by Sandi Lynn
“No. She just quit a couple days ago. I haven’t had the chance,” I said as we walked back in the living room and I sat down in the chair with Ella on my lap.
“I’m going to be frank with you, Julian. I did some digging, and I pulled your file. Your childhood wasn’t exactly a good one. After the Garrison’s, you spent time in fifteen different homes until the age of eighteen.”
“I know how many homes I’ve been in, Ms. Connors. What does that have to do with anything?”
“I can understand your hesitancy to want to raise your daughter. You didn’t exactly have the best role models and I suspect your views of a family are tainted.”
“Ella deserves the best, and I’m not the best for her. I don’t have any plans of ever settling down with someone or having a family of my own. It’s not what I want. She deserves to have loving parents that can give her the best life possible.”
“And you’re saying that you yourself can’t give her the best life possible?”
I looked down at Ella for a moment as she stared up at me, trying to grab my face.
“No. I don’t think I can.”
“Alright then. Get Ella’s things together and I’ll take her now. I have a family who would love to temporarily take her in until the paperwork goes through.”
“Now? No. You can’t take her now,” I said as I got up from my chair and set Ella down on her play mat.
“Why not, Julian?”
“Because she still needs to eat lunch and she’ll be going down for a nap soon.”
“And the family she’ll be with will do that for her. They’re a nice family and they’ll take good care of her. I can ask them if they’d allow you to visit her.”
She set her coffee cup down, walked over and picked Ella up. A sickness formed in the pit of my stomach.
“I’ll keep an eye on her and keep her entertained while you pack her things. Do you want to go for a ride, Ella?” Ms. Connors smiled at her.
I stood there as I clenched my fist and slowly closed my eyes for a moment as I took in a deep breath.
“Put my daughter down, Ms. Connors,” I spoke in an authoritative voice.
She looked at me with an arch in her brow as Ella played with the pearls around Ms. Connors’ neck.
“I will not tell you again. Put my daughter down.”
“Alright. Does this mean you don’t want me to file the paperwork for your daughter?”
“I don’t know.” I rubbed the back of my neck.
She set Ella down, walked over to me and placed her hand on my shoulder.
“I believe you’ve already made your decision, Julian. You just took the first step in protecting your child. That’s being a father. If you need anything, call me.”
As soon as she left, I looked over and Ella had pushed herself up on her knees and started rocking back and forth. I smiled as I walked over and picked her up.
“Listen, kid. This isn’t going to be easy, and I have a lot of issues I need to work out. Issues I don’t want reflecting back on you. So I need you to be patient with me while I do that. Do we have a deal? We have a lot of things to take care of if you’re staying here. The first thing being is getting you some more diapers and formula.”
I bundled Ella up and we headed to Target. After grabbing a couple packs of diapers and some cans of formula, I headed to the toy aisle. As I was on my way and glancing down the various aisles, I stopped the cart when I saw Georgia standing in the section where all the hair products were.
“Georgia?”
Georgia
I turned around and swallowed hard when I saw Julian standing there staring at me.
“Julian.”
“You’re still in New York?”
“Umm. Yeah,” I spoke with a nervousness in my voice. “Hey, sweet girl.” I smiled as I took hold of Ella’s hand and she smiled at me.
“Why haven’t you answered any of my calls? Or better yet, why the hell did you leave the way you did?” he spoke in an angry tone.
“Okay, first of all, we’re in the middle of Target, so don’t take that tone with me. And second, you made it clear you didn’t want me around.” I had to think of something fast.
“I never said that. Not once, did I say I didn’t want you around.”
The woman in the aisle with us kept glancing over as she pretended she was looking at products. I knew better. She was just being nosey.
“Well, that’s the impression I got.”
He stood there with furrowed brows as he stared at me.
“How did you get that impression? And where are you staying?”
“A cheap hotel until I figure out my next move.”
He kept looking at the lady who was listening in on our conversation.
“We need to talk. Can you come to the penthouse in about an hour?”
“What do we need to talk about?”
“Don’t answer my question with a question,” he said.
“Fine. I’ll be there in an hour.”
“Okay. I need to finish up here and I’ll see you soon.”
He left and I turned and looked at the woman whom I caught staring at me.
“Show’s over, lady. You can go back to your shopping now.” I rolled my eyes.
I left my cart in the aisle and discreetly followed Julian to see what else he was buying. He headed to the toy aisle and started throwing toys in the cart. Did this mean what I think it did? I silently smiled. Going back and getting my cart, I called Kevin.
“Georgia, is everything okay?” he asked as he answered.
“I just ran into Julian in Target.”
“Target? Why was he there?”
“It looked like he was picking up diapers and formula. He saw me and he wants me to come to the penthouse in an hour to talk.”
“You didn’t tell him you were staying with me, did you?”
“No. I told him a cheap hotel. Anyway, I followed him to the toy aisle, and he was buying Ella a bunch of toys. I think he made his decision. I think he’s keeping her, Kevin.”
“God, I hope so. Listen, I have to get to a meeting. I’ll talk to you later when I get home. Good luck with Julian.”
