Page 49 of Dare to Dance
We found Ms. Waters just outside the gate. My heart began to pound. This was the part where I got all emotional. It killed me to say good-bye to Raven.
Ms. Waters ended her call. “Alex seems like a nice lady,” she said as she pulled out her car keys.
We walked in silence to her car, which was parked not that far from the gate. She pressed the key fob. Two beeps sounded from the tan car.
Raven began to cry. “I don’t want to leave you, Mommy.”
“I know, baby girl.” I quickly buckled Raven into her car seat before I lost it. Once she was strapped in, I gave her a long kiss on her forehead. “I love you bigger than the universe.”
Tears streamed down her face. Then I couldn’t hold my own tears in anymore. “I’ll see you soon.”
She held out her arms. “Bigger than the universe.”
I kissed her one last time then ducked out of the car, dashing away tears.
“So about Raven’s father,” Ms. Waters said. “If you know who he is, he could play a key role in your case.”
My ears perked up as well as my pulse. “How so?”
“The family court system wants children to be with family first. As well they should. Raven should be with her mom and her dad, or at least an aunt or grandparent. But something tells me you’re not ready to come clean.” Her gaze swept over me like a metal detector. She was a smart lady. I imagined that in her line of work, she came across all types of people and personalities. That meant she could probably read people better than a psychic.
“I’m not ready.” I wasn’t going to lie, but I wasn’t about to give her names either, not until I spoke to Kross.
“If you’re worried about losing Raven because the father comes forward, you shouldn’t. Again, the family court system values the relationship between mom and child.”
“But it’s not like I have a home or money.”
“You said you were working. The next step is an apartment. But if the father is stable with a good job and home, then why not consider the possibility of Raven living with her daddy? Think about it. Our next visit is in two weeks. You have my cell phone number, and now that I know where you’re working, I can contact you there if I need to. Think about what I said.” She climbed into her car.
Waving, I edged back. I had a lot to think about.
15
Ruby
Itoreinto Firefly through the backdoor then ran up the stairs. Loud voices filled the hall from down below. Tommy was probably seething that I was late for the fight. I wasn’t scheduled to waitress, but I had to fight or I wouldn’t have a waitressing job.
After I’d parted with Raven and Ms. Waters, I’d done some soul-searching and roamed the streets too far in the wrong direction. However, I considered my time productive. My original plan was to take baby steps with Kross. I’d planned to show him Riley’s grave near my old home in the Berkshires and start at the beginning. But if a paternity test proving that Kross was Raven’s daddy was a quicker route to getting her out of foster care, then I had to put aside my own selfishness and do what was best for Raven, no matter the consequences.
I slipped past Tommy’s office.
“I don’t know where the fuck she is,” he yelled.
I cringed. I was certain he was talking about me. Before I got my ass handed to me, I had to show my face to Norma. She knew I normally liked some alone time after I visited with Raven, but today, I’d been gone too long.
I stuck my head into the bar area. Pete’s eyes went wide, then he crooked his finger. I shook my head, but he waved me over more firmly this time. His features transformed into those of one scary dude. His lips mashed into a thin line, a deep crease between his eyebrows traveled up to the crest of his baldhead, and his eyes formed into slits, his nostrils pulsating. I’d never seen him mad, but Norma had. Apparently, Pete had almost laid Kross out on a stretcher. That was hard for me to believe since Kross was more muscular than Pete.
I ventured over to the bar, mostly out of respect for Pete since he had given me so many pointers on serving drinks and addressing upset customers.
“First, glad to see you’re in one piece. Everything okay?” The angry look on his face belied the sweetness in his tone.
“I had to take care of something. It went longer than I expected. And as you know, I don’t have a cell phone. So I couldn’t exactly call.”
“Tommy is furious. You’re thirty minutes late for the fight.”
I hung my head. He reminded me of my dad when I’d gotten into trouble. Dad wouldn’t yell. He would say in a firm but calm tone how disappointed he was in me. I shouldn’t care what Pete thought, but I did. He was a big teddy bear. He kept an eye out for Alex, Norma, and me. More importantly, he kept us shielded from Tommy’s mood swings most of the time, at least while we were working.
He flicked his head toward the hallway. “Well, you better get in his office.”
