that’s
her?”
Brian gazed surreptitiously in every direction. “It’s a good bet.”
The social worker handed the girl the diaper bag and walked away. The girl sat down on the bench with Alicia and patted the baby awkwardly. “If that’s Alicia’s mother, she’s just a kid!” Desi exclaimed. “I need to get closer.” She dragged him forward.
When they were about ten yards away, Desi stopped and studied the girl, taking care to remain well out of the angle of Alicia’s vision. Desi thought that the girl’s jeans and jeans jacket looked brand-new. Obviously she had dressed for the occasion. The girl held the baby gingerly, as if Alicia were a bomb that might go off. Alicia appeared bewildered, and her lower lip quivered as if she were deciding whether or not to cry. Desi had the urge to run up and take the baby away.
“Alicia’s mother is so young,” Desi whispered, dismayed.
“What did you expect? Some woman with two other kids and a briefcase?”
“Of course not. I just didn’t think she’d be our age.”
The girl unzipped Alicia’s parka and examined her clothing. “She shouldn’t do that,” Desi said. “Alicia could catch a cold.”
“Give it up, Desi. We don’t belong here.” Brian took her securely by the arm and pulled her back toward the parking lot.
“What are you doing?”
“Getting us out of here.”
“Let me go.”
“You’re coming with me.” At the car he opened the door and pushed her inside.
“I don’t want to leave!”
Brian got in and slammed the door hard. “We’re leaving.”
“I’m not leaving!” She pulled on the door handle. It fell off in her hand. “Oh, great. This piece of junk—”
Brian took the metal handle and tossed it into the backseat. “I can fix it. Now listen to me. Look at me when I’m talking to you.” Reluctantly she allowed her eyes to meet his. “You are
not
Alicia’s mother. That girl
is
—and she deserves to spend some time alone with her kid without having you hanging out of the bushes spying on her.”
For a moment Desi wanted to murder Brian, but suddenly tears brimmed in her eyes. She sniffed and looked away. He was right, of course. Alicia didn’t belong to her. Not really. “Aw, come on,” hesaid, turning on the engine and putting the car into reverse. “I know this isn’t easy for you. How about if I buy you some pizza?”
“Do you solve every crisis with food?” she snapped.
They didn’t speak again until they were sitting inside a pizza parlor and Brian had ordered for them. At last he broke the silence. “I’m sorry I was rough on you.” She didn’t respond. “It’s just that you’re making too big a deal out of this thing. You’re setting yourself up to get hurt.”
Desi sat on her hands. “I don’t want to lose her.”
“You won’t.”
She felt defeated and miserable. “I suppose you think I’m an idiot. Why should some girl like me care about some poor baby who may contract a terrible, incurable disease—a baby whose own mother walked out on her as soon as she was born?” Desi fought back tears. “Maybe that’s why I
do
care. I mean, what kind of mother doesn’t want her own daughter?” Deep down Desi realized how much she could relate to the feeling of being unwanted, but she couldn’t say that to Brian.
“Don’t judge Alicia’s mother like that. You don’t know why she gave her up, and you don’t know what her life’s like.”
Desi resented him for pointing out her judgmental attitude. What did he know about mothers’love for their daughters? She felt miserable and began to cry.
Brian came around to her side of the booth, slid in beside her, and put his arm around her shoulder. She buried her face in his neck and cried harder. She groped for a napkin, and he handed her several. “You feel better now?” he asked.
The cry had been therapeutic. She
did
feel better. She blew her nose. “My eyes are all red and puffy, aren’t they?”
“You look fine. Like a
her?”
Brian gazed surreptitiously in every direction. “It’s a good bet.”
The social worker handed the girl the diaper bag and walked away. The girl sat down on the bench with Alicia and patted the baby awkwardly. “If that’s Alicia’s mother, she’s just a kid!” Desi exclaimed. “I need to get closer.” She dragged him forward.
When they were about ten yards away, Desi stopped and studied the girl, taking care to remain well out of the angle of Alicia’s vision. Desi thought that the girl’s jeans and jeans jacket looked brand-new. Obviously she had dressed for the occasion. The girl held the baby gingerly, as if Alicia were a bomb that might go off. Alicia appeared bewildered, and her lower lip quivered as if she were deciding whether or not to cry. Desi had the urge to run up and take the baby away.
“Alicia’s mother is so young,” Desi whispered, dismayed.
“What did you expect? Some woman with two other kids and a briefcase?”
“Of course not. I just didn’t think she’d be our age.”
The girl unzipped Alicia’s parka and examined her clothing. “She shouldn’t do that,” Desi said. “Alicia could catch a cold.”
“Give it up, Desi. We don’t belong here.” Brian took her securely by the arm and pulled her back toward the parking lot.
“What are you doing?”
“Getting us out of here.”
“Let me go.”
“You’re coming with me.” At the car he opened the door and pushed her inside.
“I don’t want to leave!”
Brian got in and slammed the door hard. “We’re leaving.”
“I’m not leaving!” She pulled on the door handle. It fell off in her hand. “Oh, great. This piece of junk—”
Brian took the metal handle and tossed it into the backseat. “I can fix it. Now listen to me. Look at me when I’m talking to you.” Reluctantly she allowed her eyes to meet his. “You are
not
Alicia’s mother. That girl
is
—and she deserves to spend some time alone with her kid without having you hanging out of the bushes spying on her.”
For a moment Desi wanted to murder Brian, but suddenly tears brimmed in her eyes. She sniffed and looked away. He was right, of course. Alicia didn’t belong to her. Not really. “Aw, come on,” hesaid, turning on the engine and putting the car into reverse. “I know this isn’t easy for you. How about if I buy you some pizza?”
“Do you solve every crisis with food?” she snapped.
They didn’t speak again until they were sitting inside a pizza parlor and Brian had ordered for them. At last he broke the silence. “I’m sorry I was rough on you.” She didn’t respond. “It’s just that you’re making too big a deal out of this thing. You’re setting yourself up to get hurt.”
Desi sat on her hands. “I don’t want to lose her.”
“You won’t.”
She felt defeated and miserable. “I suppose you think I’m an idiot. Why should some girl like me care about some poor baby who may contract a terrible, incurable disease—a baby whose own mother walked out on her as soon as she was born?” Desi fought back tears. “Maybe that’s why I
do
care. I mean, what kind of mother doesn’t want her own daughter?” Deep down Desi realized how much she could relate to the feeling of being unwanted, but she couldn’t say that to Brian.
“Don’t judge Alicia’s mother like that. You don’t know why she gave her up, and you don’t know what her life’s like.”
Desi resented him for pointing out her judgmental attitude. What did he know about mothers’love for their daughters? She felt miserable and began to cry.
Brian came around to her side of the booth, slid in beside her, and put his arm around her shoulder. She buried her face in his neck and cried harder. She groped for a napkin, and he handed her several. “You feel better now?” he asked.
The cry had been therapeutic. She
did
feel better. She blew her nose. “My eyes are all red and puffy, aren’t they?”
“You look fine. Like a
Similar Books
