Lily Ann made her way to the living room and sat in Miss Patty’s favorite recliner. When Emily returned, she said, “Thank you. Would you put the bags in my room?”
“No problem.” Emily raced down the hall yelling, “Everyone, Lily Ann is home. She’s in the living room. Come quick. She has a surprise.”
Lily Ann blinked at the sound of slamming doors and shuffling of feet. “Slow down, Emily, before you trip someone.”
“Love, you’re finally home.” Miss Patty touched her shoulder. “I’ve been worried sick about you. Now you must tell us everything that happened. Every detail. And the baby. What’s going on?”
Lily Ann peered at their bewildered faces. “Miss Patty, Alana, Megan, and Emily…meet Carter Owen.” She tilted her son towards everyone. “This is my son.”
“Your son?” Megan yelped, “But—”
Alana knelt down beside Lily Ann, “He’s beautiful.”
“Tell me the whole story, please. This old lady can’t wait any longer.”
“Neither can this young one.” Emily bounced down beside Carter.
“If you can wait one more hour, Clyde will be off work, and he’ll head straight here. Both of us would like to tell you what happened together.”
Miss Patty stroked Carter’s head. “I’ve waited all day for you to come home, and now that I see with my own eyes you are okay, I can wait for Clyde to come.” She reached for her cane. “Love, would you like a coffee or tea?
“A strong coffee would be delightful.” Lily Ann stood, gently placed Carter against her chest, and headed for her room.
Miss Patty turned on the faucet. “I’ll call you when your coffee is ready.”
“Thank you.” Lily Ann laid the baby on her bed and studied his features. She loved his chubby cheeks and his dark blue-black curly hair. She touched his cute little button nose and kissed it. “Welcome home. I know it’s not much, but I’ll rearrange this room for you.” Lily Ann unzipped one of the bags and pulled out baby bottles, formula and diapers. She opened another pocket and reached for a few baby sleepers, onesies, and receiving blankets.
Carter whined.
“Mama’s got you. I’m right here.” Lily Ann placed him on her chest again and gently patted his back. “Do you see all this stuff, little one? It’s all been donated to you.” She switched position and cradled him.
“Miss Patty has your coffee ready,” Emily announced outside Lily Ann’s closed door.
“I’ll be right out.” Lily Ann placed Carter on top of a fleece blanket and changed his diaper. “Mama needs a pick-me-upper.” She snapped up his sleeper and wrapped him in a warm swaddling blanket. “Clyde should be here soon.”
As soon as she placed Carter on her chest again, she heard a gentle knock. “Yes?”
“Lil, may I come in?” Clyde asked.
Lily Ann swung the door open. “You’re already here?”
He held up a cup of steaming hot coffee. “Jared let me go early. He told me I had to take care of my family.”
“He’s so understanding.” Lily Ann reached for her coffee, blew on it, and took a sip. “Nothing like a good dose of caffeine.” She placed the mug on a side table. “We need to head to the living room. I told everyone once you’re here we’ll tell them the story together.”
“I know.” Clyde sat down on her bed. “I need to chat with you first about something, and then we’ll talk with them.”
Lily Ann raised her eyebrows. “What is it?”
“This room is not big enough for Carter and you. I have a two-bedroom cabin that you can live in. In the meantime until we’re married, I’ll sleep in the spare bedroom and you can take my room. It’s larger.” He touched Lily Ann’s free hand and kissed Carter’s warm cheek. “It’s not a huge house, but you will have privacy and everything you need. And as for the wedding, I don’t want to wait too long.”
Lily Ann passed her son into Clyde’s arms. “I really appreciate it. I can make this room work for a little bit, but I really crave my own privacy.” She unzipped another bag and pulled out a baby blanket. “Thank you for your sensitivity about waiting till we’re married. I wanted to ask you, but I didn’t know how to go about it.”
Clyde rubbed Carter’s tiny hand. “Lil, the one thing Maria always appreciated was me being straightforward with her. She hated assumptions and always valued solid communication.” Carter sneezed which brought a laugh from Clyde. “Little man, you’re going to blow the house right down.”
