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“Hey, baby boy.”
He gave me a bright, toothy grin. “Hey Ma-Ma.”
“Are you hungry? Is that why you are trying to eat my nose,” I asked, playfully scooping him up and planting kisses on his belly.
Shawn’s laughter filled the air. That sound instantly made me forget the uneasy feelings from moments ago. After getting him changed, I put him in his high chair then made him breakfast. We were just sitting down to eat when the intercom crackled to life, broadcasting the one voice I’d not expected to hear.
I furrowed my brows together as I got up from the table and walked over to the intercom.
“Dorian, what are you doing here?”
“Well, if you’d open this damn gate, you’d find out. Or are you expecting me to have a conversation through this thing?”
Sighing, I glanced back at Shawn who sat in his high chair, happily dropping more eggs onto the floor than he was putting into his mouth. I let out a groan as I seriously considered leaving her out there. However, I pressed the open button before heading toward the front door. At first, I was annoyed by Dorian’s unannounced arrival; not once had she been to my house. She didn’t even come by after I got out of the hospital, so coming today I worried something might have happened to Mom and Dad. She was locking the door on her blue Mercedes coupe when I stepped out onto the front porch.
“Mom and Dad okay?”
“Good morning to you as well, sister dear.”
I rolled my eyes and turned back into the house. With an answer like that, I knew they were fine. Even she wouldn’t be so callous as to downplay something like that. I headed back toward the kitchen, figuring she wouldn’t be far behind.
“What is that?” I heard her ask.
My steps faltered a moment as I took quick stock of my attire. My hand went to the top of my spaghetti-strap tank top, finding relief when I touched only the smooth skin of my back instead of the raised keloid scar. It’s not showing.
“A tattoo, Calida? When did you make that mistake?”
I closed my eyes and let out a quiet exhale before turning back to face her. “Why are you here Dorian?” I asked, ignoring her question.
Shawn squealed when Dorian got in his view, and his dirty hands reached out for her. She stopped just out of reach, making sure he couldn’t stain her shirt. I wet a paper towel and proceeded to clean him up. Dorian carefully stepped around the mess he’d made on the floor, and took a seat at the table.
“I’ve decided to move here. There’s not much point in me staying in Charlotte with Mom and Dad living here now.”
I cast a quick glance back at her as I worked to unbuckle Shawn from his high chair. “No hope of reconciling with Daniel?”
He waddled over to Dorian, raising his arms in the air. She picked him up. “No,” she replied in a clipped tone. “We’ve already put the house on the market and our respective lawyers have been hired.”
“Oh,” I replied, carrying the plastic tray to the sink. “And you’re letting me know you’re moving here because…?”
Her reasons for this visit eluded me. We’d never been sisterly, so I couldn’t imagine why she thought I’d care what her plans were, and I sure as hell couldn’t fathom her motives for wanting to tell me. Dorian carried Shawn into the connected family room, and sat him down in front of his play area.
She looked around the space. “Who decorated this place?”
“I did,” I replied, and braced for the insult I figured would follow.
“Really?”
I couldn’t tell if that was shock or if she was impressed. “Yes.”
“That’s kind of depressing,” she said, pointing to the picture hanging over the fireplace. “But I like the rest. Gated house, exclusive neighborhood, you really came up in the world.” She turned to face me.
She made it sound like any of those things were ever important to me. I would gladly give it all up to not have gone through all the pain and heartache this “come up” cost me.
I dropped the dish towel onto the counter. “Dorian, what do you want? You didn’t drive all the way over here because you were suddenly curious to see where I lived. And I sure as hell know you didn’t want to have some heart to heart talk about marriage and relationships, so what is it? Are you here to butter me up for a place to stay since you’re moving?”
Dorian’s brow creased when she frowned. Her once wrinkle-free complexion now had laugh lines around her eyes and mouth. She was still impeccably dressed as always, but she had gained some weight over the last few years. Not a lot, but we looked closer to being the same size now than before. Where-as my hair was shorter now, she’d let hers grow out. It hung just past her shoulders, and seemingly lacked some of the shine it used to have. I guess the stress of her failed marriage was taking a bigger toll on her than she wanted to admit.
“No, I’ll be staying with Mom and Dad until I find a nice condo here.”
