Child Wanted

by Renee Andrews

  A sweet little family.

  She shouldn’t be thinking about that right now. Because as soon as Ethan found out who she was, and as soon as they started the official battle for Jerry, he wouldn’t even speak to her, much less want to sit with her and Jerry in a movie.

  She forced herself to look away from the two of them, ate a handful of popcorn and sipped her drink. Anything to gather her bearings and stop thinking about things that could never be.

  “I like going to the movies,” Jerry said, and Lindy was thankful for his distraction.

  “You do?” she asked. “Have you been to the movies a lot?”

  “No, I only went one time,” he said, chomping on his popcorn. “With Daddy Mark and Mama Carol.”

  “Who are Daddy Mark and Mama Carol?” Ethan asked casually, though Lindy could hear the curiosity in his tone. He wanted to know as badly as she did.

  “My old daddy and mama. Not the last one, though.” He continued to chew, swallowed and then sipped at his drink. “The last one was Daddy Bill and Mama Janie.”

  Lindy hated that Daddy and Mama had become temporary terms in her little boy’s world, but at least he knew there was a difference in his “old” mommies and daddies and looked forward to the forever mommy—or forever daddy—he’d mentioned before.

  Ethan glanced over Jerry’s head and caught her attention, his solemn smile saying he was thinking the same thing. This child had been uprooted too much. He needed stability. She forced a smile, knowing that Ethan would probably take it to mean she agreed that he could give Jerry what he needed.

  The problem was, she knew he could.

  And any court would agree.

  The lights dimmed, and they all looked toward the curved, full-wall screen that spanned the front of the theater, where a collage of animal photographs tumbled across the display. Each photo depicted the same scene: adult animals caring for their offspring.

  Jerry ate another handful of popcorn, loudly slurped his drink through the straw and then pointed to the screen. “Look at that, Mr. Ethan. What is it?” He pointed to the first full image to cover the screen.

  Ethan answered, “That’s an orangutan.”

  Jerry giggled around another mouthful of popcorn, swallowed and said, “That’s a funny name.” He looked at Lindy. “Isn’t that a funny name, Miss Lindy?”

  “Yes, it is,” she said, finding odd comfort in being included in a conversation that could’ve been between Ethan and the boy he planned to adopt. She thanked God for allowing her to have this day off, and for Ethan being willing to let her share in moments like this with Jerry.

  Maybe if she regained custody, she would let Ethan spend time with her son. Jerry truly cared about him, and he’d be sad if Ethan wasn’t in his life.

  The thought was quickly followed with curiosity—would Ethan do the same for her if he won in court?

  Once he found out the truth about her past, probably not.

  The speakers were extremely loud, so that the narrator’s voice seemed to bounce off all walls and the ceiling.

  “The most prominent remarkable parent in the animal kingdom is the orangutan. The bond between an orangutan mother and her young is one of the strongest in nature.”

  The orangutan baby climbed on top of his mother, and she appeared to be kissing him. Several “awws” echoed through the theater.

  “During the first two years of life, young orangutans rely entirely on their mothers, not only for food but also for transportation. The moms stay with their offspring for six to seven years, and during that time, the babies learn where to find their food, how to eat it and how to build a place to sleep, which is called their sleeping nest.”

  The orangutan image faded out, and a group of penguins filled the screen.

  “Wow, cool!” Jerry said. “I like penguins.”

  “The emperor penguins are also an excellent example of remarkable parents. After laying an egg, the mother emperor penguin leaves it with a male. He then protects the fragile egg from the elements while the baby’s mother travels many miles to find fish in the ocean. Later on, she returns to feed the tiny chicks and keep them warm.”

  “Hey, that penguin mommy catches fish, like we did!” Jerry said excitedly.

  “Yes,” Ethan said, “but not the same way we did. She doesn’t have to use a pole, a hook or a minnow.”

  Jerry giggled, then watched as more and more animal parents filled the screen.

