Part 21 (2/2)
As soon as she was out of earshot, David said, ”You still look tired.”
”Just because Lizzie sleeps for four hours doesn't mean I do,” Dana replied. ”Has Ali said anything to you about Lizzie's color?”
”No, but I told you, she probably won't. Her own mother is white.” He dropped his voice. ”How're things at home?”
Dana shot him a sad smile and shrugged.
”He's still being an a.s.shole,” David interpreted.
”No. That's too harsh,” she said, feeling a need to defend her husband. ”He's good with the baby and helps out a lot. He loves her, he really does.” She traced Lizzie's soft little cheek with a forefinger and cooed, ”Hi, baby, how's my sweetie?” Her finger stilled. ”He's still pretty p.i.s.sed at me for not antic.i.p.ating this.”
”How in the h.e.l.l could you antic.i.p.ate anything without knowing your father?”
”Yeah, well, I'm pretty p.i.s.sed that no one told me about him, but my mother's dead, my grandmother has nothing good to say about the man, and Gillian knows nothing.” She sighed. ”For what it's worth, I've found his real name. Hugh doesn't know yet. I should be telling him. I should be calling my father on the phone. Why am I not doing that, David?”
David ran a hand over his smooth head. ”Maybe 'cause you're not sure you'll like what he has to say.”
”I don't care if one of his parents was African American.”
”Forget the black part,” said David. ”Think about why he was never involved in your life. That must have bothered you. It'd bother me.”
Dana smiled. David knew feelings. He claimed that his divorce had forced him to confront his emotions, but Dana suspected he had always been sensitive.
”There's more,” she said. ”He never knew my mother was pregnant. He married soon after she left college. What if I call, and he tells me to get the h.e.l.l away before I wreck his happy home life?”
”Tell him you'll be happy to do that after he answers your questions. If you're only going to have one shot at the guy, Dana, make it count.”
Lizzie chose that moment to crunch up her body and make a deposit in her diaper. Dana wondered if it was an editorial comment.
”Here, Daddy!” Ali interrupted, approaching on the run with four water bottles, plus Cream hugged to her chest. She was nearly there when she bobbled the bottles.
David caught them before they fell. ”That was too big an armful.”
”Well, I needed four,” she told him, ”one for you, one for me, one for Dana, one for Lizzie.” She came right up to the baby, then wrinkled her nose. ”Pew. Is that what I think it is?”
”I'm afraid so,” Dana said.
”And you have to clean it up? I'm never going to have babies if I have to do that.” Proudly, she held up Cream. The red scarf was wrapped neatly around her neck.
”Doesn't she look beautiful,” Dana exclaimed. ”And where's Cocoa?”
”Inside.”
”What's she doing there?”
”Hiding.”
”From what?”
The little girl shrugged. ”She's safe there. Dana, can Lizzie drink water?”
”I suppose she can, only she couldn't do it from this kind of bottle.”
”I can't wait until she's old enough to play with me. Can I pretend she's my sister? My mother's getting married, did you know that? She says she's doing it so I can have a sister, 'cause that's what I really want, only I don't know if I'm going to like that sister.”
Dana looked at David. ”I didn't know Susan was remarrying.”
”Neither did I until last week,” he said, but he was frowning at his daughter. ”Why won't you like that sister?”
She shrugged again. ”I dunno. Maybe I will.” She ran off toward the house.
”Where are you going?” David called.
”I wanna watch my movie,” she called back. She slipped inside just as Hugh's SUV turned onto the street.
Dana watched it approach. ”Bad timing. He loves seeing Ali. He'll hate the thought of losing out to a movie.”
”The movie isn't a jerk,” David muttered.
She shot him a chiding look. ”Hugh isn't either. He's just unsettled.”
David snorted. ”Try 'unmanned.' He's always been able to pick and choose his colored folk. This time he couldn't.”
”Come on, David. That's unfair. He defends African Americans in court with more vigor than he defends white guys. Besides, I've watched him with Lizzie. He just adores her, and he adores Ali.”
David snorted again.
Dana sighed. ”Okay. You're still angry. I think I should go home.”
She turned just as Hugh got out of the car and headed their way. He looked gorgeous-she might be angry, resentful, or hurt, but she would always think that. White s.h.i.+rt open at the neck, blue blazer hooked over his shoulder, he walked with typical Clarke confidence. Only the look in his eyes was tentative.
”How're you doing?” he said to David, and held out a hand.
David deliberately pocketed his own, at which point Dana had had enough.
”I'm going home to deal with what's in Lizzie's diaper. I'll let you two deal with what's out here.”
Hugh might have laughed. Dana had always been clever with words. Yes, there was s.h.i.+t between David and him. Even now, David was turning and heading for the house.
”Wait. David. Hold up.”
David stopped but didn't turn.
”I owe you an apology.”
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