by Robyn Carr
“Wait... What?”
“I said, she really knows how to make me un—”
“Not that! You say she was lurking in the school parking lot?”
Hannah just nodded.
“That’s creepy and suspicious,” Helen said. “I heard the judge’s instructions to her and Victoria isn’t stupid. I wouldn’t be surprised if she did that deliberately to make you uncomfortable!”
“Owen said something to that effect,” Hannah said. “It’s so frustrating—I keep fluctuating between feeling sorry for her, deprived of her only grandchild, and angry with her for the confusion she’s creating. If Erin hadn’t been so adamant, I might be more flexible, but... Oh, Helen, why do I feel guilty?”
“You can stop that right now. I don’t know why Victoria and her daughter were at odds, but Victoria had plenty of time to make amends. Five years since Noah was born and quite a few years before that!”
“What do you suppose she wants?” Hannah asked.
“I don’t know, but I’d be wary, too. Humph, loitering around an elementary school, snooping. How inappropriate! You’d better tell Cal about that. Cal might want to tell the judge.”
“Owen said he was going to call Cal while I was over here.”
“Good. She’s a grown woman and Noah is a little boy who lost his mother! She should be ashamed of herself, making his life complicated just because she wants something!”
“What do you suppose she’s up to?”
“I don’t know but I bet we find out. Watch your back. Maybe talk to Noah. Just tell him that the rule is Victoria can’t visit with him unless she has permission and you and Owen are present. That way if she shows up at school or something, he can tell her that’s not allowed. And don’t worry too much as long as he’s in school. The Timberlake schools are wonderful. I’ve met a few of the teachers around town. And having been a teacher, I can assure you, they’ve come up against custody issues before. They know what to do.”
“We had to fill out paperwork naming exactly who would be allowed to pick up Noah. They were very serious about that.”
“You better believe it. That kind of interference has a name, you know. It’s called kidnapping. It’ll get you up to twenty years!”
“You know that, right off the top of your head?” Hannah asked.
“Darling, you’d be amazed at the things I have stored in there!” Helen grabbed Hannah’s hand. “Apparently the judge’s orders haven’t really sunk in. Maybe it would be a good idea to be very firm and very frank with Victoria and make sure she understands your boundaries. If you think about it, you’ll find a way to be both sympathetic and understanding and leave no room for doubt.”
* * *
After Hannah left, Helen got on her computer. Hannah didn’t remember Victoria’s exact address but she did remember from court documents that Victoria was staying on Butler or Baxter Street in Leadville. Helen looked it up. It wasn’t a long street.
She went over to the store. “Sully, I’m going to go out for a little while. A change of scenery could jog the ideas.”
“Have you had lunch?”
“I had a little something at the house. Want me to pick up anything while I’m out?”
“I want you to tell me how Hannah’s getting along,” he said. “She seemed a little ruffled.”
“She’s fine. Just first-day-of-school jitters. It’ll be okay.”
“She did seem better when she left,” he said.
“Sometimes all a person needs is a little empathy. I think I’ll poke around Leadville for a while, see if I can clear out some cobwebs.”
He frowned at her. “Why do I think you’re up to no good?”
“I haven’t the first idea. What a crazy thought. I’ll check the bookstore, see if they have my new book on order. And what should we have for dinner?”
“I don’t care,” he said. “But I bet it’ll either swim or cluck.”
“How are the tomatoes? Have you picked them clean yet?”
“There’s plenty but could you get a couple of big onions and some mushrooms?”
She sniffed the air. “You going to eat both of those onions?”
“It’s the only fun I have, Helen. Are you going to tell me what you’re really going out for? Because you don’t like to poke around. You like to eat, drink, write and write and then read.”
She sighed. “I wasn’t going to tell you. You can’t keep your mouth shut.”
“Yes, I can!” he protested. “I do it all the time! What’s up?”
“Noah’s grandmother is behaving strangely. She wasn’t invited to see him this week so she turned up at the school on the first day, watching from the parking lot, setting Hannah’s nerves on edge. That’s very inappropriate, don’t you think?”
“You’re going to make trouble.”
“For Pete’s sake, I wouldn’t make trouble for those sweet kids,” she said. “But I might check out this Victoria Addison.”
“And do what?” he asked.
“I might find out what she’s up to lurking around the elementary school.”
“You think she’s going to tell you?”
Helen smiled. “You’d be amazed at the things people tell me.”
Don’t go around saying
the world owes you a living.
The world owes you nothing.
It was here first.
—Robert J. Burdette
14
After spending some time talking with Helen, Hannah began to think about how she might shift the axis of power. By being unpredictable, Victoria had taken control of their lives. They were scrambling around trying to anticipate her and how to make sure they were making the rules for their family. Or more specifically, how Hannah could be sure she was protecting Noah. And on her terms.
