A Player's Prayer

Epilouge | Two

Three years later...

The sprawling greek villa glowed with soft morning light streaming through the tall, arched windows. The beach softly crashed against the shore in the background, but inside, the air was filled with the excited energy of two toddlers and the quiet efficiency of the household staff.

B, dressed in a sleek satin robe and slippers, balanced a tray with a perfectly plated breakfast: buttery croissants, scrambled eggs, crispy bacon, and fresh strawberries. Her natural hair was slicked back into a low bun, exposing the diamond studs in her earlobes.

"A'mouri, be careful!" B whispered to her stepson, the determined five-year-old dragging a matte black box with a gold ribbon, his tiny arms straining but refusing any help.

"I got it B! I'm strong!" He said as she shook her head.

Jade came waddling in behind him, clutching a small shiny gift bag, more interested in shaking it than delivering it.

"Jade, baby, no—don't drop that!" B whispered, reaching down to steady her daughter's chubby hand. Jade responded with a giggle before trying to take off running on her wobbly legs.

B sighed, letting them do their thing since it was two against one. Meanwhile, two staff members followed behind them, carrying an assortment of other gifts, including rare cigars, designer luggage, and a vintage record player B had sourced from an antique shop since Amar'e was into collecting records now.

B pushed the door to their master suite open with her hip, revealing Amar'e asleep under the crisp white duvet. Sunlight streams in, highlighting his sharp jawline and the peaceful expression on his face. His durag was perfectly secured and a black T-shirt stretched over his chest, printed with a picture of B's face.

"Happy birthday daddy!" A'mouri shouts, barreling into the room with his oversized gift dragging behind him. B chuckled as Amar'e woke up slightly confused before fully taking in the scene in front of him.

"Dada!" Jade squealed, wobbling in after A'mouri, the shiny gift bag swinging wildly in her tiny hand.

Amar'e lifts his arm, blinking at the scene in front of him before breaking into a wide smile. "Yal really ain't letting me sleep on my day, huh?" he teases, pulling Jade on the bed as B leans down to give him a kiss.

"Happy birthday baby," she said, her lips lingering on his as Amar'e shifts to meet her halfway, their kiss slow and intimate.

"Ewwww," A'mouri dragged out, scrunching his face and wiggling his nose in disgust. Jade busted out in hysterical laughter, clapping her tiny hands.

"That's not 'ew,' A'mouri." B chuckled, reaching over to tickle his side.

"Yeah stop being a baby." Amar'e co-signed with a laugh.

A'mouri sticks his tongue out at them, laughing as he moves to the edge of the bed.

"You being mean to your dad on his birthday?" B asked with a raised eyebrow, but A'mouri ran out the room, giggling uncontrollably.

"Boy got his diaper down to his ankles talking about 'ew,'" Amar'e says, shaking his head as B laughed.

"So go change him, mean ass," she said, nudging his arm.

"That's a grown man," Amar'e said, pulling Jade closer to keep her from crawling off the bed. "He needa go sit on the potty."

"Dina!" B called out to the nanny.

"I got him B!" She shouted back, already knowing.

Her attention was drawn to Jade, her tiny foot in the air, her anklet jangling softly as she rocked it back and forth.