Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 88290 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 441(@200wpm)___ 353(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88290 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 441(@200wpm)___ 353(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
“Ditto,” Kola said. “And in that vein, I have a baptism question.”
“What?” Hannah gasped.
“What?” Kola repeated.
“Yeah, I’m interested to hear whatever this is myself,” I stated firmly.
“No—ugh, you’re both stupid. I’m not having a baby, and nobody’s pregnant. I’m just wondering, since, at the moment, I don’t believe in God, when, or if, I ever have a kid, is Dad gonna expect that kid to be baptized?”
“Why are you even thinking about this?” Hannah asked him.
“I’ve been up for several nights in a row at this point, and my brain’s been going and––”
“Say no more. I know how you get,” Hannah said, chuckling.
“But the question popped into my head, so I was just wondering.”
And that fast, they were both looking at me. Which I wasn’t crazy about. “Why’re you both looking at me?”
“Because you’re the liaison to the island of Dad,” Hannah informed me.
“That’s not true. You both communicate with him quite well.”
“In most cases, yes,” Hannah agreed. “But this is a theological question, and he’s not great with those.”
“He’s in a tough spot,” Kola told me. “As a member of law enforcement, he wants to bring bad priests to justice, but he was an altar boy who always thought he’d get married in the church until he met you.”
I nodded.
“Did you ever blame yourself for him not getting that wedding?” Hannah wanted to know. “Or feel guilty?”
“I only worried that he’d feel like he was missing out, but at the second wedding in the backyard, we were married by a minister, and Father John, his priest, was there, so I’m confident that your father was happy.”
“Good,” Kola said flatly. “Because I think he’s pretty happy to be married and how everything worked out.”
“I would agree,” I said, grinning at my son. “But to your question.”
“Yeah. Do you think he’d care?”
I had to think a moment. “Well, if you don’t believe in God, I’m not certain what it could hurt to have the baby baptized.”
“But that’s what I mean, it’s just a worthless ceremony.”
“To you,” I agreed. “Not to your father.”
“So you’re saying, why not give him the baptism since it doesn’t matter anyway?”
“Again, it matters to your father.”
“Is that why you let both of us be baptized?” Hannah asked. “Because he wanted it?”
“Yes.”
“Because you don’t believe in God, right?”
I squinted at her. “I don’t know that all the pageantry is necessary, and I don’t quite understand a supreme being that would allow war and famine and the horrific number of dogs and cats euthanized every day in this country, but I’m not ready to say that there’s nothing.”
“Because Dad believes.”
“Yes. And if you think about it, your father, as a chief deputy, is in a position to see the worst of humanity on a daily basis, so therefore if he can hold on to his faith—that’s impressive, don’t you think?”
“Or he was brainwashed young,” Kola told us.
“I have a question now,” I said, taking a breath. “What if, down the road, you decide to do one of those DNA tests and you find your biological family?”
“Have you been thinking about this?” Hannah asked me.
“I have.”
“Well, for starters,” Kola said, shaking his head, “I have no desire to do that. Ever. And blood doesn’t make family, we all know that.”
Yes, we did.
“Even if me and Hannah weren’t adopted, you and Uncle Dane don’t share any blood, and you’re amazing brothers. He has people he’s actually related to that he never, ever sees, and has no interest in being close to.”
There was no arguing that point.
“So even if something happens and there’s some medical background or something I need, having other people doesn’t change me and you, and Dad and Hannah.”
It was good to hear, and I nodded quickly, wiping tears away that I hadn’t even realized were making my vision blurry.
“You can be so crazy sometimes,” Hannah told me. “You and Dad have been here with us, and that’s why even now, I’m not ready to cut the cord and move out of state, and that’s why Kola’s coming home, just so he can see you guys whenever he wants.”
“Speaking of,” Kola groaned. “The apartment we thought we liked, that Harper’s dad found, turned out that someone was murdered in the building.”
Hannah scoffed. “It’s an old city. Someone’s probably been murdered in every building in this city except for the brand-new ones.”
“No, not like someone died in the twenties or forties, someone died last week.”
“Oh for heaven’s sake,” Hannah grumbled.
“Yeah. Apparently, it was a mob hit.”
“A mob hit?” Hannah gave an inelegant snort. “Gimme a break.”
“Well, I’d prefer you not be in a building where someone was killed,” I told my son.
“I figured that, so…we’re back to looking.”
“I’ll help,” Hannah told him, and then glanced at me and away.
“What was that for?”
“Well, you know,” she began, biting her lip. “I’m sure we could ask Uncle Aaron if he––”