“Didn’t you leave her?”
“She found somebody else, and…how did you know that?”
The fairy waved her hand in the air. “Tsk, tsk, useless question. I can’t give you a gift that was given to you by another fairy. It doesn’t work that way. Besides, you don’t need anything, so go home.”
Maggie was shocked. “You’re not going to help me?”
“With what? Being happy? You’re seriously asking for a gift to help you with being happy? I’ll give you advice—that’s my gift. Don’t run. Start talking about how you feel.” Apsara went back to the ladder. Over her shoulder she said, “Now, go home. Be happy.”
She snapped her fingers and disappeared.
Chapter Thirty-eight
When Maggie got home, Charlie was sitting on the front step. Her face was wrought with worry. At the sight of her, Maggie immediately felt guilty for her own panic. What was she thinking? For the first time in her life, she had the possibility of real love—true and permanent, non-judgmental. She knew the problem she was having was since she never experienced it, she didn’t believe anyone was capable of giving it…to her. It didn’t exist in her world. She didn’t deserve it.
Charlie eyed her approach. She said nothing as Maggie took a seat beside her and gently leaned into her.
“When I got home, you were gone. You didn’t want to shop with me because you said you didn’t feel well. I thought you’d be lying down—resting. Are you okay?”
Maggie decided it was time to bite the bullet and take the fairy’s advice. Apsara said go home, be happy, talk about how she was feeling. She still wasn’t sure she could do that, but in that moment, seeing Charlie look so worried about her, which was something she never got when she was growing up, she knew she had to grab onto happiness and hold it with all her might.
Therefore, honesty had to be the best policy in this moment.
She took a deep breath and plunged in. “Physically, yes. Emotionally, not so much.”
Charlie’s worry magnified with the increase pitch of her voice. “What do you mean?”
Maggie turned to face Charlie and took her hands. “First, you need to know that I love you—so, very much. I always have, even back in college. I think we’ve established that fact.” She smiled warmly, and Charlie’s shoulders dropped a bit, her hard posture softening. “Now, for the tough part.” She took another deep breath. “I never knew real love growing up. I think that’s why I didn’t recognize it in me and why I ran from it.” She searched Charlie’s face for any sign of emotion. There was only curiosity.
“It makes sense. I know you had a rough childhood.”
Maggie jumped in to prevent Charlie from coming to any wrong conclusions. “Right. It took me a long time to accept Aunt Agnes’s help…and love, because I also didn’t know what it looked like coming from other people. I just didn’t know how to act or what to do with it. I still struggle. Part of me feels that I don’t deserve it.”
“Okay. So, where is this going?”
“Not where your worried mind is taking you.”
Charlie giggled. “You got me on that one.”
“I’m not going to lie. I promised myself I wouldn’t do that to you no matter what, so here it is. I panicked—big time. I needed to get out of the house because I felt the walls closing in. God, that sounds so cliché, doesn’t it?”
“Yes, it does, but I get it.”
“I’m glad you do because I wasn’t so sure I did until I went for a walk.” Maggie scooched closer to Charlie. “I have a chance for real happiness and real love. The problem is I have no experience with it; no one taught me what to do, how to…live it.”
Charlie pulled Maggie’s hands to her chest. “Then let me help you. Let me teach you what real love is and what to do with it.”
“I would really like that, but…”
Charlie rolled her eyes. “A but? Buts only come with uncertainty.”
“Sure they do because I am. I’m a bit scared, tentative, cautious, and nervous I’ll get it wrong.”
“You promised me you would never lie to me. Right?”
“Yeah, that’s what I said.”
“Then you won’t get it wrong.”
“How can you be sure?”
Charlie leaned in and kissed Maggie. The kiss was simple and sweet. “Because as long as we tell each other the truth, we’ll be okay.”
“You make it sound easy.”
“Sometimes it is, and sometimes it’s not. The trick is to go through the easy and the difficult together with honesty, love and support for each other… and lots of popcorn.”
Maggie looked off into the distance. The words Charlie had said were having debates in her mind as she struggled to accept that it all made sense, and it really could happen to her. Suddenly, she looked at Charlie, a wide smile on her face. “Popcorn?”
“Oh, yes. Popcorn always makes things better…especially when you make it with parmesan cheese or caramel.”
“Or just butter and salt.”
“Or just butter and salt.”
Maggie took Charlie’s hand and pulled her to her feet. She couldn’t fight the smile that spread across her lips. She didn’t want to anymore. She was going to let it happen—the smile, the relationship, the love. “Charlie Melibin, let’s go have some popcorn.”
***
Over the next few weeks, Maggie felt like she was living in a dream. There was no yelling or abusive games. She went to work at Leena’s Diner to the open arms of her old friends. Leena told her that she could take as much time as she needed after the baby was born. Her job would be there when she was ready to come back.
Charlie’s new position with an international banking company sent her to New York City for a few days of training. After that, she was home hard at work in her new office.
