by Jenna Brandt
Lindsay nodded. “I need to get ready for work tomorrow, anyway. I will catch up with you in a bit." She sauntered off down the hall.
Aiden made his way into the living room where Alex was still playing his video game. “It’s time for bed, Champ.”
“Ah, just five more minutes?” Alex pleaded.
He glanced down at his phone, then over at his son. “All right, five more minutes.” Aiden sat down on the couch next to Alex as Cooper came to lie beside them. “Why don’t you tell me what is going on in this game.”
As Alex directed the character, Mario, around the game, he explained to Aiden what was going on. Five minutes turned into fifteen before Aiden knew it and the clock above the fireplace was chiming nine o’clock.
“Okay, so now we really need to head to bed,” Aiden stated firmly.
Alex must have known not to press his luck because he turned off the game and got up without complaint. They made their way to Alex’s room where Aiden waited for his son to get into his PJs, brush his teeth, and hop into bed.
Aiden tucked the blankets in around Alex as he knelt down beside him. “Dear Lord, help Alex have a good night rest and a good day at school tomorrow. Keep him safe and help him learn a lot. Show him how to be a good friend and tell others about You.” Aiden didn’t conclude the prayer, but instead waited for Alex to say his own.
“Dear God, thanks for an awesome birthday. It was the best day ever. Thanks for Mom making all my favorite foods and all my cool presents. I’m glad Grandpa got to spend the afternoon with me at the zoo and be at my party. Oh, and thanks for my dad playing Mario with me. Amen.”
Aiden’s heart swelled with joy at the sound of Alex calling him Dad. Never did he realize one simple word could hold so much power.
Twenty-Three
What was going on with her stomach? For the third day in a row, Lindsay found herself under-the-weather. She didn’t want to eat, and what little she got down came right back up.
She picked up her phone and texted Aiden:
Going to go to the urgent care clinic.
Still not feeling well.
I hope it’s not the flu.
Don’t want to get everyone else sick.
Aiden responded:
Okay. Thanks for letting me know.
Praying you feel better.
She placed her phone back on the desk and tried to concentrate on work. She needed to find another home for Mandy as the last one didn’t work out either. When was this little girl going to catch a break?
Lindsay sent up a silent prayer and asked God to help her make the right decisions for the child. She needed the Lord to guide her.
After several calls, she had a family that agreed to take Mandy. The only catch was, they had three other children already. It wasn’t ideal as Mandy was vulnerable due to her recent rejection. She needed extra attention, but it was better than letting her stay in a temporary home where the ratio could be one care provider to ten kids.
She picked up her purse and travel mug, then headed out of the office. A half hour later, Lindsay arrived at the urgent care.
When she entered the building, her shoulders sagged as she took in the large waiting room stuffed with people. Cold and flu season was in full swing, causing it to crowd doctor’s offices throughout town.
Lindsay checked in at the front desk, then took a seat in the corner of the waiting room. She pulled her phone out and checked her email, social media, and then played a word game. She glanced at the time on the phone; only thirty minutes had passed. The woman said it could be up to an hour wait.
Nausea flooded Lindsay, prompting her to look for the restroom. She made it inside just in time. Three rounds of sickness later, she emerged and found a seat closer to the lavatory.
Never was she so grateful as when the nurse called her name. She followed the short grey-haired woman to the triage area where she took all her vitals.
The woman glanced at her notes. “Could you be pregnant?”
Lindsay shook her head. “I can’t get pregnant.”
“We need to be sure,” she stated as the woman handed Lindsay a urine cup and gestured to the back restroom. “We need to run a pregnancy test.”
Lindsay sighed. Before she was married, doctors believed her when she said it wasn’t possible. Guess it changed now that she wasn’t a virgin. She didn’t want to get into her medical condition with the stranger, so she took the cup and did as directed.
Once she was finished, the woman escorted her to a small room with an examination table. After a short wait, the doctor entered the room and pulled up a stool. He looked Lindsay in the eyes, then smiled. “I have surprising news. You're pregnant.”
Lindsay blinked several times, trying to process the announcement. Once the information sank in, she blurted out, “I can’t be. I have Endometriosis.”
“I noticed it’s in your records from an earlier visit, but it seems your condition cleared up enough on its own to allow implantation.”
“How far along am I?”
“Well, according to your last cycle, you’re right around six weeks.”
Lindsay did the math in her head and realized she got pregnant on her honeymoon. She didn’t get her period last month, but they had never been regular, so she had thought nothing about it.
“I can’t believe it,” she whispered.
“It might take getting used to it, but you're going to have a baby.”
“I’m going to have a baby,” she repeated back in awe.
Lindsay arrived home while Aiden was finishing cooking dinner.
“So what did the doctor say?”
“The doctor said it won’t last long. It should pass soon,” Lindsay explained.
“Is it contagious?” Aiden inquired with concern.
Lindsay shifted her stance and shook her head. “No, not at all.”
“Well, that’s good to hear.”
“I’m going to go to the restroom. I’ll be right back,” Lindsay said, leaning up and kissing Aiden on the cheek before leaving the room.
