Ariya

"This is him on his first Halloween, he was almost one. He was captain America." I swiped the pictured on my phone of the album named: Rylan.

We were in his office, everyone had left and it was just us. He sat in his chair with me on his lap and my back to his chest. His chin resting on my shoulder, looking at the pictures.

"He's so small." Khyson smiled.

"Yeah, I was always scared to dress him. I don't know why." I chuckled.

I swiped some more until I came to his first Christmas.

"I was still in school, and I didn't have enough for a tree with all the money going into rent and baby products so I put the few presents I could afford in the corner where the tree would be and we pretended. He was so excited, that's all I needed."

The picture was of Rylan sitting on the hardwood with a smile and a iPad.

"I saved up for months to be able to buy him that." My thumb cascaded over his face on the phone.

"He looks really happy." Khyson mumbled.

"He was."

I swiped some more.

"That one was his second birthday, he was so hyper, running around the apartment, playing with the mini basketball I got him. Look, Right there, I think I have a video." I swiped against the phone before coming across the video.

"Ok, Rylan show them."

My voice sounded, happy.

Rylan spun around a bit before throwing the ball up into the air with a wide smile.

"He's gonna go pro." Khyson spoke. I laughed at his comment, throwing my head back onto his shoulder.

"You think I could . . . come to his lessons?"

"Shut up!" I laughed, hitting his arm.

I watched his face straighten in a confused manner.

"If you think you aren't being one hundred percent present as a father in Rylan's life you're crazy. As soon as I get home we're telling him, okay. Plus, I need to fill in you in on everything you missed." I twisted my neck to his and pressed a soft kiss to his lips.

"Thank god." He breathed.

I resumed my head back in its original position and pressed my gaze back onto my phone.

"Here, was when he was I think maybe three or four-it was recent. We were laying in bed watching cartoons, out of no where he jumped on my stomach and started telling me all the ways he loved me, how I was his best and favourite mama. I then told him I was his only mama and he giggled, it feels like yesterday."

Khyson gripped my waist and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

"You raised him, incredibly well." I could feel his eyes on me, I didn't have to know when he was smiling. Khyson's smiles radiated this energy that couldn't be matched.

"Stop looking at me."

"I can't help it."

It was his index finger that placed itself on my chin, nudging my head towards him. His eyes were filled with pure stars of happiness.

I raised a brow and he ran his thumb along the edges of my lips. I felt that familiar feeling return to my body, the feeling of utter and pure happiness.

"You're an amazing mother . . . an amazing person." He kissed the tip of my nose. My cheeks blushed pink at his words.

"There's this basketball court, about a block or two from the apartment. Let's go home, take him. You can tell him yourself."

A wide smile appeared on my face when I told him.

"okay."

I manoeuvred myself around so my legs straddled his torso.

"I'm scared."

"Why." I asked, brushing my lips against his jawline.

"I didn't grow up with a father, I-I"

"Let me tell you something, my mother is the shittiest person you could every meet, but you already know that. The moment I heard Rylan cry for the first time-let me show you." His brow furrowed before I grabbed my phone from my lap.

"Zion filmed me giving birth, and I was not too happy with him but I guess he was right.. I would thank him someday."

Khyson kissed my forehead as I scrolled through my phone for the video. I gave him my phone and watched him press play. The sudden volume of my screams and groans playing for him to see.

"Get that fucking camera out of my god damn face!"

"Fuck y-ah!"

I blushed in embarrassment before ducking my head with a small chuckle. He rubbed my shoulder while staring at the video.

I could hear Rylan's cries.

"Hi." I said in the video, knowing Rylan was in my arms. His eyes were glued to the screen of my phone.

"We got a name, mama?"

"Rylan."

The realization of my decision washed over his face, probably seeing how fast I made that decision.

"You know . . . All I could think about was you that day." I admitted, wrapping my arms around his neck. He shut the phone off and placed it on his desk.

"Hm." He responded.

I nodded, resting my head on his chest.

"Even if I did never see you again, I wanted him to carry piece of you."

