Love & Hope: Mother's Day (Holidays In Hallbrook Book 5)

by Elsie Davis

  “That’ll work.” With one hand, she measured powder into the bottle, the baby in her other arm. Apparently, her talents weren’t limited to those they’d hired her for.

  “I’ll get your address from your employee file. If you need me for anything else today, call me on my cell phone. The number is in your paperwork. I’ll be back in the warehouse and working with the employees for the rest of the afternoon.”

  “Gotcha.” She put the plastic lid back on the can and tossed it in the bag.

  “Oh, and one other thing. Nice work on the first ad you sent me. I put my seal of approval on it already.” That should go a long way to making amends with her. After all, he’d been tough on her this morning.

  “I’m glad you liked it. And thanks for the care package.” Grace smiled, following him out of the office.

  “Care package?” he asked.

  “The baby. Care package. Get it?” She laughed. “Don’t worry about the door, I’ve got to get water for her bottle.”

  “Gotcha.” He winked and then headed down the hall, resisting the urge to turn around and walk with her. Grace was quite the woman, and he looked forward to seeing more of her. Professionally, of course.

  Chapter Five

  Grace was thrilled when the rest of the day went without incident. In fact, she hadn’t even seen Ryan since Holly peed on him. Poor guy. It was obvious he wasn’t a fan of kids, and Holly had done nothing to change his mind.

  Ready to be home, she wished she could just skip the stop at the drug store, but her list was too long and too important to blow off the way she would have if it had only been her affected by the decision. Holly needed baby food, formula, and diapers, and Grace needed a baby monitor. It was easier to stock up on inventory rather than take the chance of running out. Based on how much powder went into each bottle, the cans wouldn’t go far.

  Grace pulled into the closest spot to the front door she could find. She unhooked the seatbelts and lifted the baby out of the car seat. “Let’s go get you some food, little one. Then we can go home and play.”

  Holly responded with a smile and reached for Grace’s necklace.

  “No, no, honey.” Grace pried it from her fingers and tucked the pendent inside her shirt. She spotted the wet wipes at the entrance and made quick use of them, wiping down the seat and cart handle to eliminate germs, hoping to keep them both healthy.

  After scanning the overhead signs, she made her way to the baby section, where she found an entire row of everything imaginable one could need. She was tempted with all the cool gadgets and accessories. Bibs, toys, cups, pacifiers, teething rings… The available choices went on and on.

  Grace shook her head, needing to stay focused. Her budget didn’t include nonessentials, especially since her first paycheck in a few months wouldn’t come for a couple more weeks. Which was exactly why she couldn’t afford to lose the new job.

  Grace stopped at the section with powdered milk cans like the one Karen had sent with Holly. It didn’t take her long to spot the matching can, and she grabbed one off the shelf, trying to locate the price. No way. Even the generic version was cringe-worthy. People complained about the cost of gas and milk, but those items had nothing on baby formula. You’d think it was gold at this price. She grabbed two cans, hoping it would go further than expected.

  Next stop, diapers. Another large selection to pick from, but Grace was at a loss when it came to choosing which box. The diapers in her bag didn’t exactly come with labels. The sizes meant nothing to her, but then neither did the pounds they listed. “How much do you weigh, baby girl?” Grace laughed as Holly reached out to touch her arm. “What, no answer? Why ever not? Don’t blame me if your diapers droop.”

  A woman approached with a baby similar in size.

  “Excuse me, I’m watching Holly—” she pointed to the baby, “—for my cousin, and I need to pick up diapers. I seriously need some help, if you wouldn’t mind. There are so many choices and sizes, and I don’t have a clue.” A woman her age shouldn’t be this clueless, but no one she hung out with had a baby except Karen. And even then, Grace didn’t see her cousin nearly as often as she would have liked since the baby was born. It had been love at first sight with Holly. Grace and Karen weren’t exactly on the same page in life, but when it came to Holly, the pages blurred.

