She looked over to where Avery stood holding on to the couch as she slowly made her way across to the lone toy on the far cushion. William had protested when Hannah had moved all the toys out of the room. He’d felt that Avery’s aunt needed to see the real environment that they had made for Avery. But she had seen the way the woman had looked at the disarray of the great room the night before.
“How old was Alison when she went to live with her aunt?” Hannah asked him, once again straightening one of the placemats. Should she have gone with the white linen she had found in the dining room cabinet, or were the dark blue ones they usually used okay? It had seemed a bit much to bring out all the white linen for the cozy family meal they were about to host.
“Nine? Ten? I’m not sure. But I know that Alison lived with her for many years. Why?” William asked as he knotted his tie.
“Did her aunt have any children of her own?” Hannah she straightened another place setting.
“I don’t think so. If she did, the lawyers didn’t say anything about them when I asked for information on Alison’s family. As far as I know, it was only the two of them after the death of Alison’s parents. Is that important?” he queried.
“It just seemed to me that she looked awfully shocked at the mess in the room last night. If she’d ever raised a toddler, she’d have known to expect the mess, wouldn’t she?” Hannah began checking the silverware for water spots.
“I can tell you that I had no idea that such a small child could create such a mess, let alone how much garbage,” William said. “You might not realize it, but I’ve always been a bit of a neat freak.”
She rolled her eyes and he laughed. He might have relaxed his standards on housekeeping in the house now that Avery was there, but he hadn’t changed one bit at work.
The doorbell rang.
“It’s showtime,” Hannah said as they heard Lindsey holler that she would get the door.
William picked Avery up and started toward the door, but Hannah held him back. “Let her do it. She knows how important tonight is for you. She’ll behave.”
“We are so happy that you could join us tonight,” she heard her daughter say in her most adult-sounding voice as she came into the great room, Ms. Crane at her side.
“It was lovely to be invited. You have a very charming daughter, Hannah. You must be very proud of her. Most young people today have no manners,” Ms. Crane said.
“Thank you. I am very proud of my daughter,” Hannah said. Not that the young girl dressed in a soft pink shirt and black skirt, resembled the daughter she was used to. “And I’m sure you know this little girl.”
Ms. Crane reached out to take Avery and Hannah reluctantly released her. She knew they had to make a point of welcoming Avery’s great-aunt, but the mere act of handing over the little girl put Hannah’s mother instincts on high alert. She tamped down her need to protect Avery.
Dressed in a butter-yellow sundress, her hair combed into soft, dark curls, the child looked like an angel. “Oh, you poor child. I know you must miss your mommy so much,” her great-aunt said as tears appeared in her eyes. “I’m sorry,” she said to William and Hannah. “It’s still so hard for me to accept that Alison is gone. She was so young.”
“It’s okay,” William responded. “We understand.”
“Of course. It’s a loss for both of us,” she said to William. There was nothing as powerful as grief to forge a bond between two people.
Avery studied the woman holding her with dark, curious eyes. Was there something about her that reminded Avery of her mother? Suddenly she held her two chubby hands out. “Ill,” she said, reaching for William.
“It’s okay, baby girl. This is your momma’s aunt,” William soothed as he patted Avery’s back. “Ms. Crane, if you wouldn’t mind, would you put Avery in her high chair? I’m just going to help get the food on the table.”
* * *
While not as enjoyable or relaxed a meal as he’d come to expect with Lindsey’s persistent questions and Avery’s boisterous laughter, William felt confident they were making an impression Ms. Crane—or “Maria” as she had asked them to call her. While they’d danced around the subject of Avery’s future during the meal, she’d asked questions about William’s practice and how the little girl had settled into her childcare.
“And how about you, Hannah? I take it that you’ve worked with other children, besides your daughter, of course?” The woman gave Lindsey a smile. “I’m sure William checked your references before you were hired.”
Realizing the misunderstanding, William answered before Hannah. “I’m sorry, Maria. I think there’s a bit of a misunderstanding. Hannah’s not a nanny.”
“I’m a nurse, Maria. I’m actually finishing my classes for my nurse practitioner’s license this month,” Hannah said.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t realize that the two of you were involved. I just assumed that William would have to have someone living here to help with Avery,” Maria said.
“Hannah’s a good friend who agreed to help me till I could get comfortable with taking care of Avery and balancing it with my work. She’s been a great teacher. I don’t know what I would have done without her,” William said. He’d never said words that were any truer.
“Well, that was so nice of you, Hannah,” Maria said as she turned to her. “And what an exciting time for you. What are your plans, dear?”
“I’m not sure yet. My goal is to work with one of the neurology practices in town,” Hannah told her. “I’ve been so busy with my course that I haven’t had time to start putting in any applications, though.”
“Well, I do hope things work out for you, and I so appreciate the care you’ve given Avery. I’m sure William will miss your help,” Maria said. “I have to admit that, after last night, I had my doubts. But still, William, it has to have been hard having Avery to look after while still maintaining your practice. Are you sure that this is what you want? You’re a young man. You need to think about starting a family of your own. Won’t Avery be a problem? Not every woman wants to take on another woman’s child.”
