I got out of the SUV and grabbed the diaper bag as Levi got Henry’s car seat out. Once inside the house, I disarmed the security system and then led Levi to the carpeted living room. I figured it was wide open enough for Henry to crawl around a bit while Levi and I talked.
“Do you want something to drink?”
Levi shook his head. “Can you…can you put some water in this?” he asked. “The formula is already in it…you just need to add water to the middle line.”
I nodded and took the bottle he handed me. By the time I returned to the living room, Levi was sitting on the floor with Henry. He was helping the baby to stand and was making funny faces, which had Henry wide-eyed and showing off a toothy grin.But when the little boy saw the bottle in my hand, he began cooing in excitement.
“Look what Phoenix brought you,” Levi said, a big smile on his face. He helped Henry sit down and then began clapping which had the baby clapping his hands together.
“Thank you,” Levi said to me as he took the bottle and then turned Henry so he was sitting on Levi’s lap and pressed up against his chest. The baby eagerly began sucking on the nipple. I marveled at the unabashed look of love in Levi’s eyes as he looked down at Henry. I sat down in a chair in the corner of the living room so I could watch the pair. Within minutes, Henry’s noisy sucking slowed and I could see his eyes drifting closed.
It wasn’t until his eyes slid completely shut that Levi carefully removed the bottle and then looked up at me. “Phoenix-”’
I could hear the apology in his voice, but I wasn’t in the mood to hear it. Probably because I knew he didn’t really owe me one. I was still pissed about his father’s behavior, but I needed to give Levi the benefit of the doubt.
“Is he yours?” I asked as I nodded at Henry.
Levi shook his head. “He’s my brother’s.”
“And his mother?”
“Her name is Dina. She started dating Ricky after he…after he got out of prison.”
“Your brother was in prison?” I asked, feigning surprise.
Levi nodded. “He killed his girlfriend four years ago. He got out of prison a year and half ago and met Dina. She found out she was pregnant right after he died.”
“So, your brother only served a few years for the murder?”
“My dad gave him an alibi, so the prosecutor decided to offer Ricky a plea deal. Ricky figured doing a few years was better than risking life.”
“Your dadgavehim an alibi?”
Levi fell silent and let his eyes drop back down to Henry who was snuggled up against his chest. The sight of them made my heart constrict with painful memories.
“Ricky wasn’t a good person. I know he did it. I was home thenight it happened. Ricky and I shared a room…he wasn’t home that night like my dad said he was.”
I wanted to ask Levi why he hadn’t said anything, but I already had a pretty good idea. From his father’s reaction this morning after Levi had called him out about putting Henry in danger, the man hadn’t given a shit that Levi was right or that he’d been holding a baby in his arms…he’d been ready to do battle and my guess was that Levi would have come out the loser.
“Dina came to our apartment a few months after Ricky died and told my dad she was pregnant and needed money for the pregnancy. My dad told her to get an abortion, but she said it was too late. I guess…I guess she didn’t realize she was pregnant right away. She and Ricky both had a drug problem,” Levi murmured. “My father told her he wasn’t supporting her or the kid and told her to leave. I went after her and gave her all the money I’d been saving up.”
“Saving for what?” I asked.
But he shook his head. “Nothing. It’s not important.”
I highly doubted that, but I didn’t say that. “What happened after that?”
“She kept coming back for more money. I got her to agree to lay off the drugs long enough to have the baby and in exchange, I paid her rent and medical expenses. She moved into the same building as me and my dad so I could help her with the pregnancy, and after the baby was born.”
“What did your dad think of that?” I asked.
“He didn’t care. Just told me not to try to shortchange him on my share of the rent for our apartment.” Levi paused long enough to adjust Henry in his arms a bit. “I knew from the moment I held him, that I’d done the right thing,” he said softly as he studied the baby. “I mean, have you ever seen anything so perfect in your entire life?” he whispered as he lifted his eyes to mine.
I took them both in, but didn’t answer him. Because Ihadseen that kind of perfection…had held it myself. But it was too painful to think about.
“So, you’ve been supporting Dina and Henry this whole time?”
Levi nodded. “Dina works during the day, but she doesn’t make much and she has a tendency to lose jobs not long after she starts them. I babysit Henry at Dina’s apartment from eight until I leave for St. Anthony’s.”
