“That’s the advantage of having your children in your early twenties.”
Sandra checked on the cookies in the oven. “I really hadn’t planned on having babies while I was still going to law school, but now when I look back I don’t regret it. Speaking of babies, do you and Lamar plan to have any?”
“We haven’t talked about it.”
“Do you want children?” Sandra asked.
Nydia pondered the question for a moment. “If I marry Lamar, then I’ll have a daughter.”
“That’s not what I’m talking about and you know it, Nydia. Do you want to have a baby with him?”
A mysterious smile softened her mouth as she stared across the kitchen at the television mounted under a row of cabinets. The crawl on the bottom of the screen indicated the governor had declared a state of emergency. “Yes. I’d like to have at least one.”
Sandra glanced at the television before she removed the cookie sheet from the oven. “What’s going to happen if your Broadway show is cancelled tomorrow? Will you lose your money?”
“No,” Nydia replied. “When I ordered the tickets I also added cancellation insurance and gave instructions that the tickets would be picked up at the box office.” She didn’t tell Sandra that Lamar had reimbursed her for the cost of the tickets.
“Good for you.”
* * *
The week in New York had passed all too quickly for Lamar. A snowstorm had scrapped Nydia’s plan to take the girls into Manhattan for a Broadway show, but they didn’t seem to mind as they huddled together watching movies, playing board games, and sledding down the hill leading from the house. He got to see another side of his daughter as she interacted with girls she’d just met, and he marveled how quickly she was able to bond with them.
Once the roads were cleared Luis and Isabel drove back to the city. Nelson’s vacation was cut short when he was ordered back to work by his precinct commander. Once the airports were up and running and flights were resumed, he accompanied Nydia to drop her brother Joaquin and his family off at LaGuardia for their return trip to Omaha, Nebraska. During the drive back to White Plains they had stopped to eat at a restaurant in City Island to make up for the one he’d promised during his first visit to rescue her from the frenzied paparazzi.
It was three weeks since Lamar and Kendra left New York for New Orleans, and Lamar had taken Kendra to their favorite Italian restaurant. The waiter had just set down their orders when his cell phone rang. Kendra peered over at the screen. “It’s Miss Nydia,” she said in sing-song.
“Thank you, Miss Pierce.”
Kendra rolled her eyes upward. “Whatever, Daddy. You can talk to her in front of me.”
Lamar glared at his daughter before he averted his eyes. “Hello.”
“Surprise! I’m back!”
He went completely still. “For good.”
“Yes!”
“When did you get in?”
“Yesterday morning.”
Lamar didn’t want to believe she’d waited more than twenty-four hours to inform him she had moved to New Orleans, even though they’d continued to call each other several times a week. “Where are you staying?”
“I’m staying with Cameron and Jasmine. They put me up in the guest wing of their beautiful new home. I suppose you would know about that because your construction company did the renovations. She just had her cast removed, so I’m helping her out for a while.”
“You’re a good friend.”
There came a beat before Nydia’s voice came through the earpiece again. “Why do you sound so condescending?”
“I’m not being condescending, Nydia.”
There came another pause. “How’s Kendra?”
“She’s good.”
“Tell her I’ll call her and we’ll set up a playdate. I’m meeting with Tonya and Hannah tomorrow to plan a surprise baby shower for Jasmine. So look for an invite.”
