Page 160 of Steel
I placed the flower in my hand in the little vase attached to the crypt, then grabbed Kerrion’s hand. Beside me, he sniffled slightly.
“I miss you, D,” he said. “Our boy is about to be one. I know you’re looking down on us, and I hope you’re proud.” He kissed his fingers and touched the crypt. “I really tried with your mom. I did everything you asked me to do, I just . . . I wished it ended differently. She’s with you now, and I know you’re taking care of her like she took care of you. I hope she has the peace she wasn’t able to get while she was here.”
He’d shed a few tears with us before we finally left to go home. It was hard on him, and at times, I knew he blamed himself, but he did the best he could. I wasn’t sure what strings Senior pulled to have this case closed, but I was thankful we didn’t have to deal with it for too long with further investigation.
Kerrion went back to the academy a few weeks after everything happened, and I think he needed it. The love those kids gave him when they saw him again for the first time was so beautiful to watch. He’d sent an email to the parents to let themknow he was returning. When they came in for class, he was greeted with flowers, balloons, hand-drawn pictures, and candy.
They showered him with love and affection, and it brought tears to my eyes when I dropped Nayelli off. They loved their Mr. K something serious.
“Damn, it’s a lot of us,” Dinah said, looking around the section we sat in. “I see why people are looking nervous and shit.”
“We’re at a school,” I said. “Nothing is gonna happen here.”
“You say that like your man didn’t drag the principal across his desk a few months ago.”
Kerrion chuckled. “My baby ain’t been bullied since, though.”
Dinah grinned. “Touché.”
“I know that’s right,” my father said, slapping his hand.
Since KJ’s kidnapping, my parents had been down to visit more often. He and my father became fast friends, and my mother adored him. Kerrion told them whenever they wanted to come, let him know, and he would pay for their flight. He even told them if they wanted to move, he would help them relocate. He basically said we were moving in with him and my parents could have mine and Dinah’s house since he’d taken it upon himself to pay it off.
I had no qualms about that. Having my parents close would mean the world to me because I missed them so much. My mother finally knew that my biological father was dead. I wouldn’t say she cried tears of joy, but I knew she was relieved to know that he could never hurt us again.
It took weeks for his body to be discovered. There was a missing person’s report out on him, and the prison was on lockdown for the longest. I didn’t understand how they hadn’t smelled him rotting away, but then again, I didn’t care. He got what he deserved.
The ceremony finally started.
The Dillinger clan had quite a bit of kids getting awards from different grades. Every time one of their names was called, our section erupted in cheers, hold the applause be damned. Anybody that had something to say about it was met with a slew of dirty looks.
Nayelli won an award for being on the principal’s list and the honor roll. She had the highest GPA in English and math as well. Every time her name was called, we were the loudest in the building. She wasn’t the least bit embarrassed.
Back home, she only had me, her aunt, and her grandparents to cheer for her. Here, she had an entire village. I could see the pride in her eyes and smiles every time she looked over at us, and she absolutely deserved it.
When the show was over, she, her cousins, and Jaiden immediately came to find us.
“I’m so proud of you!” I exclaimed as she ran into my arms.
“You did your thing, baby girl,” Kerrion added, slapping her a high five before scooping her up into a big hug. “I gotta clear off a wall for all your awards. Everybody has to know how smart you are when they walk in the house.”
Nayelli blushed. “Thank you, Daddy.”
“Where do you wanna go to celebrate?”
“Pixels and Pizza.”
I playfully rolled my eyes. I was about sick of that place, but she loved it. At least once a week, she wanted to go there with her cousins and Jaiden. At this point, they knew us by name.
“Whatever you want, baby girl,” Kerrion said. “Aye, we going to Pixels and Pizza to celebrate,” he announced to the family.
“I’ll call and reserve the space,” Senior said.
That meant he was about to drop a lot of money to rent out the whole space. We were rolling deep, and it would take the entire space to accommodate us all. The kids were already giddy with excitement, as they should be. They’d been working hard,and they deserved a little praise for it. One thing this family did was celebrate wins.
I appreciated their closeness.
I loved the way they rode for each other at any given turn.
