Another Way Home

by Deborah Raney

  After that they planned to let Austin see Misty. Grant didn’t like the idea. Didn’t really think it was best for the boy. But they hadn’t asked him. And—so help him—he would keep his mouth shut. “Your mom ran into Langhorne to get some groceries, but she’ll be back any minute, and I think I can hold down the fort tomorrow so she can come with you.”

  Danae gave him the details. “Did you write it down, Daddy?”

  “Yes, smarty-pants, I wrote it down. She’ll be there, don’t you worry.”

  “OK. I can’t wait for you to meet him!”

  He laughed. “I can’t wait for you to meet him either!”

  “Maybe you can come to Cape tomorrow after we get home and see him. We should be home by three or four.”

  “Well, if not then, I’ll get there as soon as I can. We’ve got the rest of our lives to get to know him.” He swallowed hard. “You did good, kiddo.”

  “Thanks, Dad.”

  He suddenly couldn’t speak without turning into a puddle.

  “You there, Daddy?”

  “I . . . I’m here. My allergies are acting up.” He cleared his throat loudly. “You know, kiddo, you may have gotten a late start with the babies, but you got the privilege of giving us our very first grandsons.”

  “Oh! I hadn’t thought of that.” She gave a weepy laugh. “Now my allergies are acting up.”

  “Not to mention, God made up for lost time by starting you out with a three-year-old.”

  Another little sob. “I’m hanging up, Daddy.”

  “Me too.” Grant put the phone down and let his “allergies” have their way with him.

  33

  Austin? Wake up, buddy.” Danae shook his thin shoulders again.

  “Can I play bideo games?”

  She laughed. The boy wasn’t even four years old, and they already had a fight on their hands when it came to those blasted electronics. “No, buddy. But you need to get up. Dad and I need to talk to you about something very important.”

  She went to open the “dinosaur teeth” curtains. April sun streamed in, bouncing off the pale blue walls, and matching her mood to perfection. She hadn’t quit smiling since Dallas had awakened her from her nap. She didn’t tell him, but she’d barely slept for a minute since she’d heard the news. They had a son!

  And although she didn’t think this baby could be any more a son to them than Austin seemed, still, there was something so precious and special about being able to meet this baby when he was mere hours old.

  Dallas had gotten hold of the hospital, and everything was arranged for them to bring the baby home today. She didn’t know how she could possibly wait until then.

  Dallas appeared in the doorway. “Did you tell him?” he mouthed.

  “Can I wear my Potamus Prime shirt, Dad?” They’d cracked up at his first mispronunciation of Optimus Prime and now would forever after picture the super villain as a hippo in metallic red and blue.

  “Not today, buddy. We’re going to the hospital.” He turned to Danae. “Did you tell him?”

  She laughed. “And you think I’m wound up? Of course, I didn’t tell him. I wouldn’t let you miss this.”

  They’d decided to keep the news about Austin seeing Misty very low-key. They’d talked about it several times over the past few weeks whenever they talked about the baby coming. Austin seemed pretty matter-of-fact about the prospect of seeing his mama again, but they were learning he was pretty matter-of-fact about everything. Well, except maybe bideo games. And Potamus Prime.

  “Come here, Austin.” She knelt in front of him. “Guess what happened last night?”

  He broke away from her and riffled through a pile of toys in the corner of his room. “Potamus Prime. Potamus Prime.”

  “Hey, Austin. Get over here.” She crawled over to him on hands and knees, capturing him and pulling him into her lap. “We can find your Optimus Prime later. Right now, Dad and I have something exciting to tell you.”

  She yielded the floor to Dallas with a smile, kicking herself that she hadn’t thought to set up the video camera.

  He sat cross-legged on the floor and leaned in until he was face-to-face with Austin. “You have a brother, buddy! Your baby brother was born last night.”

  “Our baby?” Austin pointed to his own chest.

  “Yes! It’s a boy! A brother!”

  “Can he play with my Potamus Prime?”

  Dallas fell over laughing, which instigated a wrestling match.

