Page 81 of Beyond The Stars

“You’re like my homie, my shorty, you’ve shown me so many things,” he crooned.

A few women in the restaurant started to hoot in a low tone when they realized he could really sing.

She hesitated for a moment, glancing around at the other diners, but his infectious grin melted her reservations. She took his hand and stood up, feeling a rush of excitement.

“Don’t make me beat all these old hoes up in here.”

“I’ll help you,” he declared, resting his hand on the small of her back.

“You better ‘cause a few of them look like they might know how to tussle.”

As they swayed to the music, Qamar pulled her close, his voice soft and warm as he sang the lyrics into her ear. “You got the love that I want. You got the love that I need.”

The world around them seemed to fade away, leaving just the two of them in their own little bubble—the universe he said he’d create for them.

"You always know how to make me feel special," Siasia murmured, her heart fluttering.

Qamar smiled, his eyes never leaving hers. "That's because you are special," he spoke sincerely. “You deserve to be happy. When people ask how you feel, I want the first answer to be happy.”

She wiped away at the tear, thinking about her mama and how she never got to know what true happiness felt like.

“She want you to be happy more than anyone on this earth or in the afterlife, mama. You made her happy. That was enough for her.” Qamar kept his tone low, making their moment even more private.

Her wet slanted eyes looked up into his. The answers were there but she just had to ask. “How you know?”

“She told me, mama. I talked to Cynthia a few times when you called yourself leaving me.”

Her sorrow turned into laughter. “I should’ve known by the way she was damn near rooting for you the last time we really talked. I miss her so much, Daddy.”

“I know but you gotta wake up every day, choosing to not let your grief overtake you. I felt that shit when my big brother was killed then again when Papa passed. That shit hurt like hell but we all kept living, making all their sacrifices not be in vain.” His thumb ran across her lips, wiping away a tear. “I got you but I can’t be your only source of happiness. You gotta find that shit inside of you. I’ll help you along the way but you gotta do the work too, mama. Anything you want to do, consider it done. If you want to go back to school, I got that shit too. Anything.”

Sniffling, Siasia nodded still looking in his brown eyes. “How you so perfect?”

“Shit, I ain’t. I’m a young nigga with two kids, two baby mamas, trying to wife up another girl. I’m far from perfect but you make me want to get as close to it as possible. When I’m with you, I be the closest to it ‘cause you perfect, mama.” Qamar didn’t want to hear anything from her so he snaked his tongue into her mouth, taking her breath way while feeding her his.

They continued to dance as more old school slow jams played from his phone.

A few other couples decided to join them, making the night even more special. Of course, some had to pull their phones out, which Siasia didn’t mind. In that moment, as they danced in the middle of the fancy restaurant, Siasia felt like the luckiest woman in the world. The way Qamar held her, the sound of his voice, and the warmth of his presence made her swoon, and she was exactly where she was meant to be.

24

“You sound like you’re in good spirits,” Candi acknowledged through the phone, her voice bright and full of energy as they stayed connected via FaceTime since Siasia had left the house. “Look cute too,” she added, wiggling her brows playfully, causing Noodle to giggle in the backseat, her laughter a sweet melody that filled the car.

The sound of her little sister laughing filled her chest. Siasia had been worried about Noodle and how she was taking the death.

“Don’t encourage her, Noodle,” Siasia replied, casting a quick glance at her sister through the rearview mirror, a smirk tugging at her lips. Her mind went to the post Ken Barbie put up that was going viral.

She couldn’t lie though, she felt great. Her heart was glowing, casting a glow over her whole life. Date night turned out to be amazing and the blogs ate up the images and videos of them dancing in the upscale restaurant. Now she was on her way to her old house after just leaving the grocery store. The grocery store run was necessary after Qamar’s family had completely ravished the fridge and counters during their fun-filled weekend stay. Those days had been a whirlwind of laughter and connection, getting to know his family, and seeing Qamar in his natural habitat, which warmed her heart and kept a smile plastered on her face.

Noodle had formed bonds with his nieces and nephews, her little spirit shining as she made sure to keep Esmeray close by her side. Janay had swooped in the previous night to pick up Belinay after spotting a post of the entire family, her voice dripping with faux concern as she insisted she should’ve been invited since her daughter was there. If there was a chance for drama, Janay was always ready to serve it.

“What you about to do now?” Candi asked, her voice drifting through the phone as she brushed her horse outside on her sprawling estate. Siasia couldn’t help but marvel at Candi’s hood-eclectic vibe, a unique blend of city flair and country charm that always left her a bit awestruck.

Siasia shot a sideways glance at Noodle to check if she was still locked into the conversation. They hadn’t yet had the chance to dive deep into the complexities of grief, to unravel the feelings surrounding the loss of the only parents she had ever known. Noodle understood that Cynthia wasn’t her biological mother, yet in her heart, Cynthia was the only mother she recognized.

Pushing her bouncy, naturally tight coils back from her face, Siasia let out a soft sigh, the weight of their shared experience hanging in the air. “On the way to the trailer park to check the mail and…” she trailed off, the words lingering as she contemplated the gravity of what lay ahead.

“To just be,” Candi finished for her. “I wished you’d let me come spend some time with you, SiSi.”

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