A Child Changes Everything

by Stella MacLean

  The words jabbed at her heart. Despite her earlier regret that he’d made no effort to be her friend, some how being friends seemed like the end of something, not the beginning. “Thank you. I really appreciate your kindness.”

  Relieved, and not wanting to do anything to jeopardize the closeness she was feeling as they sat together on the end of the bed, his hand touching hers, Lisa wished she could hold on to this moment.

  Mason had to get back to Durham. But now she was reasonably confident that he’d be there when she got home, which was more than she’d expected from him. “What time do you think you’ll get home?”

  He sighed, rubbed his palms on his jeans. “I’m not leaving today.”

  Surprised, she glanced at him. “You’re not?”

  “I may not agree with what you’re doing, but I understand why you’re doing it. If you like, I’ll talk to Tank about a good lawyer for Anne Marie. And I’ll ask if he can pull a few strings and get us in to see the lawyer today.”

  She attempted to clear her throat. “Sure. Yeah, that would be great.”

  His arm came around her, his body providing a haven. For a fleeting moment they were together. Oh, how she wished they were a couple, supporting each other, caring for each other. But they weren’t and she had to remember that.

  “Mason, I don’t know what to say.”

  His arm tightened around her, his voice soft in her ear. “I owe you this.”

  Mason took charge of contacting the necessary people. She listened as he talked to Tank about a lawyer, an investigator, all the other details, and the tension began to ease from her body.

  Mason was looking after her once again. And despite all her reservations to the contrary, it was exactly what she needed. At least for today.

  LATER, LISA STILL hadn’t figured out why Mason had changed his mind about staying, but she was delighted he had. Tank and Mason must have worked quickly, because they had an appointment with Ruben Watt, the lawyer, for two o’clock. Lisa was anxious to hear his opinion.

  She called Cindy to tell her they’d be coming to get Katie later than she’d promised, then she phoned Carolyn to bring her up to date. Her mother had insisted she come to the lawyer’s office with her.

  Lisa argued against it at first, but then realized that her mother had every right to be there. If it were her daughter’s fate being discussed she’d want to be there, too.

  Entering the nursing home she couldn’t help noticing how different it was from the first time. Her mother sat in a wheelchair just inside the double doors. Lisa had bought a new folding wheelchair that would fit in her car, and with the help of a nurse, Lisa settled her mother in the front seat.

  As they drove to Melbourne, Lisa and her mother chatted sporadically, the visit to Rubin Watt’s office being the one subject they didn’t touch upon.

  When they reached the office, Mason was waiting, and took over wheeling Carolyn’s chair as they went into the reception area.

  Before they could settle in, Rubin Watt appeared. “Tank Tweedsdale and I went to law school together, but I preferred warm weather and ended up here,” he said jovially as he beckoned them into his office.

  Once seated and the introductions complete, he glanced at each of them in turn. “I know this is a very difficult situation for all of you, but it will get better, you’ll see. I haven’t had much time to go over Anne Marie’s case, but I did talk to the D.A., and I spoke with Anne Marie. The D.A. feels they have a pretty solid case against her.”

  “No! That can’t be!” Carolyn gasped, her fingers digging into the arms of the chair. “It’s that man, that creep she lived with—he’s the criminal, not my Anne Marie. Anne Marie wouldn’t harm anyone. She’d never be involved in drugs. She’s a good daughter and mother,” she half shouted as tears began streaming down her cheeks.

  Lisa reached over, taking her mother’s trembling hand in hers. “Mom, please don’t cry. It’s going to be all right,” she murmured over the sinking feeling that invaded her.

  “Mrs. Lewis, we’ve all been touched in some way by drugs. And I believe that your daughter was probably the victim of circumstances, that the man she was living with graduated from possession to trafficking and Anne Marie was caught in the middle. I just have to prove it. And I will. I apologize for not being as familiar as I should be with the case, but time didn’t allow me to read everything. But I promise you she will have good legal representation. You can depend on me.”

  “What did you find out about Jeff Wallace?” Mason asked, his voice reassuringly calm.

