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If she would have him.
Once he told her.
Everything.
Something grabbed him in his stomach.
It was enough to lose her once.
The answer was to convince her mother. If he could talk the old lady into forgiving her daughter, then maybe she would think everything was alright. He couldn’t change his skin color. He couldn’t change what happened to him in the war. But he could take care of his daughter. And his Cat. If she would have him.
Well, he was taking care of her right now. Caring for her made him feel mighty good as he made his way around the wards once more to check on his charges.
He whistled the song he and Cat had sung together in Allens A.M.E church. Nothing like a hymn on a Sunday.
Chapter Eight
“Why are you going house hunting?” Cat’s question the next day came from pure curiosity.
“What’s the reason people go house hunting? To get a house.” Mike pulled back as he looked at her. She changed into a modest house dress, so that she didn’t get peanut oil spots from Andie’s massages on her black dress.
“What you need a house for?” Andie bit out.
“Well chocolate drop. I don’t need a house. Your mother does. I’ll take the van from the home and help pick up her things. We got storage space here back in the shed where you can put your things for a bit.”
“Mike, all of that is wonderful. Thank you.”
“Are you trying to marry my mother? Because if you are, you can stop it right now.”
“Andie!” They both said at the same time and they laughed. It felt like bubbles to laugh for once over the past few weeks of trouble and heartache.
“I don’t see what is so funny. You don’t need to worry about getting married again, Mama. You had enough of that before, remember.”
“Andie,” Cat started out more gently, feeling funny under Mike’s regard. “You’re only nine years old. You don’t need to be worried about these things. That’s my job. I’m the adult.”
Andie blinked faster. “Mama Bennett say you are going to hell in a handbasket anyway. It’s your funeral.”
Cat’s hands balled up in a fist. What had she done to deserve her mother’s harsh words come visited back on her in the form of this sick child? How much more would she be able to tolerate?
Mike put a hand on her fist. Their oily hands touched and a warm feeling came up her arm as if she were being massaged.
Mike scolded Andie, “Let grown folks do what they do. Sounding like your grandmother.”
“Do you know Mama Bennett?”
“Not too well. Well, enough I suppose.”
Cat couldn’t help the smile that pulled at the corner of her mouth.
“Hey,” Mike gestured to her, meeting her eyes. “I think we should go to see her.”
The frozen feeling moved with lightning speed to her head and gave her a headache. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“I do. I want to tell her a few things. Will you do it?”
“You heard what Andie said, just now. Same thing applies to you.”
Mike squeezed her hand. “I would die a happy man then.”
