by Roxy Wilson
Already, Mellie’s memory of Brandi was fading. She called Jamie mummy and hardly ever asked for her ‘mama’. Jamie hoped it was a sign that she was happy and wasn’t scarred by the untimely death of her mother. As always, the thought of Brandi brought on a sharp pang in her heart. Oh, how she missed Brandi. The memory of her sweet face filled with the pain of her disease was heartbreakingly raw. Brandi’s last weeks had been full of brave attempts to fight the pain enough to spend time with her daughter. She’d been devastated to learn about the cancer but had been determined to overcome it. A raging battle she’d lost. But not before she’d made adequate arrangements to leave her only child in Jamie’s capable hands.
And now Mellie was the center of Jamie’s world. It was hard to think back to the time when she hadn’t been taking care of her. What did she do to fill her time when she didn’t have a toddler at home? Her work had been satisfying, her clients were happy, and she had a great set of friends with whom she hung out on weekends. But she was far happier now.
Life was good.
Brett Carrington’s unexpected arrival had put a hitch in her stride, but she hoped he would slink away with his tail between his legs after she read him the riot act. The man had some nerve to show up here and pretend that he cared enough about his daughter. He’d caused Brandi to shed copious amount of tears, and that memory was also fresh in Jamie’s mind.
I’m not going to waste any more time on that man. I’m not.
Jamie booted up her laptop and watched the images swirl on the screen as the machine came alive. She checked her emails first and then began to work on the draft of a social media campaign that she was creating for her client who owned a chain of coffee shops in the city. He wanted to create an interesting image that would attract the youth to his cafes. She had several ideas that would generate interest in social media sites. An hour later, she had the first draft of her proposed plan ready. She saved the document, checked her emails again, and replied to another client who’d asked her to give a quote.
As she powered down her laptop, Jamie heard the doorbell rang. Who could it be? She wasn’t expecting any visitors. Leaving the laptop on the table, she went to answer the door. Jamie peeked through the peephole and was surprised to find a well-dressed man wearing a formal jacket at her door.
“Yes, may I help you?” She kept the chain on, but opened the door, just a little, to talk to him.
“Jamie Alexis?”
“Yes, that’s me.”
The gentleman handed her a white, manila envelope and his business card. “I’m an associate from Carter, Schmidt, and Weiss, a law firm. Our offices are in downtown Manhattan.”
Jamie opened the door all the way. He didn’t look like a serial killer or a rapist, not in that suit and not with that unmistakable air of authority that all lawyers managed to project with ease.
“What’s this?”
“We’ve been hired by Mr. Carrington, whose only daughter is under your guardianship. Mr. Carrington requests you to grant him access to the child so that he can visit her. He would be happy to drop in at a time that is mutually convenient to you both. Mr. Carrington is an important client of ours, so I’ve come personally to deliver this notice.”
Trembling with suppressed anger, Jamie opened the envelope, took out the neatly typed out letter and read the first page.
The bastard. That rotten, loathsome, two-faced fiend. Jamie muttered a few choice expletives under her breath as she turned the page over and read through the rest of the legal jargon.
She finished reading and stared at the representative from the law firm. He stared back at her with an expressionless face. “What if I don’t agree to his request?”
“My client would be forced to initiate legal action against you. As you must be aware, the American legal system places quite an emphasis on parental right. And Mr. Carrington is the child’s biological parent.”
“I see.” She tapped her foot as she reviewed her options.
“What answer would you like me to take back to my client?”
“Please, tell Mr. Carrington that he can visit the child when Hell freezes over. I hope that’s convenient enough for him.” Stepping inside, she slammed the door. Jamie took the papers inside, read through them again, and picked up the phone to call the lawyer who’d completed the guardianship agreement for Brandi and her.
Like it or not, she was going to need legal counsel to deal with the devil who’d appeared at her door.
****
Brett Carrington shifted the rectangular package that was tucked under his arm as he rang the bell of Jamie’s apartment. He’d been slightly amused when he’d heard her response to the notice that was delivered to her. She had guts, that lady. His amusement had quickly turned to mild annoyance when she failed to pick up her phone or call back after his subsequent voice messages. Now, as he tapped his foot as he stood at her front door, he realized that his annoyance had geared up to anger. God! But that woman sure knew how to get under his skin. How many people would have the nerve to deny a biological father his fundamental right to see his daughter?
Jamie Alexis did just that, with aplomb and finesse. Today, he wasn’t going to take no for an answer, and that is why he’d turned up at her door, unannounced. He prepared to railroad her, and demand that she acquiesced to his request to see the child. His daughter, for God’s sake. Melissa was his child, and Jamie had no right, moral, ethical, or legal, to keep him away.
She opened the door, put her hand on her hip, and stared at him. “Oh Oh.”
Once again, coils of desire licked his belly. Damn! There wasn’t a spot of makeup on her face, her hair was tied in a ponytail, but she looked cute—and miserable.
“I wish you’d called first,” she said.
“I did call…at least, ten times, but you never picked up,” he drawled as he made an attempt to slide past her.