  The lawyer riffled through his papers. “He’s been picked up on possession of marijuana before. The police have had him under surveillance for some time. They’ve arrested him on trafficking charges.”

  “Is he talking?”

  “Not yet. In the meantime, we’ll get an investigator on him…” Rubin Watt exchanged glances with Mason. “And see what he comes up with. What’s important here is that you remain calm. Nothing’s been decided. There’s still a chance of finding something that’ll get the charges dropped.”

  The only sound in the room was her mother’s quiet sobbing.

  “Mr. Watt, I want you to do everything in your power to clear my sister. She’s innocent,” Lisa said, trying to keep the desperation from her voice.

  Not knowing where to turn, she looked at Mason. His eyes held hers and he smiled encouragingly. As they rose to leave the room, he came to her. “Lisa, I have to get back to Durham to deal with another case—will you be okay?”

  His protective stance, the concern in his eyes, drew her to him. What she wouldn’t give to have him put his arms around her, shield her from all the anxiety of the weeks ahead. Clutching her purse to stop herself from moving closer to him to seek out his strength, she said, “Yes, I’ll be fine. I’m hoping to be on the road as soon as possible, anyway.”

  “Will you call me once you’ve left Melbourne?”

  “Do you want me to?”

  “I feel guilty about leaving you like this.”

  Mason feeling guilty? Having regrets? “You’ve been very kind, and despite my earlier misgivings, you’ve done more than I had a right to expect and I appreciate it.”

  “See you back in Durham?” he asked, squeezing her shoulder.

  “Sure.”

  “Keep your cell phone on.”

  “I will.” Lisa would keep it on because, despite everything, she didn’t want to let him go.

  THEY LEFT MASON at Rubin Watt’s office while they headed over to the jail. Lisa wanted to visit Anne Marie before she went home, and so did Carolyn.

  But as they pulled into the jail parking lot, her mother turned to her. “Do you think they’ll let you talk to Anne Marie?” her mother asked, her eyes still damp from crying.

  “Mason said he spoke with the people at the jail, and we can go in.”

  “I don’t think I should. I hope you don’t mind, but I can’t let Anne Marie see me like this. It would only upset her more.” Her voice shook. “You go, and give her my love. Tell her I’ll write.”

  The jail procedure felt depressingly familiar as she sat in the chair in front of the monitor. When Anne Marie appeared she seemed smaller, her expression blank, as if the effort to show any emotion was too much.

  “Anne Marie, your lawyer has started an investigation on your behalf. He seems very competent, and he’ll have lots to tell us soon about your case,” she said, her voice losing its force as she watched Anne Marie’s listless behavior.

  “All that matters is that you take Katie when you go back to Durham. Katie is all I care about,” her sister said, staring despondently at the screen.

  “Don’t get discouraged, Anne Marie. You’ll be free very soon,” she said, anxious to see a hint of a smile on her sister’s face.

  “How can you be so sure?”

  “Because…because you wouldn’t be involved in anything that would hurt Katie.”

  Anne Marie grasped the edge of the table. “I would never, ever
do anything to hurt Katie in any way. All I want is for you and Mom to give her all the love and attention she deserves. Whatever happens with me, please keep her safe.”

  “I promise,” Lisa said, determination welling up in her.

  AFTER GETTING HER mother packed up, Lisa took Carolyn over to Cindy Sharp’s house to pick up Katie.

  Her worry over whether she could cope with Katie had waned when she visited Anne Marie and saw her desperation. Whatever the outcome, she was committed to caring for her niece, in the firm belief that her sister would be free to come for Katie and resume her life.

  Lisa couldn’t back out now.

  A sudden thought crossed her mind, making her smile. If Alice could see her now, she’d be swallowing pain pills and warning of an impending migraine.

  Rounding the corner, she drove down into a cul-de-sac with double-wide trailers fanning out around the perimeter. She spotted number sixteen and parked at the curb. The driveway was littered with bicycles, basketballs, child-size lawn chairs and a huge toy dump truck. Tall grass covered what was left of the lawn.

