Mari nodded slowly and gave Jax a sweet smile.

"Yes. To be sure, I’m not so blinded by love that I’m about to make a mistake. I’m the one in the relationship, so I might be missing any red flags or something. Not that I think you have any. But that’s the point. I want them to see you too and help me confirm you’re as perfect as I think you are."

Jax looked at her for a moment in disbelief, then laughed. "I’m not sure whether I should feel annoyed or flattered."

Mari giggled. "Feel free to feel both. And Emily said to tell you not to think of proposing to me without getting her approval first."

Jax looked a bit surprised. "You already told her about our discussion?"

Mari smiled sheepishly. "Yeah. We talked earlier. I guess I was so excited I couldn’t keep it to myself."

Jax chuckled. "Let me get something straight. What if they do not approve of me?"

"They’d definitely approve," she said confidently.

"If you believe they will approve, why subject me to that?" Jax asked curiously.

Mari shrugged. "By marrying me, you’ll become part of us. So it is important they have a say."

"What makes you think I want to be part of your friends group? Or don’t I get to have a say in that?" He asked, and Mari frowned.

"You do have a say in that. But I want a partner who would love to be friends with my friends. My friends are a huge and very important part of my life..."

"More important than the man you’d marry?" Jax asked thoughtfully.

"My husband would have his place, and my friends would always have their place. And that is why it is important my husband isn’t just my husband but part of my friends too," she said easily.

"Hm."

"Hm, what?" Mari asked when Jax didn’t say anything other than that for a moment.

"Did you also have a say in their choice of partners?" He asked.

Mari smiled, "Well, their partners aren’t exactly strangers. I’ve been hearing about Dawn since we were kids. And when we met, we clicked easily. Callan and Emily are my friends, so there is nothing to approve or disapprove of. Well, unless they become toxic to each other. And as for Genevieve, I’ve not met her in person yet. But I’ve been monitoring her for years, thinking she was Jamal’s Dawn, so I’m familiar with her. And as much as I don’t like the things she did in the past, I’ve heard wonderful things about her. And the fact that all the others are cool with her tells me I’ll be cool too," she explained, then grinned, "So, you see? There’s no new person in our circle but you."

"How do you know I’m new?" Jax asked with a raised brow.

Mari laughed, "Of course, you are."

"Who says I haven’t met some of your friends?" He asked.

Mari rolled her eyes, "If you have, I would have known."

Jax smirked, "If you say so."

Mari smiled and gave him another quick kiss.

"Yes. Make up with your siblings and get my friends’ approval."

Jax stared at her for a long moment. Then he slowly shook his head.

"You’re unbelievable."

Mari grinned proudly. "I know."

"No, seriously." He pointed at her. "You just gave me a list of requirements like I’m applying for a position."

"You are."

Jax narrowed his eyes. "What position?"

Mari smiled sweetly. "Husband."

Jax laughed. "Yeah. So when am I meeting these terrifying friends of yours?"

Mari giggled, "Someone is eager to get their approval."

"Eager to marry you. Yeah. The earlier I meet them, the sooner I marry you," he said, and Mari laughed out loud.

"Well, I was thinking that maybe we could have a double date with Jamal and Dawn soon. And then you can meet Emily and Callan when they fly in for Stefan’s wedding. You can meet Stefan then too."

"You seem to have it all planned out," he teased.

"Of course. So, until then, why don’t you focus on Chad and Venita tonight?" She suggested sweetly.

Jax looked at her for a moment, then he sighed dramatically.

"Fine."

Mari immediately brightened. "Fine?"

"Fine."

Her grin widened, and she clapped happily. "Let’s go have dinner then."

Away from there, Jamal stood outside his house as he watched his mother drive away.

He waved until her car disappeared into the night, and then he exhaled softly.

A strange feeling of peace settled inside him.

Not because anything had changed.

But because something unspoken had finally been said. Even though he had held back on some.

There was no need to mention to her that he had often wondered in the past if she loved Mila and Presley more than she loved him because, unlike him, their father was a good man.

She loved him and felt sorry for not being there for him as much as she should have been, and that was good enough for him.

After a moment, he turned and headed back inside. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

The house was quiet now because Josh was asleep. And he knew Dawn was waiting for him.

A small smile touched his lips as he headed for the bedroom.