  They listened to three additional stories, of polar bears, African elephants and cheetahs, all of whose parents cared for them extensively through their youth. Lindy could see why Candace had recommended this exhibit. The film underscored the need for a parent to take care of its young, as well as the lengths some parents go to care for their children.

  She desperately wanted to be that kind of parent to Jerry.

  When the movie ended, Ethan asked, “So what do you think of that, Jerry? Wasn’t that cool how the mommies and daddies all took care of their babies?”

  Jerry took a big sip of his drink, gobbled another handful of popcorn and then nodded. “Yes, sir.”

  Light streamed into the theater as the exit doors automatically opened to reveal the sunlight outside. And the heat of the afternoon seemed even warmer after they’d spent a little time in the air-conditioned theater.

  “So that was pretty neat, wasn’t it?” Ethan said again as they walked into the heat. “All of those parents and their babies?”

  Jerry didn’t answer, but instead squinted to adjust to the change in light. “Wow, that sunshine hurts,” he said.

  Ethan leaned toward Lindy and whispered in her left ear. “I still think it was good for him to see that, don’t you?”

  The nearness of him as he asked the question, coupled with the fact that this seemed like something two parents would discuss, sent a trickle of goose bumps down both arms. “Yes, I think it was good,” she managed to say.

  Ethan had slid his sunglasses on as they exited, and Lindy’s hat shielded her face, but Jerry held his small hand at his brow to ward off the light. “I’m crying but I’m not sad,” he said, confused.

  Lindy smiled, thinking he had to be the cutest little boy ever. “Your eyes are just watering a little while they get used to the sunshine. They should be better in a minute.”

  “I think I saw some sunglasses for kids in the gift shop over there,” Ethan said. “Would you like to go pick some out?”

  “Yes, sir!” Jerry said, grinning as they started toward the store.

  Within minutes, Ethan had purchased a cute pair of sunglasses for Jerry, as well as a stylish pair of women’s sunglasses for Lindy, totally ignoring her objections and the fact that she said they were unnecessary since she had the floppy hat.

  “There will be days when you don’t have your hat around, and you’ll be able to use them then,” he said as he neared her. “Here, let’s make sure they fit okay.” Then he gently ran a finger along her left cheek to tuck a long lock of hair behind her ear, before doing the same for the right.

  Lindy’s goose bumps weren’t controllable at the moment, and she prayed he didn’t notice the effect he had on her.

  “Now let’s see how these look.” He slid the glasses on, taking care to guide the arms over her ears and situate them comfortably on the bridge of her nose. He nodded when he got them in place. “Perfect,” he whispered.

  Lindy thought the same thing. This man seemed so very perfect. And the more time she spent with Ethan Green, the more she believed everything about him. He truly appeared to be the real deal.

  “Hey, Jerry, you coming? It’s time to get on the bus, and Miss Savvy has Popsicles for us to eat when we get inside, but everyone has to be on the bus before we get them,” a dark-skinned boy called to them as he ran past the store.

  “I’m coming!�
� Jerry yelled, then he looked to Ethan and Lindy. “We have to go to the bus,” he said.

  “That’s right,” Ethan agreed, checking his watch. “I didn’t even realize the time. Come on, Jerry, we’ll walk you there.”

  They all headed there together, Jerry showing everyone along the way his new sunglasses, Ethan and Lindy on either side of him as he practically skipped toward the Willow’s Haven bus.

  Savvy stood at the bus entrance with a clipboard, checking off the children as they boarded. “Did you have a good day, Jerry?” she asked.

  “I had a great day,” he said, and then pointed to his red, white and blue sunglasses. “Mr. Ethan got me these.”

  “Well, wasn’t that nice?” she said, smiling.

  “Yes, ma’am,” he said, and stopped walking just shy of the bus to turn toward Ethan and Lindy. He opened both arms toward Ethan, and Ethan squatted to accept the hug. “Thank you, Mr. Ethan.”

