“Not at all,” Jake responded, shaking his head. “I was once your age, and did my share of looking.” Jake noticed how Justin sat a little straighter, his eyes sparkling at this admission. “There’s nothing wrong with being curious, especially as you adjust to the changes happening to your body. But you’ll have plenty of time for girls, Justin. Right now I think your focus should be on school and football, especially how you’re going to get past Carter Woodson this Friday.”

“Aw, c’mon now, Coach. Carter’s a chump. I’ma run right through him.”

Jake laughed. “Is that right?”

Justin nodded.

“We’ll see,” Jake said, turning the pages of the book in front of him. “But before you do that, let’s see if you can run past these mathematical equations.”

Later that evening, Dominique was pleased to see that instead of sulking and staying in his room, Justin was back to his chatty self.

“Did you have a good time at school today?” she asked, hoping to root out the cause for Justin’s changed mood.

“Uh-huh.”

“What was so good about it?”

“I made a forty-yard touchdown at practice today. Coach Mac showed us this new play and I got it right the first time!”

“That sounds great, baby. Is that why you’re in such a good mood?”

“Yeah, that and the fact that me and Coach talked.”

Dominique’s parental antennae immediately went up. She didn’t even bother correcting the poor grammar that was her pet peeve. “Oh,” she nonchalantly responded. “What about?”

“Man stuff, Mama,” Justin answered as he stood and grabbed an apple from the bowl of fruit centered on the dining room table. “You wouldn’t understand.”

“What do you mean, ‘man stuff,’” Dominique probed. “Was it about those nasty pictures you viewed?”

“They weren’t nasty.”

“Is that what he told you?”

“What he said is between me and Coach Mac!” Justin raced toward the stairs.

“Justin! Get back here.”

Justin ignored his mother. “I wish he was my dad,” he mumbled under his breath. But not low enough. Dominique heard.

“Wait a minute, boy. What did you say?”

“Nothing!” Justin said, as he continued up the stairs and slammed the door to his room.

Dominique resisted the urge to follow after Justin and force him to talk. She needed the time alone as much as he did; time to calm down and gather her thoughts. He wishes Jake was his father? This declaration had thrown her for a loop. Her mind reeled as she tidied up the kitchen and once done, she went upstairs as well. In the privacy of her master domain, she reached for her phone.

“Jake, it’s me,” Dominique said once her phone call had been answered. “When it comes to Justin and how I raise him, I think you’re crossing the line.”

“What?” Jake responded, incredulity wrapped around all three consonants and the vowel.