“Thanks. I’ll let you know how it goes.”
Chapter 15
Julian
She didn’t see me standing behind her, listening to every word she said to Kevin. I was furious. This was her plan all along. I quickly pushed the cart a couple aisles over so she didn’t see me. I carefully watched as she checked out and walked out of the store. After checking out, I climbed into the cab and called her.
“Hello.”
“Hey, it’s Julian. Something’s come up and we won’t be able to meet in an hour. I’ll call you later.”
“Is everything okay?”
“Yeah. Everything’s fine. I’ll be in touch soon.”
I ended the call as anger soared through me. After I got Ella home and gave her a bottle, I opened her new toys and sat her on the floor to play with them.
When I knew Kevin was home from work, I asked Mrs. Jenkins from one floor down if she could come up and watch Ella for a bit while I went out.
“She’s so adorable, Julian.” Mrs. Jenkins smiled. “I remember when my kids were this little. Oh, that was so long ago.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Jenkins. I won’t be gone long.”
“Take all the time you need, Julian. Little Ella and I will just be here playing.”
I gave her a small smile as I stepped into the elevator. Taking a cab over to Kevin’s Park Avenue apartment, I knocked on the door and then stepped to the side so he couldn’t see it was me. I wasn’t giving him any chance to warn Georgia. As soon as he opened the door, I stepped in front of him.
“Julian. What are you doing here?” he asked in a nervous tone.
“I came to see Georgia.” I pushed past him and stepped inside.
“Kevin, who is—” Georgia emerged from the hallway and stopped mid-sentence when she saw me. “Julian.”
&nb
sp; “Really?” I looked at her and then at Kevin as he shut the door.
“Julian, calm down. This isn’t what it looks like,” Kevin said as he put his hands up.
“What it looks like to me is two of my friends lying to me. I overheard your brief phone conversation with Kevin when I went to find you in Target to ask if you had eaten lunch because I was going to order us something for when you came to the penthouse. You left us to come and stay with him?!” I shouted at her.
“Julian, listen to me. I can explain.”
“Damn right you’re going to explain.”
“After our conversation that night, I knew the only way for you to get to know your daughter was to leave you alone with her, so you were forced to take care of her and see her for the beautiful little girl she is.”
“That wasn’t your decision to make, Georgia!” I yelled. “And you were in on this too?” I turned to Kevin.
“No. He had nothing to do with it,” Georgia chimed in. “I asked him if I could stay with him for a while to figure things out.”
“You’re lying.” I pointed at her. “And you,” I pointed at Kevin, “you sat with me, in my home, acting like some innocent party when you knew her plan all along. I can’t even stand to look at the two of you right now.”
I turned to Georgia, who stood there with her arms folded and tears in her eyes.
“How long were you planning on letting me think you had left town?” I shouted at her.
“Until you came to your senses!” she yelled back at me.
“Well, guess what, Georgia? I came to my senses and thank God I overheard that phone conversation because the biggest mistake I would have made was bringing you back into my home to take care of my daughter. I want to make something very clear to you. I don’t care what you do or where you go, but you stay away from me and my daughter. And as for you,” I looked at Kevin, “from now on, we only work together, nothing more.” I shook my head and stormed out of the apartment.
Georgia
I placed my hand on my forehead as I sat down on the couch.
“I’m so sorry, Kevin.”
“Don’t be. He’ll eventually come around. Are you okay?”
“Not really.” My eyes filled with tears. “But he can hate me all he wants because the only thing that matters is he’s keeping Ella.”
“Like I said, he’ll come around.” Kevin hooked his arm around me and pulled me into him. “Stick around for a while. I get the feeling you like it here in New York.”
“As much as I’d love to, this isn’t where I belong. Especially now.”
I got up from the couch, went into my bedroom and shut the door. Throwing myself on the bed, I replayed Julian’s visit repeatedly in my head. I deceived him and I understood why he was so angry. I really did. But for him to tell me to stay away from him and Ella caused a stabbing pain in my heart. Maybe I was naïve to think that he wouldn’t be angry, and he would thank me for doing what I’d done. He was a miserable man and all I hoped was that his daughter would bring some light into his life.
One Week Later
Julian
I spent the week interviewing potential nannies. I didn’t like any of them, and neither did Ella. When I’d watch them play with her, all she’d do was cry. For the time being, I had Mrs. Jenkins looking after her while I spent a few hours at the office, but she was in her seventies with health issues of her own and taking care of Ella exhausted her. She would never admit it, but I could see it when I came home.
“I don’t think she’s feeling well, Julian,” Mrs. Jenkins said as I stepped off the elevator and she handed Ella to me. “She’s been very irritable all day, and she’s barely slept.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Jenkins. I appreciate you looking after her.”
“You’re welcome, dear. Don’t forget, I’m going out of town tomorrow to visit my son and his children. I’ll be back in a week.”
“I haven’t forgotten, Mrs. Jenkins. Have a safe trip.”
I set Ella down for a moment so I could take off my suit coat. She wasn’t having it and screamed her head off. Picking her up, I walked her around the house while I rubbed her back.
