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--Alicia Keys as Maya--

"You're making me not want to go to work," Justin complained to me as he neared his fiancée's

house.

"Ah, too bad." I smirked. He glanced at me then focused on the road.

"Is it just me or are you more relaxed in cars now?"

I looked at my hand holding the seatbelt. "I am?"

"Well, you're not grasping for your life, at least. Progress."

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever you say, big brother."

He pulled up his car on the driveway outside of Kalani and her friend's little house.

"I have to run, but tell greet her for me," Justin told me as I got out.

"She's gonna be mad she didn't get to see you," I teased him.

"I'll see her when I come to pick you up."

"Okay, thanks. Drive safe or I'll worry!"

I watched him leave and I sighed, hoping he'd get to work in one piece.

Kalani shared a home with a very close friend of hers. This was the second time I'd come here so I'd only met her friend once.

Honestly, I wasn't coming to visit Kalani. I wanted to see Zion, and not just because I'd promised to see him.

This was why forgiving Anderson seemed so effortless. He grew attached to me whenever I

rushed over to pet his dog. I was sure he always spoke to me in those moments, or tried to

make me laugh.

That was how I felt with Zion.

The door opened and Kalani let out an excited laugh once she set her brown eyes on me.

"What a surprise!" Throwing her arms around me in a hug, she moved backwards to let me in.

"Hey, Nolan!" she shut the door.

"Hi, Kalani. Um, if it doesn't bother you..." I fidgeted, remembering what she told Justin about me. "I-I came to check on Zion."

Her eyes widened. "Oh! No, of course it's okay. You know Zion?"

I nodded and she looked confused but didn't budge. "Well, he was just eating." She giggled.

"He's got his entire face stained with pasta sauce! Come, he's in here." She guided me to the

little dining room, which had a small table and three chairs.

I lit up when I saw Zion's small form as he ate his spaghetti. He had completely disregarded his

fork and was using his hands to eat. And, as Kalani had said, the area around his mouth was red from the sauce.

"Baby, look who came to see you!" Kalani sat down next to him as he looked up. He squealed and jumped in his seat.

"Lolan!" was what he called me.

"Zion, sweetheart. You okay?" I came closer and he grabbed some spaghetti. "I eat pasta!"

"I see. Is it good?"

"Mhm!"

I chuckled and glanced at Kalani. "So, how are you and Candace?" I asked. Candace was her best friend and roommate.

"We're doing well. She actually went out to buy some food and toys for Zion."

"Oh, alright. I heard you were moving with Justin."

She nodded happily. "I can't wait. Candace was planning to go live with her sister, so she's totally okay with it. What about you? I hope I'm not stealing Justin away too much."

"No, I've been telling him to move out since he got out of college."

"Really?" Her eyebrows rose up. "I didn't know that."

"No, you didn't." I quietly replied, touching Zion's soft, curly hair.

"I done!" Zion squealed to Kalani. She stood up.

"Alright, baby. Let's wipe your face and hands, okay?" She went to go get some baby wipes and

used them to carefully clean his hands. I helped her wipe his face until all the sauce was gone.

"Thanks," she appreciated, taking his small plate and washing it in the sink. "So, how'd you know he was staying here?"

"I spoke to his dad."

"You're friends with Asher?" she smirked with interest, flipping her long, brown hair.

"Yeah."

"Oh... do you like him?" she winked. "He's single," she sang. "Even though he's like 23."

I could just feel myself starting to blush so I turned away before she could tell. At that moment,

the doorbell rang, saving me.

"That should be Candace. Hold on." She walked out of the dining room and I went to pick up Zion. I loved holding him because anytime he was held, he would squeeze his arms and legs

around my body like a monkey would. It was cute.

He played with my hair as I took him into the living room where Kalani answered the door.

"Oh my god..." I heard her gasp. I peered at the person behind the door in confusion. She was

actually very gorgeous, but she wasn't Candace.

She had dark brown hair, beautiful caramel-toned skin, and light brown eyes.

"What're you doing here?" Kalani asked.

"I wanted to talk to you."

"I haven't seen you in years."

I was expecting Kalani to scream with joy but it seemed she had a bone to pick with this lady.

"I know, I know. Just, please hear me out."

I put Zion down on the couch and turned on the TV for him.

"Maya... that isn't a good idea."

"Kalani, please. Look, I wouldn't bug you if it wasn't important."

"I have a guest right now."

The young lady looked incredibly defeated. "Do you at least know if he's okay?"

"He's absolutely fine."

The lady, Maya, as Kalani called her, had tears in her eyes. She sucked in a breath and nodded. "I've tried countless times to see him. Then the one day Asher invites me over, he cancels on me. He never returns my calls, Kalani. I just wanna see my baby. Why doesn't anyone understand the love a mother has for her child?"

