Rafael was sure he’d be dead by twenty. Instead, his sister picks him up off the streets to give him the second chance he never hoped for. With a few conditions. No drugs, alcohol, or fighting. Finish high school. He's done worse for a roof over his head. Then he meets Akilah. Estranged from her family, a little naïve, but a kindred spirit nonetheless. He should leave her alone, especially when his abusive stepdad shows up in his new life. Because it wouldn't be the first time his stepdad hurt someone close to Rafael to spite him. Now, he has a choice to make. Confront his stepdad or let his relationship with Akilah become a tragic casualty and lose her forever. It’s really not a choice at all.

Rafael and Akilah had it all figured out. Graduate high school. Go to college. And for Rafael, being more attentive to Akilah. Getting pregnant wasn't part of that plan. Akilah’s keeping the baby whether he wants her to or not. But Rafael doesn't want to be like the dad who left him before he could remember him. At the same time, he's terrified he'll turn into the stepdad that abused him. Considering his history, Rafael's not sure he can do it. Given that even Akilah starts to doubt him, he's not sure he should even try. Maybe his dad did have a good reason for leaving Rafael and his mom behind. Maybe that reason is good enough for Rafael to do the same before he can give his kid even a vague memory of him.

Rafael’s relationship with Akilah is finally stable. Akilah’s getting ready for law school, and Rafael… He’s not sure what he wants to do. But he’ll figure it out. Then an old sex video of Rafael ends up online, and there goes stability. With his silence only doing more damage, Rafael decides the best way to undo the mess is to be truthful about his traumatic past. He expected some backlash. He didn’t expect was Akilah’s own past to be exposed and used against her. Nor did he expect it to go viral. Now Rafael has to decide if defending himself is worth the cost of Akilah’s future and, possibly, their relationship. But it might be too late to stop. He hopes Akilah will forgive him

Spring's skipping the love and marriage to head straight to the baby carriage with artificial insemination. Then she meets the Bilal, and they click over a mutual admiration for art and geek culture. He's not looking for a relationship, and just broke off an engagement two months before he was supposed to say "I do.” Huge red flag. They’re just casual though, giving Spring a chance to enjoy the fun of a relationship as long as it will last before she carries out her baby plans. However the line between casual and serious starts to blur when Bilal takes her home for the Christmas holiday to meet the conservative Christian family that fully expects for him to get back with the ex-fiancée he left behind.

Sequel to Best Laid Plans. Coming July 16, 2019