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Faith’s response is terse, her words revealing just how much Harriet means to them. “Look, we’ve been her family for a whole year, and she’s happy here—”
I cut in, striving to keep the irritation out of my voice. “We’re not here to turn her world upside down. We’re simply looking out for her best interests.”
Mal crosses his arms “And you think this sudden change is in her ‘best’ interest?”
“Harriet now has even more people to love her. That can’t be seen as anything but positive, right?” I point out.
They fall silent, unable to argue with the logic, but the air is heavy with unspoken objections.
I choose my next words deliberately, wanting to make Stella’s intentions clear. “We should all work together to ensure this transition is smooth for Harriet.”
Mal’s acceptance of the situation grudging at best. “We need to think about the legal implications—”
I cut in again, my tone firm “We have. We’re committed to doing this the right way after all, aren’t we, baby?”
I glance at Stella, half expecting her to be seething at this point since I’ve taken control of the conversation. She nods, the smile still on her face, so I continue speaking. “Now, regardless of our views on this, the last thing Harriet needs is to see discord among us, right?”
“Sure,” Faith concedes, though her agreement feels hollow. Mal merely shrugs, a reluctant acknowledgment. “She’s what’s important.”
“I’m glad we’re all on the same page,” I respond, feeling a mix of sympathy and indignation. It’s obvious they love Harriet, however, the fact remains—Harriet is Stella’s niece. But despite knowing Stella’s desire to adopt Harriet, they were prepared to take that chance away from her.
Was it because they didn’t think Stella stood a chance against them? Or because they felt Stella wasn’t an appropriate choice for a parent?
Faith huffs, then turns to head back into the house. “I’ll go and get Harriet ready. At the threshold, she pauses, looking back. “Do... you want to come in?”
I glance at Stella to see what she wants to do.
She shakes her head. “Oh, no thanks. The weather is so lovely, and your grounds are beautiful. Would you mind if we took a little walk around?”
“Not at all, please feel free,” Faith responds, stepping inside. Mal follows her in shortly.
Once we’re alone, I can’t help but ask, “Was that as painfully awkward as I thought it was?”
Stella gives me a small smile. “Oh, it went a lot better than most days, so it wasn’t unexpected. I actually think they were nicer today and I dare say it’s because of you.”
“Nicer? How so?”
“Well, because they invited us in!”
I struggle to keep my irritation in check. “That wasn’t nice. That was rude and condescending.” The thought of that sweet girl being raised by those people unsettles me deeply, strengthening my resolve to help Stella get her niece.
“They can’t help themselves,” Stella shrugs. “And I really don’t like to antagonize her foster carers; after all, they’re doing what I can’t right now, and I’m grateful to them. But thank you for putting them in their place, even just a little. Sometimes they can be a bit much to handle.”
“What, you’re not going to bite off my head for speaking for you?” I fully expected her to give me an earful about what happened on that porch.
“Not today, no. I can’t lie, I’m glad you were here Ryan,” she admits.
Soon, Harriet emerges with Faith in tow, dressed in a pink flowery blouse and jeans. Harriet approaches, extending her hands to both of us. I envelop her small hand in mine, feeling an unexpected warmth spreading through me.
“We’ll bring her back by bath time,” Stella assures.
Faith offers a tight smile, her eyes lingering on us a moment longer than necessary, probably understanding that her role in Harriet’s life is nearing its end.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Stella
“Are you up for a quick detour? If you’re not too tired, I’d like to show you something.” Ryan weaves through Manhattan’s bustling streets. We’ve just left Romanos, the five-star restaurant where we had dinner.
