Page 146 of Summer Breakdown
“Tabitha wants to meet you,” he says quickly, his eyes wide.
Jasmine places her cutlery down so fast Frankie checks she didn’t crack her plate.
“She does?”
He takes a deep breath. “Maybe we could have lunch? Just the immediate family first,” he says, before Zach can say anything, and his jaw is dropped like he was going to say something. Frankie doesn’t mind going out for the afternoon.
“Okay,” Jasmine says, with a smile, her feet tapping the ground rapidly. “When?”
Marcel shrugs. “Not this weekend, because we’ve got the sleepover, but maybe the weekend after? Or she could come for dinner after school.”
“I’m free all those times,” Lani says. She’s dishing up for Ezra now. “Can I meet her?”
“Yeah,” Marcel replies. “She’s excited to meet you, and Ma, and Frank.” Oh. Frankie is immediate family. She’s on their emergency contacts list and they share a doctor, but actually feeling it is different.
“You want me to meet her?” Frankie asks. Jasmine rests her hand against her thigh.
“Yeah, obviously. She does fancy you,” he says, with a frown, “but it would be weird to not introduce you when she calls you Mum number two.”
“She does?”
“Yeah.” He’s back on his phone like Frankie’s heart isn’t going a mile a minute. Ezra smiles at his plate, then at Cam, then at Lani. Frankie knows he’s happy, but she wants him to get everything that he wants. She wants him to be as lucky as she is right now.
“Mama, please can you tell Daddy I can’t go to his next week?” Lani asks. She’s finally eating for herself, there’s so much sauce on her cheeks. Ezra taught her how to get all the meat off the bone, but she’s a messy little thing.
Jasmine frowns. “Why not?” Mike has cancelled every week since Frankie picked them up. Frankie just assumes Jasmine will make an excuse for why he’s not coming, and Lani hasn’t asked for the past few weeks.
“Because Cam-Cam said it’s girls’ night at Mali’s, and I’m a girl.” Cam wipes Lani’s cheeks.
Frankie laughs, then says, “We can move it so you can come to girls’ night and go to your dad’s?”
Lani shrugs. “Daddy will cancel anyway.”
Jasmine’s hand tightens against hers. “I’ll talk to him.”
“No big deal,” Lani replies. She smiles, looking over at Mali. “I like being with people that want to see me all the time.” Mali winks at her. She hasn’t stolen her yet, but it might be soon.
“Daddy wants to see you,” Jasmine says.
“Mama is fibbing.” Lani giggles, but there’s a slight sadness there. Frankie’s heart breaks. She never knew how delicate children were. How Lani will smile all day every day, even as she knows her dad won’t come. Even when her legs hurt her. Frankie wants every single person at this table to get everything they’ve ever wanted.
“I’m sorry, baby,” Jasmine says. Lani leans closer to Ezra, and he tucks his arm around her. She rests her head against his arm.
Lani smiles. “You want to see me all the time.”
“All the time,” Jasmine says.
“And Frankie loves me the most.”
“The most,” Frankie replies.
Lani giggles. Frankie loves her so much. “And Ezra and Cam-Cam said we could go shopping for a new dress.” Frankie waits for it. Lani looks over at Mali and Zach, and they nod with wide smiles. Mali is basically hopping in her seat. Jasmine pulls Frankie’s arm around her shoulder.
“And Zach and Mali said I could tell you that they’re engaged.”
A chorus of cries sounds around the table. “WHAT?!”
THE END
