Free Color of Deception by Khara Campbell Page A

while to console her after she heard the news. Rachel then went ahead and called Carlisha’s co-workers to let them know that she had passed away after giving birth.
    Rachel, her parents, Noah and Leah, along with Debra and Pete stood behind a glass window as they watched a nurse holding Carlisha’s newborn son for them to see. He was the tiniest thing they had all ever seen. His four and a half pounds was swaddled neatly in a blanket and his small head was covered with a pink and blue cap. His eyes opened and closed slowly as he tried to focus. His dark mocha skin already resembled his mother.
    “I didn’t know she was pregnant,” Rachel spoke, breaking the grief of silence among them. “He is so adorable!” She smiled as she looked at the precious gift from God in front of her. She touched the mirror as to touch the young man that captured her heart. His little mouth curved up into a smile she swore was geared toward her.
    “He’s so precious. It’s sad that Carlisha didn’t get a chance to hold him.” Leah watched as the nurse cradled the baby before them.
    Debra cried softly as she looked at the precious face of Carlisha Junior. She couldn’t believe that Carlisha’s son would also go through the world without his parents. Carlisha was gone and Debra was clueless as to who the father was.
    Pete looked at the baby emotionless. He didn’t know what to feel, how to feel or why to feel. He just wanted to go home, drink a beer and get lost in sports news. All of this sorrow was rocking the boat of his own grief over the loss of his wife. It was bringing back painful, painful memories.
    “What are you going to name the baby?” Debra looked up at Pete who was standing next to her expressionless.
    “What?” he looked at Debra confused.
    “What are you going to name the baby?” she asked again, she pointed to the bassinet the baby was just placed in by the nurse.
    Pete turned and walked away from the glass window. Debra assumed he was still trying to deal with his grief of Carlisha’s death. She walked up next to him. “I can help you with the baby and I am more than willing to babysit on my days off.”
    “I can help too Uncle Pete. I can even spend some nights at your house,” Rachel volunteered.
    “Noah and I would like to help anyway we can too,” Leah offered.
    “Look, I’m not raising anybody’s black baby!” Pete reacted in an outburst. All their talk about the baby and assuming he was raising it irritated him. How am I to raise a goddamn baby? A baby I’m not even related to? He combed his fingers through his hair. The look of shock on their faces from his outburst immediately made him regret his words. “I’m sorry! I’m just not in a position to raise a baby. Let the hospital take care of it.” Pete began to walk away again.
    “The hospital will call social services and have him placed in the system,” Debra said as she walked up behind him. No way would she allow her friend’s child be put in the government system, no telling who would raise him. But from the reaction of Pete she wasn’t sure he would be a good fit either. The disgust she felt for him that time she saw him and he completely ignored Carlisha returned. Now it made sense – he was a racist. But how in God’s name was he listed as Carlisha’s next of kin. Debra was completely confused, but if Carlisha had seen fit for him to be next of kin, there must be some love and compassion in him somewhere. Carlisha obviously had seen that part of him, she assumed. Debra pulled at Pete’s arm to get his attention. He stopped abruptly. “Look, Carlisha saw fit to name you as next of kin so you can’t just allow her baby to be placed in foster care.”
    “I didn’t ask for any of this mess!” Pete snapped. Debra’s beautiful face didn’t matter to him at that moment. Looking at her now really reminded him of his wife and he wanted to scream. Moriah was good at dealing with situations like this. He wished she was there.