Page 51 of Mr. Calloway

“Hi.”

She looked over Savior’s file, then up at me. “I see you turned in your husband’s family history. Thank you for that. I came to deliver good news. We’re sending Savior home today. I want to do one last blood test on him and go over what you gave me. If I have any findings, I will definitely be in contact. He’s a strong little one, fighting off that infection like a true prince. Do you have any questions for me?”

I cleared my throat as I nervously stepped forward. “Based on what you see there and what’s been going on with him, is it possible he may?—”

She placed her hand on mine. “I don’t want to give you any false promises. What I will say is keep doing whatever you’re doing. Faith and a strong family are what keep things going. It’s what keeps me sane, at least. It was nice meeting you, Mrs. Calloway.” She smiled.

“You can call me Zaria, and it was a pleasure?—”

“Coffee,” she said.

I nodded. When she walked out of the room, I hurried back over to my son. He stared at me, smiling with his big brown eyes. When I saw his dimple form, I thought about June.

“Your brother, sister, and Daddy will be happy to see you,” I told him.

This family feud that June had needed to end. Savior was the Calloway’s warning to get everything in order.

June’s Entry

Place: Our Bed

Year: 2026

Time: Noon

Zaria,

The war is getting thick out there, Z. People you wouldn’t even imagine are fighting the war. I know you’ve been reading letter after letter, trying to figure out the purpose, but don’t look at these letters as a purpose but as us spending time. Picture me sitting on the couch next to you rubbing your feet. You know how we do when the boys fall asleep. We smoke a little, drink a little, and sit in the day’s activity. Or like how you start rambling about your sisters and shit. I be listening to you, and I still am.

Zaria, there is never the right time to tell you anything because the fear of disappointing you has always been something unsettling in my mind. Fix your face, baby, and relax. Let a nigga cook. Every time I pick up this book, I say today is the day I will reach my finish line, but it’s never the right day. God told me to be still, and that’s what I’ve been doing, so when the time is right, that purpose will fill the pages.

Are you crying? You know your ass loves to cry. Stop, breathe, and feel me. You are strong, and I need you to stay that way. Look, I’m tired today, but I promised myself I would write to you, so I did. I’m almost at the finish line, baby. I just have to get to Clark first. Also, where the fuck is Navi? Something isn’t right, but you know me. I’ll find out if you don’t first.

I love those pretty-ass lips that pair well with that smile. I love you from here to our Calloverse.

Signed,

Mr. Fucking Calloway

PRESS PLAY

While I had been givingMars her space, I used the time to focus on Zoo Day, our bike weekend. From reaching out to different bike clubs, extending invites, to calling Hype Records to come out to see Scooter do his thing. There was so much work behind hosting one of these, and it made me question how the hell Chevy had been doing it on his own before.

The guys gave ideas and helped when needed, but I carried the weight. I needed Zoo Day to go smoothly, without anything bad happening. Not only was this to help Scooter, but to pay homage to Chevy and the OGs for making a way for us younger ones. I was on real nigga business, and this meant a lot to me.

My phone rang while I sat on my balcony jotting shit down. When I saw Mars calling, I picked up. “Mars, you good?”

“Look up,” she said.

When I glanced up, she was sitting on her balcony staring directly at me. “I thought we could talk, if that’s okay with you?”

I nodded. “Is this a phone conversation or one that you need me to come over for?”

She let out a sharp breath. “Phone for now.”

I relaxed back in the chair as I fixed my gaze on her. “Okay.”

“I-I have been doing a lot of thinking—” She paused.