Noah had a successful first day of school. He was very happy with his new friends and didn’t sit out, even when they had playground time. He could maneuver expertly and, with the assistance of the crutches and braces, he had no trouble keeping up. He said people wanted to know what happened to him, so he told them. “I said I had a little cerebral palsy and that I was hoping to grow out of it.”
“Excellent answer.”
“And there’s only one kid who reads as good as me. The rest of them are way behind.”
“I think it’s more likely you’re way ahead,” Owen said. “Because you got lots of special attention from Linda and your mom.”
“I want to tell Linda about school,” he said.
After dinner they called Linda on FaceTime. Noah was so excited, yammering a mile a minute, telling Linda everything he could think of. But when he went to bed that night, he cried. “How long do you think I’m gonna miss her?”
“Linda?” Hannah asked.
“Well, yeah, because I know I’m gonna miss my mom forever, but Linda isn’t gone. She just isn’t here.”
“When I was a little girl, the phone was just voices, no FaceTime. I think we should make it a point to call her anytime you feel like it,” Hannah said. “I think that would help.”
His second day was also very good and though he seemed tired, he bounced out of school with a smile on his face. He wanted to call Linda, which they did. On Wednesday of that first week, Victoria showed up in the parking lot again. Hannah and Owen, still delivering Noah to school as a team, did not wave. “I’m going to be having a stern talk with her,” Hannah said.
Hannah walked across the parking lot and stopped Victoria just as she was opening her car door. “This better stop,” Hannah said.
Victoria turned. “Whatever do you mean, Hannah? I only wanted a glimpse of him since I can’t have time with him.”
“It’s intimidating. Rude and invasive. You have definite boundary issues.”
Victoria actually chuckled. “Why in the world would you be intimidate
d by me? I lost my case. I have no place in my grandson’s life! I’m just a grandmother standing on the sidelines, out of the way, hoping for a glimpse of my grandson. The only one I will ever have!”
“We both know you’re pushing it. If I see you here again, I’ll talk to the judge. I’ve already warned the school principal to watch out for you.”
“Now, that was rude!” Victoria said, but she got into her car.
* * *
Victoria didn’t show up the rest of the week, and Noah’s first week was very positive. On Friday night when Hannah was snuggling him at bedtime, he said, “I wish I could tell my mom.”
“I wish we both could,” Hannah said. “But I always feel like she’s near. When I start to think about her, I feel her. My heart feels a little bigger.” She smoothed back his hair. “I get the feeling that she’s kind of happy about the way things are going—we’re all happy, healthy and trying hard to live the kind of life that’s good for us. This was what she wanted for us.”
“I miss my mom, but I never had anything like this,” he said. “It’s kind of like a family with a mom and a dad. I know you’re not really my mom and Owen isn’t really my dad...”
“And Romeo isn’t really your brother,” Hannah said with a laugh.
Noah giggled. “But it’s like he is,” he said.
“We’re doing all right, aren’t we? We’re making the best of things.”
“I like it like this,” Noah said. “Even if it’s not really...”
“Noah, if it’s really a family to us, then it’s really a family. I love our family and Owen loves our family. We’ll stick together, the four of us. That’s how we’ll be okay—we’ll stick together.”
“My mom would like it,” he said. “It’s what she wanted. That’s why she wrote it down. I just can’t figure out how she knew about Owen and Romeo.”
Hannah felt a catch in her throat. “Those darn angels,” she said. “They know everything.”
* * *
“Noah said the sweetest things at bedtime,” Hannah told Owen. She buried herself in his embrace. “He said this was what his mom wanted and that’s why she wrote it down.”
“Sometimes that kid baffles me with his understanding.”
“I know. He said he liked our family even if we’re not really one.”
“We are as far as I’m concerned,” Owen said. “We might not have the usual documentation, but it couldn’t feel closer to the real thing for me. And maybe, when you and Noah are ready, maybe we’ll make it legal. It might give us that extra solidarity we need when someone like Victoria comes along.”
“Is that what you want, Owen?” she asked.
“As long as I can lie beside you every night, I have my first wish. I believe in us, Hannah. You, me and Noah—we’ll be okay together. Anything I can do to protect us, that’s what I want. I love you.”
“How did I find you?” she asked. “You have been so good to us.”
“I think the house and the dog found you,” he said. “Thank God.”
* * *
On Saturday morning, Victoria called. She wondered when she could see Noah. Hannah had been expecting this. “There’s a coffee shop not far from the courthouse in Leadville,” she said. “Let’s meet there for pie and coffee this afternoon at two. My treat. We should have a little visit before you see Noah again.”
“Is something wrong?” Victoria asked.
“Are you free to meet?” Hannah pushed.
She asked Owen if he could keep an eye on Noah while she met with Victoria, and he nodded but lifted an eyebrow in question. “I think it’s time Victoria and I have a discussion about what will and won’t be tolerated.”
Owen just smiled, but his eyes glittered.
