“Bullshit.”
She sipped her tea like she was waiting for me to stop lying.
“I ran into somebody,” I finally said. “From back in the day.”
“Oh?”
“Shayna.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Shayna-Shayna? The one you dated in high school?”
I nodded.
“She say why she left?”
“She said her folks made her move… because she was pregnant.”
Mama sat still, face unreadable.
“She kept the baby. A little girl. Her name is Liberty, and she’s nine years old. She said she’s mine.”
“Jesus,” she whispered. “Have you seen her?”
“Yes, but I told Shayna I wanted a DNA test.”
“And Mel?”
“I haven’t told her yet.”
My mama stood up, paced a little, then turned back to me.
“When do you plan on telling Mel?”
“When I know for sure.”
Mama’s voice turned sharp. “You wait too long, and you gone lose her, anyway. Whether that little girl is yours or not.”
I stayed quiet.
“She loves you. Carries your child. Holds you down. Don’t disrespect that by hiding.”
“I’m trying to protect her.”
“Lies don’t protect. They burn. You know that.”
She sat back down and grabbed my hand.
“Whatever happens, we’ll figure it out. But fix this before it breaks you… before it breaks y’all.”
I nodded.
Because deep down, I knew she was right.
10
Chapter Ten
Shayna
