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this to get back at
Momma.”
    Aliyah opened the door. “I’ll be back by
curfew.”
    Shanti held her waist. “What do I tell Daddy
when he gets home?”
    “I really don’t care.”

 

CHAPTER NINE
    A Week Later

 
    “Ah, Cross.” Layla struggled to walk with
her hand over her eyes. “Was that the last step?”
    “Yeah, hold on.” Cross held her hand and
guided her outside. “Don’t peek.”
    “What the…?” She groaned. “Are we in the
courtyard?”
    “Yes,” he sang. “We’re going down the
sidewalk now. Turn right.”
    “Ouch.” Her sneaker caught on the cracked
pavement. “I’m tired of this. I told you I wanted to stay in my room today.”
    “You need to come out for air sometime,
Layla.” He pulled her along. “You haven’t left your room for days.”
    “I’ve been gathering my thoughts.” She
inched one foot in front of the other. “Isn’t that what the institution is
for…to regroup?”
    Cross guided her toward the left. “Yeah,
but you don’t have to be a hermit.”
      “Where
are we going?” She held on to him. “Don’t let me bump into anything.”
    He caressed her hand as he held it. “I got ya ’.”
    Is
he caressing my hand on purpose? Does he realize he’s doing it?
    “Come on, damn it.” She stopped and
stomped her feet. “Why am I out here?”
    “You can uncover your eyes now.”
    She took her hand down. Underneath the
cluster of trees sat a blanket in the grass with a picnic basket, a container
of red juice, paper plates, and plastic cups.
    She looked at him. “What is this?”
    “Ta da.” He waved his hand over the
spread. “I figured if I got you out of your room, it had to be worth it.” He
smiled. “Is it?”
    “A picnic?” She stared at it as if it were
a pile of gold. “You did this for me?”
    “I’ve been worried about you. Dr.
Livingston told me to keep an eye on you. She says we’re good for each other,
and we can help each other make progress.”
    “Cross.” She covered her mouth. “I don’t
know what to say.”
    “It’s just food.”
    He sat down and opened the basket.
    “You don’t understand.” She sat on her
knees. “This is one of the sweetest things anyone has ever done for me. Just to
know that you cared enough about me to…” She took his hand. “Thank you.”
    “You don’t have to thank me.” He took out
two sandwiches wrapped in plastic. “It’s as much for me as for you.” He handed
her a sandwich and a napkin. “I’ve been worried about you. You haven’t come out
of your room in almost a week. Is something else wrong?”
    She slowly peeled the plastic off her
sandwich and sniffed it.
    “I love roast beef.”
    “I’m glad.” He bit into his sandwich.
“What’s been going on with you?”
    She brushed a gnat off her knee. “I’m
trying not to get programmed into thinking therapy and medicine can fix all my
problems.” She chewed the soft bread and moist beef. “All I care about is my
children, and I can’t stand Aliyah hating me. I find myself staring at that
macaroni drawing, and it brings so much pain. If I can’t fix things with her,
then nothing else matters.”
    “You gotta have faith that everything will
work out.” He poured a cup of juice and set it beside her. “I haven’t known you
long, but I know you’re a strong person. I could tell that the moment I met
you.”
    “I’ve been thinking about my dad a lot.”
She chewed. “Something about this place brings back memories you wish you could
ignore.”
    He sipped juice. “Like what?”
      “My
dad killed himself when I was nineteen.”
    Cross lowered his sandwich. “What?”
    “He was old school, so he didn’t believe
in going to doctors or anything.” She curled her legs Indian-style. “When his
illness would get out of control, he drank.” She pinched a corner off her
sandwich. “That was his medicine.”
    “I’m so sorry. How did he kill himself?”
    “He shot himself in the head.”
    Cross closed his eyes.