Eden
Eden was the mother of Malik Aziz Carter, Rashad, and Simone. Malik was her oldest son. She and Malik lived with her parents during his childhood, and she was separated from the children’s father, Cedric.
Cultural Identity and Heritage
Eden was Nigerian and came from a Yoruba family. Malik’s Yoruba and Nigerian heritage came through her side of the family.
Family and Core Relationships
Malik Carter
Eden raised Malik with support from her parents, with whom they shared a home. Cedric and Malik’s paternal grandparents also participated in raising him.
Rashad and Simone were Malik’s younger brother and sister. Eden and Cedric were their parents as well.
After an exhausting shift at Harborline Grill, Malik called Eden because he was too tired to drive home. The call frightened her, but she was relieved that he had asked for help instead of driving. She came to the restaurant after one in the morning, thanked his coworker Leslie for waiting with him, and helped him into her car. Eden put on a station playing Nigerian music at a low volume for the drive.
Malik described Cedric’s response to his American University acceptance, the comparison with Logan Weston, and the interruption when he tried to speak about law. Eden was angry with Cedric but listened rather than calling him while Malik was in the car. She told Malik she was proud of his work and understood that he had wanted his father to ask about his plans and let him finish. Her pride could not give him the response he had hoped to hear from Cedric. When Malik said he did not want to discuss the visit with his father the next day, Eden did not press him to decide what to do that night.
At home, Eden and her mother helped Malik get upstairs to bed. Malik addressed his maternal grandmother as “Ìyá àgbà.” The two women discussed their concern while he slept; Eden’s mother urged her to let him eat and rest before asking him for another answer. Eden checked on him again before going to bed. She let him sleep late the next day, brought him fresh water, and made him eggs and toast when he woke. After he fell asleep again while intending to answer messages, she postponed collecting his car so that he could rest.
Romantic and Significant Relationships
Cedric
Cedric’s difficulty listening to Eden was one of the reasons they separated. He continued to love her deeply after their separation.
The next morning, Eden texted Cedric while their son slept and asked him to speak to her before contacting Malik. Cedric described his paid-arguing remark as a joke and told her, “I wasn’t putting him down.” Eden could believe that he had not planned to hurt Malik, but she asked whether he had congratulated him. Rather than reassuring Cedric about his intentions, she kept the exchange focused on what he had said to Malik and the interest their son had wanted from him. When Cedric called, she declined until she could speak privately and told him that Malik wanted space that day. Cedric agreed not to call him.