Free A Lie Unraveled by Constance Masters Page B

Sophia is a b—”
    “Enough, don’t you ever call our daughter that,” he said.
    “Did you just say that out loud? What if someone heard you?”
    “Seriously, Desi, you’re acting crazy. We’ll tell the girls and whatever reaction they have, we’ll deal with it. If people start to talk, then they do. We can always get married and that will shut everyone up.”
    “Doesn’t that sound romantic?”
    “It will be when I ask. I have to go, Desi. I’ll see you tonight about 7:30 pm.”
    “Did he just say what I thought he said?” Destiny asked the empty room.
    * * *
    “How was school?” Destiny asked Sophia.
    “ Long and boring. I came out top of the class in the spelling quiz though,” she said.
    “You did?”
    “Uh huh, I want to show that stupid principal that I am smart,” she said.
    Did Justin actually tell Sophia that he thought she wasn’t smart? It must have been a ploy to make her try harder surely. Whatever worked, she thought. “Speaking about the principal, he’s coming over after dinner,” Destiny said, watching her daughter’s reaction.
    “Again? Why? He’s not your boyfriend is he?”
    “Why would you ask that?” Destiny asked.
    “He looks at you funny and he’s been here a lot all of a sudden.”
    “What do you mean he looks at me funny?” she asked. Before Sophia could answer, she remembered this wasn’t supposed to be about her. “Never mind about that. Justin’s a nice man isn’t he?”
    “Oh my God, you do like him don’t you?” Sophia asked. She was wearing a grin from to ear. She got up from her place at the table and started dancing around singing. “Mommy and Justin sittin’ in a tree k.i.s.s.i.n.g .”
    “Okay, that’s enough,” Destiny said, “if you’re done, rinse your plate and put it in the dishwasher.”
    “Sure, want to go change and do your make-up? That top is a little last year.”
    “Sophia, he’s not coming here to see me exactly.” She didn’t want to come out with what they were going to talk about, that wouldn’t be fair, as much as she was scared, they agreed to talk to her together. How do you prepare a child for such a momentous discussion without totally freaking her out? Maybe she was being a little cup-half-full here. She seemed to have survived the school day without any trouble or dramas and she didn’t seem to be broken or anything. Maybe she would embrace having a daddy. So how did she prepare her? Distraction, was the only way she could think of. “What do you want to do until Justin gets here?”
    “Um, let’s watch our show,” Sophia said.
    “Ah, I guess we could do that,” Destiny said. She had a terrible feeling though that if Justin came in while they were ensconced in an episode of The Bachelorette , he wouldn’t approve. “But what about if you help me find something more suitable to wear.”
    “Can I pick?”
    “Sure, I guess so.” As if things weren’t bad enough. She was surely going to pick something outlandish.
    * * *
    “He’s here!” Sophia said when there was a knock on the door. “You stay at the top of the stairs and make an entrance. That’s what girls always do when they’re going on a date.”
    “I’m not going on a date and that isn’t necessary,” Destiny called from about three steps down from the top stair. Too late, Sophia had already reeled open the door.
    “Hi, Justin,” she said. “See, I came first in the spelling quiz, I told you I wasn’t dumb.”
    “Hi to you too, Sophia. I heard you did very well in class today. I’m very happy for you,” he said. “I bet you even had a little fun didn't you?”
    “I had fun, at school, yeah sure.”
     
    Destiny stood there on the staircase, frozen. The moment had come and instead of just running down the stairs like a normal person, she’d waited, mesmerized by the vision of Sophia actually having a conversation with her daddy.
    “Desi,” Justin said from the bottom of the stairs.
    Fabulous, now she had to make a damn entrance