Chapter 2

Our son?

Before I could even wrap my head around it, she called.

"Cousin, you're home, right? Wait there. I'm coming over right now to explain."

She showed up fast, a bag in her hand.

Grinning ear to ear.

"Last year a fortune teller said my boy should have a godmother, so I had someone check the birth charts, and you came out the best match. I settled it on the spot."

"I meant to tell you back then, but things got busy and it slipped my mind."

"I knew you wouldn't mind being Justin's godmother. Justin's smart and quick, you know. Plenty of people would kill for the chance to be his godmother."

She pulled a piece of clothing out of the bag.

"I bought this for Justin's godmother ages ago and just never got around to dropping it off. Take it now. Letitia, from now on you're Justin's godmother, and we're one family."

My head buzzed with rage.

Somehow I'd been made a godmother without knowing a thing about it.

And from her tone, I was supposed to feel honored.

My chest heaved.

I spoke through the anger.

"You're the one who put Justin Smith on my household records, aren't you?"

"And that birth-out-of-wedlock statement, that was you too, wasn't it?"

She smiled.

"Letitia, don't blow up yet. Hear me out first. Once you do, you won't be angry at all. You'll thank me."

"Fine. Go ahead. I'm listening."

I forced the anger down.

"Justin's about to start elementary school, right? Lincoln Elementary is the best school in the city, and this place you live in is one of the only homes in the district. The slot was just sitting there, so I thought I'd let our son use it."

"You wouldn't have any objection, because you're Justin Smith's godmother, and a godmother helping her own son get into the best school is only right."

"And when Justin makes something of himself someday, could he ever forget his godmother? Of course not. He'll take good care of you."

My face went white with fury.

The most shameless thing imaginable, out of her mouth, became a duty I owed.

Then something came back to me.

Six months ago, this cousin who never contacted me suddenly showed up at my door selling insurance.

The amount was small, and I didn't want to seem rude, so I signed my name on the agreement.

She asked to borrow my household records book and my ID to make copies, said she needed them for the paperwork.

I didn't think twice. I handed them over.

Only now do I understand. She'd used them to commit forgery.