Page 71 of Beyond The Stars

“Yes, baby. That’s why we have to be quiet and really nice,” Malaysia cooed in a low tone.

Siasia chuckled, lightly.

“I’m always nice, Mama,” Esmeray lied. She was hardly ever nice and reserved all of her nice qualities for her father, granny, grandpa, and Noodle. Anyone else, good luck.

“These the groceries y’all went to get?” Siasia joked. Qamar and Noodle were supposed to be going out to restock the house but clearly that had been a fabrication since they come back with Malaysia and Esmeray and no groceries.

Qamar stood with a goofy grin on his handsome face. Noodle sat beside her, laying her head on her shoulder while Esmeray curled up into Siasia’s lap like a kitten. Siasia’s heart swelled from the feel of their warmth encompassing her. When Malaysia sat on the opposite side of her, she wrapped her arms around Siasia, opening the floodgates she’d tried so hard to keep closed when her sister was around.

“We got you,” Malaysia assured, wiping away at her own tears. She was a crier. When people around her shed tears, so did she.

Qamar stood, just taking the image in. It was beautiful. Beautiful brown girls sharing a moment and allowing each other to cry. The four of his girls sat in a comforting silence. He pulled out his phone to snap a few pictures because the sight was worthy of remembrance. There was only one thing missing—his Belinay. Janay was still being petty by keeping her away no matter how much he begged for her. She was playing a dangerous game since another man in his situation would take it as a sign to bow out. However, he stood on his word and would be in Belinay’s life.

Thinking about his baby, he shot Janay a text asking her to drop the baby off. Now that he was a father to two, having one child without the other didn’t sit right with him.

Text bubbles popped up before disappearing again. Janay knew how to irk his damn nerves.

Qamar gave one last glance at his girls before deciding to take a nap. He had been tired since the funeral and that was almost two weeks ago.

“Y’all good?” he asked before he walked away.

Siasia forced a thin smile. “Mhm.”

“I got them, go get some sleep,” Malaysia assured.

Before he walked away, Qamar lingered for a moment, his heart heavy with the weight of unspoken words. He turned back, allowing his gaze to lock onto Siasia’s, drawing her attention as if by an invisible thread. Her sad, slanted eyes reflected a world of pain and loss, mirroring the anguish that twisted in his own chest. In that fleeting moment, he wished desperately to take away her suffering, to somehow lighten the burden she carried so silently.

If he could speed up her healing process, he would have done anything—moved mountains, crossed oceans, or even faced the fiercest storms. Grief was a complex tapestry, woven with threads of love and sorrow, and he knew that no matter how much he longed to carry her pain, it was something she had to navigate alone. Instead, he resolved to be her steadfast support, a shoulder for her to lean on when the weight of her emotions threatened to overwhelm her. He would stand by her side, ready to catch her when she faltered, offering solace in the silence that enveloped them both. As he turned to leave, the unspoken promise hung in the air, a vow of unwavering presence in the midst of her turmoil.

Qamar must’ve been more tired than he thought. As his eyes opened, he realized he wasn’t in the bed by himself anymore. Siasia was tucked to his right, while Esmeray was curled into his left. Noodle was sprawled out beside Siasia. How the four of them fit in his king-sized bed was a mystery and he’d have it no other way. Doing his best not to wake them, he maneuvered out of the bed and grabbed his phone off the nightstand. He had at least fifty missed calls and a dozen unread text messages. At the time, only Janay’s message mattered.

Reading her text, he sighed a sigh of relief seeing she agreed to bring Belinay over when she got out of class and picked her up from daycare. Next, he went to his mama’s text thread. The most recent message had a video attached. Clicking on the link, his heart sank at what was displayed on the screen. The Arkansas Arrows had rescinded his draft offer when they hadn’t even made it public from the jump.

“While we recognize Qamar's talent on the field, we must also consider the impact of his behavior off the field. The Arkansas Arrows are committed to fostering a positive environment for our players, fans, and families. We believe that every player should embody the ideals of respect, integrity, and sportsmanship.”

He took a deep breath, his expression firm. “Therefore, we have made the difficult decision not to draft Qamar. We wish him the best in his future endeavors, but we cannot align ourselves with actions that do not reflect our morals and beliefs as a franchise.”

The weight of the news crashed down on him, a stark contrast to the warmth of the bodies in his bed. He felt a mix of anger and disbelief, the kind that churned in his stomach like a storm brewing on the horizon. How could they pull such a move? He had worked tirelessly, sacrificed so much, and now it felt like everything was slipping through his fingers.

Of course God wasn’t done with him—Janay’s loud mouth echoed through the house creating a pit in his stomach while pushing the devasting blow of his career to the back of his mind. Qamar scampered down the hall, making use of his long legs.

“Lower your fuckin’ voice,” Malaysia gritted, her lips twisted in annoyance.

Janay shook her head. “Girl, fuck you and whoever sleeping in here. Like, why would he tell me to bring my baby over here knowing I don’t want her around that girl.” She huffed.

“You really need to get over yourself, Janay. That boy don’t want you but he wants to be a good father, just give him some slack.”

“She ain’t gone do that ‘cause she selfish,” Qamar spoke up, bringing three set of eyes to his shirtless body.

Belinay blew spit bubbles at the sight of her daddy.

“Hey, my baby.” He walked up, not giving a damn about Janay’s mug on her face.

Tired of doing the parent thing on her own, Janay didn’t put up a fight when he grabbed Belinay out of her arms.

“You getting so chunky, Ma-Ma,” Qamar cooed, kissing all over her face while she slobbered on his.

Malaysia pursed her lips with her hand on her hips. “And to think you was really trying to keep him from his daughter.”

---