“Light him up!”
Bang! Bang!

A young man ducked behind a tombstone, clutching a bundle tight against his chest with one hand and gripping a handgun in the other.

“Man, I ain’t got no idea how I’mma get outta this one… shit!” he muttered, voice tinged with desperation. Just when he was ready to turn things around, it looked like his number was up.

A deep, mocking voice echoed through the chaos, filled with a cruel satisfaction. “Outta options, huh? Y’all young niggas think you can just bounce out these streets, like it’s that easy. Go on, and bring your ass out. Don’t worry—I’ll make sure you look real good for the casket.”

Bullets cracked against the stone, and dirt sprayed around him. DJ took a shaky breath, heart thumping like it was trying to escape his chest. Everything he’d been working for, everything he wanted to change—it didn’t matter now.

“Damn… guess if I die, I die. Ain’t like they believe someone like me can really change.”

He set the bundle down carefully and then straightened up, shouting with all the courage he could muster. “You want me dead? Then come kill me, muthafucka!!”

The adrenaline was still pumping when he jolted awake, heart racing, drenched in sweat.

“Was… was that a dream? No, a nightmare.”

He glanced around the room, then at his phone.

“Goddamn, 6:00 AM… DJ, you’re losing your mind and your sleep, man.”

DJ flopped back onto his bed, exhaustion weighing him down, but his thoughts refused to quiet. The adoption drive later that day gnawed at his mind. Was he really ready to take on more kids?

He sighed, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. "Guess that’s why they call it a trial period.” DJ said as he laid back down and shut his eyes.

Despite the unsettling memory that had jolted him awake, DJ eventually drifted back to sleep, his mind still buzzing with worries about the adoption drive.

“DJ!”

Tiny fingers tugged at his eyelids, prying them open and yanking him out of his restless slumber. He blinked groggily, trying to focus as his brain caught up with his body. It took a moment for him to realize a small face was hovering inches from his own.

“DJ, ged ub! I hungwy!” came the urgent little voice, accompanied by more insistent tugs.

With a tired smile, DJ sighed. So much for getting more sleep.
A toddler in just a sweater and diaper was right next to him, yelling with all the force his little lungs could muster.

“Ugh… Deonte, lemme have a few minutes, bro,” DJ groaned, turning his head away.

Deonte pouted, crawling onto the bed and plopping down on DJ’s back. He started poking his face insistently. “DJ, you say no s’eep too wong!”

DJ let out a resigned sigh. “Two-year-olds…”

He gently nudged the toddler off him and sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

“Yay, DJ up!” Deonte cheered, his face glowing with excitement.

“Yeah, diaper butt, I’m up. You win,” DJ chuckled, stretching his arms.

“Nu-uh, you da daipy poopy head!” Deonte giggled, delighted with his comeback.

“Ouch, my feelings!” DJ groaned dramatically, flopping back onto the bed as if wounded.

“I sowwy, I sowwy!” Deonte’s eyes widened with worry as he grabbed DJ’s fingers, trying to pull him up with all his strength.

DJ grinned and, in one quick motion, sat up and started tickling his little brother.

“Ha ha ha, nooo, dob!” Deonte squealed, kicking his legs and wriggling in between bursts of laughter.

After a few moments, DJ stopped, letting Deonte catch his breath as he lay limp on the bed, still giggling.

“Alright, enough playtime,” DJ said, sliding out of bed and scooping up the toddler. As he lifted Deonte, he noticed the soggy diaper. “Looks like someone needs a change before breakfast.”

He carried Deonte into the adjacent room, a colorful, kid-friendly space filled with toys scattered across the floor, a small table covered in crayons and paper, and a crib against the wall.

DJ headed over to the changing table in the corner and laid Deonte down gently. “There we go.”

He undid the soggy diaper and tossed it into the diaper pail. “Man, you really let loose this time, huh?”

“I pee wot?” Deonte asked with wide eyes.

“Yeah, you did. Like, a lot.” DJ laughed, handing him a fresh diaper. “Hold this for me, lil’ man.”

Deonte held onto the diaper while DJ grabbed some wipes. The toddler yelped as the cold wipes touched his skin.

“My bad, Deonte,” DJ said, quickly finishing up and throwing the used wipes away. After sprinkling some baby powder, he took the diaper from Deonte and secured it. “All done. Look at you—all fresh now.”

“All cwean!” Deonte echoed with a big grin.

DJ picked him up and set him on the floor. “Alright, let’s get some breakfast in you.”

“Bweakfast!” Deonte cheered, running toward the kitchen.

DJ followed, watching as Deonte climbed into his booster seat. He grabbed two bowls—one small, one larger—and poured chocolate cereal into both.

“Choco Bites for you,” DJ said, placing the small bowl in front of Deonte, who immediately started munching. DJ sat down with his own bowl, smiling at his brother’s enthusiasm.

“So, Deonte, we gotta talk, man,” DJ said, stirring his cereal. “Today’s a big day. Remember I told you things were gonna change? Well, you’re getting two little brothers later on.”

Deonte looked up, milk dripping from his chin. “I big brother now?”

“That’s right! Their names are Theo and Tate, and you’ll meet them after daycare today.”

“I big brother now! I big brother now!” Deonte chanted, shoveling the rest of his cereal into his mouth, spilling milk and cereal onto his sweater in his excitement.

“I’m done!” he shouted, jumping down and running to the front door.

“Whoa, hold up, lil’ man! We gotta change your clothes and brush your teeth first,” DJ said, scooping him up and carrying him back to his room. He quickly dressed Deonte in a pair of blue jeans and a T-Rex shirt, knowing how much he loved dinosaurs.

“Alright, now we’re good to go.” DJ grabbed his keys, took Deonte’s hand, and they headed out the door. After securing Deonte in his car seat, DJ got behind the wheel and started driving.

“So, after today, it’s gonna be a whole new vibe at home,” DJ said, glancing at Deonte in the rearview mirror. “It’ll be nice, though. House won’t feel so empty, and you’ll have somebody to play with.”

Deonte, however, wasn’t paying attention—he was too busy watching cars zoom past his window. DJ just smiled and kept driving until they reached the daycare.

“Alright, big bro, I’ll see you later, okay?” DJ said as he dropped Deonte off, giving him a quick hug before watching him scamper inside.

With a deep breath, DJ got back into the car. “Alright, time to make it official,” he muttered, setting off for the facility.

After an hour’s drive, DJ arrived and checked in at the front desk. After signing a few papers, he was called into an office where a man sat behind a desk.

“Hey, you must be DJ?” the man greeted him.

“Yeah, that’s me. And you’re Director Bullock, right? We talked on the phone last year.”

The director nodded. “That’s right. You’re here for the boys?”

“Yeah, man, I’m here to bring them home.”

“Great. We just need to run a few final checks, the usual stuff. It might take a little while, so you might want to sit tight.”

DJ nodded, taking a seat and bracing himself for the long process. As he waited, his mind raced with anticipation. Today was the day his family would grow, and he couldn’t wait to see what the future held for all of them.