“Communication is something I’ll need help with.” Lily Ann sat next to Clyde. “As a doctor, I’m in control. I’m the one who organizes the surgery or delivers the baby. I have no problem giving speeches, organizing fundraisers, even chatting with teens.” She touched Clyde’s cheek. “But I’m horrible at personal relationships because it’s on a personal level. I’m fighting fear inside of me all the time. One side of my brain says, ‘Clyde’s moving too fast, you need to run, you’re going to get hurt,’ and the other side scorns the negative thoughts and shoves all the positive in its place.”
“I understand. It’s going to take some time, but you need to have faith and trust not only in me but in God.” Clyde stroked Lily Ann’s back with his spare hand.
“Well, I never thought I would say this, but ever since you’ve come into my life, which is a miracle in itself, I feel the presence of a higher power than myself.” Lily Ann crossed her legs. “Everything that has happened here can’t be by chance. I mean, God pushed me here through Mindy; otherwise I would have never left Seattle. Then He placed you in my life. In the following weeks, a lot of emergency surgeries happened, pushing us together. Was that chance or God doing the matchmaking?” Lily Ann sighed. “Then yesterday happened. An infant child was given to me. And today, we’re engaged.”
“With God, there is no chance or luck.” Clyde gently tucked a strand of Lily Ann’s hair behind her ear. “This was His master plan from the beginning.”
“Lily Ann and Clyde,” Megan’s impatient voice echoed down the hall, “we are all waiting for you.”
Lily Ann leaned her head on Clyde’s broad shoulder. “I want God to be a part of my life.”
Clyde carefully laid Carter in the middle of the bed and kissed her forehead.
“Come on,” Emily cried. “Miss Patty is going out of her mind.”
“A few more minutes,” Clyde responded.
“We’d better tell them what’s going on.” Lily Ann picked up her son. “I can’t wait to see their faces.”
~
Clyde hauled several bags stuffed with baby items past the ladies chatting in the living room.
“Lily Ann, it has been a pleasure having you stay with me for the last seven weeks, or has it been more than that?” Miss Patty relaxed in her recliner with Carter against her ample chest. “Clyde will make a wonderful daddy and you will be an excellent mother.”
“Thanks, Miss Patty.” Lily Ann watched Clyde as he passed by the living room again. “When I took the transfer, I thought it was going to be unbearable to live here. I remember ranting to my mom how ridiculous people were to raise their families in such harsh conditions. Now I feel like I owe everyone an apology.” She adjusted in her seat. “Obviously I was dead wrong. It’s, for one, breathtakingly beautiful here. Everyone is welcoming. People go out of their way to help. Life seems slower here.”
“What’s it like in Seattle?” Emily questioned.
“It’s the total opposite. You can’t leave anything unlocked for fear someone will steal it. Everyone is looking out for themselves, and you’re lucky to have someone hold a door open for you or say good morning to you as you walk by.” Lily Ann glanced out the large picture window in the living room. “Emily, you see how the man across the street is shoveling his neighbor’s driveway?”
Emily sprang up and peeked out the window. “Yeah, I see him.”
“Well, that kindness doesn’t happen much in Seattle. The more I think about my hometown, the more I don’t want to return. But—”
“Yes, my mom. I hate living so far away from her.”
“Family is important.” Alana crossed her legs. “I wish I had a mom and dad. I grew up in the system and dreamed of being adopted.”
“Oh, Alana, I never knew.”
“Not many do. I ran away from the last foster parents. As a result, I dropped out of high school and spent my life on the streets. Then I met Roger and had my precious children whom I’d do anything for.”
“You are a wonderful mother.” Lily Ann stood and hugged her.
“I want to thank you for bailing us out and saving my life and my kids’ lives. I owe you so much. You’ve opened up so many doors for me. I’m working on my diploma.” Alana turned towards their landlady. “Miss Patty, I also want to thank you for opening your house to complete strangers. You took us in and loved us. My kids are secure with a roof over their heads and hot meals in their bellies, hot showers, and so much love.”
