Motion to Dismiss Read Free Page A

that will mature the baby's lungs. After that, even if he's early, he should be able to breathe on his own."
    "That's wonderful," I told her. Good news had been in short supply of late.
    She nodded, eyes bright. "We're not there yet, but each day is like a milestone. We've finally started to think about names." This was something she'd refused to do before, feeling that it was tempting fate.
    Grady poured more champagne, although his glass was the only one nearing empty.
    "So, what do you think of Christopher?" Nina asked, addressing me and Marc.
    "Great," Marc said with unwarranted enthusiasm.
    "He'll end up being Chris," Grady grumbled. "I knew a Chris in high school, couldn't stand the guy."
    "Grady's pushing for Mason, my maiden name. But I think Mason Barrett sounds like the line dividing the North and South during the Civil War. So far all we've managed to agree on is a sizable list of rejects."
    Marc picked the book of baby names off the coffee table and started flipping through the pages. "Dilbert, Garfield, Knut, Tupper, Wirt, Zebulon." He closed the book and laughed. "Seems to me you could do worse than either Christopher or Mason."
    "The family that lived next to us when I was young had three daughters," Nina said. "Their last name was Knight, and they named their daughters Windy, Stormy, and ... believe it or not -- Dayen."
    "No?" Marc made a face. "That's child abuse."
    Gradually, we were loosening up, like actors falling into their roles. Or maybe it was the champagne.
    "How about Barrett?" I offered. "I knew a boy once named Thomas Thomas."
    Marc groaned. "I never imagined being a parent was so complicated."
    There was a creaking sound from the hallway. Emily shuffled into the room. She swung a bedraggled and threadbare stuffed dog in one hand.
    Marc greeted her with a wide smile. "Hey, kiddo. How's Arf?"
    "He's hungry." Emily glanced at her mother, then back to Marc, who pulled a handful of Hershey kisses out of his jacket pocket.
    "He's got to show me his tricks first, remember?"
    "Have you seen Arf's tricks?" she asked me, bubbling with anticipation.
    I shook my head.
    "Watch closely, okay?"
    With Emily's help, Arf went through his repertoire of tricks, from rolling over and shaking to dancing a jig. Finally, he was rewarded with the coveted chocolates.
    "Arf's quite the showman," I told her.
    "He can do almost anything."
    "Come here, honey," Nina said. "Give me a hug."
    Emily put her arms around her mother's neck and kissed her cheek. Then she climbed into Grady's lap to eat her chocolates.
    Watching Grady with his stepdaughter always warmed my heart, and tonight was no different. It was clear they adored each other. He might have his faults, I reminded myself, but he had many good points as well.
    We were called to dinner by Simon, who, I suppose, is the modern-day equivalent of a butler. Nina, whose liberal roots were well established before her marriage to Grady, didn't refer to him in those terms, of course. It was usually just "Simon" or, in conjunction with his wife, "the couple who help us out."
    When Nina and I had roomed together years ago, we'd shared our cramped, drafty flat with an endless stream of ants and the reverberation of arguments from the couple next door. It was always a bit of a shock to see her here in the midst of such opulence. But Nina had told me on more than one occasion that it wasn't difficult getting used to money.
    With another hug for her parents, Emily departed with Arf to watch television. The rest of us ate in the wood-paneled dining room with a view of San Francisco Bay and the sparkling lights of the city beyond. We'd just finished our salads of winter greens garnished with pear and blue cheese, when the phone rang in the other room. Grady paused mid-sentence for a fraction of a beat and then continued with what he was saying. A moment later Simon appeared in the doorway.
    "Sorry to bother you, sir. There's a man on the phone who wishes to speak with you."
    "Didn't you