They shared cooking and cleaning responsibilities and made sure they spent quality time together every evening. Charlie often asked Maggie about her feelings, which Maggie found uncomfortable at first, but soon opening up and sharing her inner most fears was becoming easier.
One night, they were sitting in the small back yard that they had spruced up together. They fixed the fence the best they could and put a coat of paint on it even though the only thing that would improve it would be to put up a new one. They planted a few small gardens of flowers and placed a round outdoor table and chairs in the middle, which was the best place for it enabling them to use all the chairs.
“It doesn’t seem so ominous anymore,” Maggie said out-of-the-blue.
Charlie was used to Maggie’s off-beat comments. With each one, she became more aware of the difficult life Maggie had had with her parents.
“What do you mean?”
“I used to hate this back yard. You saw how it was—pretty much weeds and a broken down fence. The garbage can was back here. When mom was in one of her moods, she dumped the garbage on the floor and made me clean it. I hated bringing the bag out here because it was so….” She didn’t finish the sentence.
Charlie leaned forward and reached for Maggie’s hand. “You know, we don’t have to stay here. We can look for another place. We can move anywhere you want, any city, any state even.”
Maggie smiled sweetly. “I’m not ready to leave this place.”
“Are you sure? It just seems to have so many bad memories for you.”
“Yeah, but I’m not ready to leave the….” Maggie said it without thinking, and the moment it left her tongue, she panicked.
“Leave what?”
“Do you remember when we agreed to always tell the truth?”
“Of course.”
“I don’t need a therapist, so don’t go there when I tell you.”
“Now you’re scaring me.”
“When things would get really bad, I used to run to the woods. I don’t know how to say this.”
“Just say it,” Maggie sat back, her body language showing a bit of nervousness.
“These fairies used to appear
to me.”
“Fairies.”
The look on Charlie’s face was what made Maggie go back on her promise. “I was a kid. It was in my imagination,” she answered adamantly.
“Oh,” Charlie lingered on the word. “Well, with what you went through, I can see how your imagination would soar with ways to help you deal with it all.”
“Right. You get it. The woods is a special place for me. It was a good place, although I didn’t always come up with the best answer or way to do things, but in a weird way it was a comfort I didn’t have at home.”
“You know, there’s a really nice lot that backs up to those woods. It just came on the market. We could build—start with something made for us that will only have our memories in it.”
“Can I think on it?”
“Of course, but if you want to stay here, as long as you’re okay with it, I am too.”
Maggie went over to Charlie and kissed her. She let her lips melt into Charlie’s as she often did. It was the best feeling in the world.
The next morning, Maggie stood in front of the mirror, wondering if the smile on her face was painted on the mirror because lately, every time she looked in it, the same grin spread across her face.
Suddenly, she felt wetness dripping down the inside of her thighs. She placed the palm of her hands on her stomach and looked lovingly at the large bump protruding from her body.
She spoke softly. “I haven’t thought about you much lately. That’s not very motherly of me, is it? I guess you’re letting me know it’s time I start doing so.” She looked back at the mirror. “Charlie!” she called out.
Within seconds, Charlie was standing in the doorway.
“It’s time. Grab my bag and help me to the car, will you?”
Chapter Thirty-nine
“Tyler Smith Melibin. I like it. Great name for a beautiful boy,” Aunt Agnes exclaimed, knowing how Maggie felt about names.
Maggie looked down at the small bundle wrapped like a cocoon in his blanket and smiled. “I think so too.
Charlie’s face was about to crack from the broad smile that stretched her lips from ear to ear. “He is perfect, isn’t he?”
Aunt Agnes put her hand on Maggie’s shoulder and smiled. “It’s about time life goes your way.” A tear fell down her cheek. “I’m so happy for you…for all three of you.”
Maggie felt her heart swell with more love than she had known in her entire life. She had Charlie and now Tyler. Aunt Agnes was there to share in their happiness, and she wanted to believe that her life was finally on the right path.
She looked at her Aunt. “How long are you staying?”
“Tony said to stay as long as I need to. I thought I’d stay as long as you need me to, and when you’re ready for me to leave, I will.”
“Oh, you can’t leave that up to us,” Charlie exclaimed. “We won’t let you go.”
Aunt Agnes chuckled. “I don’t think Tony is interested in moving to this part of New York State, but he did say he would come up for the baptism.”
“That would be awesome, but…” Maggie playfully jabbed her aunt. “I don’t think there will be a baptism.”
Her aunt’s face dropped and recovered just as quickly. “Well then, I’ll ask him to come and get me, so he at least he’ll get a chance to meet this beautiful little bundle of joy.” She leaned over and cooed as she touched the baby’s cheek.
“We can do our own celebration, just the five of us. I’ll make a special dinner. We’ll celebrate the birth of little Tyler,” Charlie said.
Aunt Agnes perked up. “All right then, let me call him. How about I have him come in two weeks. Will that work for you girls? I don’t want to over extend my welcome.”
“You could never do that,” Maggie answered. “Two weeks will be perfect. We should have taking care of little Tyler down to a science by then.”
“Can I hold him?” Aunt Agnes asked.