“I’m going to jump into this conversation too.” Megan laughed. “Lily Ann, I’m going to miss you. But I know this is not goodbye forever. I’ll be working with you at the hospital. But please, can we come to your wedding?”
“All of you will be invited to our wedding,” Clyde said from the hall. “I don’t know the date yet, but it will be soon.”
Miss Patty passed Carter to Alana. “Lily Ann, please take the afghan blanket that I gave you when you first arrived.”
“Thank you. I will never forget you. You’re like a grandma to me.”
Clyde entered the living room. “Everything is in the truck.”
Lily Ann reached for Carter and placed him on her chest. “So who’s going to claim my room?”
“Me,” begged Megan. “Please, mom?”
Alana raised her eyebrows and tilted her head. “Emily, what about you?”
“I can let her have her way this time.” Emily threw a sparkly pillow off the couch at her sister.
Megan tossed it back. “Thanks, sis.”
“Lily Ann, we need to hit the road. It’s still another forty-five minutes to my place.” Clyde unbuckled the infant car seat.
Lily Ann rested Carter in the navy-blue car seat, adjusted the buckles, securely fastening in her son. She tucked a heavy fleece blanket around the baby. “I’m so thankful for the community donations.”
Clyde picked up the car seat. “So am I.” His eyes swept the room. “I thank all of you for everything you’ve done.” With a final wave, he led the way to the entrance.
“Love, if you ever need a babysitter, come on over.” Miss Patty shuffled her way behind them.
Lily Ann turned and kissed Miss Patty on the cheek. “Don’t you worry, I will.”
Miss Patty’s lips began to quiver. “I’ll sure miss you, love.”
Clyde and Lily Ann waved goodbye and stepped out into the wintery afternoon.
Chapter 10
Lily Ann breathed in the hearty aroma of her warm breakfast consisting of a cheesy omelette topped with crispy fried bacon strips, and buttered toast. She reached for her warm cup of milk sprinkled with freshly grated nutmeg. “This looks amazing. Where did you learn to cook like this?” She forked a mouthful of omelet into her mouth.
“My mom. She was a fantastic chef. I remember at a young age being with her in the kitchen.” He sat and sprinkled some extra salt and pepper on his omelet.
“She taught you well.” Lily Ann paused and listened for Carter. “He’s sleeping in this morning.”
“Finally, it’s been a couple rough nights for you.” Clyde sipped his warm milk and reached into his sweater pocket. “The police came by the hospital and returned the cell phone and my GoPros. They told me that they copied the evidence from the devices. As for the cell phone’s evidence, they can’t release the young woman’s name because she is under age. But they said, since she gave you the phone, you can only use the information about her for our personal knowledge. Our findings can’t be released to the public.” He slid the cell phone across the table.
“Finally, I get to find out who our son’s biological mother is and her story, which I’m sure will be heart-wrenching.” Lily Ann placed the phone next to her heart. “All the answers are right here.” She placed the cell down on the table. “The GoPros, did the police delete any footage?”
“Yup, unfortunately. Thank God we had the GoPros going; otherwise they would have had a hard time believing your story, and Carter would have been put in foster care.”
Lily Ann shook her head slowly. “God had the situation under control.”
“After breakfast we can sit down next to the fire and go through her cell phone together. I’d like to give Carter’s biological mother a proper name.”
“A thought sprang into my mind, I should make a scrapbook for Carter. When he’s old enough to understand, he can read the letter from his mom and see photos. No matter how horrible the story is, Carter deserves to know the truth.” Lily Ann dabbed her eyes and grabbed the phone once more, holding it close to her heart.
“Are you going to eat while hugging the phone?”
“Funny, I’m going to hold it tight.”
“Good. After the police chat, Jared and I had our monthly meeting. We, of course, went over the usual issues, but I also chatted about some extra time off for me.” He cut a strip of bacon in half.
Lily Ann answered with her mouthful of food. “Sounds like a conversation I had with Jared yesterday afternoon. He’s such an easy guy to reason with. Jared told me since two more doctors are starting this week, I can take the month of December off and bond with Carter. I’ll have to go back to work full-time in the new year.”
