Page 81 of Child of Mine

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HENRY

After I take Ribsy out, I use the early morning light to get to know every nook and cranny of Bella’s body while wringing another couple of orgasms out of her. As we both drift off to sleep again, I’m feeling pretty darn good about life—great job, amazing kid, and a chance at a promising relationship with an equally amazing woman.

Then the phone rings, and she’s instantly on alert.

Heading her worries off at the pass, I announce, “I’m not answering. It’s Sunday. I don’t need to talk to anybody.”

We lay there until the answering machine picks up in the kitchen. My recorded voice message is muffled, but after the beep, the words echoing through the apartment are all too clear.

“Henry? Henry Cornelius Smith?”

Bella giggles. “Cornelius?”

I groan the way I do every time someone learns my middle name.

“I need to hear the story of that.” Bella pokes me in the side, which has me tensing even more than my mother’s voice.

“If you’re there, you need to pick up,” my mother drawls. Somehow, she manages to sweetly chide and urgently demand at the same time.

Even though she can’t hear me, I cover my face with a pillow and groan even louder.

“All right, then,” she says. “I suppose I’ll just have to book this ticket and fly on up there so I can make sure you haven’t lost my grandchild again.”

“Goddammit,” I grumble, throwing on my boxers—because you can’t talk to your mother naked—and sprinting for the phone. She’s going on about her friend Francine who’s a travel agent and how she’s got the flight all lined up but wanted to check with me when I interrupt her monologue. “I’m here, Mama. Sorry, I was—”

“Spare me the details,” she says, cutting me off with a sniff. “What I do want is the four-one-one on this grandbaby of mine. We are all dying of curiosity down here.”

“I know, I should’ve called. My days at work are nonstop, and then I’ve been spending almost every evening with Lilah.”

“Well, that’s all well and good, but what I want to know is when do I get to meet her? Can y’all fly down here? This is our busy season, you know, so I can only come for a few days if I have to go there.”

“I can’t get away. The summer is when we shoot the show, when the kids are out of school.”

“And Lilah’s out of school too? What is she doing all day?”

“She’s with her grandmother—her other grandmother.”

“Oh.” So many emotions fill that one little word. “Well, I’ll just have to come up, then. It’ll have to be during the week, so I’ll come tomorrow night.”

“Tomorrow?”

“Francine did some magic and got me a good deal. I’ll stay till Saturday. What’s the weather like up there? I imagine it’s a bit cooler than here. The humidity has been ridiculous this summer. Good for growin’ things, but—”

“Mom,” I interrupt. “You’re comingtomorrow?”

“Yes. You have a two-bedroom apartment, right? I’ll stay with you and I’ll spend time with Lilah during the day and I’ll cook y’all dinner. I’ll get to meet her mama. It’ll be fun.”

“But—”

“Oh, shoot, I’ve got to go. I’m opening the Fuqua Varina store today. All right, then. I’ll call you this evening with the flight numbers and all. Can’t wait to see y’all! Bye now!”

All I’m left with is the dial tone in my ear and a knot in my stomach. Dropping the phone back on the charger, I plod back to my bedroom.

“Everything okay?”

I flop onto the bed face down and groan.

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