dream.”
“I’m not going anywhere, sweetheart. And neither are your two beautiful children.” Randy reached for the champagne bottle, started working at the cork.
Wendy jumped to her feet. “This is all so exciting! Listen, you two think it over, okay? We’ll talk again on Friday. Like Randy said. But right now I wanna hear some music. Something happy. Something with a little bit of soul.”
She danced over to her CD stand and ran a forefinger down the titles. She turned to Randy. “How about a little Al Green, baby? Doesn’t that sound nice?”
“Sounds
perfect,
” Randy said, popping the cork.
Wendy pulled out Al Green’s
I’m Still in Love with You
and cued the title track. When the first notes came over the speakers she covered her heart with both hands and sighed. Then she turned up the volume and danced by herself, in front of the window overlooking the parking lot.
Danny watched Randy watch his mom. He felt so mad he wanted to throw something at the wall. Break something over Randy’s head. But he just sat there. He turned to Julia. She was still staring at her plate. He reached under the table and touched her hand, and instead of looking up she squeezed his hand back and began to cry without making any sound.
Randy stared at Wendy and chuckled a little under his breath. He shook his head, said: “Just look at her, guys.
That’s
the reason I fell in love with your mom.”
He shook his head again, said: “That. Right there.”
A few days later Uncle Tommy and Sofia came to pick up Danny. Julia decided to go with their mom and Randy to San Francisco.
Uno and His Peeps Talk Summer Jobs
1
From a sitting position on the curb, Uno pitches a rock after a passing minivan. The van continues on, untouched, as the rock skips to a stop halfway down the block. He turns to Chico, says: “How’s that gonna fly, man? You know I ain’t got no rig.”
“They
give
you a car,” Chico says, pulling his hands from his pockets. “Isn’t that right, Raul?”
Raul nods. “Some of ’em do. Not pizza places, but the higher-class ones.”
“And you’d make mad tips,” Chico says.
Uno stretches out his right shoulder. He picks up another rock, fingers the edges for a sec and then flings it across the street.
The fellas are sitting on the corner of Twenty-eighth and Potomac, discussing Uno’s financial situation. All three of them dressed in jeans and white T-shirts. Their Timberlands at the edge of the street. Raul has a generic fitted cap turned backward.
It’s late afternoon and behind their backs the sun is slowly falling from the sky. The air is warm and heavy. An occasional burst of wind scoots an empty McDonald’s bag along the sidewalk across the street.
“But you can’t be countin’ on no more derby wins,” Chico says. “Not with Sofe’s cousin around.”
Uno rolls his eyes. “Dude hit a couple out—”
“He hit
three
out,” Raul interrupts. “And he wasn’t done yet.”
“Hit deep ones, too,” Chico says. “Cleared the
second
roof, man. Nobody’s ever done that.”
“I was trippin’,” Raul says.
“Yo, when he hit that second one?” Chico goes on. “I was like, ‘Oh, damn!’”
“Whatever,” Uno says. He throws another rock into the street. “Anyway, I ain’t sure I could be no delivery boy. Imagine I gotta take food to some little cutie, man. Showin’ up in some stupid-ass uniform. Nah, that ain’t my skeeze.”
“That’s they fantasy,” Raul says. “Some fine-ass mom asks you to bring in her food. Says, ‘Sure is hot out there, young man. Can I offer you a beer or something? Be nice to cool off for a minute.’”
Everybody breaks up a little at the breathy female voice Raul puts on.
Chico flicks on his lighter, lets it die out. “‘Why don’t we throw those sweaty clothes in the wash, young man? I’m sure my husband has a robe somewhere you can borrow.’”
“‘Go on, honey. Step out of them pants. I won’t look.’” Raul slaps
“I’m not going anywhere, sweetheart. And neither are your two beautiful children.” Randy reached for the champagne bottle, started working at the cork.
Wendy jumped to her feet. “This is all so exciting! Listen, you two think it over, okay? We’ll talk again on Friday. Like Randy said. But right now I wanna hear some music. Something happy. Something with a little bit of soul.”
She danced over to her CD stand and ran a forefinger down the titles. She turned to Randy. “How about a little Al Green, baby? Doesn’t that sound nice?”
“Sounds
perfect,
” Randy said, popping the cork.
Wendy pulled out Al Green’s
I’m Still in Love with You
and cued the title track. When the first notes came over the speakers she covered her heart with both hands and sighed. Then she turned up the volume and danced by herself, in front of the window overlooking the parking lot.
Danny watched Randy watch his mom. He felt so mad he wanted to throw something at the wall. Break something over Randy’s head. But he just sat there. He turned to Julia. She was still staring at her plate. He reached under the table and touched her hand, and instead of looking up she squeezed his hand back and began to cry without making any sound.
Randy stared at Wendy and chuckled a little under his breath. He shook his head, said: “Just look at her, guys.
That’s
the reason I fell in love with your mom.”
He shook his head again, said: “That. Right there.”
A few days later Uncle Tommy and Sofia came to pick up Danny. Julia decided to go with their mom and Randy to San Francisco.
Uno and His Peeps Talk Summer Jobs
1
From a sitting position on the curb, Uno pitches a rock after a passing minivan. The van continues on, untouched, as the rock skips to a stop halfway down the block. He turns to Chico, says: “How’s that gonna fly, man? You know I ain’t got no rig.”
“They
give
you a car,” Chico says, pulling his hands from his pockets. “Isn’t that right, Raul?”
Raul nods. “Some of ’em do. Not pizza places, but the higher-class ones.”
“And you’d make mad tips,” Chico says.
Uno stretches out his right shoulder. He picks up another rock, fingers the edges for a sec and then flings it across the street.
The fellas are sitting on the corner of Twenty-eighth and Potomac, discussing Uno’s financial situation. All three of them dressed in jeans and white T-shirts. Their Timberlands at the edge of the street. Raul has a generic fitted cap turned backward.
It’s late afternoon and behind their backs the sun is slowly falling from the sky. The air is warm and heavy. An occasional burst of wind scoots an empty McDonald’s bag along the sidewalk across the street.
“But you can’t be countin’ on no more derby wins,” Chico says. “Not with Sofe’s cousin around.”
Uno rolls his eyes. “Dude hit a couple out—”
“He hit
three
out,” Raul interrupts. “And he wasn’t done yet.”
“Hit deep ones, too,” Chico says. “Cleared the
second
roof, man. Nobody’s ever done that.”
“I was trippin’,” Raul says.
“Yo, when he hit that second one?” Chico goes on. “I was like, ‘Oh, damn!’”
“Whatever,” Uno says. He throws another rock into the street. “Anyway, I ain’t sure I could be no delivery boy. Imagine I gotta take food to some little cutie, man. Showin’ up in some stupid-ass uniform. Nah, that ain’t my skeeze.”
“That’s they fantasy,” Raul says. “Some fine-ass mom asks you to bring in her food. Says, ‘Sure is hot out there, young man. Can I offer you a beer or something? Be nice to cool off for a minute.’”
Everybody breaks up a little at the breathy female voice Raul puts on.
Chico flicks on his lighter, lets it die out. “‘Why don’t we throw those sweaty clothes in the wash, young man? I’m sure my husband has a robe somewhere you can borrow.’”
“‘Go on, honey. Step out of them pants. I won’t look.’” Raul slaps
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