“It wasn’t exactly information I thought would make you go out with me,” Dave sighed.
I was appalled, “How could you lie to me about something that important?”
“I’m sorry, Tay, I’m sorry. I was going to tell you the truth…”
“When?”
“I don’t know…”
“Dave,” I was impatient, “Why do you think you have to hide everything from me? Why do you push me away? I care what happens to you, don’t you know that?”
He didn’t reply.
“Dammit, even if I wasn’t your girlfriend, I’d still be your best friend. Why don’t you trust me?” I yelled exasperatedly, plopping down on the front steps. We’d taken this one outside.
Dave was still silent, unable to look me in the eye. He finally spoke up a minute later, “You’re the only one who’s ever met my mother.” This time I remained silent. “I always tried to keep people away from her. I knew that if she met anyone, she’d freak out.” He was silent again, and then he said, “Sue Ellen Pichesnyk was this girl I dated a couple years ago. She wasn’t really that pretty, but I fell in love with her,” he pulled out a cigarette and lit it. “She was like the nicest girl I’d ever met. She was a virgin. One night things got a little out of hand, and well…” he shrugged, puffing the cigarette. “We never talked again.”
It was sad and depressing. Most of all, the story was frightening because I could see it easily happening to me. But Dave wouldn’t take advantage of me like that, right? Right?
“My son was born last September. He’ll be one in like a month. He lives with D.C.’s mother. Deece and I agreed that we wouldn’t tell anyone about him.”
“What’s his name?”
“Jeremiah Jacob.”
“Why’d you lie?”
“I didn’t think you’d want to go out with me if you knew. It’s not exactly the best example of me being a responsible guy.”
“Do you ever see him?”
“At least once a week.”
“Can I meet him?”
“You want to meet him?” he was more shocked than I’d ever seen him.
“Of course.”
He threw his stog down on the sidewalk and grabbed my hand, smiling the biggest and most genuine smile I’ve ever seen. Without saying anything to D.C. or Heidi, we hopped in Dave’s car and were off.
D.C. lives with her father, and so I’ve never met her mother or seen her house. It was rather nice. I was surprised, considering D.C. pierces body parts and strips for a living. Dave knocked on the door and a woman with platinum hair opened it.
“Hello, David,” she didn’t seem too excited to see him.
“Hi,” he followed her into the house.
D.C.’s mom went up the stairs, leaving us alone in the living room. There were pictures of D.C. as a little girl on the wall. She had long, dark blond hair and glasses in most of them. She looked so ordinary that it almost made me laugh.
“Have him back sometime before eight tonight. I have a babysitter coming over,” D.C.’s mother handed over the sleepy-looking Jeremiah and his baby bag.
“Thanks,” Dave muttered, and we left. Dave picked up a car seat that was sitting in the opened garage. Jeremiah was passed over to me while Dave put the seat in the car. He’s like the cutest baby ever. He was wearing a striped t shirt and some little overalls, complete with a pair of little white sneakers. His hair was a sandy type of blond, quite similar to the color of D.C.’s in her younger pictures. I could tell Jeremiah was shy, but he was also sleepy, and so he snuggled into me while Dave set up his seat.
