on. “What’s this?”
“Nothing.” David tried to snatch it back, but Simon moved it out of the way.
“Rent. Utilities,” he read. “You finally moving?” David didn’t respond as Simon turned his attention back to the paper. “Day care? What in the world?”
David stood up and with a firm voice announced, “I’m getting my child.”
“Excuse me?” Jonathan said.
“I said, I’m getting my son. I’m going to raise him.”
Simon looked at David like he was crazy. “And how, pray tell, are you going to do that?”
“It ain’t like I’ll be the first single father in the country.” He threw his pen down defiantly. “You ain’t gotta believe I can do this. Ain’t nobody gotta believe it. As long as I believe it, I can do it.”
“What are you, a Nike commercial now?” Jonathan said.
“Man, it ain’t like I got much choice,” David replied.
Jonathan shook his head in disbelief. “Shouldn’t you even wait and make sure the baby is yours?”
“It is mine. I know exactly when it happened.”
Jonathan shrugged. “Well, I’m just saying. How are you going to take care of a child?”
“The best way I know how. I don’t have a choice, Jon. Tawny can’t do it. I have to man up.”
David glanced at his father like he was expecting him to say something smart.
Instead, Simon stood there with a smile on his face. “Son, I don’t think I’ve ever been more proud of you.”
Jonathan thought about what David was saying. Why was he giving him a hard time about doing the right thing? He finally smiled at his brother as well. No matter how far-fetched the idea was, David’s heart was in the right place, and Jonathan couldn’t help it—he had never been more proud of his brother either.
Chapter 18
R achel moved the chair back into place. She had just finished preparing for a meeting with her youth group, The Good Girlz. She’d started the group six months ago to work with wayward teen girls and help them walk the right path. They did a lot of community service activities, like volunteering at the senior citizens’ center and mentoring younger girls. In addition, she’d found helping the girls in the small group to be very therapeutic for herself since she’d had such a drama-filled teenage life.
Tonight, the girls were watching a film on building self-esteem. Some sorority girls from the AKA chapter at Texas Southern University were also coming by to make a presentation on the topic. Everyone, Rachel included, was pretty excited about it.
Rachel had gotten everything together and still had a good three hours or so before tonight’s meeting. “Just enough time to run home and take a quick nap,” she mumbled to herself as she turned off the light in the conference room.
Rachel called Twyla as soon as she got in the car to remind her that she’d agreed to come to church Sunday. Since she didn’t have any real friends at church, Rachel had been trying to get Twyla more involved at Zion Hill. Twyla had joined about six months ago, but she hadn’t done much except come to service, and even that was sporadic.
She’d just hung up after leaving Twyla a message when her cell phone rang. She looked at the number and couldn’t place it. She debated answering, then decided to go ahead. “Hello, this is Rachel.”
“Mrs. Adams?”
“Yes, this is she.”
“This is Mrs. Ward, the principal at Jordan’s school. Can you come up to the school right away? Jordan has been suspended for fighting.”
“Fighting!” Rachel wanted to scream. That boy was going to drive her insane.
“Yes, and Mrs. Adams, this may be the last straw. We can’t continue to have these discipline and academic problems with Jordan.” The woman sounded completely exasperated.
“I’m on my way.” Rachel pressed the End button on her phone. This was her fifth call from Jordan’s school in the last three weeks. Once for fighting. Another for getting smart with his teacher. Twice for not doing his homework.
“Nothing.” David tried to snatch it back, but Simon moved it out of the way.
“Rent. Utilities,” he read. “You finally moving?” David didn’t respond as Simon turned his attention back to the paper. “Day care? What in the world?”
David stood up and with a firm voice announced, “I’m getting my child.”
“Excuse me?” Jonathan said.
“I said, I’m getting my son. I’m going to raise him.”
Simon looked at David like he was crazy. “And how, pray tell, are you going to do that?”
“It ain’t like I’ll be the first single father in the country.” He threw his pen down defiantly. “You ain’t gotta believe I can do this. Ain’t nobody gotta believe it. As long as I believe it, I can do it.”
“What are you, a Nike commercial now?” Jonathan said.
“Man, it ain’t like I got much choice,” David replied.
Jonathan shook his head in disbelief. “Shouldn’t you even wait and make sure the baby is yours?”
“It is mine. I know exactly when it happened.”
Jonathan shrugged. “Well, I’m just saying. How are you going to take care of a child?”
“The best way I know how. I don’t have a choice, Jon. Tawny can’t do it. I have to man up.”
David glanced at his father like he was expecting him to say something smart.
Instead, Simon stood there with a smile on his face. “Son, I don’t think I’ve ever been more proud of you.”
Jonathan thought about what David was saying. Why was he giving him a hard time about doing the right thing? He finally smiled at his brother as well. No matter how far-fetched the idea was, David’s heart was in the right place, and Jonathan couldn’t help it—he had never been more proud of his brother either.
Chapter 18
R achel moved the chair back into place. She had just finished preparing for a meeting with her youth group, The Good Girlz. She’d started the group six months ago to work with wayward teen girls and help them walk the right path. They did a lot of community service activities, like volunteering at the senior citizens’ center and mentoring younger girls. In addition, she’d found helping the girls in the small group to be very therapeutic for herself since she’d had such a drama-filled teenage life.
Tonight, the girls were watching a film on building self-esteem. Some sorority girls from the AKA chapter at Texas Southern University were also coming by to make a presentation on the topic. Everyone, Rachel included, was pretty excited about it.
Rachel had gotten everything together and still had a good three hours or so before tonight’s meeting. “Just enough time to run home and take a quick nap,” she mumbled to herself as she turned off the light in the conference room.
Rachel called Twyla as soon as she got in the car to remind her that she’d agreed to come to church Sunday. Since she didn’t have any real friends at church, Rachel had been trying to get Twyla more involved at Zion Hill. Twyla had joined about six months ago, but she hadn’t done much except come to service, and even that was sporadic.
She’d just hung up after leaving Twyla a message when her cell phone rang. She looked at the number and couldn’t place it. She debated answering, then decided to go ahead. “Hello, this is Rachel.”
“Mrs. Adams?”
“Yes, this is she.”
“This is Mrs. Ward, the principal at Jordan’s school. Can you come up to the school right away? Jordan has been suspended for fighting.”
“Fighting!” Rachel wanted to scream. That boy was going to drive her insane.
“Yes, and Mrs. Adams, this may be the last straw. We can’t continue to have these discipline and academic problems with Jordan.” The woman sounded completely exasperated.
“I’m on my way.” Rachel pressed the End button on her phone. This was her fifth call from Jordan’s school in the last three weeks. Once for fighting. Another for getting smart with his teacher. Twice for not doing his homework.
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