She blocked his path. “This isn’t a good time.”
“I’m sure you’d never consider any time good enough for this specific purpose.”
“Are you accusing me of something?” she huffed.
“You’re damned right I am.” He wasn’t pulled in by that pathetic attempt at feigning innocence.
She put a hand on her forehead. “I’m afraid you can’t see Mellie today. Or for that matter, for the next two weeks.”
“Ms. Alexis, I assure you, I’ve every intention of bringing down my battalion of competent lawyers on you if you don’t let me see my daughter.” He knew his voice hinted at the rage that bubbled deep inside him. The woman could single handedly drive an army of men to despair. How was she expecting to get away with it?
“You can try, Mr. Carrington.” She matched his tone. “But you’ll find that even your battalion of lawyers can’t do anything if a child has chicken pox.”
For a few seconds, his mind was blank. “Chicken pox?”
“Yes.”
“Melissa has chicken pox?” His eyes narrowed with suspicion.
“She got her chicken pox vaccination two weeks ago. Yesterday I took her to the doctor because she had a mild fever and a few stray spots on her face and arms. Turns out it’s possible to get a mild form of chicken pox after a vaccination.” He didn’t know if he believed her. His pause seemed to give her the same idea. “Would you like to see the doctor’s prescription that recommends that she rests for two weeks and stay housebound so that she doesn’t pass the virus on to anyone else?”
Her eyebrows were raised as she stared at him.
He was the first to look away. “How is she? I mean, is she in any pain?”
She looked surprised by his question. Did she think he didn’t care about his daughter? “No. She’s fine. It’s mild. But it’s not safe for her to come into contact with anyone else.”
“You’re in contact with her.”
“I am her…mother. And I had contracted chicken pox when I was a child. Did you?”
It looked as if she held her breath, waiting for his answer. He thoug
ht back to his childhood. Measles, yes. Chicken Pox? “No,” he said.
Something close to relief flitted across her face. “Well, then, unless you wish to subject yourself to the acute misery of chicken pox, I suggest you come back after two weeks. I’ve heard adults who suffer from this virus have a miserable time. It’s itchy and scaly, and the pain…”
“Oh, all right.” He took a cautious involuntary step back. “I’ll call you again…in two weeks to set a day.”
“You do that.” She began to close the door.
“Wait!” He thrust the package he held in his hands towards her. “Take this. I got a doll for her. I wasn’t sure what she liked, but I figure a doll is a good bet considering she’s a girl. She likes dolls, doesn’t she?”
She considered him for a few seconds. He saw something shift in her eyes, but he couldn’t identify the emotion. “Thank you.” She took the package from his hands. “It’s very…sweet of you to bring something for her. I’m sure it will help her pass her time while…she’s indisposed.”
“Cool.” He stepped back and then since he had nothing else to say, turned and left.
Bad luck! That’s what it was. But Brett wasn’t one to admit defeat. It was only a matter of two weeks’ time. He would wait patiently and then come back to meet his daughter. He wondered what she looked like. Did she have his eyes? His nose? His hair? Whatever she looked like, he was sure she was gorgeous and he couldn’t wait to meet her.
And very soon, he would. Brett couldn’t wait for that day to arrive.
Chapter Three
Jamie drew a bird and showed it to Mellie. “See this, darling. That’s a bird. Bird,” she repeated. “Do you like it?”
“Bird,” said Mellie in her clear voice. She was really picking up new words fast. Jamie had no doubt that she’d be talking like a pro very soon.
“Good girl. Would you like to color the bird?” She opened the crayon box and showed Melissa the different shades and hues.
Mellie took out a red crayon and began rubbing it on the bird. She was too young to color between the lines but she rubbed the crayon all over the paper. Jamie sat and watched, thinking back to her childhood when she’d spent many happy hours coloring. She wanted Mellie’s childhood to be idyllic and carefree, and she vowed she’d do whatever it took to see that Mellie grew up to be a happy and independent young girl.
When her house phone rang, Jamie stood. “I’ll be back in one minute, darling.” She went to answer it.
“Hello?”
“Hi, it’s Brett. How is Melissa?”
“Oh, yeah. She’s doing much better. The fever’s gone, but she still has the rash.”
“Does it itch? I read on the internet that it itches a lot.” There was concern in his voice.
“Oh, no. She’s got the mild version so it’s not so bad.”
Mentally, she cursed him. Why was he disturbing her by calling again and again? Didn’t he realize that she had no intention of letting him see Mellie? Why had he come back to wreck havoc in her life? They’d been so happy, so settled before his unwelcome entry into their lives.
“When can I come visit her? Would next week be okay?” he asked.
“Actually…I have to attend a wedding in Boston, so I’ll be taking her there next week. We have our flights booked for next Sunday.”
“A wedding?”
“Yes, it’s my…cousin’s wedding and she’s absolutely insistent that we come. It will be a good vacation for Mellie. The poor child has been trapped in the house for the past week. She’ll enjoy the trip,” she said breathlessly.
“Will she be able to travel? Chicken pox is quite contagious.” He sounded surprised by her plans. “Shouldn’t she be taking it easy for a while?”