  Leaving her mother in the car, Lisa picked her way past the assortment of children’s toys, and stepped up to the door leading to a screened-in porch. Her tap on the door was greeted by the wild barking of a dog, and a woman’s voice ordering the dog to be quiet.

  “Be right there,” the same voice called from somewhere inside.

  Lisa clasped her hands together to keep them from shaking while she waited what seemed like a lifetime for Cindy to appear.

  “You must be Lisa. Anne Marie called a few minutes ago to talk to Katie. I look after children in my home—Anne Marie probably told you that—and Katie’s one of my brightest. Come on in,” she said, unlatching the screen door with one hand while she fended off a huge Burmese mountain dog who came charging toward the open door.

  Lisa slipped inside, away from the dog, wondering how she’d talk to her niece, her heart breaking at how the little girl must feel with her mommy gone, someone other than her mother taking care of her and a strange woman showing up at the door to meet her. “Is Katie here?”

  “She sure is,” Cindy said, closing the screen door and leading the way to the living room, dog in tow. “Katie, honey, come out and meet your aunt Lisa.”

  Before Lisa had time to think, a little girl with caramel-blond curly hair and pink cheeks ran into the living room, trailing a stuffed green dinosaur behind her. “Weesa?” the child asked, face turned up, an uncertain smile pulling at the corners of her mouth.

  Lisa knelt down in front of her niece, her eyes searching for recognition—for connection. “Are you Katie?”

  “Yes,” the little girl sighed, her voice muffled by one hand reaching for her hair while she slipped the thumb of her other hand into her mouth.

  “I’m Lisa. I’m your mommy’s sister.”

  Huge dollops of tears rose in Katie’s eyes, and her mouth twitched as the tears cruised down her cheeks.

  Unable to bear the sight, Lisa scooped the child into her arms, her hands holding the tiny form close to her while soothing noises rose in her throat.

  Katie’s tears soaked Lisa’s shirt as she sucked her thumb and snuggled into her arms. No one had ever clung to Lisa like this, no arms had revealed such dependency, and for a moment panic crept through her.

  What if Katie continued to cry? What if she didn’t like being with Lisa? What if the child got sick? She worked with the pediatricians at her hospital, but would she be any good at recognizing symptoms quickly?

  She took a deep breath, remembering that her own family doctor had lots of experience with children. Hadn’t she seen children in the waiting room whenever she had an appointment?

  As she and Katie hugged each other, these worries and feelings of unease gave way to an overwhelming sense of connectedness. As the child’s warmth met hers, compassion—mixed with a fierce need to protect this sweet little girl—made her unexpectedly thankful that Katie was part of her life now.

  She held Katie gently as she soothed her with comforting words she hadn’t ever used with another human being. Her arms trembled, not from the weight of the child, but from the emotional riptide pulling her into a close bond she’d never experienced before in her life.

  Part of her wanted to hold on tight, to shield Katie from every bad thing in the world. Was this how it felt to love a child? To have this compulsion to protect a vulnerable little person from all and any upset or pain?

  “Lisa, I realize this is a special moment for you and Katie, and I’m sorry to interrupt, but I have to get my day-care charges ready for their outing, and I have to drop my son Kyle off at soccer,” Cindy said.

  Still clutching Katie, Lisa stood and turned to Cindy. “I understand, and I must be going. I’m making arrangements to take Katie’s grandmother home with me, as well.”

  “Anne Marie told me all about it, and I think what you’re doing is wonderful. Anne Marie and her family are very lucky to have you.”

  “And I’m lucky to have them. But I won’t keep you, so if you can help me gather Katie’s things, I’ll be on my way,” Lisa said, refusing to let go of Katie. She’d carry her to the car, and get Cindy to help her put the car seat in.

  “I’m afraid Katie doesn’t have a lot to take. When Anne Marie was arrested, the social worker brought Katie to my house without anything. I went to her house, but the police were there looking for evidence and I couldn’t get much.” She shrugged.

  “That’s okay. I can buy whatever I need on the way home.”

