Alani scooted closer to Morgan, and Morgan broke down. She turned her head away from Alani and her twins and stubbornly looked at the rows of graves as her tears flowed. She hated this. Absolutely detested it. The wanting but not having. The craving but being denied. Morgan had never not been given what she desired. Ethic had laid down framework that catered to her every need since she was a child. Not having free will was killing her.

“Mo, why don’t you just come home for a little while? I could use your help around the house. I’m getting closer to my due date, and Bella and Eazy have so much on their schedules that I can’t keep up with. We love it when you’re home. We love having you and the twins close. It killed Ethic when you stayed away in London. Just move back for a while. Help me out with some things before the baby comes. It’ll give you space to think. I know you say you’re fine, but I don’t like that bitch Christiana. It’s something about her that I don’t trust, and it feels like there’s something you aren’t saying.”

Morgan turned to her in shock, and the concern she saw on Alani’s face made her want to confess it all. The intuition of a woman was remarkable, but the intuition of a mother was God given.

“Talk to me, Morgan.”

“I can’t,” Morgan whispered. “I just can’t.”

Alani reached for Morgan’s hand and squeezed it tightly. “I don’t really know what you’re afraid of, Mo, but let me tell you something about me. I ain’t really afraid of shit, and I’ve been two seconds off Christiana’s ass since you introduced us. You don’t have to talk about it, that’s fine, but I’m not sending you back there until I know what’s wrong.” Alani managed to climb to her feet. “Come on, babies. La La has some fresh cookies at home for y’all,” she signed as she began walking to her car. “Babies as in all three of you, Mo,” Alani called out without looking back at Morgan.

Morgan glanced down at her phone and considered running it by Bash, but if she did that, she would be giving in to a lifetime of that. Of asking permission, of dictatorship. He was already forcing her into something she no longer wanted; she would be damned if he got to decide the frequency with which she visited her family. A little time back home would do her some good. She stood and gathered her belongings before following behind Alani.

15