by Barbara Gee
“It’s simply lovely,” Adalyn exclaimed.
Lily excitedly explored the whole house, squealing with delight when JP showed her the bedroom we’d gotten ready for her, complete with an assortment of stuffed animals, toys, and books that we’d had a lot of fun choosing. JP had stayed up late many nights laying the hardwood, and I’d helped him paint it just a few days ago. Seeing Lily’s reaction made it well worth the effort.
JP insisted that Adalyn take his bedroom for the night, assuring her he’d slept on his couch many times and it was perfectly comfortable.
We played with the new toys for a while, ate sandwiches, chips, and fruit for lunch, and breathed sighs of relief when Lily went down for a nap in her “new bed” without issue. Adalyn decided to rest too, giving JP and me a chance to regroup before the night’s big introductions.
I could tell he was getting more nervous as the time approached. I asked him why and he told me it wasn’t because he was afraid of his family’s reaction to Lily and Adalyn, but rather his own inexperience as a dad and how strange it was going to feel to suddenly be seen in that role.
I knew it would be fine and I think he did too, but becoming an instant dad was definitely not an easy thing.
***
I was unprepared for the depth of emotion we all experienced as JP introduced his daughter to his family. JP was dearly loved by them, and meeting the delightful little girl belonging to him resulted in many tears. We tried our best to hide them from Lily, but Adalyn finally had to explain the concept of “happy tears” to her. Lily gave us a look conveying her opinion that we were all a little strange, then bounced over to Aunt Janna and asked if she had any dolls.
Of course Janna had come prepared with multiple gifts for her new niece and was happy to break them out.
The evening flew by. Lily charmed everyone just by being herself, and JP showed that being a dad came naturally to him. While Ava, Jude, and I did the dishes, and Janna and JP played with Lily, the three grandparents sat in the living room and talked. I don’t know what all they discussed, but they seemed happy and relaxed afterward, so I figured it was all good. If Adalyn had been as open and vulnerable with Hank and Camilla as she’d been with me the evening before, they no doubt had a much better understanding of where things stood, and why.
When the big day caught up with Lily and she started to get cranky, JP decided to call it a night. Lily fell asleep on the twenty-minute drive home and I decided not to go inside with them so that JP could concentrate on getting his guests settled.
He gave me a quick kiss by my car and told me they’d probably skip church since mornings weren’t so good for Adalyn. Plus, he wasn’t sure he was ready to introduce Lily to everyone anyway. I understood and told him I’d see him whenever he got back from taking them back to Garnett.
I drove back to Hidden Creek feeling a mixture of emotions, but overall I felt good about where things were going. We’d all felt like one big happy family tonight, and I loved that. I could tell Adalyn felt relieved as well. There was absolutely no doubt that Lily would be in good hands when she was gone.
Unless Haley threw a wrench into the process.
***
The first wrench came only eight days later. Adalyn called JP on Sunday evening, when he was hanging out with me at my house. We’d ordered pizza and JP had just paid the delivery girl and sent her on her way when his phone rang.
He quickly handed me the pizza and dug his phone from his pocket.
“Adalyn,” he told me before he answered.
I carried the box to the coffee table and went to the kitchen for plates. When I got back out to the living room, JP was sitting on the edge of a chair, hunched over with his elbows on his knees, his forehead propped on his fingertips. He wasn’t speaking, just listening, and I knew right away something was wrong.
My first guess was that childcare for Adalyn’s treatment days had fallen through. She and JP had agreed that Lily would stay with her until she was too weak to have her around, but I knew it was challenging to coordinate the help she needed. Thankfully I was only scheduled to work Tuesday and Friday so far, which meant I’d be able to help out some if needed.
I sat down across from JP and waited for a chance to tell him I was available Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday if needed.
He was silent for a long time, and when he finally looked up, my heart dropped to my toes. This wasn’t about childcare.
This was about Haley.
I saw his throat work as he swallowed, still listening. After another long moment, he got up and started pacing.
“She didn’t tell you where she is?” he asked, confirming my fears. Another wait, then a long sigh. “Okay, Adalyn, we’re just going to have to wait and see what she does next. Telling her was the right thing to do, that’s what we discussed. I’m sure it took her by surprise and maybe once she thinks it through she’ll calm down.” He went on to gently tell Adalyn to go on with her week as planned because her treatments were too important to miss, then he said good-bye and hung up.
His expression was bleak when his eyes met mine from across the room.
“Haley strikes again?” I asked softly, dreading the answer.
He wiped a hand down his face and nodded. “Yeah. She called for money last night and Adalyn told her about her cancer. We’d talked it over with the attorney and decided that being up front about it would be better than having Haley find out through other means. So that’s what Adalyn did.”
I winced. “I take it Haley wasn’t the caring, concerned daughter?”
JP huffed out a humorless laugh. “Hardly. Her response was something like ‘well, you better not have changed your will to leave everything to that baby you wanted so bad.’”
My jaw dropped. “Are you serious?”
My heart hurt for Adalyn as I imagined what it had been like to hear that. Even after so many years of suffering through Haley’s rebellion and addiction problems, I was sure the words had cut deep.