At two sharp, Victoria showed up at the coffee shop. Hannah already had a cup of coffee and greeted Victoria with a smile, though the older woman didn’t reciprocate. “Thanks for coming, Victoria. Let’s get you some coffee or tea...”
Victoria seemed a little stiff. She knew something was coming and that was another thing that bothered Hannah—Victoria somehow seemed one step ahead of everyone.
When coffee was served, Hannah spoke. “We’d better have a talk about your expectations, Victoria, because it’s already very clear that your plans and mine are not even barely similar. Noah agreed to a visit with you because I asked him to. He’s so polite and he likes to please, but he was very honest—he didn’t enjoy it very much. He was obviously uncomfortable, as was I. Not that you did anything wrong, just that he doesn’t know you and doesn’t understand why you suddenly want to be a part of his life. And lurking around the elementary school when you don’t have permission to see him—that has to stop. Fortunately Noah didn’t notice but frankly, it creeps me out. It’s like you’re stalking this innocent little boy.”
“I only wanted a glimpse of the grandson who has been denied me.”
“Well, it has to stop. I don’t know when you last had a friendly relationship with Erin, but I know you hadn’t seen her in years. She said she called you now and then and that’s all. Noah is the priority here. He’s recovering from his loss, but—”
“I lost my daughter!” she exclaimed hotly.
“And I lost my best friend—and we were best friends up to the day she died, never an unkind word between us! But Noah is a child! And he’s the priority! If you’d like to call me to ask how he’s getting along, I’ll be happy to take that call. No more than once a week.”
“When can I see him?”
“I don’t know yet. Maybe in a few weeks, provided you don’t try anything tricky like stalking him.”
“What a ridiculous thing to accuse me of! I stayed here to see my grandson! It’s very inconvenient!”
“Then go home. It could be months before we’re ready to have you to lunch.”
“You can’t do this to me! I have rights.”
“Not as many rights as you apparently believe. I am not opposed to letting you see Noah, but you have to be patient and appropriate. He’s grieving. He’s coming along but we still have rough patches. If you care about him, you’d better give us time. His birthday is coming up in a couple of months—send him a gift. Call to wish him a happy birthday. Be gentle with your approach. Be understanding. He wasn’t even sure he had a grandmother until you took us to court. You’d better lighten up. I will not hesitate to go back to the judge if I feel pressured or harassed or threatened.”
“Now you’re being paranoid! I haven’t done anything to—”
“Victoria, I don’t know you. I don’t know you at all. I only know that Erin didn’t want you involved with Noah. Your pushy and inappropriate behavior makes me nervous—if Erin didn’t trust you, why should I? I’m not completely closed to the idea that you might have seen the light and hope for a good relationship with Noah, but I’m also not completely convinced. When you refuse to respect my boundaries, I grow more resistant. The judge was specific. I think I can count on his help.”
“There’s nothing you can do and you don’t scare me.”
Hannah leaned back. “There you go—that was threatening. I will see the judge. I’ll file for a restraining order.”
“I haven’t threatened or assaulted you. You think you can just have a restraining order because you don’t like someone? No, you can’t. Besides, you can’t prove I said anything!”
“Why are you so angry?” Hannah asked.
“How would you feel if your only grandchild was torn away from you?”
“You didn’t care about him before. The choice was made by his mother, and it was very carefully thought through. Erin knew the law and she planned meticulously. Now, Owen and I are willing to work with you, but—”
“He’s not your husband! Erin didn’t give him permission to be guardian.”
“He’s my partner and Noah loves him. Noah trusts him. I th
ought maybe we could talk this through and that you’d be reasonable about your expectations, but if that’s not going to work...”
Hannah pulled a few bills out of her purse and put them on the table.
“I will deny we ever met!” Victoria said.
Hannah slid her phone out of the pocket of her light blue cotton shirt. “Good luck with that.”
“You’ve recorded us? Oh, how conniving! How could you? All I want is a chance to get to know Noah! I won’t try to take him away from you. I just want to see him regularly!”
“And I’m telling you, from everything I know, his mother would not be in favor of that. But I’m willing to be flexible—every few months, maybe. You can go home, we can stay in touch by phone, arrange a visit now and then, and maybe later when there’s more trust between us...”
“I worry that I won’t survive that long. I’m not young and all I want is that he remember me,” she said, tears coming to her eyes.
“What are you talking about?”
“I haven’t been feeling the greatest. It’s probably just the stress. The doctor suggested some tests. I’m seeing a doctor in Denver so I’m not going anywhere until I have some answers.”
“Not feeling well how?” Hannah asked.
“Don’t worry. It’s probably nothing. Women my age have complaints, you know. I’ll have a few tests, get some answers and go from there.”
“I’m sorry to hear that, Victoria. But I won’t change my mind about the boundaries. I’m trying to parent a little boy and it’s my job to protect him, help him get through it as best I can. You’re going to have to be cooperative or I won’t make any further effort.”
Victoria narrowed her eyes. “I really hadn’t figured you as someone who played hardball.”