  Apparently, it took more than a new baby brother to impress this boy.

  * * *

  “We’ll be back to get you in just a few minutes, OK, buddy?” Dallas tried to look stern.

  He felt bad leaving Audrey in the waiting room with a rather whiney Austin. The two-and-a-half-hour drive to St. Louis had not done his disposition any favors.

  “You two go on,” Audrey said, taking Austin’s hand. “We’ll be fine here.”

  “Austin, you be good for Gram.” Danae eyed the elevator, understandably distracted.

  “He will,” Audrey said. “Now go. Meet your new son.” She shooed them away.

  Dallas caught up with Danae at the elevator, and pushed the button for the fourth floor. Misty wasn’t on the maternity ward with the other mothers but had been assigned to a security floor, according to the receptionist.

  The doors opened and they stepped into a stark white vestibule. He scanned the signs, looking for room numbers.

  Danae nudged him, pointing to a sign high over the double doors to the left.

  Psychiatric Ward.

  Danae’s brow furrowed. “Did they tell you she was on the psych ward?” she whispered.

  He shook his head. “It’s probably just for security. She sounded fine when I talked to her.”

  Danae grabbed his hand.

  “You nervous?”

  She nodded. “And excited.”

  He led the way down the only hallway that wasn’t restricted, resisting the urge to look into the open doorways they passed. They went directly to the nurse’s station. “We’re here to see Misty Arato.”

  While the nurse made them each sign a clipboard, Danae explained, “We’re adopting her son that was born yesterday.”

  “Yes. Are you just here to pick up the baby, or are you meeting the birth mother?”

  “No,” Danae said. “I mean, we know Misty. We’re adopting her baby, but it’s an open adoption.”

  “Her other son is down in the waiting room.” Dallas put a hand at the small of Danae’s back, sensing her tension. “We have permission to bring him up for a visit.”

  “I’m sorry, but Mrs. Arato is not allowed visitors.”

  Dallas leaned in and lowered his voice a notch. “Ma’am, we spoke with someone in the admin office two weeks ago. And Mrs. Arato’s social worker confirmed just this morning that we could bring Austin to see her. She should be here in a few minutes.”

  “I’ll have to check with security.” The nurse dialed a number and repeated what they’d told her to the person on the other end. Without comment, she hung up and rolled her chair away from the desk. She glanced at Danae’s bag and shook her head. “You’ll have to leave that here.”

  Danae’s eyes grew wide. “But . . . we have a gift in here for—”

  “The patient is not allowed gifts.”

  “You don’t understand,” Dallas said. “It’s not for the patient. We brought it for her to give her son. This is important.”

  Danae lifted the gift-wrapped soccer ball from her bag and showed the nurse. “It’s just a little soccer ball. It has a lot of sentimental value. Please. It will come back home with us.”

  The nurse pursed her lips, studying the package. Finally she turned and motioned. “Leave your bag here. You can take the ball. Follow me.”

  They traipsed after her down a maze of hallways until they spotted a uniformed guard standing outside a room at the end of a shorter hallway.

  The nurse spoke briefly to the armed security guard, who nodded
and let them pass.

  Misty was sitting up in the bed, and Dallas couldn’t help noticing how pale and stressed she looked.

  Beside him, Danae gave a little gasp. He followed her line of vision to the bed rails, where Misty’s left wrist was shackled.

  She gave an anemic wave with her free hand.

  Danae hurried to her side and hugged her across the bed rail. Misty’s gaze moved beyond her and past Dallas to the door, her features almost frightened looking. Dallas realized she was looking for Austin.

  Tears streamed down Misty’s cheeks unchecked. “I told them not to bring him up,” she whispered.

  “Why?” Danae took her hand and knelt to eye level with her. “Misty, Austin wants to see you.”

  She jerked her shackled arm, causing the cuff to clank against the metal railing.

  That brought the security guard to the doorway. He left when Dallas motioned that everything was OK.

  “Yeah,” she said, her eyes narrowed. “I got to wear these right up until labor and delivery too.”

