Dash ran his hands through his hair, “Holy shit, Jacks. Are you serious? Who’s her mom?”
I shrugged, “Apparently some chick named Amelia I banged somewhere in Louisiana.” I let out a humorless laugh, “Really narrows it down, huh?”
“Where in Louisiana?” Smith went to the fridge and grabbed a beer. I didn’t blame him. I wanted one too. Beer and pancakes, the breakfast of champions.
I grabbed Landry’s fork, the one she’d fed Dagger with, and took a bite of her leftovers. “Didn’t say.”
“They sure she’s yours?” Smith took a pull off his beer. Then Lexi grabbed it and poured it out in the sink, giving him her I-dare-you-to-cross-me look.
Dash pointed to the backyard. “Are you kidding, she looks just like him!”
“I did this cheek swab thing, for a paternity test…but you’re right. She’s like my mini me.” I looked out the window. Landry was throwing Dagger his ball. She was quiet around us, but damn she liked that dog. “Although she kind of looks a little like Bryan too.”
Smith crossed his arms over his chest. “Bryan? Dylan’s sister?”
“Uh, yeah, uh, you know she has that dark hair and light eyes thing going on. She looks like the Lawsons.” Dylan and Bryan looked just alike. I’d never met their other sister, Mikah, but I was guessing she was another carbon copy.
Dash leaned against the counter, running his hands through his hair. “Where is her mother?”
“No one knows. The neighbors called the cops when they noticed that Landry had been alone for over a week.”
Lexi put her hand on her stomach, cradling her baby bump. “Oh my God. How awful! That poor little girl. Was she okay? Was she hurt?”
Maybe Lexi should take her. She was about to have a baby anyways. Insta-family. “No. She was fine. They said she took good care of herself: cooked herself dinner, gave herself a bath, cleaned the house…”
“So she’s used to being alone. How old is she?” Lexi looked like she was going to be sick.
“She’s nine.”
Lexi wiped away a tear. “What now?”
“I told the social worker that she can stay here. That’s okay, right?” Was I supposed to ask if I and my kid could live here? Would they make us leave? Holy crap, was I going to have to get my own house? I needed to call my mom. Wait, they were on a four-week-long cruise through Europe. Shit.
Dash put his hand on my shoulder. “Of course that’s okay, man. If that’s what you want to do, we’ll support you. But…”
I raised an eyebrow. “But what?”
“I love you, man. But are you sure you can handle this? Handle taking care of this little girl for the foreseeable future? You aren’t exactly the most adult person in this house. Landry’s been through the wringer; I can’t even imagine what she’s feeling right now.”
Smith nodded, slowly, in agreement. “I can. And it’s a lot to take on, bro. Maybe she needs to be with some professionals? Some people who know what the hell they are doing.”
Lexi shook her head. “No. What she needs is to be with people who will be nice to her, will provide for her, pay attention to her. What she needs is to feel safe. And being in some group foster home surrounded by other kids with just as many issues? Isn’t going to help.” She rested her hand on my shoulder. “Does she know you’re her dad?”
Smith and Dash were my friends, my family, two of the people closest to me. If they didn’t think I could do this…maybe I couldn’t. “I guess the social worker told her I was her dad…but I mean, chicks are crazy, right? What if some nutjob fan listed me on this kid’s birth certificate?” It could happen.
Smith looked out at the backyard. “She’s your kid.”
I laid my cheek on the cool countertop. “Probably.”
Landry
Diane said that Jacks was listed as my next of kin. She asked me if I knew what that meant on the drive over here. I get it. My mom said he was my dad. But my mom said a lot of things that didn’t end up being true. Like, I’ll be right back for starters. Their house was huge. Like a palace or a castle. Everyone that lived here was nice. They were all really pretty too. Like people on TV. The best part though was this big gray slobbery dog. I loved dogs. I begged my mom for a dog. She always said no. I didn’t blame her, as she could barely take care of herself…let alone me and a dog. My mom wasn’t a bad person. But I was old enough to know she wasn’t a good mom. Not like those moms on TV. The moms who made dinner and sent you to school with a perfectly packed lunch. That wasn’t my mom. And now she was gone. I didn’t know if I missed her or not. I couldn’t tell.