She’s such a bright kid. Her mom got her master’s and opened her own business in downtown Decatur, one of the coolest parts of Atlanta’s changing landscape. Karinne’s father isn’t in her life, so I, and a lot of the other men on staff, make sure we’re providing her good male role models where we can.

As I knew he would, Noah nearly comes out of his skin when the step team does their birthday routine for him. Mona’s recording it and will probably post it to Instagram and TikTok, or whatever they call it, later. We’ve had several videos go viral, thanks in no small part to her. She’s on top of our socials.

“Wow. They’re fantastic.”

I turn and Kimba’s standing beside me, eyes fixed on the step team leaping and clapping and shouting in rhythm like I could never make my body do.

“Yeah, they are.” I clear my throat. “I wasn’t sure you were gonna make it.”

“I almost didn’t come.” Her laugh is reluctant, reserved. “I probably shouldn’t have.”

“I’m glad you did.” I brush her fingers with mine and turn my head to look directly into her eyes. “Really glad.”

“Ez.” She pulls her fingers away, lowering her head so her hair falls forward to partially obscure her profile. “Don’t.”

“We need to talk.” I reset my attention on the step team, on Noah sitting on the edge of his new trampoline wearing wonder all over his face. “Don’t leave, okay?”

Her chest heaves with the weight of her sigh. She’s wearing skinny jeans and one of those stretchy, tube top-y kind of strapless shirts. It outlines the fullness of her breasts and the dramatic dip of her waist and ass.

“I don’t know.” She shakes her head. “Mona was right. She—”

“Mona doesn’t know what I need to tell you. Not yet. Stay. I want to talk to you after everyone leaves.”

She hesitates, but she finally nods.

“Thank you,” I say.

“Kimba!” Noah runs up. “You came!”

“I told you I would.” She smiles down at him. “Dude, your party is amazing.”

“Thank you.” He bounces on the tips of his toes. “We’re about to open gifts.”

“My favorite part!” Kimba says. “I hope you like mine.”

“You got me a present?” Noah’s eyes stretch and his mouth falls open.

“Of course I did.”

“Let’s go over to the gift table and check out your birthday haul,” I tell him.

It’s quite a lot. I don’t even remember getting this many gifts at my Bar Mitzvah. I think of the eighteen Pixie Stix Kimba gave me and can’t help but look over at her and smile. She’s standing a few feet away with Mona and lifts one brow.

“What?” she mouths.

I shake my head and mouth back. “Later.”