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“Hi, Harriet,” I say, offering a smile and a small wave.
She pins me with the serious look of a judge in a cookie court, weighing her verdict. “Are you Auntie Stella’s boyfriend?”
My smile broadens. “I’m her husband.”
Harriet gasps, bringing her small hand to cover her mouth, “Auntie Stella,” she whispers in awe, “you had a wedding!”
“I did, but it was a really small one, sweetheart, we couldn’t even have kids there,” Stella explains, and Harriet nods as if this makes perfect sense.
Harriet gazes at me for what seems like a full minute, then looks back at Stella with an impish grin. “Can I call him Uncle Ryan then?”
My heart skips a beat. I’m so fucking out of my depth here although I can’t say that I’m uncomfortable. It’s an unexpected but not an unpleasant feeling.
Stella shoots me an uncertain glance, and I wonder if she’s regretting bringing me along. She finally says to Harriet. “Why don’t you go ask what he’d like you to call him, sweetheart.”
Harriet nods, wriggles out of Stella’s arms, and approaches me with a hint of shyness. “Can I call you Uncle Ryan?”
I gaze into her slightly smudged, lovely face, noting her round cheeks flushed with excitement. Her light blonde curls are neatly divided into pigtails—a mirror image of Gina at that age. The resemblance is uncanny. She could easily pass as my own daughter.
I squat down to her level. “Yes, you can call me Uncle Ryan, Harriet.” Her joy is palpable as she bounces on the spot, then, as if unable to contain herself any longer, she wraps her arms around my neck.
Initially, I’m taken aback, frozen in place by her sudden affection. Aren’t children usually hesitant around strangers? Encouraged by Stella’s reassuring smile, I gently hug Harriet back, then stand, lifting her up in the process.
“Come on,” Stella urges, “let’s go say hello to Faith and Mal.”
As we approach the house, Harriet’s foster carer, Faith, appears in the doorway. Harriet, still clinging to me, excitedly proclaims, “Look, Faith, I have a new uncle!”
Faith steps onto the porch, eyeing me with a blend of curiosity and caution. “Your uncle?”
“Yes, Uncle Ryan,” Harriet chirps, bouncing in my arms, barely containing her excitement. I put Harriet on her feet, and she skips to Faith, explaining. “Auntie Stella went to Seattle to get married, but kids weren’t allowed, so I couldn’t go. But he’s here now.”
Faith manages a smile for Harriet, then turns her cautious gaze back to us. “Hi, it’s been a few weeks. How have you been?”
“Hi, Faith,” Stella says, “I’ve been very well, thanks. I wasn’t sure if you got my message about bringing someone along today. This is my husband, Ryan,” The word ‘husband’ hanging awkwardly between us.
Faith gently nudges Harriet. “Harriet, darling, why don’t you go wash your face then I’ll come and help you get ready for the park with Auntie Stella.”
“Alright!” Harriet squeals, darting inside.
Faith’s smile is polite but doesn’t reach her eyes. “Yes, I got your message. Harriet and I were baking cupcakes, so I didn’t see it right away.” She hesitates, then adds, “But, husband? That’s, uh, quite the development.”
Mal, Faith’s husband steps out, having caught the tail end of our exchange. His eyebrows arch in surprise, mingled with something bordering on disdain. “Sounds like congratulations are in order, Stella. We hadn’t heard.”
I step forward, offering a handshake. “Ryan Fairchild. It’s a pleasure to meet you both. I’ve heard a great deal about Harriet.”
Faith pauses, a flicker of recognition crossing her face, while Mal does a double-take and clarifies, “Fairchild... of Ocean Gate Enterprises?”
“Correct,” I confirm, feeling the weight of their recognition and the sudden shift in the atmosphere.
Faith’s voice becomes cold, dripping with insinuation. “This must be quite a change for you, Stella.”
“Excuse me?” The words escape me before I can rein them in, my tone sharper than intended. The undercurrents of judgment and the veiled skepticism annoy me more than I want to acknowledge.
Feeling my unease, Stella loops her arm around my waist and replies in a saccharine sweet voice, “Absolutely Faith, it’s a wonderful change. For Harriet as well.”
The atmosphere grows tense as Mal’s tone hardens, his voice filled with concern. “For Harriet? Meaning?”
I don’t hesitate. “Meaning that we’re here to support Harriet in every possible way.”
