past hour.
‘ I’ m pretty sure I got somebody who can adopt the baby.’
‘ Deedee, that’ s wonderful!’ I exclaimed, and the words kept gushing out. ‘ I can’ t believe you didn’ t tell me before this! Is your mom okay with it? Oh my gosh, I’ m so excited for you! Who is it? Did you find relatives?’
‘ Sort of related,’ she said.
‘ Yeah?’
‘ A sister.’
I looked over at her in utter confusion. ‘ A sister? You never told me you had a sister.’
‘ A big sister.’
‘ Wha-? Huh-? You have a big sister? How is that-?’ And then it struck me.
Ho no. Was she out of her mind?
‘ Tell me you’ re not referring to me.’
‘ Why not?!’ she challenged. ‘ It’ d be perfect! You could be the mom-and we’ d all hang out together and do stuff.’
‘ But Deedee-’
‘ You want a baby. You said so yourself.’
‘ I meant more someday.’
‘ I’ m not due till August.’
I gave a sigh.
‘ You don’ t exactly have all the time in the world,’ she said ominously.
‘ Do you know something I don’ t know? Because I was planning on sticking around for a while.’
‘ You know what I mean.’
‘ I can see why the idea would appeal to you. And I’ m flattered, I am. But if you haven’ t noticed, I’ m single. Wouldn’ t you rather the baby go to a married couple?’
‘ I don’ t know any married couples. I know you.’
‘ There are agencies where they’ d introduce you to people who-’
‘ That’ s not gonna work. You know that. My mom is never gonna let the baby go to just anybody. And I don’ t want that for her anyway. How do I know how some stranger’ s gonna treat her? That she’ s not gonna get smacked around or put down all the time? Or worse?’
‘ Her?’ I asked. ‘ Did you-’
‘ It’ s a girl.’
‘ Congratulations,’ I said; then I added gently, ‘ Believe me, the idea of adopting the baby is very tempting. But sweetie, your mom’ s never going to go for this.’
‘ Yeah, she is. We already talked about it.’
‘ You did?’
‘ I mean, it was my idea. Even way back when I only thought I might be pregnant. After you and Kip came over, me and my mom talked about it. And then last night, spending that time with your family, I knew for sure.’
I blew out a breath.
‘ I don’ t have much family,’ she said. ‘ Mami’ s is mostly in Mexico. I don’ t even know my dad. And you’ d be an awesome mom. Plus you got that big place with a pool. The baby would have grandparents living close by. And I’ d be, like, her big sister.’
Traffic started to clear-there’ d been backup due to a crash& a smash-up& whatever you want to call it. As I got close to where the accident happened, I slowed to rubberneck. I waited all this time, I might as well get my show. Not much to see. Fender bender; no injuries as far as I could tell. All this to watch two people exchange insurance information.
We picked up speed, and I fiddled with the air vents, trying to get a breeze going. ‘ It doesn’ t bother you that I’ m not married?’
‘ Might be even better. You’ ll give the baby more love that way. You don’ t have anybody else. All you got is each other.’
‘ What if I get married?’
Deedee made a sound like ‘ Heh.’
‘ It could happen!’
‘ Ah, that’ d be okay. You wouldn’ t marry a guy who didn’ t want a baby, too. You know, I think Dickie liked you.’
‘ Dickie?’
‘ He was totally flirting with you.’
‘ You don’ t mean Troy?’
The girl must be brighter than I gave her credit for. ‘ Why, do you like Troy?’ she asked sweetly.
‘ No! I thought you might have the names mixed up. I assumed Troy because you met him before& at the beach.’
