His Solace

Ch. 42 On Your Own

Back in Boston

With Koriannas well being assured a huge weight had been lifted off Khalil his intuition had always been on point. As tempting as the last minute trip to Houston sounded he stayed back to work and support his younger siblings while their parents were away.

Both Dreux and Danielle were disappointed they couldn't tag along but they had school, the Simmons instilled the value of education above all else in all their children. They might not of understood it now but they'd thank their parents for it once they were older Khalil was a living testimony often catching himself talking like Bishop.

"Lil can you check my homework?" Dani called from the kitchen

"Yeah here I come. Dreux what you wanna eat!?" he hollered upstairs to his younger brother.

Danielle sat slumped in the chair, hair ruffled, with papers covering the kitchen table. "Hmmm look up doordash or ubereats and pick something. Let me see your homework"

"I thought you were making us a jail pizza" Dani pouted, Khalil nearly choked on his own spit.

His siblings had never even visited a prison each time his parents asked if he wanted to see them he'd decline. Khalil didn't want them to see him behind bars or think that visiting a prison every month was normal. The only way she could've known about a jail pizza is through social media.

"Yeah that's enough TikTok and YouTube for ya lil ass." 

As he glanced over Danielle's papers, he couldn't help but admire her determination, even amidst her pouting. Despite her reluctance to focus on schoolwork, Khalil knew she had the potential to excel academically.

"I can tell you rushing the left has to equal the right Chunks remember?"

"Stop calling me that" his baby sister whined Dani was a chubby baby weighing almost 10 lbs so naturally the family came up with a cute nickname. She had slimmed down by the time she was three but the nickname still stuck.

"Oh I forgot to tell you Dani doesn't like us calling her Chunks anymore. Some boy from her school overheard mama say it and has been teasing her about it" Dreux spoke eyes laser focused on his phone.

"Dreux who told you about that?"

"I heard you talking on the phone. You really should use your inside voice"

Khalil smiled at the exchange between Danielle and Dreux, the familiar banter bringing a sense of warmth to the room.

"Eavesdropping, huh? Well, I'll keep that in mind next time I'm on the phone. Hmmm pick what you want so I can order" he joked handing the phone over to Dreux who quickly added his item and rushed upstairs to FaceTime his girlfriend. 

"Dani you sure you only want a salad? No pizza or wings on the side?" Khalil asked reviewing the order he knew exactly what she was doing. She mumbled a small yeah while neatly packing away her corrected homework.

"You know you can tell your big brother anything right?" Her hesitation made his chest tighten a younger Dani would've said yes with no hesitation his three years away had clearly affected his whole family.

"This boy in my class been bothering me sometimes the girls do too. 'Lil do you think I'm pretty?" This reminded him so much of Kori the tears in her eyes made his temples throb she was only 10 years old there was no reason her to be so self-cautious this young.

His shirt became damp from her small cries as he pulled her into a tight hug. "You're more than pretty Dani  you're beautiful, intelligent, and kind. Don't let none of these lil niggas or lil  bi- I mean girls tell you different.