Never Let Me Go

by Kianna Alexander

  Sasha cooed, offering her cherished rattle.

  “Oh, goodness. She’s such a good baby. And getting so big!” Marissa’s expression turned wistful. “If only I could have a grandbaby as sweet as you.”

  Yvonne shook her head but knew better than to roll her eyes. To shift the conversation away from her mother’s longing for grandchildren, she asked, “Is Daddy ready for his appointment?” Since Janine, the nurse, had taken the day off, Yvonne was taking on her usual duty of driving him to the hospital to see his endocrinologist.

  “You know your father. Slow as cold molasses when it comes to getting ready for the doctor.” Marissa shook her head. “I got him dressed over an hour ago. Since then, he’s been griping about not being able to find his favorite sneakers.”

  “Those ratty old blue ones with the white stripes?” Yvonne shook her head, knowing the shoes were on the verge of falling apart at any moment.

  “Yes. Those things are worn out and well past their use. Still, he insists on wearing them every chance he gets.”

  “I’d wager they’re older than I am.”

  “You’d win that bet.” Giving Yvonne a motherly pat on the shoulder, Marissa stepped back. “I’ll go light a fire under him. Go ahead and sit down with that baby, take a load off.”

  Doing as her mother instructed, Yvonne sat down on the old sofa, pulling Sasha onto her lap. She looked around the room, soaking in the familiarity of it. In her mind’s eye, she could picture her younger self, chasing her sister Zelda around the room. She recalled a quiet childhood when she was very young, time spent taking walks with her parents, gardening with her father, and reading every book she could get her hands on. That had all changed when her parents had told her she would soon get a new baby sister. While she had fond memories of the easy pace of her early life, she loved her sister fiercely and soon came to embrace the chaotic joy she brought to the family. Zelda had been active and full of mischief from the time she took her first steps, always keeping Yvonne and their parents on their toes. A wrought iron wall shelf held her mother’s collection of hand-painted statues of African deities, and at least two of them had been glued back together following one of Zelda’s mad dashes through the house.

  She looked to the old upright piano in the far corner, which had become something of a display piece over the last eight or ten years. A thin coating of dust had settled over the polished maple finish, and the top of the instrument was home to a grouping of family photos and various knickknacks. Looking at the claw-footed bench, she could still hear Granny Vera, her father’s mother, playing hymns and warbling along to the tune. Her father had continued to play after Granny Vera’s passing in the mid-1990s. After he’d lost his foot, he’d settled into a depression that had drained away the joy of making music. He’d improved so much over the last few years, with the love of his family, therapy, and meds. Still, she wondered if she’d ever hear him play again.

  Sasha became restless and started to scoot off her lap. Knowing her parents’ house wasn’t exactly childproofed, she set the baby’s wiggly form on the floor and stood up, poised to follow her wherever she roamed. They’d made a few laps between the living room, hallway, and kitchen by the time her father ambled into the living room to meet her.

  “Morning, Daddy.” She carried Sasha on her hip as she went to greet him with a kiss on the cheek.

  “Says the one who’s not getting poked and prodded today,” he grumbled. Dressed in a pair of khaki slacks, a black-and-white-plaid button-down, and the aged sneakers he favored over all his other, newer shoes, his whiskered face was set firmly in a frown.

  “It’s just a follow-up visit, Daddy. I’m sure they won’t be doing anything too major.”

  “You know how much I hate hospitals,” he grumbled. “It’s always freezing in there, they smell like disinfectant, and you can never find a good place to park the car.”

  She fought off the urge to chuckle. He’s always grumpy when he has doctors’ visits, but this seems over the top, even for him. “Tell you what, Daddy. I’ll drop you at the door, go park the car, and then meet you in the lobby. That way, even if I have to park on the top level of the deck, you won’t have to make that long walk.”

  “Will you do the same thing when they spring me?” His lips twisted a bit, morphing his expression into something a little less ornery.