JP recounted the conversation for me. “Adalyn told her everything was in a trust fund for Lily and not accessible until she’s twenty-one. Apparently Haley’s brain hasn’t been completely addled by the drugs because she immediately asked about a living allowance. Adalyn did make provisions for that in her will, but she told Haley it doesn’t matter because Lily won’t be with her anyway.”
“Oh, man,” I breathed, knowing what was coming next.
“Yeah. When Adalyn told her I was going to be taking Lily, Haley lost it. First she tried denying I was the father after all, but Adalyn told her we’d done the test to confirm it. Then she started screaming about how a child should always go to its mother and how dare Adalyn tell me about Lily in the first place.”
“But she’s never even seen her!” I said angrily.
“Which Adalyn pointed out, but it didn’t make any difference. It’s all about the money, just like we knew it would be.”
I got up and went to him, sliding my arms around his waist and holding him tight. He sighed and settled his chin on the top of my head as his arms encircled my shoulders. He said, “I knew this was coming, I just tried to put it out of my head while we got everything else worked out.”
“So how did the conversation end? I’m guessing she threatened to go to court?”
“Of course she did, but I don’t know how that’s going to play out. She’s going to have to get clean first, and that won’t happen overnight.” He shook his head in disgust. “It’s just really sad. Haley was totally focused on the money. Not the fact that her mother is terminally ill, and certainly not Lily. Just the money.”
I suddenly felt sick to my stomach. “We should’ve considered blackmail in our scenarios,” I said. “That will be the fastest way to get what she wants.”
“Huh?”
“Blackmail. Or extortion, or whatever you want to call it. She doesn’t want Lily, obviously, but she can use the fact that she’s her mother to get the money. She’ll promise not to fight you for custody o
r visitation if she gets a payout. And my guess is it’s going to take a lot more than a hundred-fifty-thousand dollars this time.”
JP thought about that for a moment, his body even more tense. “I don’t know. I mean, she’s not much of a threat as things are now. Not unless she takes the time to get clean.”
“Which she might do—or at least threaten to do. Think about it, JP. She knows you won’t want to drag things out and have a custody trial hanging over your head, so paying her off makes sense. I’m guessing she’d consider that a big win.”
He stepped back so he could look at me, his hands on my shoulders. “Do you see that as a viable solution?”
I thought about it for a moment, wishing it could be that easy. “Maybe in the short term. But Haley would blow the money within a year and probably be even worse off and more desperate than she is now. And then she’ll come back for more, just like she does now with Adalyn. But if you force her to go to court, you can finish it there once and for all.” I hooked my hands over his arms. “That’s probably the only way to make sure she goes away for good.”
“Unless she goes for visitation, like you said before. Then we’ll be dealing with her for years to come.”
I nodded slowly. “At least until she grows bored of it.”
He shoved a hand through his hair and walked over to the window. “But what kind of damage will she do to Lily in the meantime? I can’t stand the thought of that little girl spending any time with Haley, even if the visits are limited and supervised. I don’t trust her.”
I leaned against the back of the couch and folded my arms, hurting for him. Lily had become so important to him in such a short amount of time and having to make tough decisions that would affect her future was a big burden to carry.
“I guess the next move is Haley’s,” JP said wearily. “Once we know what her plan is, we’ll schedule another meeting with the attorney.”
“We need to go on with our lives while we wait. You were right to tell Adalyn to do that. To continue her treatments. Who knows when we’ll actually hear from Haley again.”
“Yeah.” JP walked over and wrapped me in a big bear hug. “Thanks for being so supportive. Having you here makes me feel like anything’s bearable.”
His words warmed up the places inside me that Haley’s actions had chilled. I hoped I had the same effect on him.
I relaxed against his chest. “It’ll be worth whatever we have to go through. Lily’s worth it.”
JP put his hands on the sides of my head and tilted my face up. His gorgeous blue eyes bored into mine for a long moment, then he slowly shook his head as his lips formed a crooked smile. “You really mean that, don’t you?”
I frowned, wondering why he seemed surprised. “Of course I mean it.”
His smile grew. “You love me, therefore you love my daughter.”
I scrunched my face teasingly. “Well…..I’d probably love her anyway, to be honest. She’s a pretty lovable little gal.”
He dropped his mouth to mine and kissed me quick and sweet. “I love you, Myla,” he said softly. “You’re my first thought every morning. It was like that even when you were gone.” Another brief kiss. “To have you back after all this time—I can’t even explain how that makes me feel.”
“You don’t have to. I feel exactly the same way.” I pushed my fingers through his dark blond hair, remembering how strands of it got light from the sun in the summertime. “I’m happier than I’ve ever been, JP,” I said truthfully. “All I need for that is you. Everything else is a cherry on top.”
He grinned. “I plan to give you lots of cherries, babe.”
Chapter 27
J
P and I were at the Mexican restaurant in Mountain View when Adalyn called on Tuesday. She’d started calling JP every evening so Lily could talk to him, so I wasn’t surprised when he held up his phone to show me it was her. This time, however, Adalyn was calling because the babysitter she’d lined up for tomorrow had a bad cold. Which was a problem because the doctor didn’t want Adalyn to be around anyone who was sick.
