Page 202 of When Love Takes Root

Skye started crying because everyone else was crying, then cried harder when she understood why. She pressed her face into my hip, and her little fingers twisted in the fabric of my blouse. Zuri stood frozen with both hands to her mouth, eyes shining and shoulders shaking. Maya sank onto the bench with her sketchbook hugged to her body, tears sliding down her face in complete silence.

I turned to Josiah.

He was looking at the tree.

His eyes were wet.

That undid me.

“You did this?”

He nodded slowly. “I adopted the tree in his name.”

My lips trembled. “Josiah.”

“I didn’t put my name on it.” His voice was thick. “This wasn’t about me.”

Kayden wiped his face with the back of his hand, then looked at Josiah with wet eyes and a wounded frown. “Why would you do that?”

Josiah turned toward him.

“Because I’m not here to uproot your father’s love.” His voice stayed steady, but his eyes shined. “Jamal planted something in y’all that I respect too much to disturb. He loved your mama. He covered this family. He gave y’all roots before I ever knew your names.”

JJ wiped beneath both eyes, his chest rising and falling like he was fighting for composure and losing with dignity.

Josiah looked at each of them. “I’m not asking for his place. I’m not trying to move his memory out of the house, out of your hearts, or out of the story God already wrote through him. If the Lord allows me to love your mama and walk with this family, I just want to lay down my own roots beside what’s already growing.”

Josiah looked at the tree again. “Roots don’t fight underground. They strengthen what’s above them. They hold soil together. They reach for water in places nobody sees so what everybody does see can keep living.”

Kayden’s face crumpled.

Josiah stepped closer, but he didn’t touch him. “Your daddy’s love is still here. I see it in JJ trying to lead without making noise. I see it in you standing guard, even when the armor hurts. I see it in Maya noticing what others miss, Zuri telling the truth, and Skye loving loud enough to scare sadness out of a room. I see it in your mama every time she looks at y’all like God handed her proof after the funeral tried to convince her everything was gone.”

I broke.

There was no graceful way to do it. No pretty tear. No controlled breath. The sob tore out of me so suddenly my body folded around it, and Josiah was there before I had to ask. His arm wrapped around my waist, strong and careful, holding me upright without pulling me away from my children. I gripped his forearm with one hand and covered my mouth with the other, but the sound still came through, wounded and relieved at the same time.

Kayden stepped toward him.

“I’m sorry.”

This apology came from somewhere deeper than manners. Kayden’s face twisted as tears slid down his cheeks, and his hands opened and closed at his sides like he didn’t know what to do with all the hurt now that it had nowhere to hide.

“I’m sorry for how I acted. I didn’t know how to like you and miss him at the same time.”

Josiah placed one hand over his chest. “I understand.”

Kayden shook his head, tears dropping freely now. “I was scared if you came in, everybody would start needing me less.”

JJ turned from the stone. “Man, we need you because you’re Kayden, not because you’re trying to be Dad.”

Skye ran to Kayden and wrapped both arms around his waist. “I need you to reach the cereal.”

Zuri cried harder. “Skye, why are you like this?”

“Because I’m grieving and hungry.”

A broken laugh moved through all of us.