"What you trying to get into?"
Don asked as he, Darnell, and Nova sat in afternoon traffic. Darnell planned on going back to the house to just clear her head. With all this bullshit she was put in the middle of she just wanted to relax.
"Nothing. I was going to go chill at the house."
"Well at least let me take you out to get some lunch." Don almost pleaded. This was the longest he had been around Darnell in a while and he didn't want it to end.
"Yeah I guess."
Don drove for another 30 minutes until he pulled into a parking lot of a diner. They all got out once he parked and turned the car off. Darnell waited on the sidewalk in front of the restaurant while Don got Nova out of the car.
Once inside a hostess seated them in a booth, Darnell and Nova on one side and Don on the other.
"Your waiter will be with you in a second." The hostess said as she placed menus in front of Don and Darnell and a kids menu in front of Nova with a package of crayons.
Sitting in silence the only thing Don could do was stare at Nova. The little girl didn't share any of his features and he couldn't help the gut feeling that told him she wasn't his. Even if she wasn't his, she still deserved to have a father in her life.
He also had to think about his wife. Darnell had already accepted Kaydence as her daughter with open arms. She raised her like she was her mother and in Kay's eyes she was. She was the only motherly figure she ever knew, but with Nova it was different. Nova was a product of a lie, betrayal, and a drunken night that should have never happened.
Don's thoughts were interrupted when a waiter in a blue uniform and white apron came to the table. She had a brown skin color, her red hair was pulled back into a hair net.
"My name is Keisha. I'm going to be your waitress can I start y'all off with something to drink?"
"Yeah let me get a sweet tea." Don responded. She wrote it down and shifted her attention to Darnell and Nova.
"And you ladies?"
"What you want to drink a baby girl?" Darnell asked Nova as she colored one of the pictures on her sheet.
"Can I get chocolate milk?" She asked looking at Darnell then Don.
"Yeah no problem baby." She looked up at Keisha nodding her head."and I'll have strawberry lemonade if you have it."
"Okay. I'll be right back with your drinks and to place you guys' order." She left the table leaving them in silence again.
When she returned she placed the drinks on the table and placed their orders. It didn't take long for her return and that all ate. Darnell didn't speak much. She had a lot on her mind and wanted to just clear her mind.
Don payed for their meals and made their way back to the house. By the time they where pulling into the driveway Nova was asleep.
Darnell got her bag from the floor and placed it in her lap. She looked over at Don who was sitting in the driver seat watching her every move.
"Can you come inside for a minute? I think we should talk about a few things."
Don furrowed his eyebrows. By the tone of Darnell's voice she was calm but he didn't know what to expect some this conversation.
"Yeah." He spoke turning off his truck and unbuckling his seatbelt. He got out and took Nova out of her car seat carrying her on his shoulder. He followed Darnell in the house after she unlocked the front door and turned off the alarm system.
