“Is there something else that you would like?”
“No, that’s fine.”
We went inside and ordered nearly the same thing. We sat down, quietly eating our food. There were a few others eating inside. There was one lady who kept looking at both of us. She would whisper to the man she was with before looking back at us again. I kept trying to ignore it, but I kept seeing her staring out of the corner of my eye. Did they know him? Recognize us? Was there a missing person report on me?
“That lady keeps staring and whispering,” I whispered.
“Yes, just ignore it,” he said.
“What if she knows who I am?”
“What?”
“What if my mother filed a missing person’s report and she recog—”
“Stop. She’s staring because you're white and I’m not…”
“But we’re not together,” I said.
“She assumes we are,” he said.
“How do you know?”
He tapped the side of his ear. “I can hear really well,” he whispered.
“That’s really rude.”
“I’m used to it,” he said.
“I’m sorry,” I told him.
“Stop apologizing for other people,” he grumbled.
“I’m sorry,” I said, keeping my eyes fixed on my plate.
We both finished quickly. We headed back out to the cabin. It had long turned dark, so I couldn’t look at everything to keep mymind busy. Once we got back, he unloaded the truck—refusing to let me help. Once in the room, I took the necklace from my pocket and pressed it to my chest.
Chapter 15
Five days had passed since Lina brought Izayuh to me. I finally clasped the necklace around my neck, keeping him close to my heart. Four days ago, I woke up, and as Lina warned, my breasts ached. My shirt was soaked. I sat on the floor of the shower sobbing that morning. I barely left my room that day or the next. Quinnlyn brought cabbage leaves in, like he knew what was wrong without me saying anything at all.
I’d barely been eating, much to Quinnlyn’s annoyance. He let me know before I went to sleep that we would be going to the clinic the following day. Once I woke up, I took a shower. Less milk leaked out than the days before. They still ached, reminding me that my body mourned Izayuh as much as my heart did.
We drove to the Gramercy, which was a little town outside of the Parish we were staying in. There was a small clinic on the square, just as Lina said. We pulled into the small lot out front. I opened the door and walked into the clinic. I stopped inside the door and looked around. There were three pregnant women and their partners sitting in the waiting room.
Quinnlyn placed his hand on my lower back. I inhaled a breath and walked to the receptionist, giving her my name. We both sat down to wait until Dr. Arthur could see me. I kept my head down, my thumb and finger rubbing the pendant hanging around my neck. I didn’t want to look at the women sitting in the room.Their babies were safe and sound within them, and mine? He was reduced to a pinch of ash hanging around my neck. A cleared throat pulled me back.
“Are you two together? Expecting a baby?” one of the men asked.
“That matters to you how?” Quinnlyn countered.
“Blacks and whites don’t need to be… making mutts,” he said.
Quinnlyn stood up, and the chair skidded back. I instinctively grabbed his wrist, pulling him back.
“You’re a racist pig, and we all bleed the same color,” I said.
Quinnlyn sat back down, his fists clenched, and the veins in his neck standing out. I stood and walked to the receptionist.