  “Oh, Misty. I’m so sorry. I wish I could have been with you.”

  “This might as well be jail. I don’t want Austin seeing me like this.”

  Surely they could take the shackles off for a few minutes. His blood reaching a slow boil, Dallas whispered in Danae’s ear. “I’ll be right back.”

  He strode into the hallway where the guard was seated on a chair just outside the door. He jumped to his feet when he saw Dallas.

  He made an effort to keep his voice steady. “Her three-year-old son is coming up to visit her in a few minutes. Could we please allow the woman the dignity of being able to hug him with both arms?”

  “I’m sorry, sir. That’s not my call. The prisoner is in the custody of the St. Louis County jail.”

  “And you are?”

  “I’m with hospital security.”

  “But you have a way to unlock her cuffs, I assume?”

  “Again, sir, that’s not my call.”

  “Then who do I need to speak with to get her uncuffed? Just for five minutes. Please. Have a little mercy. Surely she’s been humiliated enough.”

  “I’m sorry, sir. This is standard policy when the prisoner is serving life.”

  “What if there was a fire in the building? How would you get her out?”

  The guard straightened and looked Dallas in the eye. “Sir, I’m not going to have this conversation with you. You may have your time with the prisoner—restrained—or I will have to ask that you leave the premises.”

  Still seething, he worked to rein in his emotions. It wouldn’t help anybody if he got thrown out. But he was out of options. And he wasn’t about to leave Danae to go through all this alone. He took a deep breath, composing himself before re-entering Misty’s room.

  “I’m sorry,” he told Misty. “There’s nothing they can do.”

  “Misty, please don’t let this stop you from seeing Austin if you want to—” Danae stopped short. She picked up a corner of the bed sheet. “Here . . . What if we do this?” She worked quickly, camouflaging the shackles with the corner of the sheet and blanket.

  Misty’s smile didn’t quite reach her eyes, but she nodded. “I do want to see him.”

  Carol Blye stepped into the room just then. “They’re bringing the baby down now. Do you want Austin here for that?”

  “Yes.” Dallas and Danae spoke as one.

  He sent up a prayer. “I’ll go get him.”

  34

  Growing more anxious with every tick of the clock, Danae waited for Dallas to bring Austin into the hospital room. Misty had the soccer ball tucked beside her, ready to give to him, but it was obvious she was nervous too.

  They heard a commotion in the hallway and looked at each other, exchanging knowing smiles.

  Misty laughed nervously. “I’d know those footsteps anywhere.”

  Danae nodded. Both of Austin’s mothers recognized the patter of his little feet. She only prayed that Austin recognized Misty after almost five months.

  He raced through the door ahead of Dallas, but Dallas scooped him up and carried him over to Misty’s bed. “Say hi to your mama, buddy.”

  Danae watched his little face closely, certain she saw a spark of recognition.

  Misty squeezed her eyelids together in an obvious attempt to hold back the flood of tears. “Hey, little man.”

  Austin scrunched his eyes up, mimicking her, and that broke the ice. He turned shy though . . . until he spotted the barely disguised soccer ball.

  Danae had wrapped it by simply gathering tissue paper around it, and Austin couldn’t keep his eyes off of it.

  Dallas gradually slid Austin from his arms until the boy was sitting on the bed beside Misty.

  Misty seemed to have forgotten anyone else was in the room, having eyes only for her son. She scooped up the ball with her free hand, holding it out to Austin. “Mama got you something, baby.”

  He gave her a look like she was being silly. “I’m not a baby.”

  “No . . . No, you’re not,” Misty said. “You’re growin’ so big I can hardly believe it.”

  He clutched the ball to his chest.

  “You can take that . . . home with you.”

  He rewarded Misty with a smile, but it tore at Danae to see how shy and standoffish he was with her. She couldn’t help wondering if he would have also been like that if Charity had ended up with him and she’d come to visit after five months. Why was she spoiling this time with such thoughts? She blinked them away.

  “What do you say, Austin?” Dallas prompted.

  “Tank you.”

  The door opened again and the nurse poked her head in. “We’re bringing the baby in.”

