Callum

by Holly C. Webb

  “I do,” Nell replied, reaching out, taking hold of his hand. “Of course I do.”

  Callum gave his mother a grateful smiled.

  “So,” Nell continued a few moments later. “Tell me about her.”

  “Well,” Callum began, not really sure where to start. “Her name is Georgina, but she prefers Georgie. She’s from Ireland, but she’s been living here in San Francisco almost a year. She’s a qualified nursery school teacher, though that’s not what she was working at here. But she seems sweet and caring, and most importantly, Macy likes her.”

  “I see,” Nell said, looking a little less unsure about everything. “I suppose the fact that she’s a nursery school teacher is not a bad thing.”

  “Mom,” Callum began, about to reassure his mother one more time, but before he could, the sound of voices came from the top of the stairs. Callum stood up, knowing that whether he was ready or not, his mother was about to meet the girl he had hired to take care of his daughter.

  Callum had to admit; he was worried about what her mother would think of Georgie when she met her. If Callum was honest, he had judged her initially on her appearance the first time she appeared next to his table in the coffee shop, returning Macy’s doll. She was unlike anything Callum had ever seen before. She looked wild and carefree, at the same time, she looked sad and terrified, like her world was in as many pieces as his was, right at that moment.

  She had a mass of blonde locks that tumbled down her back, the bottom of which was bubblegum pink. She had a collection of earrings in both ears, also another diamond stud in the side of her nose. As for her clothes, he didn’t really know what to make of them.

  But she had sad eyes like her heart was broken, she too looked as lost as him.

  Callum pushed up from the sofa as Georgie and Macy made their way down the last few steps, greeting them both with a broad smile.

  “Hey, Sweetheart,” Callum said, as he looked down at Macy. “Are you going to give your nana a kiss?”

  “Don’t force her, Ca…” Nell began to say, but before she could even get all the words out, Macy ran to her. Nell crouched down, then scooped the little girl up into her arms, hugging her tightly.

  Callum was surprised by what Macy had done, as was Nell, judging by the look on her face. He glanced over at Georgie, who was still standing at the bottom of the staircase. The moment her eyes met Callum’s, he gave her a grateful smile, knowing the change in Macy’s behaviour was down to her and her alone.

  “Who’s your new friend,” Nell asked, looking down at the tatty old bear she was holding as she set Macy back down on the floor.

  “This is Puddles,” Macy replied in a tiny voice. “He’s Georgie’s friend.”

  “Oh, I see,” Nell said, looking up from Macy to Georgie, as her smile widened. Callum knew his mother still wasn’t convinced this was the right thing to do, but he also knew she would be gracious and welcoming to Georgie because that’s who she was.

  “Mom,” Callum said, coughing softly to clear his throat. “This is Georgie Taylor. Georgie, this is my mother, Nell Murphy.”

  “It’s lovely to meet you, Mrs. Murphy,” Georgie said as she hurried forward, reaching out her hand to Callum’s mother.

  “You too, Georgie,” Nell said as she took the girl’s hand and shook it firmly. “I’ve heard a lot about you. And please, call me Nell.”

  “Okay, Nell,” Georgie replied, glancing toward Callum briefly, before turning back to Nell. “Thank you.”

  An awkward silence settled between them for what felt like a lifetime but really was only for a moment or two. Callum knew that his mother not jumping straight into conversation was never a good thing. Nell Murphy was many things; lost for words was never one of them.

  “Did you get settled in okay?” Callum asked Georgie, trying to keep things as friendly as possible.

  “I did,” Georgie replied with a grateful smile. “Macy was a big help. She helped me unpack all my things. She even arranged all my shoes in the closet.”

  “Wow,” Callum said, smiling at Georgie before he turned to Macy, scooping her up in his arms. “Did you help Georgie?”

  “She let me wear all her shoes,” Macy replied in a tiny voice, hiding behind the bear she was holding. “She has lots of them like Mommy does.”

  “Settle in?” Nell asked, trying to sound casual, but her face told a very different story.

