“That’s a thing?” Willow asked.
“Yes, it’s the latest craze among teens,” he said, looking in the rearview mirror. “We are going to have a great time this week. Let’s focus on what is in front of us and not what we left behind.”
“Yes sir,” both girls chimed in, and he glanced at Willow from the side of his eye. Tonight, he had a big surprise for her and the girls. He didn’t want it spoiled over some cute kid with smooth low cut hair named Jamal.
RAPHAEL HAD NEVER BEEN to a place like the Great Wolf Lodge. To him it looked like another themed tourist trap to suck all the money out of your pocket while the kids played in water until their fingers and toes were wrinkled. He checked into the hotel, getting the keys to the Grand Royal Bear Suite that gave the girls their own bathroom. A separate sleep and toilet space were one of a few comforts he didn’t plan to sacrifice, especially not having to shower and one of the girls needing to come in to relieve themselves. Those kinds of things weren’t happening on his watch.
Willow fidgeted with her hands as the girls ran to the second bedroom.
“Wait, girls. Willow and I will take that bedroom, and you can have this one out here,” he said, looking at Karli, “and if you don’t want to share the bed, that couch opens into a sleeper, and one of you can sleep there.”
“Okay, cool,” Dusty said, looking out the window at the mazes of slides and water fountains. “So, are we supposed to just run around and play in the water for two days?”
“You’re supposed to run around and be a kid for two days,” he said softly, walking into the bedroom.
Willow had brought a small basket for every wife and a small box for every husband and he had no idea what was in each one. She seemed pleased when everything was done as she packed up all the items. As long as she was pleased, he was good with it, but her nervousness made him pause.
“Willow, you okay?”
“No. I’m worried,” she said, looking at him with those woeful brown eyes. “Am I going to be the only Black woman here? I mean, it’s no big deal, but I want to prepare myself to walk into a room that’s not expecting my melanin.”
He frowned at her, then his face eased as the as the creases in his forehead disappeared. His mother had experienced a bit of blow back from the other doctor’s wives, which is why she mainly kept to herself and spent her time sewing and crafting. Raphael understood her concern.
“Mr. Mann’s wife, Sharon, is a Black woman,” he said, looking at her.
“You think I’m being silly, don’t you?” she asked, opening the vintage suitcase that had once belonged to his mother to unpack the items. He watched as she hung his clothing in the closet and placed his undergarments in a drawer as if they were staying more than a couple of days. The suitcases were closed and placed in the closet on the floor and bathroom items she artfully arranged on the vanity.
Raphael cleared his throat before speaking.
“My mother was Chilean. The more time she spent outside, the browner she became, so in the Summer, along with the heavy accent, she too became reluctant to take part in events with the wives of the other doctors,” he said softly. “She participated when necessary but never out of necessity. The gifts should win you a few points, but I don’t think these women are like that.”
“All women are like that. There’s a pecking order,” she told him as his phone buzzed. Raphael held up one hand, pointing towards the girls who had entered the open door of the bedroom. They were probably going to ask about food. He placed a finger over his lips as he took the call while ushering them out of the bedroom.
“This is the Exit,” he said calmly in the line.
“Hey, we’re downstairs. Bring the family and come say hi,” Mann said in the line.
“Roger that, five mikes, any intel I need to know?”
“I have a cold beer. Should I order you one or would you prefer a glass of red wine with woodsy undertones and citrus notes that pop off your palate?” Mann said facetiously.
“No, but I would like you to take my left nut out of your mouth before you choke on it. A beer is fine,” Exit said and ended the call.
Willow peeked her head in the door. He spoke, looking about at the animals and the kitten on a leash. “We are requested downstairs.”
“Should I bring the gifts?” Willow asked.
“Can we bring Pierce and Daniel?” Dusty asked.
“I didn’t ask, so yeah, bring everything,” he said, picking up the box which held the gifts for the wives.
Willow held the box that had the gifts for the men, and the girls carried the kitten and Pierce. This was it. He was about to meet half of the Construction Crew. It was an unorthodox move, but one he felt was becoming a necessity; he didn’t know why, he just knew it needed to happen. The family was going to meet his family.
He found himself being nervous for the oddest reason. In the elevator, he looked down at them all, including the dog. “Good behavior. Make a nice impression, but more than anything, be yourselves and have a good time,” he said.
Pierce barked. The cat meowed. Karli gave him the side eye as if he were asking for what she was already planning to contribute, and Dusty didn’t seem to care. Willow seemed to be holding her breath. He leaned down, kissing her on the temple as a gesture of solidarity.
The elevator doors opened, and they followed the signs from the vestibule to the Red Oak Meeting room. A door was slightly ajar and music played. He could hear the voices of a few people as he tapped on the door and entered. Immediately, he spotted the man with the scar down the side of his face and over his eye.
“Yield,” Exit said aloud.
“Exit,” Yield snarled back at him.
“Everyone, this is my family. Willow, Dusty Rose, Karli, and the kitten is Daniel Craig and the pup is Pierce Brosnan,” he said factually. It was enough to break the ice as the people in the room moved forward. A little girl made her way over to Karli to pet the kitten. A second little girl, a toddler, who looked about three, made her way over as well, zoning in on the kitten and anxious to pet Daniel Craig.
A large man with wide shoulders, huge arms, and eyes that surveyed everything he saw stepped up. “I’m Stop, this here is Judy and my daughter Johnnie,” he said pointing at the older of the two girls.
“I’m Karli. Johnnie, would you like to pet Daniel Craig?” she asked the girl. “Do they have any cookies around here?”
“Easy on the cookies, Pooh Bear,” Exit warned, knowing the sugar would make her start talking. No one was prepared for that, least of all him. The second child said her name was Michelle and pulled two cookies from her front dress pocket, offering one to Karli, who turned up her nose refusing. Johnnie pointed towards the table where more cookies were located, and Karli led the two younger girls in that direction.
Raphael set the box on the edge of the table. “Hey, my Willow made stuff for everybody, so when she says your name, come on forward. We can use that as the personal intros,” he bellowed.
Willow was taken aback by his less than classy approach to introductions but it would work. She went with it.
“Cabrina,” she said, as a fair complexioned woman stepped forward. “A pleasure to meet you. This is for you and Archangel, this one is for you.”