Page 296 of Invisible Bars
“How? How are you here?”
He jerked his chin toward the side of the crowd. My gaze followed — straight to Imanio, standing with his arms folded, cool as ever.
Ms. Shirley gasped, pressing a hand to her chest. “You… you did this?”
Imanio nodded. “I did. He did his time, and I decided it was time he came home.”
Ms. Shirley’s hand flew to her chest, tears spilling freely down her cheeks.
“Baby, you don’t even know what you’ve done for me. I prayed for this day, but I never thought I’d see it! God bless you, Imanio. God bless you for bringing mine back to me!”
“Ms. Shirley, you took care of this whole block for years; holding people down even when nobody held you. I wasn’t about to let you keep starving inside while everybody else ate. That didn’t sit right with me. You kept folks alive with your pots whenthe hood was hungry—the least I could do was make sure your son came home to eat at your table again.”
Although Ms. Shirley didn’t voice it, I was sure she was wondering the same thing I was:how the hell did he manage to get him out of jail, especially with the charges he had?
But when a person has money, they don’t wait in lines; they buy keys to doors everybody else keeps knocking on.
I stood there watching Ms. Shirley hug her son like she was trying to make up for all the years in a single squeeze. My heart clenched because it wasn’t just about her son; it was about the way Imanio had seen her, respected her, and moved mountains for her without asking for anything in return. That kind of selfless power was rare. And right then, I knew my love for him had gone even deeper. He was ruthless to his enemies, but to those who deserved it? He gave back life itself.
I slipped up beside Imanio and slid my arms around his waist before pressing a kiss against his cheek.
“That was… beautiful,” I murmured. “You didn’t have to do that, but you did. That’s the kind of thoughtful people don’t forget.”
“She fed everybody else’s kids when she could barely feed her own. All I did was make sure she got a piece of that life back.”
“That’s love, baby,” I said.
Later that day, after I’d eaten and spent some time tucked into Imanio’s side, I was handing out school supplies near the front of the block when I saw a familiar car pull up across the street. My heart paused for a moment.
No way.
The driver’s door opened, and out stepped Daphnee—twists pulled up into a pineapple bun, gold hoops catching the sun, a ribbed crop top paired with flowy high-waisted shorts, and tan sandals that said “comfort, but cute.”
She looked around with one hand on her hip, eyes scanning the crowd until they landed on me.
Her face lit up instantly. “Is that my girl Naji?”
A soft tic tugged at my shoulder, another whispering at my jaw as I rushed toward her.
“D-Daphnee!”
“Girl!” she squealed, pulling me into a hug that didn’t ask permission. “I’ve been watching your journey like it’s a whole TV series! Look at you! Happy, healthy, andmarried!”
I smiled, my throat tightening with a quiet ache. “Yeah… married. Life’s changed.”
“It sure has… and in such a short amount of time! I remember when you used to ride in my backseat, staring out the window like the world didn’t have a place for you yet. Now look—you’re out here throwing block parties like you’re the damn mayor!” she teased, waving her hand at the tents, the music, and people. “You got the whole hood showing up just to be inyourpresence.”
I laughed softly, shaking my head. “I… I wouldn’t say all of that. A lot of this is my husband’s doing; his money made this possible. I just… helped… me and his sister.” My voice shifted, turning somber. “I didn’t forget you, Daphnee; I n–never could. I know you’re probably still wondering about that strange phone call. Things were… c–complicated then.”
Daphnee pressed her warm hand to my shoulder, her smile reflecting a softness that made my heart swell.
“And I could never forget about you, Naji.Sometimes love doesn’t show up loud; sometimes it hides in the shadows, praying for you, even when it can’t stand beside you.That’s what it was for me. I didn’t need to be remembered; I just needed to know you survived and that you were okay,” she explained, her voice gentle yet filled with an unspoken weight of understanding.
Daphnee’s eyes wandered across the bustling block, taking in the laughter and chatter around us then added, “And from the looks of things… you’re doinggreat.”
“I am,” I responded, while taking a glance at Imanio, who was staring at me with a slight frown, probably wondering who I was talking to.
I gave him a sincere smile to assure him I was good.