JP was tilting his phone away from his ear so that I could hear the conversation, and I immediately whispered that I wasn’t teaching tomorrow and I could watch Lily if needed.
“Hang on a second, Adalyn,” he said. He put the phone against his thigh and gave me a searching look. “Are you sure? It would be a lot of driving. I can try to reschedule some stuff at work so I can do it.”
I knew he had a big meeting planned with Jude and the people from the medical clinic, and it was an important one. I, on the other hand, had nothing planned, so spending the day with Lily was a no-brainer.
“It’s fine. I’ll enjoy it.” I could tell he didn’t want to put the obligation on me, but I didn’t consider spending time with Lily a hardship. “Ask her what time I should be there.”
He brought the phone back up. “Hey, Adalyn, Myla said she’ll stay with Lily tomorrow. What time will you leave for the hospital?”
I could hear the relief in her voice as she told him her friend was picking her up at 9:15, so any time before then would be fine. They spoke a little bit longer, then he hung up and gave me a grateful smile.
“What would I do without you?”
“Come on, JP, it’s not like you never do anything for me.”
“But—”
My own phone rang, cutting him off. I saw it was the principal of my school calling and I chuckled. “I’m glad Adalyn called when she did,” I said before I answered.
For the first time, I turned down the request to fill in, citing prior plans I couldn’t change. Principal Correll said that was fine, she’d just wanted to give me first chance. Which was nice to hear and hopefully boded well for my chances of getting a class of my own next fall.
Of course her call made JP feel even worse about tying me up with babysitting, so I grabbed his jaw and gave it a light shake. “JP, I want to stay with Lily. I really do.” I gave him a sly smile. “But….if you feel you simply have to make it up to me, buy me an order of sopapillas for dessert and we’ll call it good.”
He chuckled and kissed the top of my head. We were sitting beside each other in a booth, so touching was easy. “You got it. Is one order enough?”
“Unless you’re going to eat some.”
“Two orders it is,” he said with a grin.
***
I got to Adalyn’s a half hour early the next morning. I hadn’t seen her in over a week and I was shocked at the change when she opened the front door. She was pale and looked utterly exhausted. She was also wearing a scarf tied around her head, meaning she was finally starting to lose her hair. We’d hoped she’d be one of the few who didn’t.
I tried not to show my surprise, but she gave a knowing, humorless smile.
“Yes, I know, dear. I’m looking my age and then some this morning.” She stepped back so I could go inside, then closed the door behind me. “I tell you, this round of treatments is hitting me hard. I’d begun to hope I was going to breeze through them, in spite of the warnings my oncologist gave me, but this week—whew. I finally feel like I might actually be as sick as they say I am.”
“I’m so sorry,” I said, giving her a careful hug. “Is there anything I can do?”
“You’re doing it, sweetie. I don’t know what I would’ve done if you hadn’t offered to come today.”
“I’m so glad to do it. Lily and I will have a ball, and I don’t want you to worry about anything. I can stay for a while after you get back home, too, if you need me.”
“We’ll see how things go. My friend Louise is taking me today and she usually doesn’t mind sticking around for a while afterward to make sure I’m okay. But if it’s as bad as yesterday, I might take you up on staying a little later so she doesn’t have to.”
“We’ll just play it by ear. I’m totally flexible.”
Adalyn walked slowly down the wide entry hall and I followed. “JP has been so understanding about me wanting to keep Lily wit
h me for as long as I possibly can, but after yesterday, I’m afraid that might end sooner than I thought.”
I tried to reassure her. “But after the treatments are over, it should get better. That’s the reason for going through the chemo, right?”
“That’s the hope. But I have two more rounds after this one, and it gets worse each time now. I don’t know what shape I’ll be in by the end.”
“Well, maybe Lily can go live with JP for a couple of weeks, with visits to you of course, and then come back here when you get your strength back.”
“Or maybe I just need to bite the bullet and let her go.”
It was upsetting to see Adalyn’s spirits so low. “I don’t think we’re there yet,” I said, knowing that if she didn’t have Lily as motivation to fight the cancer she was likely to get sicker faster. We needed to keep her thinking positively. “This is your last treatment for this week, then you’ll have four days to recover.”
Adalyn put her hand on my arm, stopping me before I got to the playroom. “To tell you the truth, I might need to send her home with you this evening. Do you think JP could make arrangements for her on such short notice? With the way I’m feeling right now, I don’t trust myself to be able to take care of her alone this weekend.”
I nodded. “I’m sure we can work it out. I’ll call him while you’re gone, okay? You don’t have to worry about it.”
“Thank you, Myla. You’re a life saver.”
We walked into the playroom, where Lily was sitting cross-legged watching TV. She swiveled her little blond head around and grinned up at me.
“Hi, My-My. See—I’m watching Veggie Tales.” She pointed. “See Larry the coocubber? He’s singin’ and he lost his hairbrush.”
“Ah, yes, how could I forget Larry the Cucumber? I used to watch this when I was little like you.”
“Grammy says Larry is funny. Look—he’s jumping!”