Flaws and All by Shana Burton

Author:Shana Burton
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Urban Books
Published: 2012-08-06T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 28

“Don’t try to tangle with me.”

—Lawson Kerry

Mark entered Lawson’s classroom that Monday afternoon just as she was packing up to leave. His presence brought the usual anxiety along with it.

“Do you have any extra dry erase markers?” he asked.

“I thought the new teacher was supposed to be borrowing from the mentor, not the other way around.” She pointed to her file cabinet. “Look in there. Grab what you need.”

“Thanks.” He opened the drawer, pulled out a box of markers, and held up a wallet-sized picture of Namon in his football uniform. “Is this your son?”

The anxiety mounted. She’d forgotten about stashing the picture in there to keep Mark from seeing it on her desk. Clearly, the plan had backfired. “Yes, that’s Namon.”

Mark was mesmerized by the photo, “Cute kid. Kind of looks like me at that age.”

The comparison left Lawson feeling sick. “He is the spitting image of Patrick Kerry, my father,” she lied to throw him off.

“What’s his name again?”

“Namon.” She hoisted the picture from his grasp.

“He plays football, huh? How old is he?”

“He’s in middle school,” she replied, being vague to prevent Mark from asking too many questions.

“Oh, you must’ve had him pretty young?”

“Yeah, I was still in high school.”

“Really? I don’t remember you saying you had a kid when we met.”

“I had him later.” She crammed the picture into her wallet.

“Was his daddy a jock too?”

“Mark, why the sudden interest in my son?”

“I’m just curious about what you’ve been doing for the last fourteen years. Sue me.”

“I’ve been working, going to school, and taking care of my child. Case closed.”

“Do you get a lot of help from his dad?”

Lawson was visibly irritated. “Namon’s father abandoned him before he was even born.”

“That’s messed up. I can’t imagine ever doing that to a child of mine.”

“Oh, really,” she replied, ripe with sarcasm.

“I know you’re wondering how I can say that when my daughter’s in a whole other state, but I send money every week, I get her during the summer, and I’m up in Charlotte visiting her every other weekend. I refuse to be a deadbeat dad.”

“I suppose that makes Mariah a very lucky girl.” Lawson slung her purse strap over her shoulder and started walking out of the classroom. “Mark, I really do have to go. Namon has a doctor’s appointment, and we can’t be late. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Mark walked out behind her. “He’s not sick, is he?”

“Not really. He has thyroid problems.”

“I do too. It’s hereditary, you know.”

She shrugged her shoulders. “I guess.”

He stopped walking and thought for a moment. “That’s weird, isn’t it?”

“What?”

“That your son and I both have the same condition.”

Lawson pushed open the exterior doors of the school and walked to the parking lot. “It’s not that strange, Mark. Millions of people suffer the same ailment.” She could tell by his expression that her answer didn’t placate him as much as she wished it had.

Mark was hot on her heels. “How old did you say he was again?”

In her haste to get away from Mark, Lawson blurted out, “He’s almost fourteen,” without thinking.

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