Megan peeks inside. “Who are you talking to?”
Shawna points at the music box. “My new friend, Beth.” She turns back to the box that is now closed. Wait, that’s weird, she thinks to herself. I left it open.
Megan follows her gaze, looking confused.
“I was just coming to tell you dinner is ready,” she says, then closes the door and walks down the hall to get her father.
****
Nakia finishes the dishes and puts the leftovers in the refrigerator. She is walking back into the living room as Brad comes down the stairs.
“Well, both girls are down for the night.” He flops onto the couch.
She sits down beside him. “What did it take this time?”
He wipes his forehead. “Two stories and two piggyback rides.”
She laughs. “Is that all? You really do know how to handle them girls.” She leans over and kisses his cheek. “I can’t ever thank you enough for stepping up and taking in Shawna and me when we had nothing.”
He brushes the hair from her face. “Did you really think I could say no to the hottest girl in the bar?”
Nakia pulls her hair up into a ponytail. “Mmm-hmmm. Is that why you were talking to your ex-girlfriend, Andrea Walker, all night by the pool tables?”
He grabs the bottom of her shirt. “Aw, baby, we’ve been over this. Andrea wanted the D, and I wanted nothing to do with that trailer trash.”
She pushes him back a little. “I’m sorry, what? The D?” She leans her head back, laughing. “That’s a good one. You really think you’re a Mac Daddy?”
He pulls her onto his lap with his arms resting on her waist. “Mmmm. I love it when you call me Big Poppa.”
She giggles as she straddles him, leaning down to kiss his lips.
CHAPTER EIGHT
The next morning, Brad is sitting at the kitchen table, sipping coffee from a mug. He is waiting for Megan and Shawna to get ready for school. It’s his turn to drop them off.
He leans back in his chair and calls out, “Girls, you have ten minutes!”
The girls are trying to decide on what to bring for show-and-tell for the day. Shawna decides to take her new music box. Megan goes back to her room to get one of her dolls.
“You took her for the last show-and-tell. You don’t want to take anything new?” Shawna asks, standing in the doorway.
“I don’t really like show-and-tell.” She picks up a different doll and jams it into her backpack.
“Do you want to take my miniature Lego mansion? You can borrow it for today,” Shawna offers, trying to cheer her up.
Megan hugs her and puts the doll back on her bed. Then they go to Shawna’s room to get the mansion, placing it carefully in her backpack.
“I’ll take good care of it. I promise,” Megan tells her.
Both girls go downstairs.
Brad places his mug back on the table. “Are you girls ready?”
They look at each other and then back at him before saying in unison, “Yes.”
Just then, Nakia walks into the room.
“I’ll take care of it,” she says, taking his mug over to the sink. “Have a good day at school, girls.”
They both give her a hug before going out of the door. Brad turns back after telling the girls to get in the car and wait for him.
“Do you have a busy schedule today?” He leans in for a kiss.
After they connect lips, Nakia answers, “No, not really. Why?”
Opening the door, he answers, “I thought we could meet for lunch. If the day goes as planned, that is.”
“I hope it does, and, yes, I would like that.”
While driving, Brad tries to listen in on the girls’ conversation. He looks in the rearview mirror to see why they are giggling. Shawna has taken out her music box, and they are staring at it.
Shawna places the music box in front of her and asks, “Do you see her?”
Megan is staring hard into the mirror. “I don’t see anything. Who am I supposed to see?”
“Beth! Don’t you see Beth?”
Megan shakes her head. “I don’t see anyone.”
Shawna’s voice rises. “She’s sitting right next to you.”
Megan turns to her left and right. “That’s not funny.”
At that time, Brad pulls in front of the school. “Alrighty, girls. It’s time to get out. School awaits.”
As the girls exit the car, he adds, “Nakia will pick you up at three o’clock. I love you both.”
They wave and say, “Love you, too!” before turning towards the school.
Shawna hears a whisper and stops to turn around and stare at the car. As Brad drives away, she sees Beth in the backseat. Beth turns to look at her through the rear window. Shawna runs to get inside before the bell rings.
CHAPTER NINE
Students are sitting at their desks as the bell rings for class to start. Shawna and Megan put their backpacks away and go to their separate desks. Ms. Carol comes into the classroom.
“Good morning, class. How was your weekend?”
Altogether, the class answers, “Good!”
She is standing in front of everyone. “Today, we have our show-and-tell,” Ms. Carol says while standing in front of the class. “Who would like to go first?”
All the students raise their hands, excited to show what they brought to school. Megan is the only student with her hand down.
Ms. Carol steps to the left. “Megan, how about you go first?”
Megan shakes her head. “No, that’s okay.”
Another student offers to go, but the teacher ignores him.
“Megan, let’s go.”
Megan reluctantly walks to the front of the class. The students interact with her as she tells them about the Lego mansion. When her classmates start to ask questions, Megan’s expression lightens. She glances over at her stepsister and gives her a thumbs-up.
Ms. Carol asks who wants to go next, and Shawna raises her hand. When she is picked, the rest of the class groans.
One classmate leans over and whispers to Megan, “She always has to remind everyone she has more stuff than we do.”
Shawna walks to the front of the
