What's Done In the Dark(68)

“Yeah, Mom, I am so loving this. I can’t believe I didn’t get into this earlier.”

“I can’t either,” my mom replied. “Now that I think about it, it’s a natural fit. Remember, you and Felise were chair and co-chair of the junior and senior prom?”

“Oh, yeah.” I laughed. “And I kept complaining because I was doing all the work while Felise was off somewhere goofing off.”

“Well, you have definitely found your calling.” My mom leaned in and looked at my computer screen. “Do you have a website already?”

“No, this is just the sample the web designer sent to me to approve.” I leaned back so she could get a good look. “You like it?”

She shrugged. “You know I don’t know anything about all that Internet stuff. But it looks nice to me.”

I loved the bright, sleek design. I’d spent twenty minutes on the phone with the web designer, Jeremy, telling him my vision, and he’d come back with the perfect design. “Yeah, I think so, too.” I handed her one of the invitations for Felise’s party, which was lying next to my computer. “Aren’t these cute?”

“Waste of paper if you ask me. Just call folks,” my mother said.

I shook my head at her. “Are you coming to the party? Rodney said we can bring the boys back over there.”

“Do I have to buy a gift?”

“No,” I chuckled. “I’ll write your name on my gift.”

My mom grinned widely as she headed out the door. “Then I’m in like Flynn.”

I shut my computer down and began cleaning up my desk. In addition to Felise’s party, I’d already booked a baby shower for my next-door neighbor, so I’d begun planning that as well.

“Hey, anybody home?”

I smiled at the sound of my daughter bouncing up the stairs. She was riding back from cheer camp with one of her teammates and they were supposed to be back an hour ago, so I was glad to have her home.

“In my room, hon,” I called out.

She eased into my room gingerly, as if she was trying to gauge my mood. I greeted her with a huge smile, which in turn made her smile.

“Hey, Mom,” she said, coming over to hug me. It felt good to hug my daughter. We’d been so at odds since she’d turned thirteen.

“How was camp?”

“Super cool. Mrs. Vega said to tell you hi and that she’s praying for you,” Tahiry said, referring to her teammate’s mother who had dropped her off. I made a mental note to call Mrs. Vega and thank her.

“So tell me all about camp,” I said, turning and giving my daughter my undivided attention.

Tahiry plopped down on my bed and began running down all the things she’d done the past week.

“It was sooo much fun. I’m glad you made me go. My friend Shelby had these awesome twists. I want you to do my hair like that.”

My mother had come in the room midway through Tahiry’s camp rundown. She, too, had stood, listening intently. She finally interjected. “Sweetie, your mom is starting her own business, so her plate is full,” my mom said. “But how about Granny twists them later on?”

Tahiry turned up her nose. “Granny, you don’t know how to twist!”

“Well, I know how to plait. I can plait your hair.” She reached for Tahiry’s hair.

“Eww, as if!” Tahiry ducked out of her reach, and they both laughed.

“Go check on your brothers and I’ll take you guys out for ice cream later on,” my mother said.

“Ice cream? That is so elementary.”

“I’ll let you get sprinkles and nuts.”

“All right, cool.” She laughed before darting off.

Once again, I couldn’t help but be grateful that Felise had stepped up and gotten everything Tahiry needed together to make sure she could go to camp. Judging by how she looked coming home, it had done her good. Maybe now both of us could get on the path to healing.





49


Felise


IT HAD TAKEN ME MORE than an hour to get Liz calmed down. Greg had locked himself in the guest room and hadn’t come out. I know he was feeling a mixture of anger and sadness because although he was an absentee parent, he loved Liz with everything inside him. So I knew that it broke his heart to see her hurting. I hoped that Liz’s finding out didn’t change his decision to give our marriage another try. I would talk with him about it later that night, but right then I needed to focus on my daughter. She had literally cried herself to sleep, and now I was sitting in the corner of her bedroom, watching her.

I debated whether I should go talk to Greg, but I wanted to be here when she woke up. Besides, I needed to give him time to cool down.