  Danae’s breath caught. She knew it was selfish, but she wished she could kick everyone out of the room except Dallas and Austin. She tried to remember CeeCee’s story and to just savor every moment for exactly what it was.

  Still, Missouri law required that the consent to adoption was not valid until the child was forty-eight hours old. Even though she knew Misty didn’t really have the option to change her mind, after the whole mess with Charity, Danae would not breathe easy until eleven thirty-three tomorrow night, when every last one of those forty-eight hours had passed.

  Another nurse entered, wheeling a Plexiglass bassinet in front of her. Carol took it from her and positioned the little crib beside Misty’s bed. Danae caught her husband’s eye and they both hurried to the baby. Their baby.

  She’d waited so very long for him, and now he was here.

  He had a fine down on his perfectly shaped head, and his skin was golden, not quite olive like Austin’s, but Danae thought she saw a resemblance. His features were fine, like Misty’s, and long pale eyelashes lay on the mounds of his cheeks. He was as perfect as any baby she’d ever laid eyes on. And she’d laid eyes on quite a few.

  He was swaddled in a hospital blanket, and Danae could hardly wait to unwrap him and count his toes and fingers. She smiled to herself, remembering how Corinne and Landyn had been anxious to do the same thing with their newborns. Maybe there wasn’t as much difference between birth mothers and adoptive mothers as she’d feared.

  Dallas picked up the little blue card from inside the bassinet. “Danae, you were asking?” He consulted the card. “He weighed eight pounds, three ounces, and he was twenty-one inches long. Oh, and he’s a boy.”

  She shot him a look that said, You smart aleck!

  “Who gets to hold him first?” Carol asked, scooping the baby from the bassinet as if he were a football.

  “Let Austin hold him first,” Dallas said.

  Danae could have kissed him right then and there. Sometimes she loved this man so much it hurt.

  The sometimes dour social worker suddenly turned grandmotherly. “Are you ready to meet your little brother, Austin?” She brought the baby around to the side of the bed where Austin sat, and gently placed the tiny bundle on his usually wiggly lap. She kept one hand on the baby, but
there was no need.

  Austin held perfectly still, staring at his new brother with a look on his face that Danae didn’t think she would forget as long as she lived. She was absolutely itching to get her hands on the baby, but she wouldn’t have abbreviated this moment for anything.

  “Did anyone bring a camera?” Carol asked.

  “Oh!” Danae cast about the room, then deflated. “Mine is in my purse . . . at the nurse’s station.”

  Dallas dug his phone from his pocket. “I’ve got it.” He squatted down to get eye level with the two brothers and snapped several shots. “Misty, do you mind if I get some pictures of you with the boys?”

  “Oh”—she put her free hand to her hair—“but I look a mess!” Still, she posed and smiled, and Danae was so grateful Dallas had thought to take the photo.

  “What did you name the baby?” Carol asked, looking at Dallas and her.

  They exchanged glances. They’d talked about names, but had agreed they wanted Misty’s input too.

  Dallas took a step closer to the bed. “Misty, did you have a name picked out for him?”

  She looked surprised he would ask, then turned shy. “Well, I been calling him Tyler. It’s a town in Texas. It seems to fit him. But . . . he’s not mine to name. You can call him whatever you like.” She gave Dallas a sly grin. “Long as it’s not Bug Tussel”

  They laughed.

  “Tyler,” Danae breathed.

  Dallas looked at Danae, smiling. “I like it.”

  “Me too,” she said. “If I can stand living with all these Texans. And Misty, we want to give him Morrison for a middle name if that’s all right with you.”

  “Morrison? My name?”

  “Of course. He has your blood in his veins. He’s the most priceless gift you could ever give us.”

  “I was wantin’ to ask you about giving Austin a second last name. Brooks . . . so he matches the rest of you, you know?”

  Danae watched Dallas, saw his throat constrict before he replied, but there was a smile in his voice. “How about we trade you a Morrison for a Brooks?”

  “That sounds like a deal,” Misty said.