“Oh, are we deciding on dinner?”I inquired, and my stomachinquired too.Those pretzel bites wore off several hours ago.
“Kind of,” Darius said then turned to me.“You wanna go out?A family celebration.Our first dinner together.Or do you want me to cook ussomething and have it lowkey here?I got a reservation at Carmine’s on Penn,but I can call and cancel if you want lowkey.”
I watched him get wavy as the tears filled my eyes.
“Dad, she’s gonna blow,” Liam warned.
Darius got close, bent to me and cupped my face.“Sweetheart, we don’t have time for this.Liam is hungry and our reservation isin half an hour.If we’re staying home, I need to call so they can seat ourtable.If we’re going, we have to leave in fifteen minutes.You can lose itwhen we get back.”
“We-we’re going out,” I forced out.“It’s a celebration.Nobody does dishes after a celebration.”
It was still watery, but I caught his smile.
I lost it when he touched his lips to mine.
“Rad,” Liam said.“Can we get Chicken Montana?”
With his arm around my waist, Darius tucked me into hisside.
And then he said to his son, “You can get anything youwant.”
I blubbered into my wine.
My boys looked down at me.
I lifted a hand.“Fine, fine, I’m fine.”I took a deepbreath and let it out.“Totally fine.”
“She’s not gonna make it through dinner,” Liam said to hisdad.
“Go get some Kleenex from the bathroom and shove it into herpurse.”
“Gotcha.”
Liam took off.
Serious.
It was like magic.
I looked up at Darius.“Is it really just because you have adick?”
“No.It’s because he’s happy and he wants us happy.In aweek, he’s gonna return to being a teenaged kid.”
“So you have times were he grumbles and moans and backtalksunder his breath?”
Darius’s brows went up.“He backtalks you?”
I shook my head quickly.“No.No.Never.Not ever.”And Ihid my lying eyes by looking away and taking a sip of wine.
Darius nabbed his glass and sipped his.
Then he stated, “You’re a shit liar.”
“Whatever,” I said into my glass.After another sip, I toldhim, “I want Chicken Montana too.”
He turned me fully into his arms and bent his neck to lookdown at me.
“Anything you want, baby.Always.”
