Part 20 (1/2)

Believe it. ”Have fun.” Refusing the urge to slam the gla.s.s door, I slid it shut instead and sniffed my freshly done braids for smoke, while running for the air freshener. When Roch.e.l.le emerged from the kitchen choking, I figured the deed was done.

”What's with the death by Lysol?”

I nodded to the stoop. ”Smoking. Naomi.”

Even Ch.e.l.le looked shocked. ”Naomi? Here?” She stared at the gla.s.s door. ”Wow. That's two in a row. Tracey's really got pull.”

She got you here, didn't she?

”I've got pull, huh?”

We both spun to find Tracey behind us in a pink maternity dress. The light bounced off the b.u.t.terfly clips in her newly cropped afro.

”Tracey!” Ch.e.l.le and I cried in unison, racing to her side. For someone who was considering leaving their husband and upset about her pregnancy, she sure looked good to me. As we hugged her, my stomach lurched, looking at all the decorations.

”Oh, no! The surprise!”

Roch.e.l.le threw a hand across her mouth and let Tracey go. ”You weren't supposed to get here until-how did you-”

”The door was open and Naomi's Saab was parked outside.”

I took a deep breath. ”Well, surprise anyway. Welcome to your baby shower. Have a seat.”

Tracey shook her head. ”I'm tired of having a seat. I came to work. Why do you think I'm early?”

Both my hands flew up. ”So you knew?”

”Of course.” Tracey grabbed a bag of mints and filled the last empty candy dish. ”You were acting too fishy, girl. I know when y'all up to something. And I've been up to so much nothing, I couldn't stay away.”

Roch.e.l.le shook her head and walked into the kitchen. ”You can't even surprise folks these days.”

Too happy to see Tracey to lament the ruined surprise, I took her hand and walked towards the front door to close it. Man, how I'd missed her. Seeing her made me realize how much. ”Maybe we can't surprise you, but we're going to feed you good. Your hair is too cute.”

She giggled a little and then drew a quick breath.

”What is it? Are you in pain? Should I call the doctor?”

Tracey didn't answer, but stared at the door instead.

My eyes followed hers. I dropped Tracey's hand. Not only should I have shut the door, but locked it, too. Dahlia stood in the hall, her coat open to reveal a celery-green minidress with matching pumps, one of which she rocked onto its side. In her hands was a small bag. A Kick! bag.

Adrian and his big mouth.

My sister's eyes darted back and forth between us. ”I know I wasn't invited exactly, but I hadn't seen Tracey in a while-”

I shrugged. ”It's okay. Come in.”

Sierra emerged from behind her, toddled up to Tracey, put her face up to Tracey's belly and sniffed. ”Smells like a gurrrl.” With that, she made for the candy dish as though belly sniffing were an acceptable profession. Her mother followed.

We all stared behind them. I shut the door and flipped the lock. I wasn't sure who would walk in next, but I wasn't taking any chances. Tracey stared wide-eyed at nothing in particular, then took a deep breath.

”Forget what I said earlier,” she said, turning again to look at my sister and niece, whose exact age I'd neglected to mention in all our conversations. ”Color me surprised.”

”So the pastor is really changing things, huh?” Tracey popped the last shrimp puff into her mouth and pushed aside the tower of gifts left by the throng of well-wishers who'd filed through my living room. Not many had time to stay, but everyone brought a present, a smile and plenty of well wishes. Even Renee, who'd graced the occasion with a limited edition porcelain doll from Fingerhut. Naomi? Well, she'd eventually come off the stoop where she'd spent most of the time sulking to give a beautiful card and a wad of cash. ”Baby shopping just isn't my thing. But if it's a girl, call me when she's five. I'll buy her the world.”

Too bad Naomi couldn't afford just a little kindness instead. Not that money wasn't nice. It was just easy for her to give. One day, she and I would have to sit down and talk about such things, since I had nothing left to lose with her. That someday, however, wouldn't be today. Today, it was just Roch.e.l.le, Tracey, me and-surprisingly enough-Dahlia and Sierra, who was curled up like a cat at the end of the couch with a fuzzy baby rattle one of the ladies from church had brought.

Roch.e.l.le answered first. ”Yeah. Pastor is really shaking things up. Just what we'd always prayed for.”

”Then why do you sound so sad about it?” It was Dahlia's voice. We all turned, stunned. Sure she was here, but we'd neither wanted nor expected any response from her. Well, let me correct that-I hadn't expected her to say anything. Tracey looked delighted. hadn't expected her to say anything. Tracey looked delighted.

”I was just thinking that myself, Dahlia,” Tracey said, taking a sip of orange sherbet punch. Another of Daddy's recipes. ”This stuff is so good.”

At least something had turned out right. I sighed. Usually I added too much ice cream or not enough Sprite. This time it was just right and with a splash of guava juice. Good stuff. Better than the direction of this conversation to be sure.

”It's not that we're not happy about it, Dahlia. It's just that there's a lot going on now, you know? When we were really pressing in and praying for Pastor to hit things harder, we thought we had it going on. Thought that we were spiritual.”

Tracey snorted. ”I know that's right. I look back at my devotionals from last year and wonder who that was. I thought I was soo-oo holy. And look at me now.”

I tried to cut her moaning off at the pa.s.s. It wasn't info I wanted to arm Dahlia with. ”What do you mean look at you now?” I took her plate and cup and headed for the trash. ”You're married, pregnant and serving G.o.d. Sure things aren't perfect, but you're hanging in there. You made it to the altar. That was the hard thing.” I dropped the cute pansy plate into the trash and headed back to the couch.

A tear streamed down Tracey's face.

Oh, yeah. Definitely the hormones.

”That's just it, Dane. I didn't make it to the altar. And now I'm paying for it.”

My eyes crinkled like they had when Naomi was smoking earlier. ”Of course you made it. I was there.”

Dahlia cleared her throat. ”That's not what she means, Dana. Get a clue.”

I got a clue. Quick. So that was the weird vibe I'd had about the whole Ryan thing. ”So you lied to us the whole time?”

Roch.e.l.le hung her head. Tracey looked away.

Dahlia grabbed a handful of peanuts. ”Sounds like she didn't lie to everybody. Just you.”

I thought that was your job.

Tension knotted in my shoulders. ”So you, too, Tracey? Looks like everybody here thinks I'm just someone to be lied to and played like a fool. Is there anything else I should know?”

Though it was a rhetorical question, I knew as soon as I'd asked it that it was a mistake. Concern clouded all their faces, especially Dahlia's. Anything the others had to say worried me, but another confession from her in this lifetime might just do me in.

Dahlia rubbed her cheek until her palm was covered in foundation. ”I understand what Tracey said about doing things wrong and then maybe having bad things happen because of it.” She bit a nail. ”I mean, I've done a lot of things that I'm not proud of now, most of them to you, Dana. I know you don't think so, but I do believe in G.o.d. This is just all new to me, you know? I didn't really get it before.”