𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐏𝐋𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐊𝐈𝐃𝐒 - jj maybank

- 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐲 𝐭𝐰𝐨

For the first time since she arrived, Kaci glanced at her own dad, seeing his eyes trained on Kaz. She didn't know what it meant. She didn't know if Mikel wanted to train her baby into being a business owner with no heart, or if he actually wanted something from him.

And, in some selfish, hurtful way, Kaci felt envious of it. She and Jordan never had a relationship with their dad, and she always thought she was okay with that. She couldn't miss something she never had. But it hurt her to think that he could be a better grandfather to Kaz than he was as he father to her.

However, she immediately came back to her senses when Sarah squeezed her on the arm, standing on the other side of her and instantly knowing what she was thinking. Kaci wanted the best for Kaz, she wanted him to receive as much love and support as she could get for him, and if that meant she'd have to let Mikel into her life as family rather than a business partner, then so be it. Her baby deserved the world, and she was going to give it to him.

Kaci smiled at Sarah in thanks, which the Cameron swiftly returned. It was funny, really, how their friendship strong remained this strong after everything with their families, and both girls felt guilty for what each of them had to go through. Kaci felt bad for blaming Ward for everything, upsetting Sarah more, when it was Luis all along, and Sarah felt bad for her family being the reason Kaci lost all of hers. But they were sisters. Kaci would be nothing without her blueberries, and Sarah would be nothing without her pineapple.

And the two of them would certainly be lost without their tomato. Kie squeezed their hands, wishing she could take all of their pain and put it on herself. It wasn't fair how much Sarah and Kaci had been through, and she wished she could've done something to help. Things might've started bad in their trio, but they definitely all worked out in the end, thanks to their boys.

Pope sheepishly pulled out the key from his back pocket, handing it to his dad for further inspection. Kaz looked up, his big, beady eyes gleaming at the rusted, gold metal.

"Oh, shit, I've got him," said JJ quickly, moving himself away from John B to lift Kaz off Heywardʼs lap before he tried eating the key.

Kaci turned to him with a glare. "What have we said about swearing in front of him?" she hissed.

JJ went to say something, but then shook his head, deciding against it. "Happy wife, happy life," he muttered, pulling Kaz up onto his waist.

The statement made Mikel chuckle from behind them, Kaci reminding him so much of Marie. He wasn't sure why he was there, exactly, but Heyward invited him over. He'd never actually spent much time on the cut, and he felt a little guilty for all the poverty and mess down there, whilst he lived up in a castle estate, never having to worry about dollars or cents.

"I found it in Mee-mawʼs old apartment above the pharmacy just like you said," explained Pope, taking a seat beside his dad.

"Shit, boy, you should've gave this to me, I wouldn't have had to take a beating," said Heyward, turning key in his hands. "What's the big deal? It ain't worth anything. Why they want it so bad?"

"I don't know," Pope answered honestly with a light shrug. "First, I get this letter telling me that I need to go to Charleston. And then I meet this rich lady who wants me to give her a key that I didn't even know was in my family."

Kie shook her head. "None of it makes any sense."

Kaci nodded in agreement. "It's bullshit."