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He shrugged. “A good man that got played for a fool. Naomi and I wasn’t right, even before I left for the war. We got married too young. She got childish ways, and I ain’t been the best husband. The minute I got home, the fussin’ started back up. My relief was spending time with Keenan…and then you.” I smiled as he took my hand, and we began walking to my house. “This mornin,’ when you saw us fightin,’ I’d just told her to leave. That’s how I found out. She knew she could hurt me by using Keenan. She said I wasn’t the real daddy, but if I stayed with her, she’d let me adopt him. She told me to pick between you and Keenan. I told her if I couldn’t bargain with God, I sure as hell wasn’t gonna bargain with her.”
“What about Keenan?”
He sighed. “He’s over at
her folks’ place with her. ’Less Naomi plan on gettin’ a job, she ain’t goin’ nowhere. I’ll try to see him when I can. If she act ugly, and keep Keenan from me…I’ll just have to wait until he gets older, where he can decide for himself.”
When we reached my door, I hugged him. “Harrison, I know the pain you’re going through, losing something precious.”
He nodded. “I know you do. That’s why I don’t want you worryin’ about me. It’s been a helluva day. Go on inside, and get some rest.”
I held onto his arms. “Won’t you come in? I can make supper.”
He kissed my forehead. “Ain’t got much of an appetite right now, Miss Jasmine.”
“What can I do for you, Harrison? I love…” I swallowed hard. “I’d love to help.”
He touched my cheek. “I may need some legal help, separating from her and all, but right now, I just need time to clear my head.” He gave me a soft kiss on the lips. “Night, Miss Jasmine.”
I leaned against the porch banister, crossing my arms. “Night,” I mumbled as I watched him leave me.
OH ME, OH MY
Harrison had been avoiding me. I’d call, he wouldn’t answer. The house never had lights on. Even in the daytime, he didn’t open the door when I knocked. I knew he needed time to sort through some things. One morning, I left a note taped to the back door. I knew he’d see it, when he went out to the yard to lift weights. It simply read, I miss you. The next morning, I found a bouquet of fresh cut flowers on my doorstep. Harrison had been missing me, too.
The demands of maintaining a law office kept me from daydreaming about romance too much, especially since Mr. Rayman had been referring new clients my way. I was reading a brief, on the verge of calling Mr. Rayman to discuss his will, when Naomi stormed through the door. I peered at her from under my wire-rimmed glasses, unfazed. “Need help with that divorce?”
“No, I need you to leave my man alone!” she yelled in front of my desk. Her chest heaved under a hot pink blouse that clashed with the black polka-dot micro mini she sported, two sizes too small.
I put my glasses on my desk calendar and got up, walking right up in her face. “You got some nerve barging into my law office, makin’ accusations, when the flies on the wall can’t even keep up with all the men you been fuckin’!” She backed up a little, when she realized I had a sharp letter opener in my right hand.
“Harrison and I got some problems we tryin’ to work through, and you ain’t helpin,’ with your Geritol ass!”
I looked her up and down. “Humph. Last I heard, you’re the one that needed the K-Y Jelly.”
She pointed in my face. “Looka here, Harrison ain’t perfect. Neither am I, but I wanna work things out.” She smoothed her hand over her belly. “For our new baby’s sake.” She curled her lips, looking indignant. “I’m pregnant.”
I gave her a blank expression. “So? What’s that mean to me? You like to multiply, similar to creeping rats.”
Naomi slapped me, sending the letter opener to the floor. I had her falling back in the visitor’s chair, once I knocked the wind out of her.
“Pregnant my ass!” I hollered down at her. “You would not have tried me like that if you were with child. I bet you won’t try me again, now will you?” To add insult to injury, I yanked her freshly pressed ponytail before I picked up the letter opener and went back to my desk. I had semi-renovated an abandoned church house for my law practice, but this drama made me realize I needed a bigger place, with a receptionist to screen assholes.
She crossed her arms over her body, whimpering like a baby. “I love Harrison!”
I patted my French roll and put back on my glasses. “The next time you wanna fool yourself into thinkin’ you love Harrison, think about how you hurt him. He was in Vietnam, praying he’d make it through, just to come home and find out his son isn’t his. Despite your deception, he still wants to make a life for that boy, because he’s a good man. He can teach Keenan something decent.”
She stood up, adjusting her clothes. “Like sleeping with a slut?”
I raised a brow. “No, like divorcing a Looney Tune.”
She put her hands on her hips. “People make mistakes!”
I twirled a pen in my hand. “And people pay for mistakes.”
She banged her fist on my desk. “I agree, heifer. This ain’t over!”
I waved my finger at her. “You know, you’re right, Naomi. Please forgive me for forgetting one last thing.” I pulled a card from my stationery box, scribbled a message, and tucked the card in an envelope.
