𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑 𝐇𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐒 | 𝐏𝐎𝐋𝐘

24

Breakfast was sizzling. The oil was popping everywhere. The sun was trying to creep into my crib that had seen too many nights. I flipped the eggs, eyes half on the pan, half on her, posted up at the counter, scrolling and laughing at something.

"You not gonna show me what's funny?" I asked, glancing back.

She tilted her phone just enough for me to see a little girl tripping over her own feet and face-planting. I shook my head, laughing. "Nigga... you laugh at anything."

She put the phone down, hand on her stomach, eyes on me now, serious. "My baby turning six today."

"I know," I said, flipping the eggs again. "Been knew that."

She leaned on the counter, voice soft but steady. "So what we finna do?"

I rubbed the back of my neck. "I mean... we could go out to eat. Something simple."

She rolled her eyes slow, like I just said something stupid. "Nah. That's boring. She deserves a little party. Some balloons. Cake. Fun."

I exhaled through my nose. "This shit last minute, Raina. Niggas working, got plans... this ain't just something you can throw together."

She leaned in, tapping the counter like she was setting rules. "When it comes to Khaleesi? Everybody can stop what they doing for one day."

I stopped moving for a second, letting that sit. She was right. And she was pressuring me too. I shook my head and set the spatula down. "Aight. Who you want me to invite?"

"My best friend, obviously," she said, waving her hand like anything else was nonsense. "You can get your niggas. Quany. Shad. Your brother... people that actually matter to her."

I nodded slowly, sliding bacon onto the plate. "What about your mama?"

Her shoulders tightened, jaw locked. "Nah. That's doing too much."

I looked at her, studying the little hints she wouldn't say out loud. I set the plates down on the counter. Khaleesi's footsteps floated down the stairs, light, excited.

She started scrolling on her phone again, acting like the conversation ended.

The smell of eggs and bacon filled the air, thick and greasy in that good way. The pan hissed, oil bubbling, making the whole kitchen feel alive. I kept flipping, careful not to burn it. My mind was half on the food, half on the quiet way she was sitting there, phone forgotten now, hands resting on her stomach. She looked calm, but I could feel the edge in her. That edge meant she was already thinking, already planning, already measuring me.

I slid the plates onto the counter, the heat making the air shimmer between us. "Here," I said, sliding one toward her and one toward me.

She didn't reach for it immediately. She leaned back against the counter, arms crossed, eyes on me like she was trying to read every move. "So... you serious about this party idea or you tryna front?"

I smirked, leaning on the counter, folding my arms. "I'm serious. Don't get it twisted. But last minute ain't my style, Raina. I need time. I need people to actually show up and not have me running around like a damn fool."

She rolled her eyes. "Nigga, that's why I said your niggas. You got family. You got people who actually show up. Stop acting like it gotta be complicated."

I shook my head, picking at my eggs, chewing slowly, letting my brain spin while keeping my mouth busy. "Aight... so Quany, Shad, maybe Judah. Tye if she wanna come through. Anybody else? You tryna keep it small?"

She shook her head like I was asking dumb questions. "Small? This ain't about me. This about her. Khaleesi. She don't care if it's small or big. She just wants people around who care."