He didn't need to say anything, I could tell by the way he embraced my body, that was his answer.

Khyson

"Where are we going?" Rylan asked, looking around the car as the sun began to set.

"You're gonna go play some basketball with, Khyson." She smiled at him through the rear view mirror. I rubbed my hands together, feeling the sweat.

"Yay!" He kicked his feet.

I smiled to myself. Reaching down the bring the basketball from the floor of the car into my lap. Ariya turned to me at a red light and smiled.

"You're gonna be just fine." She mouthed.

"Thank you." I mouthed back.

Suddenly we pulled into a court, there were some kids but since it was getting dark they seemed to be leaving.

I got out of the car and opened Rylan's door, un-strapping him from the car seat with a smile. I boosted him onto my back and he giggled.

"Mama's not coming?" He asked into my ear.

"I think she wants to stay in the car, unless you want her to come?" I asked him.

"No, it's fine." I nodded while waving to her. Walking to the empty court and placing him down.

"Can you dunk? I seen it on tv a bunch." He stared blankly up at me. I nodded, and he jumped in excitement.

"Do it!"

I stepped back before dribbling the ball up to the net and dunking it.

"That was so cool!"

I smiled to myself, seeing him happy. We were.. bonding. I almost wanted to cry.

"I wanna dunk!"

I handed him the ball and he tried dribbling it. Picking him up by the waist so he could dunk it.

"On day I'm gonna dunk like you." He smiled as I rose him down.

There was a silence before Rylan spoke.

"Mama told me everyone has a dad, now I believe her."

My brows furrowed and I glanced down at him. He stared blankly up at me while blinking.

"You do?"

"Yeah, you're gonna be like the coolest dad ever." His words eased my worry. He liked me. I sat down on the court and he mirrored my actions.

"And now maybe mama won't cry anymore." He placed his hands in his lap.

"Yeah, I don't think she will anymore." I wondered my eyes to her sitting in the car, watching from afar with tears down her face.

"Maybe she will." I mumbled under my breath.

"You have dimples, like me!" He reached forward and touched my cheeks.

"Yeah." I nodded.

"That's cool."

"School is having a bring your parent to school day, can you come?"

"You don't want your mom?" I asked, rolling the ball to him.

"Her job is boring, yours isn't."

I didn't think he realized we had the same job, or more or less worked in the same office. I laughed while he rolled the ball to me.

"Are you gonna live with us now?"

"Do you want me to?"

"Ya."

I watched his lips curl into a smile, his dimples popping. According to Ariya all she saw in him was me, but all I could see was her.

Ariya

I had always worried about Khyson bonding with Rylan. The thought of them not getting along burned my mind, but the moment they first interacted I knew deep down he would be an amazing father.

I told Khyson to go get him showered and in bed. When I shut the lights off in the kitchen and walked into his room it was empty.

Where are they?

I neared my room, and that was when I heard my tv and some chattering. Peeking the door open just enough for them not to see me was when I saw it.

Rylan was curled up on Khyson's chest, watching tv with him. Rylan laughed and Khyson looked down at him with pure admiration and happiness.

I quickly backed up to the wall and smiled to myself. I didn't need to cry again, I've already cried enough today.

"Thank you." I whispered while looking up and closing my eyes.

I took a deep breath and slid into the bedroom.

"Mama! Look, we're watching tv!" He smiled.

I slipped into my closet to change my clothes before slipping into bed with them. I laid my head on Khyson's while wrapping my arm around Rylans waist.

For the longest time it's always been Rylan and I.

Now it wasn't.

If you had told me only months ago that Khyson would be here with me like this I wouldn't have believed you. A future like this for us seemed to impossible, so impossibly impossible. Something I only dreamt of.

I convinced myself that I would never be truly happy, but I was wrong.

Rylan was my life, and now they both were. Because when I stared at Rylan he no longer brought me regret and pain. He brought me happiness and joy.

Our love might've been lost, but it wasn't anymore.

I reached back with my free hand and interlocked ours.

"We'll be just fine, Khyson."

—

The end