Page 28 of When Love Takes Root

She looked up at him before she even got in.

“What?” she asked.

He smiled. “Nothing.”

“Justice.”

“I just like looking at my wife.”

Melody rolled her eyes, but her smile gave her away. He brushed his thumb across her cheek before leaning in for one last kiss. “Drive safe.”

“Always.”

He stood beside the car until she turned onto Ridgeway and disappeared from sight. When he came back inside, his smile had settled into something quieter.

“You’re blessed, fam,” I said.

He looked toward the street one last time. “Yeah.” No joke. No grin. Just gratitude. “I know.”

My eyes drifted to the empty office where Lyric’s laughter had filled the room only minutes earlier. Juice caught the look.

“You’ll have it.”

I looked at him. “What?”

He nodded toward the road Melody and Lyric had disappeared down. “That.”

A smile found me. “I’m not rushing Big G.”

“I didn’t say rush Him.” He bumped my shoulder as he walked past. “I said don’t stop wanting it.”

Before I could answer, my phone buzzed in my pocket.

Onyx:

You at the shop? Need to holler at you about a favor.

I stared at the message then typed back.

Pull up.

Juice leaned over my shoulder before I could lock the screen. “There go the community Avengers.”

“Don’t start,” I said.

“I ain’t starting. I’m observing,” Juice said.

“You’re nosy.”

“Same gift, different ministry.”

I shook my head and moved toward the bay, but something from the last few minutes stayed behind my ribs. Lyric’s voice. Melody’s smile. Juice’s hand resting at the small of his wife’s back. A tote bag full of books. A child’s drawing with my arms stretched wide enough to cover the whole page.

Some men wanted legacy in buildings, bank accounts, and names carved into plaques.

I wanted that too, maybe.

But standing in my shop with sunlight cutting across concrete and family still echoing through the walls, I knew legacy also sounded like a little girl yelling your name like she was certain you’d answer.