  “Yes,” Callum said, giving his mother a look that said, this was what he wanted, and he wasn’t arguing about it. “Georgie has moved in. It made more sense to have her here all the time with Macy.”

  “I see,” Nell replied, but her tone said that she really wasn’t thrilled with this newest piece of information.

  “Maybe I should take Macy to the kitchen,” Georgie said, clearly picking up on Nell’s disapproval too. “I promised her that we could have a snack when we were finished…”

  She stopped for a moment, giving Callum a look of uncertainty.

  “If that’s okay?” She quickly added.

  “Of course,” Callum replied with a nod. “I want you to make yourself at home.”

  “Thank you,” she replied with a nod, before she glanced at Nell, smiling at her nervously. Then she turned her focus to Macy, her smile widened as she reached out her hand. “Do you want to help me make a snack?”

  “Yes!” Macy exclaimed excitedly, reaching out for Georgie's hand, then following her to the kitchen.

  “You moved her in?” Nell asked in a hushed voice, once Georgie and Macy were out of earshot. “You want her to feel at home?”

  “Mom, this is still my home,” Callum replied, walking to the sofa, before sitting back down where he had been when his mother arrived. “And Macy is my daughter. I don’t need your permission or your approval to hire a nanny, or have her come to live with us.”

  “I didn’t say you did,” Nell retorted, but Callum could hear the hurt in her voice. “I just think you rushed into this so fast…”

  “What choice did I have, Mom?” He sighed, giving his mother a questioning look. “I’m not Landen, I didn’t get nine months to prepare for this, nor do I have a wife to help me make these decisions. I got a phone call, then boom, my life changed. I’m trying so hard to do the right thing here, but I honestly don’t know what the right thing is.”

  “You could talk to me!” Nell exclaimed, walking across the room, sitting down on the sofa next to her son. “I know I’m not your wife, and maybe I don’t understand what it is you’re going through, but I want to be here for you. You just need to talk to me.”

  “And tell you what, Mom?” Callum asked as all the stress and pressure of the last few weeks finally caught up with him. His voice cracked, as he swallowed the lump of grief that was almost choking him. “Do you want to hear that today I had all but decided I was going to send Macy to live with Sarah?”

  “Callum, no,” Nell whispered, as tears danced in her eyes too.

  “I was done, Mom,” Callum continued, tears suddenly trickling down his face. “I was ready to walk away. Not because I don’t love her. I do. But because I don’t know if I’m good enough. I sat there in that coffee shop, and I thought, maybe it would just be easier to let her go live with Sarah, and maybe I could look in on her from time to time. I was talking to Sarah the other day on the phone, and she misses Macy. I thought maybe Macy would be better with her.”

  “But she needs you, Callum,” Nell insisted as she quickly wiped away the tears that were now spilling down her face too. “You’re her father.”

  “I know, Mom,” Callum sighed, as he too wiped his face. “But she was so miserable and unhappy. It seemed like everything I did, pushed her further into herself. Then we met Georgie.”

  He stopped for a moment as he recalled how he felt the moment Macy spoke to Georgie for the first time. It was like someone had switched on a light, and for the first time since all this had started, there was a glimmer of hope.

  “I know you think I’m crazy for bringing
this girl into our lives,” Callum continued, looking up into his mother’s eyes. “If I’m honest, the rational side of me thinks I’ve lost my damn mind too. But when Macy talked to her today; I don’t know, something inside me just clicked. I know that this is a huge gamble, but I’m all out of other ideas.”

  “I get it,” Nell replied with a smile, leaning forward, kissing Callum on the cheek. “I might not like it, but I get it. We do what we have to do for our children, even if it seems crazy to the rest of the world.”

  “I just want her happy again, Mom,” Callum said, smiling back at his mother. “That’s the only thing that matters to me.”

  “I feel the same way,” Nell replied, reaching out and taking her son’s hand. “I want that for both of you. Just please promise me that you won’t shut me out. I know you’re her father, just like I know you will do only what you think is best for her, but she is my granddaughter, and you’re still my little boy too. Let me be the shoulder you can lean on, Sweetheart.”

