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“No. Well, yes, but I think it’s sweet.”
“I’m happy to butt into your business also, if you’d like. I’ll be here for a couple more hours. Anything I can fix for you?”
Jaslene laughed. “That’s okay. I’m good for now. My calendar’s filled with Detroit’s women entrepreneurs.”
“You’ll be careful, right? I hear parts of Detroit can be dangerous.”
“I can take care of myself, promise.”
“I love you, Jas,” Amara said.
“I love you, too.”
The women hugged and said their farewells. Amara watched her friend depart and sent a wish out to the universe that it watch over Jaslene in her travels.
Raneesha came up to her, still holding Hampton. “Hey there, baby girl. Is Jaslene off?”
“Yeah. And how about you?” she stroked Hampton’s head. “You teaching my son how to waltz?”
“He’s got it down,” Raneesha said.
Amara saw the sadness behind her mother’s smiles. “Momma, we’ll be back before you know it.”
“Oh, don’t worry about me, baby girl.” Her smile became even more forced. “I’m fine as a fiddle. Got lots to keep me busy.”
Amara took a deep breath. “I want you to know that Quint and I trust you completely. We’re only taking Hampton with us because we’re still bonding as a family, and because of what happened, we need to be with him all the time, for now anyway.”
Raneesha’s expression gentled. “Thank you for that. I’ll admit that I … well, sometimes I worry. I wouldn’t blame you if you didn’t trust me.”
“I’ve already told you we forgive you. I understand why you did what you did. It wasn’t your fault. Frederik was ill and you couldn’t have known that. Besides, Momma, you forgave me for lying to you all that time and not telling you about the deal I’d made with Quint.”
Raneesha cupped Amara’s cheek in a gesture she’d made as long as Amara could remember. “You’re my girl. I will always be on your side, no matter what.”
Amara blinked back tears. “And I’m on yours, Momma.”
They hugged, Hampton wriggling and kicking between them.
“Oh, I meant to tell you,” Amara said. “Quint had a tower installed on the island so we’ll have modern internet access. This means that you’ll be able to Skype with Hampton all you want while we’re gone.”
Raneesha’s face lit up, truly lit up for the first time that night. “That Quint. He’s a dear, isn’t he? I really love your husband, baby girl.”
Her husband. It hardly seemed real to Amara. She had a husband. “You and me both, Momma.”
The music ended, and the musicians in the orchestra stood, bowed and filed out through a side door. Before the last player had exited, the lights on the dance floor went down, and a spotlight lit up a stage behind it.
The crowd cheered loudly when they saw the band gathered there. It was a popular cover band in the city, and most of the attendees knew them on sight. They launched immediately into “Uptown Funk,” and the partygoers switched from tango to twerk with nary a pause.
Raneesha rushed back out into the crowd with a clapping, grinning Hampton squirming in her arms. Amara watched all the people she loved best gyrating in various degrees from skillful to oh-no-you-didn’t.
Kari had, indeed, snagged Pierce Slater, who was currently dancing with Kari and looking at her like she was the last hot wing at a Super Bowl party.
Quint glided up to her, holding out his hand. “May I have this dance, Mrs. Forbes?” He had to practically shout his question to be heard.
Amara took his hand and hopped up. “Yes, please,” she yelled. “If I have to watch your mother twerk with your father one more minute … well, it won’t be pretty.”
Quint looked horrified and scanned the dance floor. She knew the moment he found his parents.
“Good God, Amara,” he gasped. “My mother is … oh no. Seriously. If you love me, you’ll poke my eyes out.”