  “Sure thing.” She tilted her head, studying the salt-and-pepper hair growing from his sideburns and over the lower half of his face. “Daddy, aren’t you going to shave?”

  “Nah.” He stroked his fingers over his fuzzy chin. “Think I’m gonna grow my beard out again like I used to wear it back in the day. You remember, ’Rissa, don’t you?” He looked to his wife, who was just behind him in the hallway.

  “Of course I remember.” She gave her husband a peck on the cheek. “You were handsome then, and you’re still handsome now.”

  His expression relaxed considerably, allowing a ghost of a smile to peek through.

  Yvonne smiled, too. Mommy always knew how to break Daddy out of a funk. “I like that idea, Daddy. But you gotta remember, you’ll probably look younger with a beard, too. Nobody’s gonna believe you’ve got two grown daughters.”

  His smile broadened. “Come on now. You’re putting me on.”

  “No, no. Von is right.” Her mother squeezed past him to the hall closet, opening the door and getting out his cane. “Now, listen. Don’t you forget about me when you go out, looking all brand-new. Don’t let me find out one of these younger ladies has stolen you away from me, Gordon.” She handed the cane off to him, giving him her best pouty face.

  He chuckled, taking the cane. “It’ll never happen, ’Rissa. Can’t be nothing better out there for me than you.”

  Yvonne watched as her mother blushed, then her father leaned over and kissed his wife softly on the lips. Those two. Still carrying on like that after all these years. Her thoughts turned to Maxwell, and she wondered if what they shared could ever reach that level or last that long. It was all so new, a part of her hesitated to think so far into the future.

  She cleared her throat, and her parents stopped making goo-goo eyes at each other long enough to turn her way. “I have something I want to tell you.”

  “What is it, Yvonne?” Her father walked a few steps, coming out of the hallway and into the living room as she and her mother followed.

  She hesitated, remembering the way her father had reacted when he overheard her saying she’d kissed Maxwell. She couldn’t really pinpoint the cause of his ire. He’d never met Maxwell, so how could he claim not to like him? Maybe it’s one of those “no man is good enough for my daughter” things? Or is it a “don’t mix business with pleasure” thing? She blew out a breath, knowing she’d have to tell them sometime, and now was as good a time as any. “Maxwell and I are…seeing each other.”

  Her mother’s brow hitched. “You mean as in dating?”

  Yvonne nodded.

  Scratching his chin again, her father crinkled his nose. “Yvonne, I don’t know if I like this.”

  “I figured that much, Daddy. You seemed pretty upset when you overheard me and Zelda talking.”

  He sighed. “I didn’t mean to blow up at you. But so many things are changing right now. You’ve got this new job, and it’s taking up so much of your time that you hired us a nurse. And now you’re telling me you’re involved with your new boss after less than a month working for him? You’ve given me a lot to take in, Yvonne.”

  She grabbed his hand. “I understand that, Daddy. I’m not asking you to get on board right away. I’m just asking you to be patient and to give Max a chance.”

  “Calling him ‘Max’ now, huh?” Her mother clapped her hands together, then gave Sasha’s nose a little tweak. “I may be closer to grandbabies than I thought.”

  This time, Yvonne had to close her eyes to avoid rolling them in front of her mothe
r.

  “Don’t you think you’re putting the buggy ahead of the team there, ’Rissa?” Gordon gave his wife a nudge. “I’m sure she’s not planning on any babies, at least not until she gets married. Right, Yvonne?”

  She swallowed. Married? Is that where we’re headed? “Right, Daddy.” What else could she say? She certainly wasn’t about to tell her father that she and Max had already started practicing baby making. There were some things about a woman’s life that her parents never, ever needed to know. “We’re taking things very, very slowly.” She thought back on Saturday’s breakfast at the Deverses’ place and the way it had quickly descended into soap opera–level drama. She’d been too shocked at first and then too sympathetic to tell him how uncomfortable she’d felt with the whole situation. She’d done her best not to be judgmental, because as Maxwell’s nanny, it wasn’t her place. But as his girlfriend? Now, that was another matter altogether. How could she not consider what the repercussions of getting serious with him might be, now that she knew the sorts of things going on with his closest relatives? Even though marriage is a bit of a foreign concept for us right now, would I really want to be a part of a family with so many…issues?