  The corners of the woman’s mouth lifted ever so slightly as she tried to keep from laughing. “First time around babies? No worries. My daughter is about the same size, and Amanda wears a size three. I think you’ll be safe going with this.” The woman picked up a box and handed it to Grace. “Trust me on this, don’t scrimp on diapers unless you want lots of leakage and wet bedding.” She glanced down at the items in Grace’s cart.

  “And just another small hint, the baby food you picked out is stage one, which is for infants. The food is like soup. She would be eating stage three. The food starts to have soft little chunks to help the babies get used to chewing for the teeth coming in. Right now, they mostly gum it to mush, but they’ve got a few teeth in there.” The kind woman smiled and held up a jar from her cart. “This is what Amanda eats now. They love the peaches, even if it is messy. Just keep plenty of wipes around and good clothes out of reach.”

  That explained why the carrots in the diaper bag were chunky. It made total sense now. “Thank you ever so much. I need to add wipes to my ever-growing list. I think Holly’s mother should have left me with a manual.” Grace shook her head and laughed.

  “It’s a little overwhelming at first, but this is my third child, so it all comes pretty naturally at this point. Good luck to you.” The woman certainly had lots of luck she could give away. Three children. What a blessing. Grace wouldn’t mind the mess if she could have children of her own. But she also knew the woman wasn’t referring to her having children.

  “Thanks. I have a feeling I’m going to need it.” Grace nodded, overwhelmed by how much she didn’t know.

  The young woman smiled and headed toward the back of the store.

  Grace put the jars of food back on the shelf and moved down a few levels in search of stage three. She hadn’t even noticed the numbers, just the fact that beans, peas, bananas, rice, and chicken mush in a jar didn’t sound appetizing one bit.

  She picked up some generic wipes, hoping that was one place she could cut costs. The baby monitors were another story. There were lots of choices, from sound only to video footage, and a wide range of expense to match. Settling on inexpensive, she picked one that would do what she needed—listen for Holly to wake up when she was in another room. The last item on her list was the only nonessential essential—bathtub toys. Just a couple would be nice, especially if it helped keep playtime and the water in the tub.

  Grace headed for the checkout register, not wanting to find anything else she couldn’t live without. The cashier rang up her order, sliding everything across the scanner. Each beep sent the total higher and higher.

  “That’s $123.58, please,” the cashier said, a smile pasted on her face.

  “You’ve got to be kidding?” She knew things added up fast, but this was ridiculous. How did families afford this?

  “No, ma’am. Look for yourself.” The cashier spun the digital screen around for her inspection. Sure enough, the total was right. At these prices, her bank account would dwindle far faster than she preferred. There wasn’t much choice in the matter, so Grace paid the total, but not before putting back the chocolate bar she’d been about to treat herself to after a less-than-stellar first day on the job.

  By the time she arrived home, she was exhausted. Another reminder, yet again, of how hard it was to be a single parent, and in some families, even two parents wouldn’t make it any easier if someone worked long hours or was away a lot. Parenting was tough.

  It gave her a new appreciation for the adoption agency and the decisions they had to make. Grace might not have liked their rejection, but she could see where single parenting, although sometimes a necessity, wasn’t always ideal. A
nd they were trying to find excellent homes for the children in their protection.

  Maybe, by the time this was over, Grace would learn and adapt enough that she could prove to the agency she was up to the challenge. Maybe then they’d reconsider their decision.

  Lucky greeted her at the door, sniffing the air when she spotted the baby. Just when she thought she could kick off her shoes and relax, Grace realized she still needed to take the dog out for a walk. And do it with a baby in tow. It would have to be a short one.

  “Hope you get over your fit of jealousy, girl. I promise Holly won’t hurt you, and I love you just the same. She dropped the diaper bag by the front door, set the baby down, and made a point of petting Lucky.

  The baby stayed close, reaching out a couple of times to touch the dog, look at Grace, and then smile. Lucky sniffed Holly, this time pressing her nose to the side of the baby’s face. Lucky licked her cheek, causing Holly to giggle. Nothing like a wet doggy kiss to seal a friendship.

  Grace snapped the leash on Lucky, and the three of them headed back outside for a walk around the block. Waving at several neighbors sitting out on their front porch, she didn’t bother to stop and chat. There would be too many questions about Holly, and Grace needed some downtime.

