type of affection on me,” Daddy stated and peered at Keondra. “If you take care of my daughter and love her properly, we’ll have absolutely noproblems. One of the things I’ve prayed for since the girls were in their mother’s womb was for them to find men better than me. For them to find men who loved them to no end and would truly be their best friends. Serenity found that in Jacob, and something tells me Colony will find that in you.

“If you eventhinkabout hurting my baby girl, let her go. Never string her along or give her false hope of anything. I’ve seen her hurt and broken over a man who wasn’t worth a pot to piss in because he played in her face for years. To this day, I regret not knocking him on his ass, but I also never got the chance to once the truth came out. Just know, I’ll pop up at your restaurant, your house, or anywhere you may be if she comes to me about some bullshit you did. Do we have an understanding?”

Without hesitation, Keondra agreed. “Yes, we do. I feel every word you said, because I’m the same way about that little girl in there napping without a care in the world. You have my word that I won’t do anything to intentionally hurt Colony.”

They shook on it, and my mother pressed her fingertips against her lips. Her eyes were misty as she peered at Keondra. It was the same look she’d given Jacob when Daddy had the talk with him, which gave me hope that Keondra was the one for me.