  “Good girl.” Her mother patted her shoulder again. “He seems like a nice fellow, based on how you’ve described him. And hearing about his house and all that, we know he’s no pauper. So if you care for him, I’m behind you.”

  “Thanks, Mommy.” She looked to her father, who stood by the coatrack at the door, pulling on his tan Carhartt jacket. “And you, Daddy?”

  Zipping his jacket, he gave her a slow nod. “Bring him over here to meet the family, and I’ll make a decision after I look him over.”

  Yvonne smiled, having a flashback to her teenage years when she’d had to bring her dates home to meet with her father. “Fair enough. You ready?” She jangled her keys, which Sasha immediately snatched from her.

  He laughed. “I’m ready. Looks like the kid’s driving, eh?”

  Giggling, she strapped Sasha back into the car seat, taking back the pilfered keys as they headed out the door.

  Chapter 16

  By midmorning Tuesday, things on the Crown Center site were in full swing. Maxwell stood next to Braxton at his workstation, looking over the now cured foundation for the main building. “This looks great, Brax.”

  Braxton nodded. “It does. Ms. Patterson and her crew did a bang-up job.” He gestured toward the men removing the wooden slats that had formed the mold for the foundation. “It’s as smooth and level as can be. Definitely a great starting point for the rest of this project.”

  “In other words, we’ll be using their services again.”

  “Absolutely.”

  “Any word from the framers?”

  “Yep. They’re finishing up another job today, but they’ll be on-site tomorrow.”

  Maxwell nodded, pleased that things were going mostly according to plan. “Now, here’s our next problem. Since Carmichael and his folks got kicked off the job, we’ve got a lot of extra work on our hands.” He jerked his head to the left, indicating the space where the parking deck would be built. “When will we be able to get the graders over there?”

  “Later today. The ones who were working on this portion of the project are done with that now, so I assigned them to handle grading over there as well.”

  “Awesome.” Maxwell glanced over there, seeing how quiet it was as opposed to the part of the site he stood on. Only a few landscapers were working on that end of the site, hauling in bushes and plants that would be used for landscaping the area. “Once I know both foundations are in, I can pull back from this project and leave everything in your capable hands.”

  Braxton’s brow rose. “You could pull back now, but you’re too much of a control freak.”

  Maxwell cut him a look.

  “I’m just teasing you. I respect your dedication to your projects. I’ve worked with more than a few architects who swing by the site on the first day, and I don’t see them again until the ribbon cutting.” Braxton shook his head. “By the way, Max, thanks for putting in the good word for me with the city. Now that I’m overseeing the exterior landscaping and the parking structure, that’s adding a nice bonus to my pay.”

  Maxwell waved him off. “Mine, too. I’m getting Carmichael’s share of the fee on the project. But don’t mention it, man. You’re one of the best guys in construction management I’ve ever worked with. I know you’re gonna deliver.”

  “Well, thanks to your faith in me, I’m taking the family to Disney World this summer for two whole weeks.” He extended his hand, and they bumped fists. “I appreciate ya.”

  Braxton walked away then, leaving Maxwell to think about their conversation. What stuck out was the last thing he’d said, about the family trip. Could that be Yvonne, Sasha, and me in a few years? It’s kind of hard to picture myself in the mouse ears, pushing a stroller through the crowd and that whole deal. Fatherhood wasn’t something he’d thought would be a part of his life until he got the wonderful gift of his sweet baby girl. Still, there were so many things in his future now that hadn’t been there before, so many things he worried he wouldn’t know how to do.

  At lunch, he headed downtown to Pierro’s Italian Bistro with a few of the guys from the site. Over delicious pasta and a heap of the restaurant’s famous garlic knots, they conversed and laughed. Halfway through the meal, he got a text from Orion.