The bedroom door stood slightly open. Jamal pushed it open gently to see Dawn seated in the centre of the bed and busy scrolling through her phone.

She had changed into one of his oversized shirts, and her hair fell loosely around her shoulders.

She looked up when he entered, and she smiled as she set aside her phone. "How did it go?"

Jamal closed the door behind him and walked straight toward her without answering.

Dawn looked at him, wondering what he was up to, then laughed softly in surprise when he climbed onto the bed and pulled her directly into his arms.

Jamal buried his face against her neck, and for a moment he simply held her.

Dawn’s smile slowly faded as she slipped her arms around him. "Are you okay?"

Jamal nodded against her shoulder. "Yeah." His voice sounded rough.

Dawn’s chest tightened.

She had come to know that tone very well. He was emotional and in need of the closeness.

Dawn gently ran her fingers through his hair, but neither of them spoke for a while.

The room felt warm and peaceful.

Eventually, Jamal lifted his head, then his eyes searched her face, and he smiled.

Dawn smiled back. "What?"

"Nothing."

"Can’t be nothing when you’re looking at me funny."

He laughed softly as he adjusted on the bed so that he was lying beside her properly.

Then he pulled her down with him until her head rested on his chest.

Dawn settled comfortably against him as his hand moved lazily through her hair.

For several moments, they simply enjoyed the silence.

Then Dawn spoke softly. "I overheard some of your conversation."

"Overheard or eavesdropped?"

She hesitated. Then finally admitted, "Eavesdropped. Sorry. I was curious."

Jamal smiled. "Was your curiosity satisfied?"

"Hm."

Jamal’s hand paused briefly. "Hm?"

"Your mother loves you very much," Dawn said softly.

Jamal’s hand resumed moving.

"Yeah."

Dawn swallowed.

"You know... it got me thinking about my mum," she said softly.

Jamal pulled back to look into her face, and his expression softened immediately he noticed her eyes were glistening with tears.

Dawn’s voice grew softer. "I know she made a lot of mistakes, but I know she loved me," she whispered.

He reached up and brushed a tear away from her face. "Yeah, she loved you."

Dawn looked down at his chest. For a moment, she just listened to the steady beat of his heart beneath her ear.

"My mother wasn’t perfect," she continued quietly. "She wasn’t even close considering all we know she did. But I know she loved me," she said sadly.

Jamal remained silent. He knew this wasn’t the time to interrupt.

Dawn swallowed. "I spent so much time being angry with her after you told me the truth about my identity."

Tears slipped quietly down her cheeks.

"I used to think that I suffered all of that because of her. But now..." she paused. "Now I wish she were here. I wish she was alive to apologise. I wish she had made different choices instead of marrying Ryan."

The confession came out quietly and painfully.

Jamal’s chest tightened.

Because there was no solution or comforting speech for that.

He looked at her carefully, then he sat up. "Can I do so on her behalf?"

Dawn looked at him incredulously, then laughed softly through her tears.

"Are you out of your mind?"

Jamal smiled, then he gently wiped away the tears on her cheeks. "If being out of my mind will make you laugh, then yes."

Dawn leaned into his touch and closed her eyes briefly.

"I wish she could have met Josh." A fresh tear slipped free. "But then again, maybe I wouldn’t have had Josh at that age if she’d been alive."

Jamal smiled softly. "Maybe. Or maybe we might have had two by now if Ryan hadn’t been in the picture to keep us away from each other."

Dawn laughed through her tears. "Maybe. Or maybe you would have tired of me and gotten over me."

Jamal scowled at that. "That’s impossible."

Dawn laughed quietly. "Yeah. Absolutely impossible, because I’d never have let you go. I approached you at the club and asked you to have sex with me after all."

They both laughed as they recalled that night at the club once again.

Then the laughter faded.

Dawn looked up at him. "You know what the funny thing is?"

Jamal watched her quietly. "What?"

"When I was younger, I thought being an adult meant having all the answers."

She shook her head. "But now I realise adults are just grown up kids. Everybody is just trying their best. Just like my Mum. And yours. And now I’m trying my best too for Josh."

Her voice softened. "Some people succeed. Some fail. And some people do both at the same time."

Jamal nodded. "Yeah."

"I hope I don’t fail," she whispered.

"You won’t," Jamal promised.