Queen Move

“I pre-ordered your book.” Her voice is warm. My arm holding Mai is asleep. I’m so exhausted I can barely keep my eyes open, and I still have a shit ton of work to do before I can sleep, but I’d stay on the phone with Kimba all night if I could.

“Thanks. That’s you and my mom. One step closer to a bestseller.”

“I’m excited for you. Proud of you.”

“How’s the campaign going? Or campaigns. Mona says you’re running a few.”

“Well, obviously, Congressman Ruiz is our main concern, but we did take on a few smaller races. Nothing we can’t handle.”

“Seems like a tight race. I mean between Ruiz and Colson.”

“Very much so. One of the tightest, hardest I’ve ever been in. Colson’s tough and plays dirty. We’re in the fight of our lives.”

“I have no doubt you’ll figure it out.”

“I hope so. And you? How are things there? Besides the sickness.”

“Good.” I hesitate. “I found a house nearby.”

The silence from the other end comes alive with a dozen questions she doesn’t voice, but I know are there.

“It needs a lot of work,” I go on, “but it’s just one street over so I could still be around for Noah and Mai, close to the school.”

“Oh. That’s…that’s great. I didn’t realize you—”

“I told you I would move out.”

“I know you did.”

“I miss you.” The truth makes its way up from the deepest parts of me and shows in my voice. “It’s almost unbearable sometimes.”

“I know,” she whispers, her voice cracking. “I miss you, too. I—”

“Kimba, what the hell?” a female voice demands from her side of the call. “You just leave the field in the middle of a battle to take a call? We need you.”

I’m such an idiot. I got jealous

and called, pulling her away from the very thing she told me she needs to focus on.

“I’m sorry,” I say quickly. “I’ll let you go.”

“If I can’t leave a meeting for two minutes without things falling apart,” Kimba says flatly, “what the hell am I paying you for, Felita?”

“Well, your two minutes are almost up,” Felita replies, the tension in her voice easing some. “And then I start charging overtime.”

Kimba chuckles. “Get back in there. I’m coming.”

“Mateo was asking for you,” Felita says. “Just wanted you to know.”

“I said I’m coming.” Kimba waits until a door clicks closed. “Sorry. I should probably—”

Mai’s wail cuts off whatever Kimba started to say. I look down into miserable blue eyes. She’s tired and probably hungry by now. With Aiko sick, too, I’ll use the milk she expressed that’s in the fridge.

“That’s quite a set of pipes she’s got,” Kimba says. “I better let you go. I have to go anyway. Apparently, the world burns down if I leave a meeting.”

Mai’s lungs shift into another gear.

“Shhh.” I bounce her and speed walk to the kitchen to get the milk. “Tru, maybe we can—”