𝘝𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘦

C.19

New Orleans
12pm

New Orleans sat hot and heavy on the skin like a secret, and Valentine wore it well. She guided Quincy and Valley through the narrow streets of the Quarter like she'd never left pointing out every corner store with the best po'boys, every faded mural that meant something to someone, every bend in the road where her childhood used to run wild. Her voice softened into that native drawl she always covered up in New York, and Quincy didn't miss it. He held her hand tighter every time she slipped into herself.

They'd just finished beignets at Café du Monde, powdered sugar dusting their clothes and laughter in the air, when Valentine's phone buzzed. She checked it, frowning slightly.

"It's Kaleb," she muttered. "He's at the hotel."

Quincy raised a brow. "That's early."

She answered. "Hey."

"I'm here," Kaleb said. "Figured I'd link with you, maybe tour the city together?"

Valentine smiled, already picturing the sibling bonding. "Yeah, I'm on my way back now. We can do our own little tour, just us."

There was a pause. "Actually... might have to rain check that," Kaleb said, voice unsure. "My adoptive parents... they wanna meet you they just texted me. I guess they want to meet you since I told them I found you."

Valentine's stomach dipped. Something about the idea felt bigger than a casual visit. "Oh."

"You okay?" he asked.

She lied. "Yeah."

But inside, everything stirred. What if they told her things she wasn't ready for? What if this made everything more real than she could handle?

Quincy watched her closely, his voice gentle. "We don't have to go if you're not ready."

"I'm good," she whispered, eyes still fixed on the phone screen. "I think I should go."

Quincy nodded. "Then we go. Together."

Valley packed some candy in her purse and spoke "Me too! I'm coming!"

Baton Rouge
Later That Day

Kaleb's adoptive parents lived in a modest, creaky house tucked in a neighborhood that smelled like honeysuckle and fried fish. Inside, everything felt like a sitcom bright smiles, loud laughter, too many casserole dishes warming in the oven.

"We've heard so much about you," said Kaleb's adoptive mom, arms open wide. "Y'all sit down, eat, relax. We got peach cobbler cooling and some real tea to spill literally and figuratively."

Everyone laughed. Except Quincy.

"Kaleb was such a great kid growing up he always wanted a sibling I'm glad he's meeting y—" Kaleb's adoptive mother started before getting interrupted shortly after.

Quincy eyes flickered between Kaleb and the adoptive parents until the room calmed. Then he leaned forward, voice low.

"Cut the act."

Valentine blinked. "Q—"

He didn't look at her. "What happened to his mom?"

The room turned ice cold. Laughter fled. Kaleb went still.

Valentine glared at Quincy and pinched his thigh under the table. "You got the sense god give a billy goat."

He didn't flinch.

"I am so sorry about him he's not usually this rude." Valentine apologized on his behalf feeling incredibly embarrassed.

Kaleb's adoptive dad looked at his wife. She nodded once.

"She was a dancer," the woman said. "Stripper. But not just any. She was art, the way she moved. Farrow, your daddy, he was at that club every night like it was church. Couldn't get enough of her. Fell deep."

"She's talking about my birth mom," Kaleb whispered.

"Yeah," his adoptive dad said. "Farrow was gonna leave his wife, Aaleetia, for her. But Aaleetia was vicious. Told him if he left her, she'd destroy his business. Take everything. So he stayed. But not without confessing about the baby. That's you."

"He gave Janet money," the woman added. "Told her to leave the country. But she didn't. She stayed right here in Baton Rouge. Gave you up. Kept dancing."

Valentine stared at her lap, heart thudding.

"When Aaleetia got pregnant, everyone celebrated. Farrow's empire was growing. But it was mob money building all that up. When he started throwing cash around trying to fund Janet's escape, expand his businesses, raise a new family he drew too much heat."

"Raids started happening," the dad said. "The mob thought he was leaking, or laundering funny. He wasn't, but the books weren't clean enough to prove it. They got scared."

"He fought back," the mom continued. "Started hiring hits on his own business partners. Built his own protection. Thought he could outplay them. Until Carlos Monty-Ugan came in. That man didn't play."

Valentine's breath caught.

"Carlos hated Farrow. His grandfather had been taken out by Farrow's people. So Carlos made it personal. He went after the people Farrow loved."

The man looked at Kaleb, voice dropping. "Starting with your mother."

"She was... chopped," the woman said, her voice cracking. "Head mailed to Farrow."

Valentine closed her eyes.

"Farrow tried to run. Took Aaleetia and Valentine. But he didn't check if he was being tracked. They were hit on the bridge. Rear-ended hard. Car spun, flipped. Went over."

Silence.

"She knew," the woman finally whispered. "Your mama. Janet. She knew something bad was coming. Didn't know what, didn't know when, but she left a message for you."

She pulled out a folded slip of paper and handed it to Kaleb.

"She had us tie it to her tree by her grave."

Kaleb unfolded the note with shaking fingers. The handwriting was loopy and soft, like wind.

"Everything was not what it seemed. And even now, death didn't claim her."

Valentine's eyes snapped to the note. "What?"

Valley leaned forward. "What does that mean?"

Kaleb looked up, eyes wide. "She ain't talkin' about herself."

"Then who's alive?"

This one's short cuz it's finals week so I won't be updating until Mid May but I love yall nun the less this new art style is just that NEW so bare with me as I'll make grammar mistakes either way. I'm sorry that I repeated different but similar scripts last chapter I was tired and I'm tired now so I can't guarantee good results I went to writing lab today I'm exhausted so just enjoy and lmk if I made a mistake anwaywhereso I can fix it