Chapter 2
The Child Nobody Told Us About
I stared at Marcus's phone.
The little boy in the photograph couldn't have been older than four.
He had Marcus's smile.
Marcus's eyes.
Even the same small dimple in his left cheek.
The picture showed them standing outside an amusement park.
Marcus wore a bright red shirt.
The boy held a blue balloon.
And beneath the photograph was a message.
DID YOU GET MALIK'S MONEY YET?
My mother reached for the phone.
Marcus grabbed it first.
"That's private."
Mom stared at him.
"Who is Vanessa?"
Marcus swallowed.
"Nobody."
I almost laughed.
"Nobody?"
He turned toward me.
"Stay out of grown folks' business."
I felt my anger rise.
"You were just asking for my money."
He pointed at me.
"Watch yourself."
Mom stepped between us.
"Marcus, answer me."
He looked toward the kitchen.
Then the hallway.
Anywhere except her face.
"She's an old friend."
Mom's voice became quiet.
"Then why is she asking about Malik's money?"
Marcus shrugged.
"She borrowed something."
I stared at him.
"That doesn't even make sense."
He turned sharply.
"I wasn't talking to you."
My mother raised one hand.
"Stop."
Something in her voice made him go silent.
Mom worked as a nurse at Atlanta Memorial Hospital.
She handled emergencies every day.
She knew how to stay calm when people were frightened.
But I'd never heard her speak to Marcus this way.
"Show me the messages."
He shook his head.
"No."
"Marcus."
"It's my phone."
Mom stared at him.
"Then tell me who that child is."
His expression changed.
I watched the color leave his face.
For several seconds, nobody moved.
Then Lily stepped out of the kitchen.
"Daddy?"
Marcus looked at her.
His face softened.
"Go to your room, baby."
Lily stared at the phone.
"Is that my brother?"
My mother stopped breathing.
I felt my stomach drop.
Marcus turned toward Lily.
"What?"
She pointed at the screen.
"The little boy."
I looked at her.
"Lily, how do you know him?"
She lowered her eyes.
"His name is Noah."
The room went completely silent.
Mom slowly turned toward Marcus.
"Noah?"
Lily nodded.
"Daddy took me to see him."
I couldn't breathe.
"When?" Mom whispered.
Lily looked frightened.
"Last month."
Marcus stepped forward.
"Lily, sweetheart—"
Mom blocked him.
"Don't."
She knelt in front of my sister.
"Baby, tell Mommy what happened."
Lily twisted the strings of her hoodie.
"Daddy said we were visiting his friend."
Mom nodded.
"Okay."
"There was a little boy there."
She looked at Marcus.
"Daddy said Noah was my brother."
I felt cold.
Marcus had another child.
A child he'd been hiding.
And he'd taken Lily to meet him without telling our mother.
Mom stood slowly.
"How old is he?"
Marcus rubbed his forehead.
"Nia, please."
"How old?"
He whispered, "Four."
My mother's face crumpled.
They had been married six years.
Noah was four.
I saw the truth reach her before Marcus said another word.
"You cheated on me."
Marcus shook his head.
"It's complicated."
I stared at him.
"What's complicated?"
He turned toward me.
"Malik, enough."
"No."
My voice rose.
"You've spent months treating me like a burden while you were hiding another family?"
Marcus stepped toward me.
I didn't move.
Mom grabbed his arm.
"Don't you dare."
He froze.
I looked at Lily.
She was crying.
My heart broke.
I knelt beside her.
"Hey, Peanut."
She wiped her cheeks.
"Am I in trouble?"
"No."
I shook my head.
"Not even a little."
She whispered, "Daddy told me not to tell."
I felt anger burn through me.
He'd made an eight-year-old carry his secret.
I pulled her into a hug.
"You didn't do anything wrong."
She started sobbing.
"I didn't want Mommy to be sad."
Mom knelt beside us.
"Oh, sweetheart."
She wrapped her arms around Lily.
I watched them hold each other.
Then I looked at Marcus.
He stood beside the couch.
His controller lay forgotten.
His expression wasn't ashamed.
He looked irritated.
As though we were inconveniencing him.
Mom stood.
"How long have you been seeing Vanessa?"
Marcus sighed.
"Can we not do this in front of the kids?"
I stared at him.
"Now you care?"
Mom looked at me.
"Malik, take Lily to the kitchen."
I hesitated.
"Mom—"
"Please."
I nodded.
I took Lily's hand and led her away.
But our living room was small.
I could still hear everything.
Marcus lowered his voice.
"Vanessa and I had a situation."
Mom laughed bitterly.
"A situation?"
"It wasn't supposed to happen."
"Four years ago?"
Silence.
Then Marcus said, "It continued longer than it should have."
I closed my eyes.
Mom whispered, "Were you ever going to tell me?"
"I didn't want to hurt you."
She laughed again.
A terrible sound.
"You let me work overtime while you stayed home."
"I was looking for work."
"You asked my son for grocery money."
Marcus said nothing.
Mom's voice trembled.
"And you were giving money to another woman?"
I looked down at Lily.
She was drawing circles on a napkin.
Trying not to listen.
Then Marcus said something that made my blood run cold.
"Malik owes this family."
I stood.
Mom's voice sharpened.
"He owes us nothing."
Marcus laughed.
"He lives here for free."
"He goes to school."
"He works."
"And he's eighteen."
I stepped into the living room.
"And I'm leaving."
Marcus turned.
"You think you're so smart."
I looked at him.
"No."
I picked up my apprenticeship folder.
"But I'm smart enough to know I deserve better."
Mom stared at me.
Then she looked toward the scattered groceries.
Something in her expression changed.
She walked to the coffee table.
Picked up the receipt.
And studied it carefully.
Then she asked Marcus one question.
"Where did the three hundred dollars I gave you for groceries go?"
Marcus froze.
I looked at Mom.
Three hundred dollars?
She'd given him money for groceries?
Then why had I been paying?
Marcus swallowed.
"Bills."
Mom shook her head.
"I paid the bills."
Silence.
She slowly raised her eyes.
"Marcus, where is my money?"
He didn't answer.
Then his phone vibrated again.
Another message from Vanessa.
NOAH'S TUITION IS DUE TOMORROW. YOU PROMISED YOU'D SEND IT.
May you like
My mother stared at the screen.
And I watched the last piece of her trust disappear.
