Lord.” Mom throws her hands in the air and stares up at the perfect, country-blue, cloudless sky.
“Some people have real problems,” Calypso says.
“Calypso,” I say. She doesn’t need to fight my battles.
“Seriously.” She ignores me, stepping forward. Her furrowed stare smacks my mother, who takes three steps back until she’s pressed against the doorbell. “Your son is a great person. You’re what’s wrong here. I’ve never met anyone who loves their child more than Crew. Maybe you should take some notes. He’d move Heaven and Earth for that baby. He completely changed his lifestyle for her. He stepped up the minute she was placed in his arms. Made her his first priority like the good father he is. Maybe you could take some notes from him?”
Noelle bites away a smile and gives me a look. No one has ever told Susan Forrester off.
“About damn time,” I mouth to my sister. She nods.
“And who do you think you are? Speaking to me like this? On the front porch of my house? Where are your manners, young lady?”
The front door behind my mother opens. My father steps out.
“What’s going on here? Heard the doorbell.” His beady eyes drift from person to person, his fingers slicking the sides of his mustache. He clears his throat and stares at me.
“Dad,” I say. “I want you to meet my family.”
He doesn’t smile. Doesn’t flinch. Doesn’t look at Calypso or Emme. His stare is locked on mine.
I take Emme from Calypso. “This is my daughter. Your granddaughter. Emme. She’s five months old.”
His head tilts back as he studies her.
“And this is Calypso,” I say. “She’s carrying my child, and I’m going to marry her someday.”
Calypso shoots me a look. I haven’t asked her. We haven’t even discussed it. But none of that matters.
I am going to marry that girl someday.
“Conrad, are you okay?” Mom fusses over him, her hands smoothing his shirt and her palm slicking down the buttons. “Do you need to go sit down? Are you feeling stressed? Let’s get you inside.”
“Susan.” He flinches at her touch. “Enough. I’m fine.”
“I know you’re extremely disappointed in our son. I don’t blame you. I am as well. He let us down.” She looks at me and speaks to my father. And then she dabs her tear-less eyes.
My mother never cries.
And this is just an act.
“Susan.” Dad slips his arm around her shoulder and pulls her into his chest. “Crew, apologize to your mother.”
“For what?” I laugh.
“For upsetting her.” He clutches at his chest, sucking in deep breaths. He points a finger at me. “I asked you never to let her down. Do you remember that?”
He moves to a wicker rocker and plops down; my mother takes the one beside him. Her face is buried in her hands. She’s like one of those gray birds that pretends they’re injured so you leave them alone.
Can’t understand how my father hasn’t figured out her modus operandi over all these years.
“I won’t apologize for the choices I’ve made in my life,” I say. “I’ll own them. I’ll make the best of them. I’ll stand up for my family and what I believe in. And if you can’t be proud of that, then that’s on you.”
Calypso takes my arm, looping her hand through my elbow in a silent show of support.
“So that’s all I wanted,” I say. “I didn’t come here to cause problems. Just wanted you to meet my family. Oh, and by the way, I’m not a math teacher. I’m a contractor. I flip houses. I used to play poker.”
Mom’s face pinches before she looks to my father to watch his reaction. We all do.
He rises, his face cherry red. He’s raspy, his breath whistling through his nose.
“You made your bed, Crew.” He reaches for the screen door handle, then he stops and turns back to me. “You know how I feel about gambling. And you know how I feel about making your mother upset. She’s the love of my life, Crew. What hurts her, hurts me. I’m going inside. I need to rest.”
Mom follows him, stopping for a moment. “Noelle, you coming?”
Noelle looks to her, then to us.
“Well, come on.” Mom stomps her foot and clucks her tongue. “Let them leave, Noelle.”
“They’re never going to change,” Noelle says to me, under her breath.
“Nope,” I say.
“Noelle,” Mom calls out to her again.
“I don’t want to leave Dad.” Noelle’s bottom lip trembles, her chin wrinkling. “What if something happens?”
“Noelle.” Mom stomps her foot, her voice overriding Noelle’s soft words. “Get