Page 32 of Waiting for Friday Night

“Hey!” Imani slapped Halle’s calf.

“It’s true. And they inseminated me because I had the money. They didn’t care about my reasons why. It was a private donation company. I didn’t need anyone’s permission but my own.”

“Why didn’t you tell us?” Imani sounded not just surprised but hurt about being left out.

“I didn’t want anyone to judge me or Shania. You’ve met my dad’s side of the family. My aunt Lydia? Do you really think she wouldn’t have thrown the words test tube baby in Shania’s face?”

Imani cringed but Tracey shook her head and pointed a finger. “That’s your mean-ass aunt. I’m talking about us. We wouldn’t have judged you.”

“Yes, you would. You’re judging me now.”

“No, we’re not!” Tracey and Imani spoke in unison.

Halle finished drinking the wine in her cup. “Yes, you are. You’re asking why I did it? You would have done the same thing then. I knew that I was walking into a hard situation. I was just out of college. I was starting graduate school and starting out as a teacher. Throw in having a kid with no father on purpose, I knew people would tell me that I was making a mistake. So, instead of dealing with that—”

“You made up a story about some nameless guy on some random night,” Imani said.

Halle shrugged. “Would I make a different decision about telling the truth now? Probably, but I don’t regret what I did. I know that side of my family. She was going to have a hard enough time not having a father around, but if they knew that I really had no idea who he was, then that would be just another thing for her to overcome.”

“And to think the guy is Coach Q. You two were meant to meet up,” Tracey declared.

Halle unfolded her legs and leaned forward, one hand raised to stop that train of thought. “This was a fluke. It’s not fate, or anything meant to be.”

“Yes, it is. Shania has been bugging you about who her dad is. Then she ends up playing football for him.” Imani shrugged. “I don’t know, Halle. Maybe you two will end up—”

Halle pushed forward her already raised hand. “Nope. Don’t go there. We are not ending up together. I’m making things work with Gregory.”

Imani cringed. Her short, manicured nails tapped the cup in her hand. “Have you told him yet?”

“Not yet. I need to get the results verified before I say anything to him.”

Halle didn’t know how to break the news to him. He’d easily bought her explanation for being at Quinton’s place as something to do with football. He was sweet and genuinely seemed to want to see where things would go with their relationship. She was afraid of hurting him, even though she knew she couldn’t keep this a secret.

“How do you think he’ll take it?” Imani asked.

“He’s a reasonable guy. I think he’ll understand that even though Quinton is Shania’s biological father, it doesn’t mean that we can’t be together. If things work out with him we’ll be a different kind of family.”

“So, you’re giving Shania two daddies?” Imani asked, sounding skeptical.

Halle opened her mouth to give a smart reply, but stopped. She perked up. “I didn’t think about it like that, but I guess so.”

“Oh, Lord,” Tracey said. “Don’t tell her that, Imani. You know she’s an overachiever. Now she’s going to try and get Quinton and Gregory to really co-parent.”

Halle waved a finger. “Now that you say that it’s not a bad idea. Quinton already has a bond with her through football. She gets along well with Gregory. We could make this work.”

The more she thought about it the more the idea took hold. Shania could see Quinton and talk to him whenever she wanted. Halle could keep Gregory and still have the relationship she wanted. Shania would have two positive role models and father figures.

“This doesn’t sound like it’s going to work out the way you want it to work out,” Tracey said skeptically. She tugged on her braids with one hand before sipping from her cup.

Undaunted, Halle straightened her shoulders. “Maybe it will. You know me. I can make anything work if I stick my mind to it. If this is the hand I’ve been dealt, then I’m about to win this game. Just wait and see.”

Eleven

“Well, Quinton, you are Shania’s father.”

Halle expected the answer but hearing the words coming out of Imani’s mouth still made her feel as if she was going to fall over. And she was sitting down!

The three of them: she, Shania and Quinton sat in the exam room in the doctor’s office connected to the town’s hospital. Imani saw her OB-GYN patients there and had agreed to order the DNA test for Halle. Imani gave her a smile that Halle assumed she also used when trying to soften the effect of delivering bad news to a patient.

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