But I was too.
Because I’d had patience.
And it wasn’t working.
I heard the dribble of the basketball before I made it tothe front, the bang of it hitting the backboard, more dribbling.
When I got there, I saw my son setting up for a shot, andeven with my thoughts in turmoil, my heart hurting—because if I allowed myselfto admit it (and I wasn’t there yet), I knew Toni was right, something had togive with Darius—I loved that even at Lena and Kenneth’s engagement party, Dadwouldn’t let anyone park in the driveway so Liam could shoot hoops.
“Hey,” I called.
“Hey,” he called back and let fly.
It whiffed the net.
I winced.
He needed to be taller, stronger, keep practicing, he’d getthere.
Liam didn’t show any emotion to the whiff.He just wentafter the ball and kept dribbling.
“I bet Tony would play horse with you if you asked,” Isuggested.
“Nah, he’s got Talia with him,” Liam answered, stopped,planted his feet and let fly.
It hit the hoop and bounced to the side.
Damn.
He went after the ball.
“I could confiscate Talia, no skin off my nose,” I said.
Liam grinned while dribbling.“You spoil her more than herown momma does.”
“That’s what aunties are for,” I said, bending to put mydrink in the grass.I straightened.“Throw it here.”
He stopped, tossed the ball to me, and I caught it.
I dribbled twice, set up, then tossed the ball.And in adress and heels, I didn’t do too badly, though it flew clean over the hoop fromside to side, missing it altogether.
Liam chased after it.
“Want it again?”he asked after he nabbed it.
Out here, alone, shooting hoops.
My boy with no daddy.
“Is it upsetting to you?”I asked.“Talia, I mean.That Tonyhas his little girl now?”
Liam tipped his head to the side.“Naw.Why would it?”
“I think maybe he misses you a little bit,” I shared.
His eyes wandered to the side of the house.“Ya think?”
“Heads up,” I warned, then with two hands, I passed the ballhard.No problems, he caught it.“There are things you can’t do with babygirls.”I jerked my chin to the hoop.“And your granddad didn’t put this up foryou to hog it.”
