18 The next morning, Imani made breakfast herself. Which was rare. The nanny usually did it, but today Imani needed to feel normal. She needed to watch her son eat pancakes and spend time with him. Jaden sat at the kitchen island, his little legs swinging, syrup all over his mouth. "Mommy, more," he mumbled. Imani smiled and poured more. Then she tried to sound casual. "Jaden, baby... that watch on your desk. The silver one. Who owns it?" She asked casuallly, the question had been weighing on her mind. Jaden didn't even look up. He kept chewing. "Uncle Killian gave it to me," he said, matter-of-factly. Imani's fork froze mid-air. "What?" "Uncle Killian," Jaden repeated, finally looking up with syrup on his chin. "He came to pick his cousin in school, he played with me and gave me! He said it was a big boy watch. He said when I grow up, I can be like him." Imani's heart dropped straight into her stomach. She choked on the bite of egg in her mouth, coughing hard
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