Page 306 of When a Soul Cries

“Unfortunately?”

Zari screamed.

I laughed and pressed the gas a little harder while Ma started fussing about how she didn't know why she had children just for both of us to get on her damn nerves.

The crazy part was, my whole morning had been like this.

Rome called me early as hell.

I answered thinking somebody was hurt, something happened with Eastview, or we had a business problem.

Instead, this nigga said, *I'm getting married.*

Just like that.

No buildup. No warning. No *Kai, I've been thinking about asking Sol to marry me.*

Nothing.

Before I could even process the shit, he started handing out assignments like I worked for him.

Call our jeweler. He'd already told him what he wanted.

Pick up the ring.

Find somebody who could legally marry them.

Get Ma.

Get Halo.

Get Zari.

Get everybody to Dahlonega.

And hurry the fuck up.

Basically, my brother had turned me into an emergency wedding coordinator with a criminal driving record waiting to happen.

Finding the pastor had damn near been the hardest part. Apparently normal people didn't wake up expecting somebody to call and ask, *Hey, you free to marry my brother today?*

Then I had to get Ma.

That was another thirty minutes of my life I'd never get back.

She wanted to know when Rome proposed, why he proposed, what Sol said, where the wedding was, what Sol was wearing, whether Rome had lost his mind, and why nobody told her anything sooner.

I knew the answer to exactly none of that shit.

Then I picked up Halo, got Zari, and started hauling ass toward Dahlonega.

Now Rome was calling me every five minutes like *I* was the problem.

“You still there?” Rome asked, pulling me back to the call.

“Unfortunately.”

He exhaled. “Sol nervous.”