  Headed through the Ville on the way back to Wilmington. Want to hang?

  He tapped out a quick reply.

  On the jobsite today, will be free the weekend tho.

  Cool. Swing by the house & bring Lil Bit.

  Will do. He smiled at the thought of Sasha playing in the sand at Orion’s place near the water. I bet she’d get a big kick out of that. Did Ines and Bianca take her to the beach before? It’s unlikely since she’s so young. Tucking his phone away, he used a buttery garlic knot to sweep the remainder of the spicy red sauce from his plate.

  “Hey, Mr. D. What’s got you thinking so hard over there?” The question came from Jimmy, one of the leads on the construction crew.

  He chuckled. “Nothing. Just thinking about taking my little girl to the beach this weekend.”

  Jimmy smiled. “Aw, man. How old’s she now?”

  “Eight months.”

  “Great age,” someone else commented. “She’ll love it.”

  “It’s too chilly to go in the water,” said another man. “Make sure you dress her in long sleeves, pants, ya know? And take a jacket.”

  “You gotta make sure she’s got the shovel and pail, Mr. D,” Jimmy interjected. “And those little plastic molds for sandcastles. My sons love building ’em.”

  Maxwell felt his smile broaden. “Wow, looks like I’ve got a whole lot of fatherly wisdom at this table. How many of you have kids?”

  Of the nine men at the table, seven raised their hands.

  “Best thing I ever did, Mr. D. After gettin’ married, o’course.” Jimmy’s expression matched the happiness in his voice. “My three sons are the light of my life. Love ’em something fierce.”

  All the other fathers nodded, murmuring their agreement, and Maxwell knew he was in great company. He’d already respected these men, who spent long hours toiling away to bring his design from the drafting table to the real world. Knowing that they were also loving fathers, working hard to support their families, only made him respect them more.

  * * *

  Yvonne spent the latter part of Tuesday afternoon touring a potential location for her day care. Located in the small Harnett County town of Lillington, the stand-alone building was just outside the downtown historic district.

  Walking through the interior one last time, she swung her phone around so that Athena, who’d video-called to be a part of the tour, could see everything. “Isn’t it great, Athena? There’s so much goo
d space in here.”

  “It looks pretty fantastic, girl. And it’s nice that the building’s been remodeled recently.” Athena paused. “This place is how far from the spa?”

  “Forty-five minutes to an hour.” Yvonne shook her head, turning the screen back around so she could see her friend’s face. “Don’t worry. Even after I open up, I’m still gonna come over there and bug you.”

  “You’d better. If you don’t, there’s gonna be consequences and repercussions.”

  Yvonne laughed. “Whatever, girl.”

  “Meanwhile, where’s the baby? It’s a weekday, so I know she’s with you.”

  “She’s asleep in the stroller.” Moving the phone again, she adjusted it so the camera would show Sasha’s cherubic, sleeping face, then adjusted it to show her own again. “She’s got a full belly from lunch, so she was knocked out as soon as I got the car rolling. I thought she’d wake up when I put her in the stroller, but she kept right on sleeping.”

  Athena grinned. “She really is a good baby.”

  “Most of the time. I fed her lunch a little late today because I got tied up with her laundry. You wouldn’t believe the fit she pitched.”

  Athena laughed, waving her hand dismissively. “You’re right, I don’t believe it. So what else is on your agenda today?”

  Yvonne snapped her fingers, realizing she’d lost track of time while wandering the property. “Dang, what time is it?”

  “It’s almost four.”

  “Crap.” She used one hand to steer the stroller toward the door. “I gotta go, girl. I need to make it to my parents’ house in time for dinner. Max is coming over to meet them.”

  “Oooooh.” Athena’s eyes gleamed with mischief. “Girl, you know your daddy is gonna roast him over an open flame, right? And I want to hear all the details after the carnage is over.”

  Laughing, Yvonne shook her head. “Okay, girl. I’ll call you with the tea later. Now I gotta go.”