Chapter 55

I??d called my mother earlier that morning to tell her I was coming and she was waiting at the front door when I pulled into the driveway. She looked at Courtney strapped in the convertible car seat carrier, then at me, then back at Courtney.

??This is Olivia??s baby??? she asked as we entered the house.

??Yes.??

I could tell what my mother was thinking. Olivia??s own reddish-brown hue was in no way similar her child??s creamy skin tone.

??She??s lovely,?? my mother said, taking Courtney from me after I??d gotten her out of the carrier. ??She??s very light skinned.??

??That??s because her father is white.??

My mother??s brow furrowed as she looked at me. ??Really???

??She??s not my baby, Mom,?? I told her.

Before my mother could launch into an interrogation, my father came into the room. He looked at Courtney in my mother??s arms, then at me, then back at Courtney before finally turning to me and asking, ??Are you a father now???

??No,?? I told him.