  “Great,” Cindy said, wiping her hands along the sides of her jeans. “I’ll get her bag, and help you settle her in the car.”

  Katie lifted her head and stared after Cindy as she moved down the narrow hall, an anxious expression on her tiny features.

  Urgently needing to put a smile on Katie’s face, she said, “Katie, honey, why don’t you and I go shopping? What do you say?”

  Katie shifted her gaze to Lisa’s face, her head tilted sideways, her eyes huge pools of uncertainty. “I want Nemo,” she said, putting her thumb firmly in her mouth and burying her face back in Lisa’s shoulder.

  “Nemo, it is, then,” Lisa said, while an unfamiliar happiness eased the tension between her shoulders.

  CHAPTER SIX

  ONCE LISA HAD finally gotten the car loaded, they were ready to get on the road. Lisa was thankful her car was big enough to hold everything, even though her mother and Katie had little to take with them and the wheelchair folded easily into the trunk. There had been so many things to do and arrangements to make that Lisa felt completely overwhelmed. She could have stayed another night in Melbourne, but she wanted to get back.

  She had to sort out her feelings over all the changes taking place in her life; to do this she needed to be at home.

  A few weeks ago, she hadn’t known she had a family, and now, happy though she was, she sensed that her life was slipping out of control.

  And then there was Mason. His sudden offer to go to the lawyer with her had been so welcome. Who would’ve believed that Mason could be such a good friend? Not her, for sure.

  But even with Mason’s help, she realized how poorly prepared she was to take on this much responsibility all at once.

  Her mother had shown concern for how hard Lisa had worked to get everything organized, which Lisa appreciated, but it didn’t change the sense of being in over her head.

  It’ll get better, she told herself as she pulled onto I-95. Lisa adjusted the rearview mirror so she could see Katie, who had been very quiet ever since they’d loaded the car.

  What must Katie be thinking? Being put in a car with a stranger and without her mother would be frightening, to say the least. But the little girl’s only response had been silence as she put her thumb in her mouth.

  “We’ll stop near Jacksonville tonight. I’ll try for a motel with a pool so we can relax and cool off.”

  “That sounds wonderful,” Carolyn said, with a huge smile and a look of comp
lete pleasure warming her face. “It’s so nice to be out of the nursing home. A mere week ago, I was pretty discouraged and worried about Anne Marie and Katie. And now I have so much to look forward to.”

  “We both have,” Lisa replied, feeling the knot in her stomach ease.

  “Lisa, you haven’t told me how you found me.”

  “My mom died and left a note explaining that you were still alive, and my lawyer thought that you might still be in Florida.”

  “So, your mother finally did the right thing. It must’ve been difficult for her to keep a secret like that for so long, but she obviously had her reasons.”

  “I can’t imagine what they’d be.”

  “She was doing what she believed was best for you. As I did.”

  Lisa glanced across at her mother. “How can you be so…kind? If we’d met years ago, both our lives would have been different.”

  “Yes, darling, I’m sure they would have been, but regret will only bring sadness. Let’s concentrate on the future. We have each other and, for now, we have Katie. And lots of happiness ahead for us.”

  Love and caring flowed from her mother’s gaze, a love Lisa had never expected to experience. Yet her mother was right, the past was over, along with the waiting and wondering about who her parents were. “You’re going to like being in Durham, Mom.”

  Her mother patted her shoulder. “I will. I can hardly wait to get there and see where you’ve lived all these years.”

  Despite her exhaustion, her mother’s encouraging words filled her with purpose. Suddenly she wanted desperately to be in Durham and get her new family settled at the house.

  She was relieved that she’d put off selling her parents’ home—her family would need all the space in the big house. Since her mother liked the fact that she had a pool, she’d get the pool-service company to come as soon as possible and get it ready again.

  Lisa’s cell phone started to ring and she grabbed it. “Hello.”

  “How’s it going?” Mason asked.

  Mason’s voice was a reassuring break from the emotional ebb and flow of the past few hours. “Fine so far. We’re just north of Melbourne on I-95.”