Maggie handed the infant to her aunt. She took Charlie’s hand, and together, they looked on as her aunt lovingly held on to baby Tyler.
She was finally alone with the baby. Aunt Agnes and Charlie had gone home on Maggie’s insistence to get some rest, but what she really wanted was to be alone with her son.
She didn’t care if it was selfish; she was overcome with emotions of giving birth and knowing that her body had produced this tiny, precious life. She couldn’t take her eyes off of Tyler, and she knew she only had a little time with him before they came to take him away.
The nurses said she needed her sleep, and the baby would keep her up. She wanted to argue because she just wanted to hold Tyler, but as the sun dipped below the horizon and the moon took its place, she had to agree. She was exhausted.
Shortly after she reluctantly gave up her son, her eyes closed, and she tossed and turned through the night. It wasn’t the baby disturbing her sleep but dreams of a visitor to her hospital room. The man didn’t have a face—pale skin stretched from ear to ear and chin to forehead. His hair was multi- colored—black, brown, blond and even a little red.
The man moved toward her hospital bed, and with each step he took, she tried to back up with nowhere to go. When he loomed over her, fear woke her. She found herself breathing heavily. Her hospital gown stuck to her body, causing her to be chilled to her bones.
She wasn’t sure of the time, but bright sunshine was trying to make its way through the off white blinds that covered the one and only very large window next to her bed.
She didn’t have to speak to a therapist to know what the dream was about, and the fact that she did know scared the crap out of her. Her biggest fear was that Mike would appear one day and lay claim to her son.
She had hoped it would never happen because if she didn’t know who the father was, how could he know? It didn’t matter if Erin ever told Mike of her predicament because he didn’t want her, let alone the burden of a child. She was also pretty sure if any of the guys in that apartment were told, they would beg off the responsibility as well—none of them wanted a kid either.
She told herself the dream was the result of her own fear, not the foretelling of things to come.
“Hey there.”
Maggie felt the remains in her stomach climb up her throat. She didn’t have to open her eyes to know who was in her room
Chapter Forty
Maggie rolled over and faced her nightmare. “Hello, Michael. What are you doing here?”
“I came to see you.
“Okay, you’ve seen me. Now you can leave.”
“Is it mine?”
Maggie was repulsed by his insensitivity. “Just by you asking a question like that, I’m glad to say ‘No it’s not.’”
“So whose is it?”
“It is none of your business.”
“Nine months ago, you were in New York City—with me.”
“Nine months ago I left New York City. Get your timeline right.”
“I want a DNA test.”
The blank face from her dream flashed in front of her eyes. “You’re not the father. Besides, you don’t want a kid, so why are you even bothering? Even if it was you, I wouldn’t ask anything of you. I wouldn’t want you involved.”
“If I am the father, you have no choice. Do you have a lawyer?”
“What do I need a lawyer for?”
“If it is mine, I will be involved.”
“You asshole. You haven’t even asked about the baby. You called it an it. Why are you doing this?”
“If I am the father of Tyler, I will be a father to him.” Mike turned and left the room without another word.
Maggie got out of bed and ran to the nurse’s station. He knew. He knew! And he was playing a game with her—just like all the other times he toyed with her. This time, she swore to herself, he wasn’t going to get away with it. Tyler may not even be his, but she didn’t want to chance it.
“Maggie, what’s wrong?” the nurse at the station asked as she came around the counter to Maggie
“
Where’s my baby? Where’s Tyler? That man that came into my room wants to take him.”
“It’s okay honey. Tyler’s in the nursery. Janet just went to get him for his morning feeding.”
“Good. Good. I’ll wait here.” Maggie paced back and forth, arms folded around herself.
The nurse put her hands on Maggie’s shoulders and tried to steer her toward her room. “Come on now, Maggie. Let’s get you back into bed. Tyler will be here any minute.”
Maggie panicked. “I need to see him…now!” she almost shouted.
Another nurse was running toward them.
“Maggie, please tell me what’s going on.”
Maggie whirled on the nurse. “He threatened to take my baby.”
“No one can take your baby but you. He’s safe in the nursery.”
At that moment, Janet came around the corner pushing the rolling crib that contained Tyler. When Maggie saw it, she ran and picked him up, drawing him to her chest sobbing. Sensing his mother’s angst, Tyler began to scream.
The nurse told Janet what had happened. Janet escorted Maggie and Tyler back to her room while the nurse made a call.
As Janet settled Maggie and Tyler back into bed, she asked, “Who threatened to take your baby?”
“An old boyfriend from New York City. I won’t let him take Tyler. I don’t even know if he’s the father.” Maggie tried to calm the baby, and realizing he was hungry, she began to breast feed. Within seconds, his crying stopped replaced by sucking.
It was enough to stop Maggie’s tears and bring a smile to her face. “He’s a good eater.
Soon, members of security and a hospital administrator were asking Maggie questions. Realizing she caused quite a scene, she tried to downplay the event. Still, they took Michael’s name, even though there wasn’t much they could do at this point but to recommend she get a lawyer.
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