history, Eva. You know I can’t have children. I can’t defend a woman who is so careless with her child.”
“Her mistakes haunt her, Angie. She is truly upset by what has happened.”
“Upset doesn’t feed and clothe a baby, Eva. The kid sounds like he’s better off where he is, which I’m assuming is with the grandmother.”
“Lulu really wants her boy back. She wants to be a good mother to him.”
Angie couldn’t jettison the anger and opted to remain silent.
Eva hurried to say, “There is a custody hearing tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow?”
“I know. Her last attorney didn’t tell her about it until yesterday.”
“Okay.”
“Lulu and her mother are to meet before the judge who is deciding which one will get the boy.”
“There are plenty of other attorneys out there.”
“Yeah, I know. But she came to me and asked me about you. She wants you.” Eva pulled out a picture and handed it to Angie.
It was a photo of a boy, maybe six months old. He had bright blue eyes, a sloppy drooling grin that made Angie’s heart wince.
“The kid really loves his mother,” Eva said in a quiet voice. “Lulu has visitation, and she went to see him last week. He misses her.”
She handed the picture back to Eva. “I’m sure he does love her.”
“Lulu’s mom is great. But she’s not well.”
“What’s wrong with her?”
“I don’t know for sure. But she has that sick, pale look like Mom had before she was diagnosed.”
After Frank had divorced Angie’s mother, Marian, he’d sued for and won custody. The agreement dictated that Angie only saw her mother one Saturday a month. She’d not been around her mother and Eva much, and by the time her mother had gotten sick she’d already left for college. Her father had not told Angie about her mother’s illness until she was dying.
As a kid, she’d wanted her mother so much at times. Too many nights, she’d cried herself to sleep.
Angie cleared her throat. “I’m not making any promises, Eva. I can’t make any decision until I see Lulu.”
Eva’s eyes brightened. “But you will see her.”
Angie rose, moved to her briefcase, and pulled out a black leather-bound calendar. She flipped a couple of pages. “You said the hearing is tomorrow?”
Eva rose. “Yes. Thursday. Twelve noon.”
“We don’t have much time.”
“No.”
“I’ve got time today at one p.m. Have her come by the office. And tell her not to be late, Eva. Because at this point I’m looking for an excuse to say no to her.”
Eva nodded. “I will tell her.” She hoisted her backpack on her shoulder. “Thanks, Angie. I know you’re doing this for me.”
“I am.”
“I appreciate it.”
Satisfaction elbowed its way through the nagging mixed feelings. “You are welcome.”
“I better get going. I’ve got an early class and then the lunch shift at King’s.”
“Why do you still work at King’s? With your brains you could work anywhere.”
Eva shrugged, no hint of doubt in her gaze. “I like King and his kid, Bobby. Feels like family there. And that’s worth more to me than anything.”
Angie understood. “What about that boyfriend of yours, Garrison?”
“What about Deacon?”
No need to mention that Garrison had helped Kier track Angie down this morning. He’d been doing his job. “He’s got to feel like family.”
“Sure, when we’re together. But there is a lot to keep us apart. School. His work. My work. And we fought last night.”
What wasn’t she saying? “Trouble?”
“No.” She hesitated. “Just busy.”
Angie didn’t press. She wasn’t crazy about the fact that her sister had jumped into a serious relationship. Eva should be focused solely on herself. But as much as she wanted to share her more candid opinions, the time and distance they’d spent apart had created a chasm they’d not fully bridged. Some moments she just didn’t feel like she had the right to push.
“You’ll let me know if I can
“Her mistakes haunt her, Angie. She is truly upset by what has happened.”
“Upset doesn’t feed and clothe a baby, Eva. The kid sounds like he’s better off where he is, which I’m assuming is with the grandmother.”
“Lulu really wants her boy back. She wants to be a good mother to him.”
Angie couldn’t jettison the anger and opted to remain silent.
Eva hurried to say, “There is a custody hearing tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow?”
“I know. Her last attorney didn’t tell her about it until yesterday.”
“Okay.”
“Lulu and her mother are to meet before the judge who is deciding which one will get the boy.”
“There are plenty of other attorneys out there.”
“Yeah, I know. But she came to me and asked me about you. She wants you.” Eva pulled out a picture and handed it to Angie.
It was a photo of a boy, maybe six months old. He had bright blue eyes, a sloppy drooling grin that made Angie’s heart wince.
“The kid really loves his mother,” Eva said in a quiet voice. “Lulu has visitation, and she went to see him last week. He misses her.”
She handed the picture back to Eva. “I’m sure he does love her.”
“Lulu’s mom is great. But she’s not well.”
“What’s wrong with her?”
“I don’t know for sure. But she has that sick, pale look like Mom had before she was diagnosed.”
After Frank had divorced Angie’s mother, Marian, he’d sued for and won custody. The agreement dictated that Angie only saw her mother one Saturday a month. She’d not been around her mother and Eva much, and by the time her mother had gotten sick she’d already left for college. Her father had not told Angie about her mother’s illness until she was dying.
As a kid, she’d wanted her mother so much at times. Too many nights, she’d cried herself to sleep.
Angie cleared her throat. “I’m not making any promises, Eva. I can’t make any decision until I see Lulu.”
Eva’s eyes brightened. “But you will see her.”
Angie rose, moved to her briefcase, and pulled out a black leather-bound calendar. She flipped a couple of pages. “You said the hearing is tomorrow?”
Eva rose. “Yes. Thursday. Twelve noon.”
“We don’t have much time.”
“No.”
“I’ve got time today at one p.m. Have her come by the office. And tell her not to be late, Eva. Because at this point I’m looking for an excuse to say no to her.”
Eva nodded. “I will tell her.” She hoisted her backpack on her shoulder. “Thanks, Angie. I know you’re doing this for me.”
“I am.”
“I appreciate it.”
Satisfaction elbowed its way through the nagging mixed feelings. “You are welcome.”
“I better get going. I’ve got an early class and then the lunch shift at King’s.”
“Why do you still work at King’s? With your brains you could work anywhere.”
Eva shrugged, no hint of doubt in her gaze. “I like King and his kid, Bobby. Feels like family there. And that’s worth more to me than anything.”
Angie understood. “What about that boyfriend of yours, Garrison?”
“What about Deacon?”
No need to mention that Garrison had helped Kier track Angie down this morning. He’d been doing his job. “He’s got to feel like family.”
“Sure, when we’re together. But there is a lot to keep us apart. School. His work. My work. And we fought last night.”
What wasn’t she saying? “Trouble?”
“No.” She hesitated. “Just busy.”
Angie didn’t press. She wasn’t crazy about the fact that her sister had jumped into a serious relationship. Eva should be focused solely on herself. But as much as she wanted to share her more candid opinions, the time and distance they’d spent apart had created a chasm they’d not fully bridged. Some moments she just didn’t feel like she had the right to push.
“You’ll let me know if I can
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