Kia headed back to the kitchen. “What about Mr. Kevin?”
“He never woke up, when I knocked.” Jalen poured me a large glass of orange juice. “We’ll just make him a plate and put it in the fridge.”
The kids sat down.
I said a quick prayer and we dove in.
Two minutes passed of munching and slurping and then Kia stopped and stared at me.
I sipped my orange juice. “Everything okay, sweetie?”
“Well. . .” Kia exchanged looks with Jalen. “We were going to wait to talk to you, but since no one else is here. Maybe we can have a family meeting.”
I blinked. “Okay. Let’s go. Family meeting.”
Poppy frowned. “We shouldn’t ask.”
Jalen shrugged. “We have to.”
“What’s going on guys?” My nerves flared on edge.
Kia put her fork down. “Um. . .please don’t be mad, Mommy.”
I stopped eating. “What?”
Silence hit the table.
I looked at all of them. “Come on. What’s up?”
Kia cleared her throat. “We. . .followed you to the back house last night—”
“Excuse me.” I crossed my arms over my chest. “When was this? During bedtime? You were supposed to be in bed.”
Jalen muttered, “We wanted to make sure you were okay.”
“I was fine.” I glared at all of them. “And?”
Kia lowered her gaze to the table. “We heard Daddy’s voice, and then we heard gunshots.”
Panic pumped in my heart. This wasn’t how I wanted to deal with this. They deserved the truth, but they were still too young.
I was at a loss for words.
Jalen spoke up. “After the gunshots, we didn’t hear Daddy’s voice anymore, so we left.”
“We went straight to bed after that,” Kia whispered. “Because. . .”
“Because?” My hands shook.
Kia’s voice went shaky. “Because we figured Yoshiro and you killed Daddy.”
“This isn’t. . .” I shook my head. “This isn’t what I wanted to talk about during breakfast. This wasn’t how you were supposed to find out, and. . .stay in the house, when I say so. It was. . .bedtime.”
I ran my fingers through my dreadlocks. “Jesus, guys. You all weren’t supposed to be up there. You. . .”
No one said anything.
Now, they know.
We all sat at the table. No one ate except Poppy who was clearly enjoying her pancakes.
Kia whispered, “Mommy.”
My voice was hoarse. “Yes.”
“Is he dead?”
“Yes.” I placed my hands on my lap and knitted my fingers unsure of how to deal with this. “He’s gone. That’s it.”
With a somber expression, Jalen returned to eating.
Kia stared at me. “Mommy?”
“Yes, baby.”
“Do you think Yoshiro and you are going to get in trouble or caught by the police or—”
“Kia, we have everything taken care of. This is why I wanted you all in the house. This isn’t something that you all should even know. I want you to have nice childhoods where. . .”
“I’m happy he’s gone.” Kia touched her glass but didn’t lift it. “I just don’t want you to get in trouble now. . .or Yoshiro.”
“We won’t.”
“Are you sure, Mommy?” Jalen asked.
“I’m as sure as I can be.”
Movement came from the side. Yoshiro headed down the stairs with the dogs. He took his plate from the counter and headed to the table. When he glanced at us, he raised his eyebrows. “Is everything okay?”
Jalen shrugged. “Thanks. . .for helping kill our daddy.”
Yoshiro almost dropped his plate as he set it on the table and sat down. “O-kay.”
I shook my head. “They followed me to the house last night and heard some of the. . .festivities.”
Yoshiro cleared his throat. “Well. . .how do we talk about this?”
Jalen spoke first. “Will you both go to jail?”
“No. I won’t let that happen.” Yoshiro picked up his fork and grabbed a piece of pancake. “Cops need to know a body is missing first. Your father has been running from the cops for about a year.”
Shocked, Kia asked, “Why?”
“Another woman was missing in California.”
“Oh my God,” Kia muttered.
I rubbed my eyes not sure if this was a conversation we should’ve been having with the kids or not. I’d always figured the truth and reality of our situation was better for them to know, then a bunch of lies and coverups. But was this too much?
In the end, all I knew was that I just had to try my best to be a good mother. Wyatt had created this situation. They’d seen more horror in real life, then this conversation.
So I sat back as Yoshiro answered their questions.
“Okay.” Jalen took a bite of his pancake. “So, the cops were already looking for Daddy and couldn’t find him. Now they won’t be thinking he’s dead?”
“Exactly.” Yoshiro chewed on his pancake. “These are good, guys.”
“Thanks.” Kia beamed. “I made most of them.”
I shook my head overcome by the craziness of this morning.
“So. . .” Jalen looked at Yoshiro. “Where’s the body?”
I waved him away. “No. That’s enough.”
“Your mother is right.” Yoshiro nodded. “Just understand that your father is long gone and there is no evidence left. She’s fine. I’m fine. No one is getting in trouble.”