  Lindy watched the emotion play across Ethan’s face as he hugged her son. There was no doubt in her mind he loved Jerry, too.

  Then, just as she thought she would have to watch him turn and get on the bus without hugging her, he moved to her, arms out. She swallowed, fought the tears that beckoned for release and lowered to accept a long-awaited hug from her son.

  “Thank you, Miss Lindy.”

  She couldn’t stop herself. She kissed his soft cheek and held him for a moment longer than she probably should. “Thank you, Jerry.”

  “Come on, Jerry,” one of the kids called from an open window. “You’re the last one, and we’re ready for our Popsicles!”

  Jerry backed out of her embrace. “I’m coming,” he said, grinning, and then darted toward Savvy, who checked off his name. After he had boarded, she turned to Ethan. “I hear it won’t be much longer, right?”

  “That’s what Candace said,” he answered.

  “That’s great, because I can tell he’s ready.” She climbed onto the bus and told the kids they could have banana, strawberry or grape Popsicles.

  “I think he’ll want grape,” Ethan said.

  “I say strawberry,” Lindy countered, and then they watched as Jerry found his way to a window and held up the treat, bright red, for them to see.

  Ethan gave him a thumbs-up, and Lindy clapped. “I win.”

  “Yes, you do,” he said, grinning. “How about I get you an ice cream to celebrate? I saw an ice cream stand in the middle of the zoo.”

  “I saw that too,” she said, “but you bought the popcorn and sodas. It’s my turn to treat.”

  He tilted his head, pointed a finger toward her and said, “Yeah, well, that would’ve been true if you hadn’t just won. But you did, so I have no choice but to treat.”

  “You don’t fight fair,” she said, but she couldn’t keep from smiling.

  “Sure, I do,” he countered. “Now come on, let’s get some ice cream. We need something to cool us off in this heat.”

  He was right. Today had been the hottest day since she’d come to Claremont, easily in the midnineties, and ice cream would definitely help cool them off. “I wonder if they’ll have white chocolate turtle.”

  He laughed. “White chocolate turtle? I’ve never heard of it.”

  “I’ve heard of it, but I’ve never tried it. Mrs. Bowers was talking about getting an ice cream freezer at the fishing hole, and asked me to help her pick flavors. That was one of the options, but I had no idea what it tastes like. We got it, but I’m still wondering if it’ll be something customers will like.” She walked beside him through the park, feeling completely at ease.

  “Well, then, you should probably try it,” he said, laughing. “As a good employee, it’s your obligation.”

  The ice cream stand had mesh and glass windows under a red-and-white-striped awning. Photos of sundaes, waffle cones, sugar cones and cake cones garnished with mounds of colorful ice cream were placed above each window to tempt customers.

  “Do you happen to have a flavor called white chocolate turtle?” Ethan asked the woman behind the mesh window.

  “We sure do,” she said. “It’s one of our two new flavors we added this week—that and banana pudding.”

  “Banana pudding ice cream?” he asked.

  “Yes, sir. Would you like to try a sample?”

  “I sure would,” he said. “And can Lindy try a sample of that white chocolate turtle?” He tilted his head toward her.

  “Of course!” She moved toward the freezers that lined the center of the stand, grabbed a couple of red plastic spoons and then filled each with a small sample of the two flavors.

  Lindy waited while he took the two spoons, handed her one and then tried his own and smiled.

  “Banana pudding is a winner in my book. It even has the Nilla wafers in it. Can’t beat that. I’ll take a double scoop in a brown-sugar cone, please.” He nodded toward her spoon, and she slipped it into her mouth to taste.

  Bliss.

  “Oh. Wow.” She wasn’t certain she’d ever tried an ice cream that tasted so amazing. However, she hadn’t had any ice cream during her time at Tutwiler, or since her release.

  No wonder this tasted so great.

  “That good, huh?” he asked. “I take it you want that kind then?”

  “Definitely,” she said.

