My Name Is Venus Black(69)

“Well, it doesn’t really get into full swing until tomorrow, Sunday. But I’m sure it will be great. How’s everything going there?”

“Fine, Dad. You’ve only been gone one night. Maureen came over like you said. We watched TV. Leo was upset that you weren’t here, but he didn’t throw that big of a fit. I did your part in the routine. He wouldn’t let Maureen come in his room, said she wasn’t allowed.”



“You’re never going to believe what happened yesterday,” he tells her. “I called you, and Leo answered the phone. You were in the bathroom, he said. And then he just said goodbye and hung up on me. It was hilarious.”

“Oh my gosh! Really? Leo answered the phone?”

“Guess he thought it might be me,” he says. “Pretty amazing, huh?”

“Yeah. But you missed some other big news about Leo,” says Tessa.

“I did?” For a second, he panics.

“Yeah. Leo brought home a note from the orchestra teacher. He wants Leo to play a solo in a concert with the rest of the kids two weeks from Monday.”

So that’s all. Leo has had private lessons for years but never joined the regular kids. “But how will that work?”

“The note says that he’s going to start having Leo come to the class on Monday and practice with them to see if he can get used to it.”

“That’s so cool, honey.”

“Yeah. I think it’s really cool, too.”

“So, what did you have for dinner?”

“Some country fried steak.”

“Mmm. That sounds good. I wish I were there.”

“Me, too. It’s weird when you’re gone.”

“Yeah, I agree. I sure love you, Tessa.”

“Love you, too.”

“Tell Leo I love him.”

“I will,” she says. “Do you think he understands what love is?”

Tony is surprised. She’s never asked this before.

“I mean, he doesn’t ever say he loves us,” she presses. “Do you think he does?”



“Yes, Tessa. I think he does a whole lot.”

“Me, too,” she says. But Tony can hear the faint doubt in her voice.

After he hangs up, Tony thinks about Leo. Thinks about love. Realizes how little he knows about anything.





Sunday morning, Inez is rinsing her cereal bowl in the sink when the phone rings. Probably it’s Shirley, probably still sick, asking again if she can help today.

She picks up. “Hello?”

“Is this Inez Black?” It’s a man.

“Yes, it is. Can I help you?” What if it’s about Leo?

“I hope so. My name’s Tony, and I’m calling about your house. It’s for sale, right?”

“Well, yes,” she says, let down it’s not about Leo. “But it’s not on the market yet.”

“I understand, but is there any way I could possibly come by today and just take a quick look?”

“I don’t think so,” Inez says. “You need to go through my realtor. It doesn’t officially go on the market until next week.”

“I understand,” he says again, sounding a bit hurried. “But the thing is, I have to head back home to California tomorrow, and it will be a couple months before I can make it back up to Washington.”

Inez thinks, California. That’s a good thing. He probably won’t know the story. And what if she doesn’t get any other people who are interested, especially since February is a really dumb time to put a house on the market?



The man continues, “My work down in Oakland is transferring me up here soon, so I’m anxious to find a place for my daughter and me.”

“Oh,” says Inez. A daughter. He’s single. She suspects both these facts would delight Melissa. She claims men are way less picky about dumb stuff like outdated pink bathroom tile.

“Well, then,” she says, trying to stall. “Let me think…” How quickly could she get Venus’s room packed up? For now she could just hang a picture over the hole.

“I suppose I could let you look,” she says. “But it’s not quite as clean as I want it to be. I’m not really ready….”

“I don’t care about clean,” the man says. “Trust me, I can see past that.”

She looks at the kitchen clock. It’s almost 9:00 A.M. If he doesn’t come until late this afternoon…And it might actually help her stay on task and avoid the drama. It will force her to proceed in an industrious, non-emotional way.

“Okay,” she says, her voice shaky. “How about four o’ clock?”

Great,” he says. “Four P.M. I’ll be there. I appreciate this, ma’am.”

After she hangs up, Inez tries to call Melissa but only gets her answering machine.

Then Inez has a terrible thought. What if this guy is a reporter or just a neighbor with a sick curiosity who can’t wait to tour the house where it all happened?

But if this guy really is from California, Inez is going to have a hard time not begging him to buy the house. To avoid the torture of showing it, and before it could even go on the market? That would be such a great thing.