It was getting easier to think about Damon without her heart aching every second of the day. Not easy. But easier.
January
Damon
Damon had come to the kitchen at his mother’s summons.
“Hi, Mrs. Evans,” said Damon. He tried not to show his mortification at the sympathetic look that Mrs. Evans turned on him. He hadn’t wanted anyone to know about Sasha’s pregnancy but it seemed like everybody already knew.
“Hi, Damon,” said Sammie’s mother, pushing her silver and black locks away from her face. Damon knew that she was some kind of judge and that his parents had consulted her in the past about legal issues. She had hung her leather storm coat over the back of her chair and was sitting the kitchen table chatting with Damon’s mother. Damon loved Mrs. Evans. She was cooler than most adults, and could hold intelligent conversation on almost every subject. She never treated Damon like a freak and they’d talked a lot about his hopes and the future. She was always loaning him interesting books to read.
“Have a seat, Damon,” said his mother. Damon took a chair across from Mrs. Evans and his mother sat down next to him. “The reason I called you in here is that Mrs. Evans is going to tell us what your rights are in terms of the baby.”
Damon nodded without saying anything. The baby wasn’t real to him and he tried to block it out of his mind as much as possible.
“The first thing that will happen after the baby is born,” said Mrs. Evans, “is that you’ll be asked to acknowledge paternity on the birth certificate. Are you certain that this is your baby?”
“Yes, ma’am” he said, “pretty certain.”
“At any rate,” said Mrs. Evans. “The big deal about that will be because Sasha is probably receiving Medicaid and other benefits from welfare, if she’s not on her mother’s insurance. The State of Michigan has a big push on to go after fathers for child support.”
“The boy is still in high school,” protested Damon’s mother. “We are planning for Damon to take care of his responsibility, but he won’t have much to pay with. That means us. That girl’s mother is already suing us for medical bills incurred so far.”
Damon had been looking at his hands, uncomfortable with the conversation. At his mother’s revelation his head shot up and he met her eyes in mortification.
“Sasha sued me?” he croaked.
“No,” said Mrs. Evans. “Sasha’s mother did, because her insurance is not covering all of the expenses and Sasha is probably just now signing up for Medicaid benefits. The mother also wanted to have you locked up, but I told her that you were the minor and her daughter should have been charged with statutory rape as it is, so she shut up.”
“It wasn’t rape,” said Damon, his face burning with mortification.
“I figured not,” said Mrs. Evans, calmly. “However, the fact remains that you are a minor child. You cannot legally acknowledge paternity. You have to submit to blood tests. The court will order it if you don’t decide to pay for them yourself.”
“When?” asked Damon, though he really did not care. This baby was his; he could feel it with every labored breath that he took. He had never once doubted Sasha’s words to him.
“After the baby is born,” said Mrs. Evans. “It takes a few weeks for the court to order the tests and a few weeks to get the DNA testing. Until then, you can acknowledge paternity with the Friend of the Court and pay some child support in good faith. Your dad or mom can take you down to fill out the paper work. They have to sign for you. It’s better to do it that way than wait until you turn eighteen and get hit with a paternity suit and have to pay back child support.”
“Okay, but it’s dumb. I know the baby is mine,” said Damon.
“Yes, well, I’m sure that’s true,” said Mrs. Evans, but neither woman looked as sure as he felt. “But you have the absolute right to know for certain.”
He was weary of the conversation. It was the second time that someone had brought this subject up to him and Damon was tired of hearing about it. The first time had been his boys had been telling him he’d better get the baby tested to make sure it was his. Stump had even gone so far as to tell him that he’d pee in a cup for Damon so it would be proven that the baby wasn’t Damon’s and Damon could go with his life.
“So, you can’t get a blood test while the mother is still pregnant?” asked Damon,
“No,” said Mrs. Evans. “It would be dangerous for the baby.” She explained that the procedure involved drawing blood from the mother, father and baby. Damon wanted to roll his eyes, but didn’t.
So much for the peeing in a cup scenario. Must be why they call it blood tests. Damon resolved to do his research about blood tests very soon. Good thing he hadn’t asked Sasha about it now. And good thing he was talking to Mrs. Evans. She was always straight with him.
“After the baby is born, there is a simple test they can do with swabs to your cheek,” said Mrs. Evans. “It is a lot less invasive than an in vitro blood test.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Evans.”
He glanced at his mother. She granted permission with her eyes to leave the table. He stood up and walked out of the room.
Brielle
“What’s the matter, baby?” Brielle’s mother asked her. Kyzie was at dance class and Brielle’s father was out of town on business. Brielle and her mother sat on the couch watching Love and Basketball on television. Brielle had just let loose a heartfelt sigh.
“Why do you think that something is wrong?” asked Brielle.
Her mother rolled her eyes.
“Let me think,” Mommy said, and used her fingers to tick off the reasons. “You’re watching one of
