Page 68 of When Love Takes Root

Thursday Afternoon

Before I went into Lyric’s school, I sat in the truck with both hands resting on the steering wheel and talked to God like a man who knew better than to move without covering. The pickup line crawled in front of me, all brake lights, book bags, ponytails, and tired parents trying to make it through the afternoon with patience still attached. A little boy crossed the walkway, holding his mother’s hand. A father crouched to tie his daughter’s shoe before kissing the top of her head. A mother laughed while her daughter wrapped both arms around her knees and refused to let the hug end.

Family had a way of showing up in ordinary places and making a man tell the truth about what he wanted.

I bowed my head.

“Father God, before I ask You for anything, thank You. Thank You for keeping me when I thought I knew better than You. Thank You for correcting what pride tried to dress up as wisdom. Thank You for not letting every desire become a decision before I brought it to Your feet.

“Lord, I’m coming to You about Celeste because I don’t trust myself enough to move on feelings alone. She’s beautiful, and You know she is. But I don’t want to reduce one of Your daughters to what my eyes can see.

“Search my heart.

“If this is only attraction, kill it before I mishandle her. If this is loneliness, heal it before I place it in her hands. If this is ego, humble me before I confuse wanting her with being ready for her.

“Help me honor Big J without feeling threatened by what he planted. Don’t let me be foolish enough to compete with a man whose love still feeds that family. Don’t let me step on roots I’m supposed to respect. If You ever allow me to love them, teach me how to water what’s already there instead of trying to prove I belong.

“Cover her children. Cover JJ as he grows into manhood while grieving like a son. Cover Kayden and all that protection sitting heavy in his chest. Cover Maya, Zuri, and Skye in the places that still miss their daddy. If You ever allow me near them, make me patient enough to earn their trust and humble enough not to demand it. Give me hands that help, words that cover, and a heart that’s safe to trust.

“And if Celeste never chooses me, don’t let me become bitter. Let me still honor her, do my work well, and leave her life better than I found it. But if this pull is from You, ground me before You grow it. Don’t let me pursue what I’m not prepared to cover. Teach me how to love her without erasing what came before me, and teach me how to be a man her children never have to heal from.

“If You say no, I’ll obey. If You say wait, I’ll wait. If You say move, I’ll move with clean hands and a submitted heart. Have Your way, God. Not mine dressed up pretty. Yours. If this is love taking root, let it grow slow enough to be holy and deep enough to last. Amen.”

I sat there another moment, letting the prayer settle over me. It didn’t leave me excited. It left me sober, and that told me it had reached the right place. A man could get stirred up over a beautiful woman and still not be prepared for the life attached to her. I wasn’t trying to chase a pretty face and call it purpose. I was asking God to check every wire in me before I put my hands anywhere near Celeste Coleman’s peace.

A horn tapped lightly behind me, and I looked up, shifted into drive, and eased forward. “Message received.”

I parked, signed Lyric out at the front, and found her waiting with her backpack hanging off one shoulder and a purple bow clipped crooked in her hair. The second she saw me, she took off running. “Uncle Si-yuh!”

I bent before she reached me and caught her in both arms, lifting her just enough to make her squeal. I kissed her cheek, fixed the bow leaning toward her ear, and held her there for a second, because Lyric gave hugs with her whole heart. She had glitter near one eyebrow, marker on two fingers, and the satisfied look of a child who had survived school and expected the world to reward her for it.

She looked up at me. “Mama still in court?”

“Yep. Your daddy’s across town on a call, so you get me today.”

“That’s good. You smell like outside and peppermints.”

I laughed. “I’m going to take that as a compliment.”

“It is. Can we get fries? And a lemonade? Please?”

I adjusted her backpack strap and tried to keep my face serious, but Lyric already knew she had a weak spot where I was concerned. “We’ll see what your mama says first, but I might know a place with good fries.”

Her whole face lit. “You the best uncle.”

“I was already aware, but I receive it.”

She slipped her small hand into mine without thinking, and something in my chest steadied. Children trusted with their whole hand first and asked questions later. Any man with sense learned to treat that as holy. I gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “Come on, Songbird. Let’s get you home before your daddy starts acting like I kidnapped his baby for french fries.”

We were heading toward the doors when I heard my name. Onyx stood near the pickup area with one daughter beside him and Jamilah on his hip, babbling happily while tugging at the collar of his shirt. He had the peaceful tiredness of a man who loved his family and had accepted that silence wouldn’t be part of his inheritance.

“Siah.”

I dapped him up. “What’s good?”

Onyx smiled too hard. “You. Apparently.”

I already knew where the conversation was headed. “Don’t start.”