Free After The Dance by Lori D. Johnson Page A

part of my day is pretty much gonna be spent in church. But maybe we can catch a movie or something, sometime tomorrow evening. I’ll check the paper in the morning and see what’s playing.”
    Keep in mind, though, I did say “maybe.” It wasn’t like I promised him anything. A wise woman is always going to leave her options open just in case the need for an easy out should happen to arise.
    But anyway, about that time Renita and Renee came back in to say their good nights. And you want to know something? Watching Carl interact with his daughters was surprisingly one of the highlights of the evening.
    He’s good with his girls. Maybe it’s because they’re older or maybe the high regard in which he seems to hold their mother is a factor, but whatever the reason, it was both nice and a relief to know his relationship with the twins lacked all the tension and drama I’d witnessed between him and his son.
    So yeah, girl, despite my initial reservations, hanging out with Carl and his crew wasn’t all that bad. The twins got a real kick out of me doing their nails. You should have seen how big their baby browns got when I whipped out that manicure kit.
    Of course, that little stunt only opened the door to a whole ’nother something. Now not only do they want me to do their nails for this wedding they’re supposed to be in, but they’ve also invited me to attend so I can see them all dressed up, looking cute and doing the flower-girl thing.
    Carl didn’t waste a second in leaping aboard the bandwagon, but I’ve got some serious reservations about the four of us charging down that particular path together. I don’t know if I ought to be getting in that deep with them, especially since me and dude aren’t even trying to be a couple. The last thing I’d want to do is give him or his girls the wrong impression about the nature of my intentions.
    But like I said, the night had its moments, the most memorable of which occurred when it was time for the girls to head off to bed. In the process of saying their good nights and without any prompting from Carl, the twins took it upon themselves to thank me with hugs and kissesfor both the cookies I’d brought over as well as the time and attention I’d given to their nails. Well-mannered children I can appreciate, but I’m not used to being around such touchy-feely types. All the fuss only made me have to go to the bathroom.
    While Carl marched the kids off to bed, I headed for the john with every intention of emptying the ol’ bladder before squaring things up with dude and heading on home. But on my way there, I couldn’t resist the urge to stop for a quick peek into the girls’ bedroom. That’s when I caught them, all three of them, down on their knees quietly reciting the Lord’s Prayer.
    It’s not like I haven’t seen folks pray before. I’m a churchgoing girl from way back. But there was just something about the sight of this man and his children huddled together on the floor, eyes closed, heads bowed, and hands clasped, that moved me. I was touched, so much so, I forgot all about having to pee.
    Even after they’d finished their amens I just stood there and watched as Carl helped them into bed, smoothed their covers, and then kissed one of the girls’ eyebrows, the tip of her nose, and her chin before leaning over and doing the exact same to the other child.
    The smile he flashed me when he finally turned and caught me standing there helped alleviate some of the embarrassment I felt at having intruded.
    I knew I was busted, plain and simple. I thought he was getting ready to rub it in, so I said, “I wasn’t trying to spy or anything. I just—” But before I could spit out the rest of my defense, he hushed me by placing his fingers against his lips. After he turned out the light and closed the girls’ bedroom door, he looked at me and whispered, “So you gonna stay awhile or what?”
    I’m sorry, girl. I know I shouldn’t have, but I let myself get