In the bathroom, she opened her purse and pulled out the picture from the ultrasound from the doctor. She had such a difficult time believing the news, he offered to show her the gestation sack and the little tiny bean in the middle. When she saw the truth on the black-and-white screen, tears of joy fell down her face. She never thought she would have the chance to carry her own baby.
Lindsay opened the cabinet below the sink and leaned the picture against the bottles inside. She wanted to surprise Aiden in a special way, and this would do it.
The three of them ate their meal of spaghetti while talking about school, their work, and church. It was difficult for Lindsay to keep the secret, but she managed just barely.
Once the meal was finished, Lindsay set her plan in motion. “When I was in the bathroom, I noticed a leak under the sink. Do you mind looking Aiden?”
“Sure, do you mind cleaning up the dishes with Alex?”
“Certainly,” Lindsay agreed. “But it would be good for Alex to learn how to fix a leak. You want to show him?”
“I can do that,” Aiden agreed.
She tried to repress her excitement as they left the room. She couldn’t wait to see their reaction once they found the picture. Once they were in the master bedroom, she followed them. Just as she was coming into view of the ensuite bathroom, she heard Alex ask, “What is that?”
Aiden looked shocked as he gripped the photo in his hands. “I don’t know, but I’m going to go find out.” He turned to leave, but stopped when he saw Lindsay leaning against the dresser on the other side of the doorframe.
“Does this mean what I think it means?” Aiden probed, shaking the photo at Lindsay.
She nodded. “I’m not contagious because I’m suffering from morning sickness.”
“What’s that?” Alex inquired with fear in his eyes. “Are you going to die, Mom?”
“No, it doesn’t feel fantastic, but it won’t hurt me,” Lindsay e
xplained.
A giant smile lit up Aiden’s face as he grabbed Lindsay and spun her around. “You’re pregnant? We're having a baby?”
She laughed. “We are.” Then feeling sick again, she begged, “Do you mind putting me down though? When you spin me around like this, it makes my nausea come back.”
He did as she requested, then turned to Alex and handed him the photo. “You're going to have a baby brother or sister.”
The little boy’s face scrunched up as his eyes fell to the picture and stared at it for several seconds. Without saying a word, he handed the picture back to Aiden, then left the room.
“What do you think that was about?” Lindsay pondered.
“I’m not sure, but we should go find out.”
They headed across the hall and noticed Alex’s door was shut. Aiden knocked on it softly, then cracked it open. “Can we come in?”
“Sure,” Alex mumbled from inside.
Lindsay and Aiden came to sit down on either side of Alex on the edge of his bed.
“What’s going on, Champ?” Aiden probed.
“I don’t want to talk about it,” Alex stated as he folded his arms across his chest.
“You know you can talk with us about anything,” Lindsay assured him. “We want you to be honest with us. Are you not happy about the baby?”
He shrugged. “It’s not that, really. I know how this works. If you have your own baby, you won’t love me anymore. You’ll send me back to the group home.”
Lindsay pulled Alex into her arms and wrapped him in her embrace. “That will never happen, Alex. We love you so much. No one will ever take your place in our lives or hearts.”
“She’s right. You’ll always be our first child, which makes you extra special,” Aiden stated, patting Alex’s back.
Lindsay released Alex. “We will need your help to get ready for the baby. We want your input on how to decorate the nursery, what clothes to buy, and what toys he or she will need.”
“You will have a huge job as the baby’s big brother,” Aiden added.
“I like that,” Alex admitted.
“Like what?” Lindsay asked, a little confused.
“The fact I get to be the baby’s big brother. Even though I’ve lived with other kids in homes, they never treated me like a brother.”
“All that changes with our family,” Lindsay promised. “We will do this together.”
Twenty-Four
Aiden put the last coat of light blue paint on the trim which complimented the yellow nursery. He stepped back and looked at the great job that he and Alex did in the room. Tomorrow they could hang the pictures on the wall and put the furniture in the room.
They had decided at last week’s doctor’s check-up they wanted to know the gender of the baby. Everyone was excited to find out they were having a boy. Alex was already planning out the sports he would teach his baby brother.
The doorbell rang, bringing Aiden’s attention back to the present. He padded down the hallway and through the living room. When he reached the front door, he opened it to find a woman with bleach-blond hair, fake eyelashes and thick makeup plastered on her face. She was wearing a tight animal print dress that left little to the imagination. Aiden averted his eyes from her ample chest, not wanting her to think he was looking, and focused on her brown eyes.
“Can I help you?” Aiden asked.
“I’m here to see my son,” the woman declared as she threw down a cigarette she held in her hand, then stomped it out with her red stiletto heel.
“I think you might be mistaken where you’re at,” Aiden stated, wondering if the woman was drunk and had gotten lost.
“No, I know exactly where I am. You're the man taking care of my Alex. I followed him home from school yesterday, so I know he lives here.”
Aiden’s eyes widened as he inhaled. The woman must be Alex’s birth mother, but Lindsay told Aiden she had given up her parental rights when Alex was five.
“He’s not here, and even if he was, you don’t have the right.”
