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“Your mother would like you to come down and give your speech now,” she says, relaying a message that my mother could have easily given me herself.
“I’ll be right down. Thank you.”
Leaving the door open behind her, I take that as a cue that my mother is impatiently waiting.
“Don’t do anything until I get back,” I say to Jones, but the look on his face tells me he’s not willing to wait.
“Things are going to be fine, Chloe. I promise.”
His words are not as comforting as he thinks they are. I wish they were. I wish I could trust that he’s going to help me fix this. He knows Wyatt better than anyone. Wyatt trusts him. I would hate to be the reason any of that changes.
“She’s adorable, Chloe,”Addy says from the chair next to my bed. She hasn’t left my side since Lola was born late last night. Her hair is a mess, and she looks like she’s slept less than I have.
“Thanks. I think I’ll keep her,” I joke. Addy knows how my parents felt about my pregnancy and how they tried to get me to reconsider having and keeping the baby.
They should be here soon. I called them this morning to let them know I had gone into labor and that she was born last night. They were upset I hadn’t called sooner. Of course they were. Why didn’t I stop everything I was doing to call my parents and let them know I was in labor?
“What did you decide on naming her?”
Looking down at the tiny pink bracelet on her wrist that says, “Baby Girl Warren,” I contemplate my options. The one time Wyatt and I talked about getting married and having kids, we picked out names. It felt silly at the time, but now it brings a smile to my face.
“Lola,” I state, brushing my thumb over her tiny cheek as she sleeps.
“I like it. Why do I get the feeling that you’ve known that longer than you care to share?”
“Wyatt picked it out. A long time ago when we were fooling around, talking about our future. Long before I became pregnant.”
“It suits her. I have a feeling she’s going to live up to her name too.”
“In what way?” I ask, looking up to find Addy staring at her phone.
“It means strong woman. She’s going to be just like her mama.”
Before Addy can say anything else, my parents burst through the door and wake Lola up. My mother takes her from my arms the moment she begins to cry and comforts her. I recognize the moment they fall in love with Lola as my father stands beside my mother, brushing his hand over the little bit of soft, blond hair on Lola’s head.
I’ve given them their first grandchild, one they didn’t want but are smitten with after the first five seconds. They may not have wanted me to have her, but she’ll never know that. I’m sure they’ll spoil her rotten and show her more love than she’ll ever need.
Addy leaves me to visit with my parents. While they cuddle and fawn over Lola, I take a nap and dream of sharing this moment with Wyatt. I can see the look on his face as he holds her. The look of a proud papa.
Wyatt said he wanted four kids. Two girls and two boys. We were going to live on a large lot of land in a house he was going to build for us. He even had plans to dig us our own pond, some place we could visit together and remember our past fondly.
After my parents leave, the nurse comes in with paperwork for me to fill out. I’m able to leave and take my daughter with me, but not until I name her.
Lola Grace Beech
Without thinking, I gave her Wyatt’s last name. I also listed him as the father on the birth certificate. My parents asked me to leave his name off, to distance Lola from him.
After looking down at my little girl, I realized it was time to start making decisions for myself. I may not be able to change what happened last summer, but I sure as hell wasn’t about to start making poor decisions on my own.
Wyatt’s her father; it’s a simple fact. One day they’ll meet. One day he’ll learn about her. That day may not be anytime soon, but it will happen. She deserves to know him, and he deserves a chance to be a part of her life, even if he won’t want to be a part of mine.
Grabbingthe microphone off my table, I switch it on and clear my throat.
“Can I have everyone’s attention please?” The crowd hushes, some taking their seats while others remain standing. “For those of you that don’t know me, my name is Chloe Warren. I’m Beverly and Joseph’s daughter. I wanted to thank you all for being here tonight to celebrate my mother’s birthday with her. She’s an amazing woman with amazing friends.”
My words falter when I look up and Wyatt is standing on the edge of the crowd, his eyes locked on mine. The anger and hatred I found in them yesterday are gone.
The rest of my speech is a blur as I fumble over my words while trying to recover. “Um, dinner is going to be served in a few minutes if you’d all like to find your seats. Thank you again for coming tonight, and we hope you have a wonderful time. Happy birthday, Mom.”