My eyes widened and I glanced at Zion then back at this lady. The shock I felt had me planting my butt on the sofa so I wouldn't faint.

She was his mom. She wanted to see him the first time I came over Asher's house. He cancelled her visit because of... me. She only wanted to see Zion and to be heard.

When Maya posed that question, about a mother's love for her child, I saw Kalani's hand move

to her belly. I couldn't see her face well, but I could make out a heartbroken expression on her

face.

Her hand held the door and she nodded. "Zion's with me right now."

Maya let out a breath. "Why? Asher couldn't take care of him?" she seemed angry.

"No, he had somewhere to go away from home. I'm only babysitting."

Maya took a few breaths. "Please let me see him. Or a picture. Anything."

"I really would, but Asher would kill me. He trusts me."

I couldn't take it. I kissed the top of Zion's head as his eyes stayed glued to Miles from Tomorrowland and walked over to the door.

"Kalani, may I?" I asked. The two ladies looked at me and I sighed.

"I'll take the blame. You can come see him, and I'll tell Asher myself."

"Nolan, don't get involved," Kalani warned me.

"I'm already involved, K. Look, I can talk to Asher. He won't be mad... not for too long anyway.

Just let her in."

Maya gazed at me appreciatively and nodded. "I'll be out in three minutes."

Kalani let out a tired breath and let Maya inside.

"I don't know how or why you seem to know Asher so well, Nolan, but we've been friends since we were in middle school. I'm not ready for him to lose trust in me," Kalani whispered to me.

"He won't."

"You don't know that!"

I looked towards Zion and saw Maya near him, in tears. She embraced him and he whined in

fear.

"Shh, shh, baby. It's okay, my love, it's Mommy." She patted his back soothingly and kissed his head. "You want a toy, baby? I carry the one you used to own everywhere I go. You want it?"

Zion soon quieted down and stopped struggling as Maya pulled out a little toy for infants from her purse. It was a Go-Go Bug toy. He grabbed it curiously and gazed up at his mom.

"Thank you," he mumbled, analyzing the toy.

"You're very welcome." She kissed his forehead again and sighed happily. I approached her and sat down, but kept a reasonable distance.

"So, you're his mom," I confirmed, letting it finally sink in.

"I am." She grinned past her tears. "Thank you for finding it in you to let me see him. It means more than you know."

I smiled. "Why won't Asher let you see him?"

She chuckled bitterly. "Because he has a way of getting what he wants."

"Maya," Kalani scolded, but Maya ignored her.

"No. I didn't think Zion would be here, but at least let me speak." She looked at me. "He has custody. You know, I probably would've gotten custody if things went my way and not his."

I wanted to ask what happened, but I realized this wasn't my business. I would hate for Asher to have to find out something about me through someone else. I had the decency to respect his privacy and if he wanted me to know, he'd tell me at his own time.

But that obviously wasn't Maya's view of things. She kept talking, and I understood because finally, someone was going to listen to what she had to say.

"He got me pregnant," she bluntly stated. "Obviously. We did like each other, and we dated before then. At that time, I was into drugs. I drank as well. Pretty often, actually, but he had no idea. I guess his world came crashing down when he found out about that, and when I told him I was having his baby. He flipped. He thought I was drinking and doing all that while I was pregnant and he'd never let me explain." She stroked her son's hair and heaved a sigh. "I'm not saying this for anyone's sympathy, but I'd been addicted. I stayed sober for my child because I knew the dangers. But I needed support." Her voice cracked as more tears filled her eyes. "He left me to fend for myself and I dropped out. No support, no family, no guidance, no help. I had Zion... alone."

My heart broke for her as she wiped her streaming tears away. "I made a mistake. I don't have to tell you what I did, you know already. Asher took that opportunity to attain custody and Zion was gone. They said I couldn't take care of him because I was on drugs and because of this dumb idea that a child raised without a father figure could become violent."

"Asher told me you did drink while pregnant," Kalani informed.

"Well, he misunderstood. He never let me talk, like I said. All I've ever wanted to do since that day was explain." She shook her head. "I have to ask myself everyday if he's taking care of my boy. It's hard, you know. I spent all those months down in the dumps, then my little taste of... joy was just ripped away."

Kalani came closer. "I shouldn't have judged you, Maya. I'm gonna get Asher to listen to you; I don't care what it takes. And you're supposed to have visitation, so I'm going to talk to Justin about that. He's a lawyer; he knows these things. He's also Nolan's brother here." She placed a hand on my shoulder.

Maya managed to smile at me then nodded thankfully. "Okay, thank you so much."

I hugged myself a bit and sighed. Certainly, I'd had a long day.

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