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“Daddy, what are we doing here again?”
“Gia, I told you. We're here to visit an old friend. Don’t worry she has a son that you can play with.”
“Oh good, does he like Nancy too?”
I looked down at the Nancy doll that she was holding. I tried to tell her that not everyone liked playing with dolls, but she was four and thought that everyone in the world should love Nancy. The idea that someone didn’t, made no sense to her.
"I don't think so."
“I knew I should have brought Barbie. Everyone loves Barbie because she has Ken.”
I laughed at the idea that because Ken was a man, she thought that Nia’s son, Alex would want to play with him. She started to pout her lips as she let go of my hand and began to caress Nancy as to spare her doll the rejection before they had even met. I felt as if I should tell her that she should caress me too in case Nia rejects me too.
I couldn’t fucking sleep. Everything that happened in the hall felt right, yet Nia had rejected it. I had done my homework before I came. I knew that she was single and that she had been for a while. She was pregnant longer than she was officially married. So, the only thing that was getting in the way was her stubbornness. I had let it get in between us once before. I wasn’t going to do that again.
“Hunter, what are you doing here?” she said as she opened the door. She looked as if she had just gotten up. Her hair was all over her face, and she had on sweats and a shirt.
Before I could even answer, Gia smiled, “To play.”
I looked at Nia and repeated Gia’s words, “To play.”
I waited for her to say something, maybe bringing Gia wasn’t a good idea. At the time, it felt like it was. I would bring my kid, she would have hers, and they would get along, and then we could get past this thing. The blocks that she put up every fucking time I tried to get near to her.
“Oh, well, Alex is sleeping.”
“No, I’m not!” shouted a little voice. He was bouncing up and down, and if I had passed him on the street, I never would have thought that he was Nia’s son. In fact, he looked the complete opposite with his dark hair and matching eyes. He had on a sh
irt which seemed to have been attacked by a paint brush, one too many times. We were hovering at the door, our eyes were locked, and the only movement was Alex in the background. I could tell that he was craving company, just as much as I was craving a moment of her time.
Then her mom, the one who spent one too many nights with different men in town came behind her. She seemed timeless as she greeted me, “Oh, hello, Hunter.”
Her fashion sense hasn't changed, she still dressed as if she was going to a nightclub even though she must have been approaching sixty.
I nodded, “Carol.”
To say that neither of our moms liked the idea of us dating, was an understatement. My mom thought that Nia was too needy and I could do better. Her mom just thought that my family was snobs. We were a bit, but that wasn’t the real reason that her mom hated my family. My dad chose my mom and not her back in high school.
“Yes, we just popped by to see if Alex and Nia wanted to go to the park or something?”
We were cramped in the doorway of her apartment. One of her neighbors walked past and winked at Carol. She hadn’t changed, not only age-wise but by her antics too. She bent down in her leather skirt and asked Gia, “Do you like going to the park?”
Gia nodded, but her eyes were focused on Alex, whereas mine were on Nia.
“Can we come in?” I asked, and then Carol answered for Nia.
“The place is a mess. Can you wait a minute? Let’s clean up a bit.”
“Mom, there’s not exactly much to tidy up.”
I felt as if I was stepping into the middle of something as Carol’s fake smile turned to a frown.
“It’s not a problem. We can just wait downstairs.”
Nia nodded, and without another word, she slammed the door in our face. I could hear the screams from outside and as I took Gia’s hand and led her down the stairs. She said, “Dad maybe the park is a bad idea.”
“Why do you say that?”
“His mom looked angry. Are you sure that she’s your friend?”