  “I promise,” Callum said just as Macy’s excited squeal came from the kitchen. He smiled at Nell, holding out his hand to her, as he stood up. “Now, how would you like to go see what has your granddaughter so happy?”

  “I would love to,” Nell replied, taking Callum’s hand, allowing him to pull her up from the sofa.

  They headed to the kitchen, where they found Macy sitting on a stool at the breakfast counter, watching Georgie closely as she peeled an apple.

  “What are you up to, Sweetie?” Callum asked as he sat on the stool next to his daughter.

  “Georgie is making me a lolly,” Macy replied, not taking her eyes from what Georgie was doing, as she picked up the sandwich that was on a little plate in front of her and took a bite. “But she said I needed to eat my sandwich first.”

  “Very good,” Callum said, glancing over at Nell, who was now seated on the stool on the far side of her granddaughter. He smiled at her, before he turned to Georgie, and watched what she was doing. “What kind of lolly.”

  “Well, when I was little, I was a lot like Macy,” Georgie explained with a smile, as she continued to peel the apple.

  “YOU WERE LIKE ME?” Macy exclaimed in a surprised voice before she giggled again.

  “I was,” Georgie replied, looking up at Macy, giving her a bright smile. “When I was little, I didn’t like to eat my dinner either. So, my mommy would make me these lollies for a treat after I’d eaten up all my food. They are still my favourite thing in the world.”

  “What’s the lolly made of?” Nell asked. Callum could hear the interest in her voice.

  “Well,” Georgie said, looking up at Nell, smiling at her too. “It’s made of apple, but it’s dipped in yogurt. Then you put it in the icebox for a few minutes to set.”

  “Oh,” Nell replied, sounding almost surprised. “So it’s…”

  “A yummy treat,” Georgie quickly replied, giving her a knowing smile, then added. “But we can only have a yummy treat after eating our real food.”

  “I see,” Nell nodded, and Callum could see that his mother was impressed.

  “Hey, Macy,” Georgie said, turning her attention back to the little girl. “Do you think we should make some for your daddy, and Nana?”

  “YES!” She squealed excitedly, clapping her hands.

  “Sounds good to me,” Callum replied, giving Georgie a grateful smile before he glanced over at his mother once more. He was happy to see the look of relief on his mother’s face, and he knew Georgie had impressed her already.

  “So, you’re going to be back in the office on Monday?” Nell asked as Callum walked her to the door a couple of hours later.

  “That’s the plan,” Callum nodded, feeling a lot happier about everything now. Despite the shaky start, Nell seemed to warm to Georgie a little. The fact the Macy was completely taken with her helped in no small measure. “I want to spend a few days with Macy and Georgie, you know, until I know Macy is okay with her. It’s just a few more days.”

  “Are you sure you’re ready?” Nell asked, giving her son a questioning look, but her face said, she already knew the answer. “I mean, if you need more time.”

  “I’m ready,” Callum assured her, giving her a smile. “We need to get into some kind of routine, so the quicker we get back to normal, the better.”

  “I guess you’re right,” Nell nodded, leaning in and kissing Callum on the cheek. “I will call you tomorrow, just to see how you’re getting on.”

  “Thanks, Mom,” Callum said, smiling at his mother once more. Nell turned, walking to the elevator. As she stepped into the elevator, she turned back to look at Callum once more, smiling as the doors slid closed.

  Callum released a long breath before he turned, walking back into the apartment. As he made his way into the living room, Georgie came down the stairs, as Callum greeted her with a smile.

  “Is she asleep?” Callum asked, surprised to see her walking down the stairs already. Georgie had taken Macy up to bed about twenty minutes earlier, but Callum wasn’t hopeful that she would get her to go to sleep easily. Since they had returned home from New York, Macy had fought sleep every night.

  “She is spark out,” Georgie said as she walked across the sitting room, heading towards the kitchen. “I was just going to make myself some tea. If that’s okay.”

  “Of course,” Callum replied, following her into the kitchen. “Actually, I was going to open a bottle of wine, if you’d care to join me?”

  “I don’t know,” Georgie said, giving him a look of uncertainty. “I think I will just call it a night.”