The woman’s face flushed red with anger as she spat out, “Don’t tell me what I can and can’t do. He’s my flesh and blood, and you can’t keep me from him.”
“You walked away from him three years ago. You don’t get to walk back into his life and disrupt his happiness for your own reasons. Leave now,” Aiden commanded, as he tried to push the door shut.
She put her leg in the way and tried to get inside. “Let me see him. I’m his mother.”
“You shouldn’t be here,” Aiden heard Lindsay’s voice behind him state. “You need to listen to my husband. You better leave before he puts you under arrest for violating the court order keeping you from contacting Alex.”
Lindsay had told Aiden that when Alex had been living with his birth mother, she had alternated between abusing and neglecting him. The courts had placed a permanent restraining order on her, barring her from contacting him due to the extreme nature of the abuse. Alex’s father had died in a gang turf war and there was no other family, leaving Alex to the foster care system.
“I don’t care what anyone says, that boy is mine. I’ve got a man with money now, and he said he can hire a lawyer to change everything.”
Aiden’s blood ran cold with fear at the thought of the woman’s threat. Could she reinstate her parental rights? He didn’t think so, but the mere idea of it made him sick to his stomach.
“If you don’t leave now, I'll have my wife fetch my handcuffs and K-9 partner. You don’t want me to use either of those on you, so get off our property right now,” Aiden stated firmly. He moved towards her in an intimidating manner, knowing that filling the space between them would emphasize his superior stature.
It worked because the woman shrunk back out of the doorframe. Her eyes narrowed to slits as she whispered, “This isn’t over. You haven’t heard the last from me.”
“Don’t come back. It will be a mistake you’ll regret,” Aiden promised. “Next time I see you, you’ll be staring down the barrel of my gun.” He slammed the door shut, then turned and let his body slump against it.
What were they going to do about her if she followed through on her threats? Aiden was grateful that Alex wasn’t home for the confrontation, but was at the weekly meeting for the kids’ Bible club at church. However, there was no surety she wouldn’t come back when he was home.
Lindsay came up to Aiden and placed her hands on his chest as her eyes met his for reassurance. “I’ve never seen his birth mother in action, but the social worker who used to have Alex’s case said she is a real piece of work. She really might try to fight to get her parental rights back. I need to call into the office and let his social worker know what happened today.”
“Yes, you should, but first, we need to pray to God for His help,” Aiden stated as he fought his own fear.
Lindsay nodded as she closed her eyes and let Aiden pray.
“Dear Lord, we need You to show us what to do in this situation. We know You brought Alex into our lives for a reason and put love in our hearts for him. He’s our son, but he’s Your child, God, so we ask that You show us how to keep him safe. In Jesus’ name, we pray, Amen.”
Aiden gathered his wife into his arms and assured her, “We won't let that woman get anywhere near Alex. She’s hurt him enough for ten lifetimes.”
Twenty-Five
Two weeks passed with no sign of Alex’s birth mother. Lindsay figured she must have gone back to drugs and forgotten about her notion to reinstate her parental rights.
Exhausted from a long day at work, Lindsay leaned back in her Chevy Traverse’s seat and tilted her head up against the rest. She had to check on four children today at two foster homes, and it had taken a toll on her.
It was difficult to balance caring for the child’s welfare while not becoming overly invested. But with all the raging hormones racing through her body due to the pregnancy, it was impossible to stay detached. Additionally, the pregnancy caused her to be exhausted.
She turned the key in the ignition and the engine reeved to life, but before she could put the gear into drive, her cell phone rang. She glanced at the screen. Sarah Stockton. Was something wrong with Alex?
Lindsay answered, “Hi, Sarah, what’s going on? Is Alex okay?”
“That’s why I was calling you. I thought he might have stayed home sick today from school. He never arrived at our house.”
Lindsay’s stomach tightened in fear. “Did you check if he got hurt? He might have sprained his foot or something walking up the dirt path from the main road.”
“I did. I took the truck. He wasn’t along the path anywhere or near where the bus stops.”
Trying to calm herself, Lindsay tried to think of a rational reason he wouldn’t have followed his normal routine. “I'll call the school to find out if he had to stay after.”
Lindsay ended the phone call and tried to think about what she would say to Alex once she talked to him. It upset her he didn’t call from the school to tell her, but she would explain he needed to inform her in the future.
She dialed the number to Clear Mountain Elementary. Three rings later, the school receptionist answered the phone. “This is Rhonda. How can I help you?”
“Hi, Rhonda, this is Lindsay O’Connell, Alex Sterling’s mom. I was just checking if Alex stayed after school?”
“He’s not here in the office, but I can check with his teacher if he might be in there. Which class is he in again?”
“He’s in Mrs. Peterson’s second grade class.”
“Okay. I'll put you on hold while I check.”
About a minute later, Rhonda returned to the phone. “I called Mrs. Peterson’s room. She told me she put Alex on the bus herself.”
Worry seized Lindsay’s heart. What was going on?
“Can you check with the bus driver if he saw anything? Is there a chance he’s still on the bus or got dropped at a different location?”