  “How many scoops and what kind of cone?” the girl behind the window asked.

  “A cake cone please,” she said. “And a single scoop.”

  “A single?” Ethan asked. “That’s just enough to make you want more. You need a double.”

  “After popcorn and soda?” she asked.

  “Of course,” he said. “This is dessert.”

  The teen behind the mesh giggled, and Lindy laughed. “Oh, okay then. A double scoop.”

  “You got it,” the girl said, and turned to fix their cones.

  “You’re going to be one of those parents, aren’t you?” Lindy asked. “Spoiling your kid rotten?”

  His face suddenly grew serious, and he answered, “You know, Jerry could stand a little spoiling for a while, after all he’s been through, so yeah, I probably will. But I won’t overdo it. I’ve been thinking about that a lot lately, getting the right balance, because the judge will probably ask my thoughts on parenting. For now, though, I will tend to say yes a little more than no.” He raised a shoulder. “’Cause I think he needs some extra love, you know?”

  Lindy hadn’t actually been referring to Jerry, but to parenting in general. But his explanation, as well as why he wanted to give Jerry a little more, made perfect sense. And touched her heart.

  He really would be a good daddy to her son, and she supposed if the court didn’t see fit to give Jerry back to her, then she’d want him to be with someone like Ethan.

  No, not someone like Ethan. She would indeed want him to be with Ethan if he couldn’t be with her.

  As much as that would hurt.

  “Here you go,” the girl said, sliding the mesh aside and handing the cones to Ethan and Lindy. “One double scoop of banana pudding on a brown-sugar cone, and a double scoop of white chocolate turtle in a cake cone.”

  “That’s a double?” Lindy asked. The lumps of ice cream towered above the small cone. She’d have counted it as a triple, at least.

  “We try to give you your money’s worth.”

  “Awesome,” Ethan said, fishing out his wallet.

  “Hang on, and I’ll get your change,” she said.

  “Nah, keep that for your tip. You really outdid yourself on these scoops.”

  She smiled. “Thanks!”

  Ethan pointed to a picnic area under some trees nearby. “How about eating over there?”

  “Looks great,” Lindy said, already working on her ice cream. In this heat, it would melt quickly.

&nb
sp; He grabbed a small stack of napkins from a dispenser and led the way to one of the concrete circular tables that had a bright red umbrella, providing extra shade beneath the trees.

  They started on their ice cream cones without talking, and Lindy considered that they might enjoy them in silence, without speaking of the adoption, or their day with Jerry. But she couldn’t stand it. She wanted to know what Candace had said and what Ethan knew about her request to move up the court date.

  So she said, “I’d never heard of people adopting a puppy to show kids what it means to be adopted, but that seems like a good idea.”

  “Yeah,” he said, making a lot more headway in his ice cream than Lindy. “I’d have adopted one for sure if we were at home in Birmingham. I’ve actually always wanted a dog, but never really felt a reason to get one. Didn’t know if I’d be neglecting it too much when I was at school.”

  “We always had a dog growing up, me and my grandmother, and I can’t imagine being a kid and not having one.” She licked at her ice cream as fast as she could, but it still dribbled down the sides of her cone.

  “Well, I’ve already decided that once we get back to Birmingham, I’ll take Jerry to the pound and let him pick a puppy for us to keep. That way I can still talk to him about adopting a puppy the same way I’m adopting him.”

  Lindy grabbed a few of the napkins, swiped at the ice cream streaming down her cone and then continued eating—while picturing Ethan and Jerry picking out a puppy together.

  Another first that could potentially be his instead of hers.

  If the court ruled in his favor.

  “Did Candace say anything about the adoption?” she asked, trying to keep her tone relaxed, as though she weren’t at all concerned about the answer. Which couldn’t be further from the truth.

  “Yes, she did,” he said, and Lindy was surprised to see that he’d eaten all of the ice cream from the top and was now working on the cone. “Turns out we could be going to court sooner than we thought.”