  Once back home, Grace put the baby in her booster, using the hands-free moment to feed the dog and prepare Holly’s dinner. Not that there was much preparation to unscrewing the lid of a jar and warming the contents. She sat down at the kitchen table with Holly, spoon-feeding her with the rubber-tipped spoon she’d found in the diaper bag.

  She couldn’t resist at least trying the unappetizing orange chunky mush called carrots, and she regretted the decision instantly. Tasteless as far as she was concerned. The baby didn’t seem to mind, although most of it ended up on Holly’s face and the table, whether by design or accident, Grace didn’t know. There was no way to ask Holly and expect a reasonable answer, but the baby did seem content to play in the stuff.

  After a quick bath and some playtime, she changed Holly into a cute pink onesie for bedtime. She laid her down in the pack ‘n play, hoping she’d fall asleep right away. Grace needed a few minutes of peace and quiet.

  A day out of the office with her boss was a little unsettling. She’d struggled with today’s outfit, and although her choice had started out perfect, by the time she’d arrived at work, it was more like perfectly ruined. Professional was hardly the image she portrayed now—at this point, she came closer to harried mother and complete wreck. Grace pulled out a pair of jeans and a dressy blouse for tomorrow. Better to be prepared and be comfortable. It would be a better suit of armor in dealing with her boss.

  Grace set up the baby monitor, relieved to hear Holly babbling, proving the monitor worked. She settled back on the sofa, let out a deep sigh of relief, and flipped on the TV. Her eyes started to drift shut within minutes, exhaustion finally winning over. So much for a relaxing night. Right now, she only wanted a relaxing bed. It had been a long day, and she had to do it all over again tomorrow. At least this time, without the baby in tow.

  Provided, of course, her sister showed up. If Faith didn’t, Grace could kiss her job goodbye. After setting the alarm extra early, knowing how much time it took to get ready, Grace crawled into bed. She was tempted to call her friend Olivia and tell her about Holly and the job, but it would have to wait until tomorrow. Too tired to even think, she closed her eyes, following Holly into dreamland.

  * * *

  The alarm went off way too early, and Grace rolled over to silence it, not wanting to wake Holly. Lucky raised her head to look at her as if she were crazy, then lowered her head and pretended to ignore her. The dog wasn’t ready to start the day and more than likely resented the loss of their regular petting session in the morning.

  Grace clambered out of bed and made her way to the bathroom, stopping to grab the monitor. She flipped the power switch on, turned the volume up to the loudest setting, and set it on the back of the toilet where she could listen for the baby if she woke up.

  In record time, Grace finished her shower, dried off, and donned the clothes she’d picked out the night before. She made her way to the kitchen, desperate for a cup of coffee. As Grace pressed the start button to brew her favorite hazelnut K-cup, Holly started to make a few noises. Almost perfect timing.

  Grace headed for the bedroom and found Holly standing up and watching the door for her. “Good morning, sunshine.” She reached for the baby, who held out her arms with a big smile on her face. It was a smile that could warm anyone’s heart and make any day just right. “Let’s get you out of that wet diaper and get you dressed for the day. It’ll be one less thing Faith will have to do. You need to promise me to be good for her. She’s even less experienced than I am.” Grace laughed.

  Holly grabbed her hair and started to babble—unrecognizable sounds, but the sweetest music. Diapered and dressed, Grace carried Holly to the kitchen, put her in the booster seat, and strapped her in. Lucky had followed them into the kitchen, equally wanting to be fed.

  After she put a few of the puffs from the baggy of finger food on the tray, hoping to keep the baby occupied, she turned her focus to fixing Holly’s bottle. The baby reached for the bottle eagerly as Grace held it out. She stuck it in her mouth and sucked hard as if she were starved. It was amazing how much milk they could put away.

  She fed Lucky and gave her some fresh water. This time, the dog immediately began to eat, a sure sign she was getting used to having Holly around.