“Great, I have four weeks of holidays yet to take. Jared wants me to take them before the end of the year, which means I have all of December off. Why not have the wedding in December so our little family can bond together?”
“Boy, that’s soon, but why not?” She bit into her toast. “There could be one problem.”
“What’s that?”
“My mom doesn’t drive, and she can’t fly because she’s at high risk for a stroke. I don’t know how to get her from point A to point B.” Lily breathed in the fresh nutmeg smell on the top of her warm milk. “I chatted with her yesterday morning after you left for work, and all she wants is to be near us.”
Clyde popped a bite of cheesy omelet into his mouth. “How old is your mom?”
“She’ll be seventy next month.”
“So six years younger than my dad.” He stroked his goatee. “This may sound crazy, but I should ask my dad if he’s up for an adventure. He’s always wanted to do more traveling. Maybe he could drive to Seattle and pick up your mom?”
“It’s crazy, but I like it.” She reached across the table and touched Clyde’s arm. “Do you think your dad would pick up someone he doesn’t know?”
“What do you mean? He knows her through you. She’s going to be part of the family, so it’s an opportunity to spend time with her.” Clyde held Lily Ann’s hand. “You need to stop worrying so much.”
“I know.”
“Oh, and another thing. I have something extra special to show you today. Dad is coming by around two. He’ll look after Carter.” Clyde shoved a piece of bacon in his mouth.
“Really? More surprises. I don’t know if I can take any more.”
“You’ll be able to handle this one. It may sweep you off your feet, but you’ll fall in love with it, I promise.”
“Then I can’t wait, but first the cell phone.” She sipped her milk. “It means a lot to me that you pushed away all those reporters a couple days ago. I don’t want any more publicity. Good Morning America still wants me for an interview, but I told them that I can’t travel at the moment. We’ll see how long that will keep them away.”
“Let’s take it day by day. All the drama is blowing over. Hopefully, in a few more days we can live a normal life.” Clyde scraped his plate and drank the last sip of his milk. “Perfe
ct timing. Carter is up.”
Lily Ann began to rise.
“No, sit and eat your breakfast. Let me have some papa time with him.”
She finished her omelet. “If you can change his diaper, that would be helpful. I’ll get his bottle ready.” Lily Ann shoved the last bite into her mouth, stacked the empty plates, and headed for the kitchen. Humming came from the bedroom. Right on key. A man with many talents. She warmed Carter’s formula and poured it into the bottle. Her eyes felt heavy from lack of sleep, but that was the least of her worries. She wanted to see her mom and maybe convince her mom to move to Alaska. Her foot hit a squeaky part of the bedroom floor which alerted Clyde to her presence.
“Look what Mama has for you?” He passed Carter to her. “Why not feed him next to the fire while we figure out who Carter’s biological mother is?”
“Good idea.” Lily Ann swaddled the baby in a soft green blanket. “There, little one. Ready for breakfast?” She made her way to the couch and sat down. Carter latched onto the bottle and drank.
“He’s got a growing man’s appetite.” Clyde sat next to them and pressed the side button on the cell phone. “Galaxy ten, isn’t this the same phone as yours?”
“Yes, but a generation newer.”
He swiped the home screen. “Look, a picture of her dog as the background. Might be a shepherd lab cross?”
“I don’t know anything about dogs, so sure. He’s so cute with his paws up in the air.” She removed the bottle and placed Carter on her chest.
“First bit of information—she likes dogs.” He slid his finger to the internet connections. “Before we can go any further I need to connect to my internet.” Clyde left to find his password.
Lily Ann rubbed her son’s back. “Are you all finished drinking?” Carter made cooing noises and let out a small burp. “Good job. Do you have any more in your tummy?” She rose and kept rubbing his back, then headed back to the bedroom and laid him down on the changing pad. “I guess everything is working.”
“That a boy. Pooh on Mommy,” Clyde teased. “Got everything connected. I’ll wait for you in the living room.”
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