  “Okay,” Callum said, giving her a smile, but he was surprised he was a little disappointed. He had enjoyed her company all day, there was part of him that didn’t want it to end.

  She headed into the kitchen, as Callum sat down on the sofa, unsure of what he should do next. Having her here when Macy was about felt totally fine, but now it was just him and her, he realised he had no clue what to actually say to her.

  A few moments later, she emerged from the kitchen, carrying a cup of tea.

  “Have you got everything you need?” Callum asked, standing up once more.

  “I do,” she replied, giving him a grateful smile.

  “Well, if there is anything you need,” he said, smiling too. “You know where to find me. Good night, Georgie.”

  “Good night, Callum,” Georgie said, turning slowly before heading to the stairs. She stopped when she reached the stairs, turning back to Callum. “Can I just say, I know you’ve taken a huge gamble giving me this job; I know your mother wasn’t thrilled about it, and I suppose I get why…”

  “My mother is just overly protective,” Callum quickly replied, trying to reassure the girl as best he could.

  “I know,” Georgie giggled, giving him a genuine smile. “She loves you both, but she’s worried. I would be too. I just want to say; I’m grateful for this chance. I give you my word that I will take care of Macy as if she were my own little girl.”

  “I know you will,” Callum assured her giving her another smile.

  “Anyway, I just wanted to say thank you,” Georgie said, smiling once more. “Good night, Callum.”

  “Good night, Georgie,” Callum replied, giving her a warm smile.

  He stood and watched her as she hurried up the stairs. He didn’t know why, but he liked her. Despite the fact he hardly knew anything about this girl, there was something about her that made him feel like his future wasn’t as bad as he believed it could be. She gave him hope.

  Chapter 8

  Callum woke suddenly, as Macy’s voice echoed through-out the apartment. Without missing a beat, he sprung from his bed, heading straight for the door. He reached Macy’s room just as she cried out once more.

  “MOMMY!” She sobbed in her sleep, as she thrashed about in her bed.

  “Macy,” Callum cooed, as he scooped her up into his arms. “Daddy has you, Sweetheart.”

  “I WANT MY MOMMY!” Macy cried out, as she
opened her eyes, looking up at Callum. Her bottom lips trembled once more, before she buried her face in his chest, sobbing softly. Callum held her closely, wishing there was something he could say to her to make her feel better.

  “Is she okay?” Georgie asked, suddenly appearing in the doorway. “Is there something I can do to help?”

  “She will be,” Callum replied, even though in his heart, he didn’t know if he truly believed that himself. “It happens every night.”

  “Poor baby,” Georgie said, as she made her way across the room, sitting down on the bed next to Callum. Callum tried to ignore the fact she was dressed in a tiny top and equally tiny shorts. She reached up, softly rubbing Macy’s back. “She has been through so much in her short little life.”

  The moment she touched Macy, the little girl lifted her head, as she moved quickly, climbing from Callum’s lap, to Georgie’s lap.

  Georgie gave Callum a look of uncertainty, as Macy cuddled into her chest. He knew that she was worried his feelings might be hurt because the little girl had turned to her for comfort, but the truth was, he just wanted her happy. If Georgie was going to be the one that made her happy, then Callum would accept that. As long as Macy smiled, and finally settled into her life with him, he didn’t care how they got there.

  Callum smiled at Georgie, trying his best to reassure her that what she was doing was just fine with him.

  They sat there in silence as slowly Macy’s breathing returned to normal; then it became slower and deeper.

  “I think she’s asleep,” Georgie whispered, looking up at Callum, smiling at him. “She must be exhausted.”

  “Her and me both,” Callum sighed, rubbing the tiredness from his eyes.

  “Why don’t you go back to bed?” Georgie offered, giving him another smile. “I will stay with her a little longer until she is settled.”

  “I don’t…” Callum began to argue, but Georgie stopped him.

  “I really don’t mind,” Georgie said, cutting him off mid-sentence. “Besides, she’s asleep now. I will just give her a few more minutes before I put her back into bed. Then I can return to my bed too.”