“Let me see my grandson.” With a lit-up smile, she reached for the baby. Sherry transferred him carefully into his grandmother’s arms.
“Shannon, my grandchild is beautiful,” she said, inspecting the child’s features. She looked at his fingertips, touched each one in turn. “He’s also biracial.” She glanced over at her daughter.
“Why are you laughing, Sherry?” her dad asked her.
“Why don’t you tell them, Shannon?” Sherry smiled at her sister.
The baby opened his eyes. “Your baby looks like someone we all know,” her mom said. “He’s just going to be a darker version of him. Is that why when I mentioned Melvin, you changed the subject? I always thought you had a thing for him.”
“It’s Matt Johnston’s baby, and she kept the truth from him.” Sherry at least had the decency to look guilty after blurting out the words.
Her mom stared at her. “Is that true, Shannon?”
Shannon didn’t answer, remaining silent star ing at her dad’s shiny spot on his baldhead and then looking away.
“You know why this baby looks like his father? Because you tried to hide the truth. What’s done in the dark usually comes to the light, and that’s what happened to you and Matt. It was God’s will for Matt to find out. What you tried to do was wrong.” Making little cooing noises, she rocked the baby.
Her dad said. “Shannon, please tell me this is not true. That you didn’t get knocked up by that white boy. You let us down when you got pregnant without being married. You have always been smart. What made you do something this dumb? Not only is he white, he is also married.” He was angry. “What will people say?”
“Patrick, this is not the time or the place. He is here now, and there is no turning back. Shannon, even with the mistakes you’ve made, I’m so proud of the woman you’ve become. I love my grandson regardless of who his father is because he is yours, and that’s all I care about. But I’m happy Matt’s the father. At least I know he’ll take care of my grandson.” She kissed the baby’s forehead.
Patrick stared stubbornly ahead, as though the pink hospital-room wall held all the answers.
“Dad, you’re wrong to talk to Shannon like that. She just had a baby, and who cares what people say? She is a grown woman.” Sherry sat on the end of the bed. “I know this doesn’t count for much, but at the time, he wasn’t married. We all make mistakes,” she said, patting Shannon’s feet. “Shannon, I think your son is gorgeous.”
“Joy, you know I’ll love him no matter what, but I’m so disappointed in our daughter.”
Chapter Twelve
On the way home, Matt was beside himself, thinking of his son and how beautiful he was. He called his dad and brother and told them the news. They were both surprised but happy about the new addition to the family. Matthew was the first grandchild. Even so, as he approached the driveway, his smile vanished. By the time he walked through his front door, he was tight with tension.
“Karen?”
“I’m coming.” She ran down the stairs.
“We need to talk.” He rubb ed his hands together , getting nervous.
She ran up to him, kissing his lips. “I missed you last night. How are Shannon and her baby doing?”
He took her hand. “We have to talk about the baby.”
“What about it?” She guided him to the sofa in the living room. “Is he okay?”
He sat with her, cupping her face. “I’m so sorry,” he said , grinding his teeth , try ing not to cry .
“You’re sorry for what?”
“Karen, I found out today. I didn’t know. Do you remember when I told you I slept with someone before we got married?”
“Yes, I remember, and I forgave you. We all make mistakes.” She clasped his hand. “Just tell me, Matt.”
He moved his hand and looked away. “It was Shannon.”
“What was Shannon?”
“The person I slept with.”
She looked stunned. “Your friend, Shannon.” She jumped up off the sofa,
“Shannon, my grandchild is beautiful,” she said, inspecting the child’s features. She looked at his fingertips, touched each one in turn. “He’s also biracial.” She glanced over at her daughter.
“Why are you laughing, Sherry?” her dad asked her.
“Why don’t you tell them, Shannon?” Sherry smiled at her sister.
The baby opened his eyes. “Your baby looks like someone we all know,” her mom said. “He’s just going to be a darker version of him. Is that why when I mentioned Melvin, you changed the subject? I always thought you had a thing for him.”
“It’s Matt Johnston’s baby, and she kept the truth from him.” Sherry at least had the decency to look guilty after blurting out the words.
Her mom stared at her. “Is that true, Shannon?”
Shannon didn’t answer, remaining silent star ing at her dad’s shiny spot on his baldhead and then looking away.
“You know why this baby looks like his father? Because you tried to hide the truth. What’s done in the dark usually comes to the light, and that’s what happened to you and Matt. It was God’s will for Matt to find out. What you tried to do was wrong.” Making little cooing noises, she rocked the baby.
Her dad said. “Shannon, please tell me this is not true. That you didn’t get knocked up by that white boy. You let us down when you got pregnant without being married. You have always been smart. What made you do something this dumb? Not only is he white, he is also married.” He was angry. “What will people say?”
“Patrick, this is not the time or the place. He is here now, and there is no turning back. Shannon, even with the mistakes you’ve made, I’m so proud of the woman you’ve become. I love my grandson regardless of who his father is because he is yours, and that’s all I care about. But I’m happy Matt’s the father. At least I know he’ll take care of my grandson.” She kissed the baby’s forehead.
Patrick stared stubbornly ahead, as though the pink hospital-room wall held all the answers.
“Dad, you’re wrong to talk to Shannon like that. She just had a baby, and who cares what people say? She is a grown woman.” Sherry sat on the end of the bed. “I know this doesn’t count for much, but at the time, he wasn’t married. We all make mistakes,” she said, patting Shannon’s feet. “Shannon, I think your son is gorgeous.”
“Joy, you know I’ll love him no matter what, but I’m so disappointed in our daughter.”
Chapter Twelve
On the way home, Matt was beside himself, thinking of his son and how beautiful he was. He called his dad and brother and told them the news. They were both surprised but happy about the new addition to the family. Matthew was the first grandchild. Even so, as he approached the driveway, his smile vanished. By the time he walked through his front door, he was tight with tension.
“Karen?”
“I’m coming.” She ran down the stairs.
“We need to talk.” He rubb ed his hands together , getting nervous.
She ran up to him, kissing his lips. “I missed you last night. How are Shannon and her baby doing?”
He took her hand. “We have to talk about the baby.”
“What about it?” She guided him to the sofa in the living room. “Is he okay?”
He sat with her, cupping her face. “I’m so sorry,” he said , grinding his teeth , try ing not to cry .
“You’re sorry for what?”
“Karen, I found out today. I didn’t know. Do you remember when I told you I slept with someone before we got married?”
“Yes, I remember, and I forgave you. We all make mistakes.” She clasped his hand. “Just tell me, Matt.”
He moved his hand and looked away. “It was Shannon.”
“What was Shannon?”
“The person I slept with.”
She looked stunned. “Your friend, Shannon.” She jumped up off the sofa,
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