Page 54 of Mr. Calloway

Standing there confused, I asked, “Why?”

She smiled as she showed me each one. “Because this one gives us peace, this one is our savior, and this one—” she paused as she held it up, “—it’s really special because although she looks different than the other two, she is still a part of the succulent family, and she is the star that makes the rest of the plants feel full. Her name is Mars.”

A wide smile eased on my face. Zaria reached out and stroked my cheek. “I don’t care what your past looks like, I don’t care how broken you are, and I don’t regret the tragedy of your mother. You are my child, and I love you. Don’t ever feel like you’re not wanted because you are. We are family, and here in this house, we stand beside each other until the end.

I hugged her. “They hurt me so bad,” I cried. “I can’t even get the feeling of them off me.”

“Oh, Samara. I’m so sorry that happened to you.”

“I broke up with Dio. I can barely look at him because I know he will never love me the same.”

Zaria rocked me from side to side as she tried calming me down. I honestly didn’t know if I could live with this.

Clark

Killing Cynthia should have been where I stopped and left, but I just couldn’t walk away from everything I knew. Seeing the Tyrant, knowing he was in my space and threatening me, was only the beginning of something he would regret later. It didn’t matter how it ended between him and me because his time was coming, whether by me or other means. His audacity to try to run me out of my home like I was some sort of sucker was appalling.

That was the problem; he held no respect for me. Okay, so I left him, but he was alive. He was lucky I even built enough gumption to apologize, and with that, he pissed it away. I knew the day Grace spit him out and I held him in my arms that there would be no love between us. His eyes were empty as if he was born with no soul. He was right about one thing: he wasn’t a Mercier because the way he moved wasn’t of my kind.

I stepped further into my office and glanced around to see if the Tyrant had stolen anything. Everything was still in place. I calmly sat, ready to make a phone call, but I spotted a note on my desk. I picked it up to get a better look, and the words on it made me swallow deeply.Even massa best nigga gets lynched. You’re dead, gramps.

It was time to call for reinforcement. Just as I began to dial, the sound of an explosion sent me flying to the floor.

“What in the hell?”

I crawled toward the door to see flames beyond it. I slowly stood and opened the door to see that one of my cars had been blown to pieces. Right then, I knew I needed to play smart or not at all.

June’s Entry

Place: Kitchen

Year: 2026

Time: 9:00 pm

Zaria, baby,

There is really no letter today because my mind has been fucked up since visiting Clark. Just know my love for you has never changed.

Remember, from here to our Calloverse. Alright, going for a run. I’ll be back to you soon.

Signed,

Mr. Fucking Calloway

PRESS PLAY

I grabbedmy headphones and left the house. I decided to go on a nightly run. A part of me was feeling good since all my kids were home. I turned on the music, did some light stretching, and took off. The cool breeze smacked my bare chest as I ran, creating a rhythm. My leg muscles began to tighten as I reached a small incline while turning the corner. Running for me had become something that allowed me to think without my thoughts being interrupted by my sons’ cries. It was my way to pursue good health. It was what kept me strong, kept me focused, and kept the very thing that scared me from festering.

With every mile I ran, it was as if I were racing myself to the invisible finish line. I challenged myself during each run to go further and further, but tonight was different. What did reaching the finish line actually mean? What was on the other side? Wasit my happiness? Was it a new obstacle I had to face, or was it my truth?

Then I thought about Clark being at the end of that line. It was him I was trying to reach. It was he who held the other half of my happiness in his hands, and from the distance I was at, I could see him trying to crush it. Clark was like a stinking-ass hyena. They were a lion's worst enemy. He stalked spaces like he was waiting for his prey. However, he didn’t want to chase it. He wanted it to come to him. That finish line was Peace and Savior’s future and a new start at TSU for Samara in the fall. It was Zaria’s happy place, her solace, and for me, it was the end of a fucked-up family lineage that was toxic and unloving. It was my truth that I’d been holding hostage, and I needed to get to that fucking finish line.

I had run so long I hadn’t realized how far from the house I was. By the time I reached my final corner, I stopped to catch my breath. Sweat trickled down the sides of my face as I placed my hands behind my head. To add to my workout, I did a few push-ups, caught my breath, and did it again.

“Nigga, you got this. You always have,” I muttered to myself.

As I began to make my way back home, my gut was telling me something was off, or maybe I was feeling what Z was. My speed picked up as I grew closer to my crib. That was when Z chimed in.