‘I think he’s better off where he is for now,’ she told her cousin, then looked to Jan for her reaction.
Jan still held the warmest smile. ‘I need to know where he is, Beth. I know you’re safe, and now I need to make sure Archie’s in the best place.’
‘He can always stay with me,’ said Pearl.
‘He’s safe,’ snapped Beth, not meaning to. ‘Sorry.’
Jan’s head bobbed. ‘It’s okay, Beth.’
‘He’s with his dad.’
‘Who she doesn’t know,’ said Pearl.
Beth locked eyes with her. ‘I do now.’ She turned to Jan. ‘It was a one-night stand. But recently I bumped into him again, sort of. Anyway, once I knew his name, I looked him up. He works with kids, which means he’s been vetted.’ She took a moment to explain that to herself again, then glared at Pearl. ‘I wasn’t thinking straight, okay.’
Pearl sipped her tea, obviously deciding not to respond.
Jan leaned a touch closer. ‘It would be helpful all round if I knew where this man lived.’
A flutter hit Beth’s solar plexus. ‘No. You’ll take Archie away or someone else will. He’ll be put into a foster home.’ She swiped away another tear.
‘No, not at all,’ said Jan. ‘Archie has two parents, and if one of them wants him, then he’ll have a home with them. Children aren’t taken from their parents for no reason.’
‘But I have a reason. I left him on a doorstep.’
Pearl looked at Jan. ‘For all we know, Archie’s dad might have already called social services and handed him over.’
A cold chill came over Beth. ‘But I wrote him a letter. I told him he was Archie’s father, and I said I’ll be back soon. Surely he wouldn’t . . .’ Another tear fell.
‘Best thing we can do right now is find out,’ said Jan. ‘Do you think you could tell me his name, Beth? I promise everything I do from this moment forward will be in yours and Archie’s best interests. Hey, I’m on your side. If you need some time, that’sfine. If you want your son back, I’ll make it happen. But I will feel a lot better knowing Archie is safe right now.’
‘Tell her, Beth. I’m worried about Archie too, you know,’ said Pearl.
Beth took a deep breath, trying to loosen her tight lungs. ‘His name is Spencer Jordan.’
Jan’s eyebrows lifted. ‘Spencer?’
‘You know him?’ asked Pearl.
‘Yes, I work closely with the Happy to Help Hub where he volunteers. He’s one of the creators of the place.’
Pearl nodded. ‘Not seen it myself, but heard of it. But I thought he worked with children.’
‘His name came up linked to the Sunshine Centre as well,’ Beth told her.
‘That’s right,’ said Jan. ‘He’s trained in health care for children.’
‘And he’s a florist,’ Beth told Pearl, whose eyes had gone as wide as they could go.
‘Flipping heck, he gets around.’
Jan smiled softly. ‘Spencer is a good man.’ It sounded as though her exhale was filled with relief, which lightened the load for Beth a touch.
‘He is?’ she asked, earning an eye roll from her cousin.
Jan’s curls bounced as her head bobbed. ‘He is. Archie is in good hands. At least we don’t have to worry about that.’
‘How do you know he hasn’t called in a social worker?’ asked Pearl.
