Page 6 of Memphis

I wanted to tell you that I really enjoyed last night.

I hope I can see you again.

Me:

You can count on it.

I was temptedto say something more but decided it was best to play it cool. I took it as a good sign that she’d texted and left it at that. I went downstairs to the lobby. It was finally time to meet up with my mother and her new fella.

I wasn’t exactly looking forward to it.

I loved my mother, but our relationship was strained. We never saw eye-to-eye on anything and fought a lot, and things didn’t get any better when I decided to go live with Dad.

But Mom never gave up.

She kept calling, kept trying, and even though I didn’t always show it, it meant something to me. It was one of the reasons I’d agreed to come and do this whole meet-and-greet thing.

As soon as I got to the lobby, I spotted my mother at the front entrance. She was wearing a pair of white slacks and heels, and her hair was pulled up into a tight bun. She looked nice, but that was nothing new. My mother was a pretty woman and always dressed to impress.

Her eyes lit up when she spotted me, and she smiled one of her smiles as she held out her arms and gasped, “Wes!”

“Hey, Mom.” I walked over and gave her a hug. “You’re looking good.”

“You are, too. You look more and more like your father all the time.” She gave me a squeeze, then motioned her hand to the man standing next to her. “I’d like you to meet Carmine. He’s the man I’ve been telling you about.”

He was a big guy with broad shoulders and salt-and-pepper hair. He was wearing an expensive suit, but he didn’t have the look of easy money. He’d worked for it, and that was something I could respect. I extended my hand as I said, “It’s nice to finally meet ya.”

“Right back at ya, kid.” He shook my hand. “Your mother has told me a lot about you.”

“I hope they were good things, but I know better than that.”

“Well, they were mostly good.” He smiled, but it quickly faded when his attention was drawn to something behind me. “Ah, there’s my girl.”

I glanced over my shoulder, and my breath caught when I spotted Toni walking toward us. And she wasn’t just walking toward us. She was coming over to us. At first, my mind wasn’t computing why she was there or why Carmine had just called her his girl.

Then, it hit me. My chest tightened, and a knot formed in my throat. I prayed it wasn’t true, but my worst fears were confirmed when he said, “I’d like you to meet my daughter, Antonia.”

And just like that, my whole world crumbled.

Antonia

“I really appreciate you coming today.”

“Don’t be silly.” I placed the vase of flowers in the center of the table. “I wouldn’t dream of missing your birthday.”

“Well, you are awfully sweet.”

Kay rushed behind me and started adjusting the various place settings. Dad had hired one of the best catering companies in the city to host her birthday party, and they had gone all out. Flowers and balloons were arranged throughout the house, and all the tables were set with their finest china. It was positively beautiful.

I looked down the long table, and I couldn’t help but wonder who all was coming to this party of hers. “It looks like you’re going to have quite a crowd.”

“I hope so.” She clasped her hands together with excitement. “Your father invited my entire bridge club and my Tuesday morning prayer group.”

“What about Dad? Is he planning to be here?”

“He might stop by, but I doubt it will be for long. He’s not a big fan of celebrations, especially when it entails a house full of cackling hens.”

“Yes, I’m aware.” I chuckled. “Dad is the best, but his nerves are a bit short.”

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