Page 3 of Unbreakable Bond

Her nose snarled at how her name rolled off his lips before twisting in his lap.

“I’m planning the DuPont Falls Luxe Parade,” Hailo insisted because she had settled into her role as the first lady– well, one of them. Mom and my aunties used to handle it but had no problem handing over the reins to Kyerra, Lo, and Sky. “I’ll need the three wise men on the float.”

“For what?” I asked.

“You’ve been living here your entire life and asking me why?” Hailo countered.

“Yeah, because we’ve been to a million of these parades and never been on a damn float,” Gi added, taking the words out of my mouth.

“Well, Alvin and the Chipmunks, you weren’t in charge. It was your parents up on the float. Now it’s your turn, so either pick one of you, or I’ll expect all three of you up there smiling and waving to the people you work so hard for,” Hailo rotated her smile around the room while we all sat quietly.

“That’s your wife. You got it,” Tyson bowed out before announcing. “I’m out. I’ll get up with y’all later.” He dapped us both up before leaving.

“Don’t look at me like that,” Gi fussed because Hailo was pouting for him to save the day.

“You don’t have to front for me, bro. Say yes, and get it over with,” I teased.

“Chauncy would do it for me,” Hailo mumbled, but not low enough.

Gi wrapped his hand around her neck, yanking her body closer, mentioning her fictional side nigga. He whispered something in her ear that made her laugh, and I knew that was my cue to head out.

“I’ll give y’all some privacy. Hit me if you need me about that other thing,” Gi nodded as we slapped hands.

“Don’t forget Niyomi and Denim are coming this weekend, and I’m stealing Sky,” Hailo yelled.

“Kyerra, too?”

Hailo’s head cocked to the side as I walked out and headed for the elevator. When I reached my car, I stopped by the florist to pick up flowers for my baby’s stage debut. Then it was straight home to nap because I had a late night and an earlier morning. I strolled in the house, and Sky’s face lit up at the pink roses in my hand.

“For me?” she asked, sitting Indian-style on the floor, surrounded by her laptop and textbooks.

I dipped into the kitchen to put them down before returning to the living room and kissing Sky.

“You don’t have a performance tonight,” I laid across the couch, causing her to set her laptop down and turn around.

“Ouch.”

“I know a few ways you could earn some, though.”

“Now I have to earn flowers? What happened to, ‘if I want it, I can have it’?” Sky probed.

“You can, just not Cam Cam’s flowers.”

“I’m joking,” she replied, but every joke had some truth. A small part of Sky wanted all my love to herself, but if there was anybody she would share me with, it was Cam—not that she had a choice.

“What are you working on?” I asked.

“Studying. I have a test on Friday.”

“Better study hard because Lo Diddy said y’all are hitting the street this weekend.”

“You know, Hailo.” Sky’s eyes bulged, annoyed that Hailo wouldn’t accept her excuses.

“A night out won’t kill you.”

“Oh, please. Says the guy who didn’t even want to go to his own birthday party.”

“That’s different, and school has you stressed the fuck out. Me and Cam need a break.”

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