The anger he felt every time someone tried to pressure him into a future they insisted he needed rose again. “I think we’re talking about two different things, Maria. My care for my baby sister is the most important thing in my life. I can provide everything Avery needs on my own. We don’t need anyone else. Yes, my life has changed. So has Avery’s. But we’re going to make it.”
The table went quiet. Even Avery stopped her jabbering for a moment.
He heard a giggle and looked over just in time to see Avery throw one of the carrots on her plate at Lindsey. “Avery, we don’t throw our food,” he said calmly.
Rising to take his sister out of her high chair, he announced, “I’m going to take her upstairs. If you’ll excuse me, I’ll get her ready for bed. It’s well past her bedtime and she’ll be fussy in the morning if she doesn’t get enough sleep. I’ll bring her down in a few minutes to say good-night.”
“May I be excused, too?” Lindsey asked her mother. “I need to get back to my homework.”
Hannah nodded then sat back and looked at Maria. “You have to understand,” she began, “how hard William has worked to make a place in his life for Avery. When I first came here, he was a mess. But he was determined to do right by Avery. You’ll never find a man as dedicated to a child as he is to his sister. I believe that Avery is good for him, and he is definitely good for her. I can’t say I understand your loss, but don’t let your sorrow over losing Alison get confused with what is best for Avery.”
“But I miss Alison so much,” the older woman said, her voice quivering with emotion. “I just want to make sure that her daughter is taken care of properly. She’s all I have left.”
Hannah took Maria’s hand in hers. “You don’t need to worry. I promise you, there’s not another person in this world who wants
that more than William. She’s safe with him, Maria. She’s all he has, too. And he’ll always protect her. With his life, if it should come to that.”
Hannah quietly stood and began clearing the table, surprised when Maria asked if she could help.
The woman barely spoke while they worked.
“I didn’t mean to imply that William wasn’t capable of taking care of Avery,” she finally said as she helped load the dishwasher. “I realize times have changed and there are a lot of single men that are responsible for their children. It’s just that, from what my niece said, I didn’t think William would be one of those men.”
“What did Alison say that made you think that?” Hannah asked. She felt her temper begin to flair. William’s stepmother had barely known him.
“It wasn’t that she said anything bad. It’s just that I inquired about him when I came down to see Avery and Alison told me she’d hardly even met him. She said that he seemed to prefer his life by himself...
“I thought that when I arrived in town I would find someone glad to give over the responsibility of my great-niece. Instead, I find a man who has embraced his new life,” Maria said. “While I admit I’m a bit sad that I won’t be taking Avery home with me, I’m glad they’re doing well together. I would never want to cause them any trouble.”
Hannah felt the knots she’d had in her stomach all night relax. He’d done it! Maria wouldn’t be giving William any problems as far as Avery’s custody was concerned.
“Well, we’re ready for bedtime now. I thought you might want to say good-night to her before you left,” William said as he came up behind them. The smile on his face made it clear he had heard Maria’s words.
“You are such a precious child,” the woman told Avery as she hugged the toddler to her. As if to comfort the woman, Avery patted her back with one chubby little hand.
“It’s okay, little one. You’re in good hands,” Maria said then looked at William. “I would like to come see her whenever I can get here to visit.”
“You’re always welcome,” William assured her as he took Avery back into his arms. “She’ll need you to tell her about her mother when she gets older.”
Assured of her welcome the next time she was in town, William and Avery showed Maria out while Hannah headed upstairs to check on Lindsey.
Mingled in with the happiness she felt for William and Avery was the knowledge that they wouldn’t need her anymore. William was ready to go it on his own now. Hannah just needed to find the strength to leave him. Her job here was done.
* * *
William laid a sleeping Avery down then sat on the chair beside her bed and looked around the room. It was hard for him to remember how the place had looked before it had become Avery’s nursery. Had it only been a few months since Mrs. Adams had pushed the little girl into his arms then driven away? His life had changed so much since then. First with the arrival of Avery and then with Hannah and Lindsey. His quiet, orderly sanctuary had quickly turned into a loud, disorderly home. And the surprising thing was, he’d loved every minute of it.
He saw that Lindsey’s light was still on as he left Avery’s room and knocked on her door. “May I come in?”
“Sure,” Lindsey said. She was sitting cross-legged on her bed with books and clothes piled around her.
“Having trouble sleeping?” he asked from the doorway.
“Did you mean it when you said you didn’t need anyone besides Avery?” the little girl asked.
Was that really what he had said? He’d wanted Maria to know that he could take care of Avery. He hadn’t meant to make Lindsey feel as if she didn’t matter to him. If anything, having Hannah and Lindsey in the house had made him see that he did need other people. But he could tell by the sadness in her eyes, eyes so like her mother’s, that he had hurt her. “I didn’t mean that I don’t care about you and your mother. I just meant that I could take care of Avery on my own.”