“You’re not feeling so good, are you?” I rubbed the back of her head.
I could tell she was exhausted, and she could barely keep her eyes open. If I even attempted to lay her down, she screamed bloody murder. The crying went on for two hours straight, and no matter what I did, she wouldn’t stop.
“You feel really warm.”
I had remembered seeing a box with a baby thermometer in it up in the dresser drawer of the room where Georgia stayed. Taking Ella upstairs, I pulled the thermometer from the box, read the instructions and then stuck it in her ear as she screamed. The thermometer beeped, and when I looked at it, it read:104.1.
“Oh God, Ella.”
I panicked like I had never panicked in my life. She was crying nonstop and had a temperature of a 104.1. I didn’t know what to do. My mind was racing, and I couldn’t think straight with her screaming. Picking up my phone from the island in the kitchen, I held it in my hand for a moment, stared at it and set it back down. As I was trying to calm Ella down with no success, I quickly picked it up again and dialed Georgia’s number. I didn’t have a choice, and I knew she’d know what to do. I just prayed she was still in New York.
Chapter 16
Georgia
I left a note on the table and left the apartment before Kevin arrived home from the office. It was easier that way. I hated goodbyes and rarely said them. I’d made it to the bus station and got on the bus that was leaving for Minneapolis in about ten minutes. I sighed as I took my seat and stared out the window. So much for seeing Christmas in New York. I probably could have stayed until after the holidays, but too much had happened here, and I wanted to leave it all behind me.
I heard my phone ringing and when I pulled it from my purse, I saw Julian was calling. Instantly, my belly did a few flips. Why would he be calling me after what he’d said to me?
“Hello,” I answered.
“Georgia, thank God you answered.”
“Julian, what’s wrong?” I asked as I could hear Ella screaming in the background and the panic in his voice.
“Are you still in New York?”
“Barely. I’m at the bus station. What’s wrong?”
“Something is wrong with Ella. She’s been screaming all day, and I just took her temperature and it’s 104.1. She won’t let me put her down.”
“I’m on my way!” I said as I grabbed my suitcase and ran off the bus.
“Thank you. I didn’t know who else to call or what to do.”
“I’ll get there as soon as I can.”
I climbed into a cab and told the driver to step on it. Twenty-five minutes later, I arrived at Julian’s building. Stepping into the elevator, I took it up to his penthouse. The moment the doors opened, he stood in the foyer with Ella, who was still crying.
“I don’t know what to do,” Julian said as he handed her to me.
“It’s okay, sweet girl.”
Her cries soften as she laid her head on my chest.
“We need to give her some baby Tylenol and get her into a lukewarm bath.”
“I don’t have baby Tylenol,” Julian spoke.
“There’s some up in the medicine cabinet in the bathroom.”
“I didn’t know that, or I would have given her some already,” he said as he followed behind me up the stairs.
“Get it out and read the bottle to see how much to give her while I undress her. And start the water for a bath. Make sure it’s lukewarm. Not hot or cold.”
“Here’s her medicine,” Julian spoke as he handed me the syringe.
“Here you go, baby. This is going to help you feel better,” I said as I shoved the medicine in her mouth. She screamed, and I picked her up and held her against me until the bath water was ready. Placing her in the tub, she seemed to calm down, and her screams turned into little whimpers. “That feels g
ood, doesn’t it?” I smiled as I took a washcloth and wiped her with it.
“I’ll go get her diaper ready and some new pajamas,” Julian said as he walked out of the bathroom.
Ella was shivering, so I took her out of the tub and wrapped her in a large soft towel.
“Let me take her,” Julian said as he held out his arms.
I handed her over to him and he took her to his room and sat down with her in a reclining rocking chair.
“Is that new?” I asked.
“Yeah. I bought it a few days ago. She likes to rock at night before bed.”
I couldn’t help but smile while I stood there and watched him cuddle her.
“We better get her dressed,” I said.
“Of course.”
He got up from the chair and gently laid her down on the bed. I sat on the edge and watched as he put on her diaper and dressed her in her pajamas. By time he finished snapping the last snap, Ella was out. I left the room, grabbed the thermometer, stuck it in her ear and her temperature registered at 102.
“It’s down.” I showed him.
He let out a sigh of relief as he carefully picked her up and laid her down in her pack n’ play. Julian grabbed the baby monitor, and we headed downstairs.
“Thank you for coming over.”
“You’re welcome. I would take her to see a doctor first thing tomorrow morning,” I spoke.
“I’m planning on it.”
“Good. I should get going. Please text me and let me know how she is.”
“Where are you going? You said you were at the bus station. I’m pretty sure whatever bus you were getting on has already left.”
“Yeah. You’re right. No big deal. I’ll head there and get another ticket.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. It’s late. You’ll stay here tonight.”
“Thanks, Julian. But I don’t think so.”
“I wasn’t asking you, Georgia. I’m telling you that you’re staying here. You’re not going back to the bus station tonight. Plus, I know you’ll worry about Ella, and you’d feel better if you were here with her.”