Chapter 44

Chapter Forty-Four

Calvin

M y hands are sweating bullets. Arriving passengers push past me, their trolleys laden with bulging suitcases. Africans in colorful kanga dress begin to spill out the doors, speaking in what I recognize as Swahili, and my heart races like a runaway train.

When Chacha exits, I move toward the oncoming crowd like a salmon fighting its way upstream. I have a Welcome Home balloon in one hand, a child-size puffy coat in the other.

He spots me and races forward. I kneel down, arms spread wide, risking the balloon floating free.

Chacha is in my arms and I'm overcome with emotion. Oh, how I missed this boy.

I kiss his forehead.

"Hi, Daddy," he says, brightly, the name on his tongue bringing me joy, the word rhyming with ‘hot toddy.' I miss Papi , but I'll take it.

"I want to be a pilot," he says.

I clear my throat, lifting him up. "I thought you wanted to be a doctor like me."

He furrows his brow. "Both, then."

His English has improved since I saw him last. My guess is he's been following the Anglos around the village, picking up words and phrases.

The escort extends a hand. I put Chacha down and we shake. The man grins broadly, his white teeth bright against his ebony complexion. "Chacha hasn't stopped chattering about you since we got on the plane."

That would be eighteen hours ago.

I hand the balloon to Chacha. "Hungry?"

"Only for an American hamburger and french fries," he says, his attention on the helium-filled gift hovering above us.

I laugh. The boy is a hoot. The papers are nearly finalized. We have a court appearance next week and then he'll officially be mine. Chacha Sinclair.

For someone who gave up on having a family years ago, I feel blessed beyond words.

Chacha kisses my cheek and I hug him fiercely. "Ready for cold?"

I help him into the coat, which he assesses with an adult-like skepticism.

"You're going to need it," I say.

He'll start kindergarten after Christmas break. I already spoke with the school and my boss. I'm still interviewing sitters. It's slowly coming together.

I hope.