said nothing, but his gaze never left the blue-eyed giant who
bought him a Happy Meal and treated him like an adult.
After dinner, they returned Benny to the hospital, and while Danny
waited in the car, Casey carried the child to the ward and undressed him. His
head flopped from side to side in exhaustion as she untied his shoelaces and
pulled off his shoes and socks. He fell asleep immediately, a smile on his
face and the peacock feather still clamped in his fist.
Danny was double-parked outside, and she scooted for the Chevy
through a light misting rain. Slamming the door behind her, she said, “It
looks like he’s smitten. I’m jealous.”
Turning on the windshield wipers, Danny said, “He’s probably just
lacking a strong male role model.”
“Thank you, Dr. Freud. You took one psychology course in college
and now you have all the answers.”
The next day, Ruth Mendez, the hospital social worker, called
Casey into her office. “Shut the door,” Mendez said, “and have a seat.”
Curious, she took a chair near the window. “What’s up?”
“I’ve heard that you and Benny Juarez have a special
relationship.”
Defensively, she said, “He’s a wonderful little boy. I can’t help
loving him.”
Mendez nodded. “I imagine you know a little bit about his
background, but let me fill in the gaps for you. Benny’s mother was fifteen
when he was born. Since then, she’s been married and divorced twice, she’s had
three other children, and now she’s living with a boyfriend who has a history
of abusive behavior. She’s decided she can’t take care of Benny.”
Casey’s heart skipped a beat. “Meaning?”
“Meaning,” Mendez said, “she’s decided to turn his custody over to
the Department of Child and Family Services.”
“She doesn’t want him?” Casey asked in disbelief.
Mendez’s mouth thinned. “I’d prefer to be kind and say she’s
overwhelmed.”
“What will happen to him?”
“He’ll go into foster care. If he’s very lucky, he’ll find
adoptive parents. But the odds aren’t in his favor. He’s four years old, he’s
Hispanic, and he has a life-threatening disease.” Mendez drummed her fingers
idly on the desk. “There aren’t many people out there willing to adopt a child
with that many strikes against him.”
Casey had to hunt for her voice. “Why are you telling me this?”
Mendez smiled. “Just playing a hunch,” she said.
She worked her shift that night in a daze. If she’d read Ruth
Mendez correctly, what the social worker was suggesting was an impossibility.
Danny would never agree to taking in a child. He would have an arsenal of
arguments, reasons why it wouldn’t work, and every one of them would be valid.
But her heart ached for Benny, and when her shift ended at eleven,
she took the T directly to the Back Bay to talk to Danny.
***
With Heart of Darkness getting heavy airplay, her telephone
had rung incessantly all summer. As pro bono booking agent for the
band, she’d actually had to turn down several lucrative offers because the boys
were booked solid. This weekend, like the past two, they’d packed people like
sardines into a Boylston Street watering hole known as The Bull Pen. Casey
could hear the throbbing of the music while still on the sidewalk, and when she
opened the door, sound poured out over her in a rolling wave. She warmly
greeted the black giant who stood in the foyer. “Hello, Dud. How’s it going
tonight?”
“Hot.” He flashed her a wide, white grin. “Very hot.”
She checked her coat and purse and began working her way through
the crowd, murmuring vague apologies and smiling distractedly at the men who
turned to give her a second glance. She could feel it tonight—something loose
in the room, some magic that spread like wildfire through the tangle of bodies
and bound them together. It didn’t always happen. There were good nights and
bad
bought him a Happy Meal and treated him like an adult.
After dinner, they returned Benny to the hospital, and while Danny
waited in the car, Casey carried the child to the ward and undressed him. His
head flopped from side to side in exhaustion as she untied his shoelaces and
pulled off his shoes and socks. He fell asleep immediately, a smile on his
face and the peacock feather still clamped in his fist.
Danny was double-parked outside, and she scooted for the Chevy
through a light misting rain. Slamming the door behind her, she said, “It
looks like he’s smitten. I’m jealous.”
Turning on the windshield wipers, Danny said, “He’s probably just
lacking a strong male role model.”
“Thank you, Dr. Freud. You took one psychology course in college
and now you have all the answers.”
The next day, Ruth Mendez, the hospital social worker, called
Casey into her office. “Shut the door,” Mendez said, “and have a seat.”
Curious, she took a chair near the window. “What’s up?”
“I’ve heard that you and Benny Juarez have a special
relationship.”
Defensively, she said, “He’s a wonderful little boy. I can’t help
loving him.”
Mendez nodded. “I imagine you know a little bit about his
background, but let me fill in the gaps for you. Benny’s mother was fifteen
when he was born. Since then, she’s been married and divorced twice, she’s had
three other children, and now she’s living with a boyfriend who has a history
of abusive behavior. She’s decided she can’t take care of Benny.”
Casey’s heart skipped a beat. “Meaning?”
“Meaning,” Mendez said, “she’s decided to turn his custody over to
the Department of Child and Family Services.”
“She doesn’t want him?” Casey asked in disbelief.
Mendez’s mouth thinned. “I’d prefer to be kind and say she’s
overwhelmed.”
“What will happen to him?”
“He’ll go into foster care. If he’s very lucky, he’ll find
adoptive parents. But the odds aren’t in his favor. He’s four years old, he’s
Hispanic, and he has a life-threatening disease.” Mendez drummed her fingers
idly on the desk. “There aren’t many people out there willing to adopt a child
with that many strikes against him.”
Casey had to hunt for her voice. “Why are you telling me this?”
Mendez smiled. “Just playing a hunch,” she said.
She worked her shift that night in a daze. If she’d read Ruth
Mendez correctly, what the social worker was suggesting was an impossibility.
Danny would never agree to taking in a child. He would have an arsenal of
arguments, reasons why it wouldn’t work, and every one of them would be valid.
But her heart ached for Benny, and when her shift ended at eleven,
she took the T directly to the Back Bay to talk to Danny.
***
With Heart of Darkness getting heavy airplay, her telephone
had rung incessantly all summer. As pro bono booking agent for the
band, she’d actually had to turn down several lucrative offers because the boys
were booked solid. This weekend, like the past two, they’d packed people like
sardines into a Boylston Street watering hole known as The Bull Pen. Casey
could hear the throbbing of the music while still on the sidewalk, and when she
opened the door, sound poured out over her in a rolling wave. She warmly
greeted the black giant who stood in the foyer. “Hello, Dud. How’s it going
tonight?”
“Hot.” He flashed her a wide, white grin. “Very hot.”
She checked her coat and purse and began working her way through
the crowd, murmuring vague apologies and smiling distractedly at the men who
turned to give her a second glance. She could feel it tonight—something loose
in the room, some magic that spread like wildfire through the tangle of bodies
and bound them together. It didn’t always happen. There were good nights and
bad
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