She felt her temperature beginning to rise. How dare he tell her how to take care of her daughter? She’d been doing a good job before he showed up. Typical man! They always thought they knew what’s best in every situation.
“Yes, the doctor assured me that she’ll be able to travel by then.” Jamie deliberately kept her voice sweet and steady even though she was positively shaking with annoyance.
“When will you be back?”
“In ten days.” There! That takes care of the next two weeks, or so. Hopefully he’d lose interest by then. Maybe he would go out of the country to direct his next movie. He was such a famous and rich director, why the hell was he sitting idle in New York when he could be elsewhere doing whatever the movie people did?
He sighed. “All right. I’ll call you another time. Have a safe trip.”
“Sure. Thank you.” Jamie hung up. “Damn! Damn! Damn!”
“Damn! Damn! Damn!” said Mellie in a perfect mimicry of Jamie’s tone and voice.
Jamie whirled to see the toddler standing in the door, the crayon in her mouth. “Oh no, darling. Don’t eat that.” She snatched the crayon out of her hands. “And don’t say that. It’s not a good word.”
“Damn! Damn! Damn!” Melissa chanted as she headed back to her room.
Jamie smacked her hand against her forehead. Now she had another thing to worry about. If Mellie said that word in front of someone, they’d think she was using bad language in front of her child. Jamie rolled her eyes as she followed the toddler. Motherhood was definitely not as easy as she’d imagined it would be. It wasn’t as hard also; she immediately corrected herself as she saw Mellie pick up the paper in which the bird was nowhere to be seen under the bright red color. Certainly, there were many rewarding moments. She clapped for her daughter and put the picture on the board that already boasted many such colorful exhibits.
Sure, it was extremely gratifying, but there were certainly many things to consider. And this needless anxiety that Brett had created in her life was quite unwelcomed.
At least she’d managed to avoid him for the next couple of weeks. Perhaps he would give up on his desire to meet Mellie by then. Surely, he couldn’t be interested in forming a long-term relationship with his daughter. He was probably doing it to ease his own conscience. And once he had better things to concentrate on, he’d forget about her.
Thinking along such lines gave her some peace. Two weeks passed by with relative ease. It seemed that life was really back on track. But exactly twenty-days later, Brett called again.
The man was just not willing to give up!
“How was your trip?” he asked.
“Ahhh… Hmmm…” She twirled the phone’s cord in her fingers. “It was good. Melissa really enjoyed herself.” Oh God! She hoped he wouldn’t ask her details of the wedding.
“Has she totally recovered from the chicken pox?”
“Oh yes. She’s fine now.”
“Good. Maybe I could drop by tomorrow to meet her then.” Brett sounded excited.
“That’s good.” Jamie couldn’t think of an excuse to keep him apart from her daughter. What could she say now?
“I could drop by around five. Is that convenient for you?”
No. It would be highly convenient for me if you dropped off the face of the earth. Jamie swallowed the words that sprang to the tip of her tongue. “Okay.” She hung up.
Now what? Jamie sat on the couch, her head in her hands. Brett seemed to be hell bent on accomplishing his mission of seeing his daughter. She really needed to think of something fast if she wanted to get out of this mess.
Faced with so much stress and worry, her brain stopped working. Perhaps she needed to move out of the city permanently? But that was just wishful thinking. She simply couldn’t afford a move like that, not to mention that it would be illegal for her to do so considering that Brett was Mellie’s biological father.
No. Her only hope was to discourage him, and to do that, she’d have to be crafty. Surely, if she was smart and persistent, she’d be able to dissuade him. Yes, that was her plan. She’d keep at it until he got bored and gave up. And if her plan didn’t do the job, she’d to go to court to stake her claim on Mellie.
Given what a low opinion she had of the
man, there was nothing she wasn’t willing to do to keep Brett away from her daughter.
****
Brett strode out of the elevator and pressed the bell of Jamie’s apartment. He knew he was ten minutes early for their scheduled appointment, but he simply couldn’t contain his excitement any more. This was the first time he was going to see his daughter.
It was a momentous day.
And he was nervous.
When no one answered the doorbell, Brett pressed it again. Two minutes later, he pressed again. He checked his watch and tried to recollect their conversation. It was nearly five now, and that was the time they’d agreed upon. Where was she?
Could there have been an emergency? What if Melissa’s health had suddenly taken a turn for the worst and Jamie had to take her to the emergency room on her own? Maybe it hadn’t been such a good idea to drag the child to the wedding when she’d just recovered from chicken pox?
Brett tapped his foot on the floor as he considered his options. Mentally, he cursed himself for not getting Jamie’s cell phone number when he had the chance to do so. He wouldn’t forget this time. He rang the bell again and again. No one answered.
Where were they? After he’d rung the bell a third and fourth time without getting any answer, Brett was officially in panic mode. He didn’t know what to do and whom to contact. Was Jamie in a hospital with Melissa? How would he find her? Where would he go to look for them?
He bit his bottom lip and realized for the first time how unprepared he was to feel this kind of crushing helplessness.
