Page 77 of Clueless
“Yes, just one.”
“Oh, good.Not that I don’t want him or her to have a sibling, I do.I’d just like them to be spaced out a little.”
There were eight years between me and Codie, but we were still as close as sisters could be.
“Understandable,” the doctor said.“Well, you ladies have a lovely day.And if you have any questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to contact my office.Otherwise, I’ll see you at your next appointment, Codie.Grace, always nice to see you.”
“Thank you,” we both said in unison as the doctor left the room.
“Thank God,” Codie said, resting her head against the pillow.“I’ve never prayed so hard in my life.”
“Me too, hon.Me too.”
She opened one eye to look at me.“Okay, now we’re going to lunch and you’re going to give me the scoop on Taz.”
Ugh.I wasn’t looking forward to this.
Once we’d settled into a cute little Italian restaurant, within walking distance of the hospital, my sister started pelting me with questions about Taz.When did you talk to him?Have you seen him?What did he say?
“Calm down, girl,” I said, raising my hand.“Take a breath.”
She groaned, but smiled politely when the waiter came to take our order.We both ordered soft drinks and chicken salads without opening the menu.
“Okay,” she said, wiggling her fingers.“Spill.”
I took a deep breath, trying to decide how to share the story without my overprotective big sister freaking out.“So, he came to my office yesterday and we talked.He told me the real reason he broke up with me, because his daughter didn’t want him dating anyone.”
Her jaw dropped.“Seriously?Why?”
“I guess her mama had quite a few men in and out of their lives while Quinn was growing up and she was tired of it.”
“Poor kid,” Codie said.“Can’t really blame her.”
“No, you can’t.”Our mama hated men when we were growing up, so we didn’t have to worry about that.“And I don’t blame her for wanting to have her dad all to herself.She’s just getting to know him, right?Think about it.If our dad came back into our lives when we were her age, we’d want to make up for lost time, without having to share him with a girlfriend.”
Codie rolled her eyes.“As if he ever had any intention of coming back.He could care less about us.”
My sister, like me, had been through years of therapy, but I knew she still held onto some animosity toward the father we’d never really known.He’d been in and out of our lives, returning only to get our mama pregnant with me before he bailed again.Codie had sketchy memories of him, but I had none at all.
“Well, Taz does care about his daughter.And he was trying to do right by her.But I guess he’s come to realize he can’t live his life to make her happy, while making himself miserable, so he’s going to try and reason with her.”
“Which means y’all are getting back together?”
I braced myself for a lecture when I said, “I spent the night with him last night.”
“Hmm.”She sank back against the bench seat, waiting until the waiter set our drinks down before she said, “Anyone can see he makes you happy.And while he comes with a lot of baggage, I really do like Taz.He’s obviously a good guy.”
“He really is.”I wouldn’t be head over heels in love with him if he was an untrustworthy jerk.
“I just worry that he’s going to fold again, if his daughter starts putting pressure on him.I mean, you haven’t even met Quinn yet, have you?”
I shook my head, feeling fear take root in the pit of my stomach.My sister was voicing my own concerns.This could go sideways in a hurry, if Quinn got her way.
“No, which means y’all could hate each other.What if she’s a spoiled, nasty little bitch?”
“Codie!I hissed.She’s a kid who grew up without her dad.Give her a break.”
“I’m sorry, but that doesn’t mean she won’t be hateful, and try to destroy what you and Taz are building.She’s already done it once before.Who’s to say she won’t do it again?”
