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Chapter Thirty-Four
Hadley
I got a call from Scott’s mom the next day. She wanted Lucy and Eli to spend the day with them. Normally, I’d never tell them no—not counting the time I did following Scott’s outburst about Elijah. When I asked Lucy if she wanted to go see them though, she didn’t want to. For the sake of getting along, I’d try to convince her to go, but it was out of the question since we had plans to go to Elijah’s mom’s house.
That left Eli, but I couldn’t get past the ball of anxiety tightening in my stomach. Scott and his family were snooty, rude, and gossipy, but they weren’t awful. Because they were rude snobs who loved to gossip about me… Because they didn’t approve of my parenting and my desire not to reunite with their son, it was really hard for me to be the bigger person.
Eli was five-months-old. He’d stayed over once with them and maybe saw Scott’s family a few times. They didn’t know my child, but it wasn’t my fault. That scared me. How would he feel with them?
By eleven o’clock, though, they called the hospital aggravating me. Even Scott chimed in. I found it weird that when they wanted to see the kids it had to happen immediately. I finally gave in around noon because they disrupted my workday. I was mortified they were doing this while I was on the job. I had to call my parents to let them know Scott was coming to get Eli for the night, only to hear from them an hour later saying Scott convinced Lucy to go too. My nerves ate away at me as I tried to work and not think about my kids in someone else’s care. I knew Lucy hadn’t wanted to go when I called and asked her earlier.
Then my dad told me how Scott acted when he picked them up. Dad was good for exaggerating some details, especially since he didn’t like Scott at all. To get through my shift, I kept telling myself that Dad was making up stuff— that Lucy wanted to see her dad.
It worked until Scott called the hospital an hour before I was supposed to clock out. Deb called me to the nursing station with a pitying frown as she handed over the phone. Lucy’s tears were the first thing I heard when I put the phone to my ear. Immediately, I said, “What’s wrong?”
“Lucy won’t do anything but cry. I’ve offered her ice cream and everything, and she won’t shut up.” Scott’s bitter tone snapped some of my anxiety and filled me with rage. “See what you’ve done? She won’t have anything to do with me.”
“Don’t you want to stay and hang out at Mamaw’s house?” I could hear his mom trying to talk to Lucy.
“No. I want my mommy.”
“She’s filling her head with nonsense,” his mother accused, and blood rushed to my face. “If she’s going to be this way, so can we.”
Was that a threat? I was beyond livid.
“Lucy, I’m your dad. Stop crying!” Scott yelled.
“Stop yelling at her,” I hissed quietly. “I’m coming to get them.”
“No! We just got Eli to sleep. You know how long that took?” He was still shouting.
“She breastfeeds him so, he won’t take a bottle!” his mother yelled loud enough that I could hear. She wanted me to.
Eli never turned down a bottle. I knew it was a bad idea letting them visit with Scott’s family. “I’m coming to get them.” I hung up.
They let me leave work early. I was ashamed that everyone knew my drama by the time I left. No doubt, I’d be at the center of gossip the next week. Worrying about rumors wasn’t important, picking up my kids mattered more. I was angry and scared, and unsure how I could feel both at the same time. It took me fifteen minutes to get to Scott’s parents’ house. I shut off the SUV and knocked on the door. Scott answered, but Lucy ran out behind him—still crying—and wrapped her arms about my legs.
“What happened?” I asked. “Don’t tell me nothing. Lucy wouldn’t be crying over nothing.”
“I don’t want to live here!” Lucy screamed, and now it made perfect sense.
“Where’s Eli? Bring him here.” I was calm as I spoke, but I never hid the anger in my body or face as I stared at Scott.
His mom stepped into the doorway with Eli who was also crying—my baby who never hardly cried was red-faced and screaming.
Never again.
The rage I felt could kill.
I grabbed him but even then, he didn’t soothe immediately. “At this rate, Eli will never know us.” She huffed.
“That’s not my fault. Grab your shoes, Lucy.” She let go of me and turned around to slip by her grandmother and dad, standing in the doorway, to grab her shoes. “You can’t expect them to want to come over once or twice every six months thinking they’re going to feel comfortable with you.”
“Exactly. You don’t let them see us!” Scott’s mother hissed.
“I’m not arguing about this when you know I always tell Scott he can see them whenever he wants.” Eli finally settled down—clutching my scrubs in his meaty little fists while studying my face to make sure it was me. “You ready, Lucy?” She nodded and hurried next to me.
“Hadley, baby, I’m sorry that I’m being so hateful.”