  Next up, breakfast. Grace mixed up some cereal and then opened a jar of applesauce and poured it into the bowl, mixing the two. She pressed the bowl to the tray, the suction cups keeping it in place. Pulling up a chair, she started to feed the baby, hoping it wouldn’t be quite as messy with something that tasted better. The woman’s warning at the drugstore last night was good advice, but at least meal wasn’t orange or green this time.

  The doorbell rang, and Grace felt as though she were being pulled in six directions, none of them her own. She got up to answer, relieved to see her sister standing in the doorway. “Thanks for coming this time.”

  “Whatever. Just tell me what I need to do.” Faith’s surly attitude wasn’t welcome, not on a morning that had gone well so far. Her sister reached down to pet Lucky. The dog had come over to sit at Faith’s feet, her tail wagging a happy hello.

  “It’ll be fun, trust me. Just commit yourself to be with Holly, and you’ll enjoy it. Forget about everything else. I wish I didn’t have to go to work so I could just stay and play with her.” Which was precisely why Grace was looking forward to the weekend. It was a shame Karen hadn’t needed her when she was still out of work.

  “You’ve always been the settled one. I’m surprised you’re not married with three kids of your own by now.”

  Grace flinched and turned away, not wanting her sister to see the pain she’d caused by her careless words.

  “I’m sorry. It just slipped out, and it’s not like I don’t know. Me and my big mouth.” Faith shook her head, the mortified expression on her face proof her sister meant the apology and could discern between right and wrong. Both good qualities to have as she moved into the adult world. It was hard to stay upset with her for something that had been an accidental slip.

  “Don’t worry about it. As far as the baby’s concerned, she needs a bottle every few hours. She’ll let you know when she’s hungry. Just read the directions on the back of the can. It tells you how much warm water to add. Make sure you test it against your wrist before you give it to her to make sure it’s not too hot. For lunch, she gets a jar of baby food, your choice from the not-so-delectable options, and then the same for dinner.

  “Her diapers need changing every couple of hours. Stay on top of it; otherwise, you’ll be changing her clothes, too. And when she starts to fuss but has had a recent bottle, then it’s probably nap time. She has a portable crib in my bedroom, and this is a monitor so you can hear when she wakes up.” Grace pointed to the d
evice sitting on the counter.

  “Okay. And what do I do with the baby when she’s not eating, sleeping, or peeing?” Faith asked jokingly, the first sign her sister was melting.

  “You get to play and watch kid movies. Right up your alley. Everything you need is in here—” she held up the diaper bag, “—or on the kitchen counter, or in my top right dresser drawer. Call me on my cell if you need anything at all. I’ve taped the number of the hospital on the refrigerator, although I hope you won’t need anything so drastic as that. And I’ll leave you her car seat just in case you need to take her anywhere, but please, only do that if it’s an emergency. Otherwise, I’d prefer it if you just stay here.”

  “Trust me, I have no desire to go anywhere with a baby in tow. Talk about an image killer.” Faith grimaced.

  Holly pointed at Faith and started laughing, managing to blow bubbles and food in every direction. Luckily, Grace was out of range, and her outfit for the day was safe from a baby baptism.

  “Wow. That’s gross. I hope you’re going to clean it up before you go.” Faith looked between her and the baby, shaking her head.

  “I could, but there’s no sense cleaning her up before she’s done eating. You need to finish spoon-feeding her, and Ryan will be here any minute to pick me up.” It was more about Grace staying clean for work today, but she didn’t need to share that part with her sister.

  “Ryan?” Faith looked at her, one eyebrow raised in question.

  “My new boss. The one who almost fired me yesterday because I brought a baby to work after my sister bagged out on me for childcare,” Grace said, delivering the hit and trying to drive her point home. Her sister needed to learn she wasn’t the only one impacted by her decisions.

  “I’ve already apologized, and you still have your job. So lay off, why don’t you?”

  If her sister wasn’t nineteen and quite capable of watching the baby, Grace would have trouble leaving her alone with the Holly. But Faith was more bark than bite, something she’d learned years ago. Her little sister was eight years younger than her and resented being the little sister. She’d been treated like a baby until it was too late, and this was the result.