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“Sure,” I say.
“I mean it,” Jeff says.
“It takes more than one sentence to fix a lifetime of insecurity,” I say. “It’s not like I had a mom who could explain all the changes that puberty brought. I had a school nurse and Marjorie, but that was pretty much it.”
“I know,” Jeff says. “Thank God Danny isn’t a girl, or I’d be in the same situation.”
I shrug. “Well, he’s not.” I choke back tears. I’m not usually this emotional, but the idea of a tiny little Danielle who had to grow up without proper support. I’d obviously take a hand and Marjorie might have interfered, but she has to be retirement age now. I wonder for a moment if she stuck around so long because she was keeping an eye on me.
I finish the rest of my sandwich and close the box which has a few shreds of lettuce in it. I’m feeling better with a little food in me.
Jeff must have finished a few minutes ago, because he already threw away his sandwich box.
“You looked lost in thought,” Jeff says.
“Just thinking about what it would be like if you had a little who grew up without a mother, like I did.”
“Maybe I’ll get married again. Your father certainly could have, if you hadn’t despised every candidate on sight.”
I smile. “I stopped screaming eventually. It’s not like it was an eternal scream.”
“Your father respected your wishes.”
“Do you think that a kid can decide that kind of thing?”
“You didn’t have a mother, but you also didn’t have to deal with an evil stepmother.”
“True.”
He looks at his watch. “We should walk back now.” He picks up the baby carrier and we go back to the office building. We get into the elevator. It’s just us, a sleeping baby and a man with a look in his eyes as if he wants to ravish me right here. Before we get to his floor, he leans in and kisses me, baby carrier and all.
“Ahem!” Marjorie says as the doors open.
I blush furiously, my cheeks flooding with heat. She looks between us, a disapproving frown on her lips. “That’s enough!”
“I better get going,” Jeff says sheepishly. He gives me the baby carrier and presses the button for the ground floor. “I’ll see you at home tonight.”
Marjorie looks at my kiss-swollen lips for a minute, shakes her head, and walks away. I cringe inside but take Danny back downstairs to get my dad’s car so we can drive home. I want to take a shower and wash away Marjorie’s disapproval.
Part 2
Chapter 15
Guardianship
Jeff
When I get back to my desk, I can see that there's an urgent email sitting there. It's from my lawyer. Not our in-house counsel, but the one that I use for personal matters.
I open it. It only contains two words: Call me.
My mouth goes dry. What's going on? The sweet haze of seeing my girl and baby son for lunch immediately di
ssipates. I dial his number, which he keeps in his signature.
"Hello?"
"Richman and Harrison, how may I help you?"