“So you don’t need me and Momma to help with Avery anymore? That means it’s time for us to leave,” Lindsey said, her whole attention on him as he crossed the room.
“What’s this?” he asked as he picked up a large album from the bed. Opening it, he saw pictures of houses cut from magazines and papers. Flipping through, he could see where the first pictures had been of small cottages that had been gradually advanced to pictures of full-size houses.
“That’s our wish book—mine and Momma’s. We’ve had it as long as I can remember. When we see a picture of a house we like, we put it in the album. Momma says that soon we’ll be able to have a house of our own, just like one of these,” she said as she turned the page to a nice brick house with a fenced-in yard. “Then she says I can have a dog.”
William could see how much this meant to both Lindsey and her mother. Hannah had worked hard to make it as a single mother. She had a dream of providing a home for her daughter. A dream from the album that spoke of many nights combing through magazines looking for that special place for the two of them and she had almost reached that point in her career when it would be possible. Lindsey was right. There wasn’t any reason for them to stay now. He’d asked Hannah to teach him how to take care of his sister and she had. That had been the agreement. He couldn’t hold her here any longer.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
IT HAD BEEN a week since they had moved out and William didn’t know how much more of this quiet house he could take. He’d marked off each day on the calendar Hannah had insisted they hang on the refrigerator. Each day he’d missed them a little bit more until now there was a physical pain in his chest.
He went through the motions at work, his office seeming empty now that Hannah had also completed her time with him. Each afternoon he came home with Avery and did his best to keep his mood as upbeat as possible for his sister. Each night he tossed in his bed and wished that Hannah was beside him.
Where was that peace he had felt when his house had been quiet and orderly? He’d been happy with his life before.
He’d made it clear to Hannah from the beginning that he wasn’t one of those men who believed he had to have a woman in his life to complete him. But that had been before he’d realized what a lonely existence his life was without Hannah and Lindsey. He’d been stubborn and had needed to prove to himself that he didn’t need someone to help him with Avery. He’d had to prove that he wasn’t like his father, that he didn’t always need a woman just to exist.
“We’re going to be okay,” he told his little sister while trying to convince himself that it was true. “Let’s get your toys out and play.”
He reached into the toy box that he and Hannah had moved from the nursery into the great room and pulled out a stuffed unicorn. Lindsey must have left it. What if she was looking for it? Maybe he should call Hannah to let her know it was here. Or better still, maybe he should drop it off tomorrow on his way home from work.
“You’re pitiful,” he said to himself. He held the unicorn out for his sister to take and was surprised when Avery let go of the chair she had been holding on to and took a step toward him. He held his breath. Her little mouth was closed tight and her eyes were fixed on him as she took another step.
“You’re doing it, baby girl.”
Avery smiled at him, clapped her hands together then fell back on her diaper-padded bottom. Her lips quivered and her eyes filled with tears.
“It’s okay. You are amazing.” William reached out and took her into his arms. He was so lucky that he had been there for this. He sobered. Hannah should have been there with him. He looked down at Avery. “Is there any chance you’re up for an encore?”
* * *
Someone knocked on her door and Hannah pushed her computer to the side. Ever since she and Lindsey had returned to their apartment, her neighbors had been stopping by to see them. She had been glad to catch up with each of them, but wasn’t up to making small talk right now. She had felt em
pty ever since she and Lindsey had packed up their car at William’s and headed home. It was if she had left some part of herself behind, and she was pretty sure that it was her heart.
“William?” she said before she stepped back so that he and Avery could enter. She immediately took Avery into her arms, she had missed the little girl so much.
“You won’t believe what happened. She took two steps,” William said, dropping the diaper bag on the living room floor.
“Really? She was so close before I left.” And by leaving when she had, she had missed it.
“Watch.” William took Avery out of her arms, stood her against the couch and then held out his hands to her. The toddler stared at him, dropped to the floor and crawled to the two of them.
Hannah started to laugh at the crestfallen look on his face. “She’s not a trick puppy dog. She’s going to walk when she’s ready. Besides, she has a truckload of your Cooper stubbornness in her.”
The joy left William’s eyes and his voice turned somber. “Have you ever thought that there was something that you didn’t like, but when you finally tried it, you found it wasn’t so bad, after all? Maybe even more than that. Maybe you found out that you really couldn’t live without it?”
“Like broccoli?” Hannah asked. She wasn’t sure where this conversation was going, but she didn’t care. Just having him to talk to was enough.
“Yeah, like broccoli. It looks all green and strange before you taste it, then you put some cheese sauce on it—because who doesn’t like cheese sauce?—and you find out it’s really quite good.” William turned away from her then turned back around. “I’m not very good at all of this emotional stuff. I’m going to mess up.”
Hannah held her breath. He was talking in terms of the future. “We all mess up, William. It’s part of life.”
“I’ve spent most of my life convincing myself that I didn’t need anyone else in my life. I thought I was being strong taking on the world by myself. But now I know I was just too scared to take a chance on someone caring about me,” William said.
The Neurosurgeon's Unexpected Family Page 14