Adopted Parents (5 page)

It would take days to completely wrap her mind around everything that had happened this morning. Her mind-blowing inheritance. Her big showdown with Nate. The reality check she’d gotten about the nanny. Then Nate’s suggestion that she return to work and let him take care of Ahn with a nanny’s help.

Hallie was too confused to process anything, her mind jammed with information overload.

As she walked to the main house, her thoughts travelled back four years to when she, Janet and David had driven out here to Winchester, an upscale little town north of Boston. Once Janet and David made the decision to adopt, they’d started house hunting immediately. Winchester had been at the top of their short list because it was one hundred percent family-focused.

Hallie hadn’t been surprised when Janet instantly fell in love with this two-story contemporary, all stone and glass, that was situated on three acres of waterfront property facing Wedge Pond. The house had Janet’s name written all over it. But Hallie knew the guest cottage adjacent to the main house was what had sold David on the place.

She’d been invited to dinner shortly after Janet and David moved in, as had Nate, home for a quick stay between assignments. It was one of the few times she hadn’t dragged a date along. Hallie would never forget the proud look on David’s face when he’d handed Nate the keys to the cottage.

“Welcome home, brother,” David had said. “Your keys. Your cottage. My thanks for all you’ve done for me.”

Because of their mother’s chronic depression, David had always given Nate credit for making sure he had a home when they were growing up. The cottage finally provided David with a way to pay Nate back.

Now, David and Janet had left the property to both of them. But as far as Hallie was concerned, the place belonged to Nate. After the readoption, she would sign over her half and give it to Nate free and clear.

And she wasn’t going to argue with Nate about it.

She had no use for a rambling two-story house. Especially not out in the suburbs. She was a city girl through and through, and she loved her downtown Boston apartment.

It made her wonder if Nate had any idea how tempting his offer was. She would give anything to go home. To sleep in her own bed. To try to re-create some normalcy in her life.

As if her life ever would be normal again.

Hallie took a deep breath and started up the steps that led to the back deck overlooking Wedge Pond. The French doors off the den had always been the entryway everyone used into the house.

With any luck, Roberta would be in the kitchen, too busy with Ahn to pay much attention when Hallie snuck upstairs to lie down. Words like
tired, stressed
or
headache
were a sign of weakness to Roberta. She expected everyone to do as she did—suck it up and move on. After hearing every excuse possible during her forty years of teaching, Roberta had zero tolerance for excuses and held the opinion that whining shouldn’t be tolerated.

Hallie’s late father and Janet had always done exactly what Roberta wanted in order to keep the peace. Hallie had been the only one who ever stood up to her—the main reason they had trouble getting along.

After the morning she’d had, Hallie knew a run-in with Roberta might really push her over the edge. She was tired. She was stressed. And yes, she had a monster of a headache.

Unfortunately, when Hallie reached the top step, there sat Roberta, a book on her lap, the baby monitor on the table beside her.

Hallie walked in her direction.

A glance at the video screen on the monitor showed Ahn was sleeping peacefully in her crib. Roberta’s expression, however, was anything but peaceful. The strain of the tragedy still showed plainly on her face.

For the first time ever Hallie thought she looked old.

Old
was not an adjective anyone used to describe Roberta Weston. At sixty-seven, she was still trim, still full of energy, and she could have easily passed for fifty-seven if she covered up the gray at her temples, which she absolutely refused to do.

“God gives you gray hair for a reason,” she always declared. “It reminds you to be thankful for every day you have left on this Earth.”

But Hallie couldn’t think about God right now. She was much too angry.

Roberta closed her book and placed it on the table by the monitor as Hallie approached. She flopped into the adjacent deck chair, set down her purse and the notebook, then kicked off her high heels.

“Don’t get too comfortable. I made tuna salad for lunch. You need to eat something.”

“Thanks,” Hallie said. “But I’ll eat later.”

“You always say that,” Roberta countered. “But you never follow through.”

Hallie refused to argue. Wasn’t that her goal? To try to get along better?

“Starving yourself doesn’t solve anything, Hallie.”

Teetering close to the edge, Hallie said, “I’m not starving myself. I just don’t have an appetite.”

“Then either force yourself to eat, or get a new wardrobe,” Roberta said. “That dress looks awful on you.”

What could Hallie say to that? It was true.

So rather than fight Hallie changed the subject. “Greg’s going to call you this afternoon.”

Roberta’s head jerked in her direction. “Me?”

“Janet and David named you in the will,” Hallie said. “Greg said they left you a monetary gift and he wants to discuss it with you.”

Roberta pursed her lips. “There was absolutely no reason for Janet and David to do that. I’m hardly destitute.”

After Hallie’s father died five years ago, Roberta retired from teaching, sold the house and bought a condo in a retirement community for active seniors. She played tennis twice a week, worked out in the gym every morning, in addition to her busy social life. And recently, she’d met a retired Air Force colonel who lived in the same complex. The Colonel, as Roberta fondly called him, had come to the funeral to lend his support—support Roberta was going to need in the long, hard days that still lay ahead.

“I know you aren’t destitute, Roberta,” Hallie said patiently. “And Janet and David knew it, too. But they loved you.” Hallie stole Greg’s line. “Accept their gift in the spirit it was given.”

That silenced Roberta.

Was Roberta hard to get along with? Yes. Was her personality abrasive? Definitely. But there was no doubt in Hallie’s mind that Roberta had always cared about her and Janet. She was always there for direction and for guidance—just not so much on an emotional level. She’d basically treated her stepdaughters the same way she’d treated her students. And while there was nothing wrong with that, secretly Hallie would have preferred a little less practical logic and a little more loving compassion.

“The nanny agency called to confirm your first interview appointment tomorrow,” Roberta said.

If Hallie heard the word
nanny
one more time today, she was going to scream. “Good. I can never thank you enough for taking care of Ahn these past three weeks, Roberta. But I know you’re ready to go home.”

Roberta didn’t deny it. “There’s no need to thank me for anything. That’s what families do in a crisis. They step in and do what needs to be done.”

With Deb’s dire warning echoing in her head, Hallie sought another opinion. “So you agree, then? Hiring a nanny is our best choice?”

“Of course I agree,” Roberta said. “Who would take care of Ahn if you didn’t hire a nanny? You?” Roberta had the nerve to laugh.

Hallie bristled, even though she felt the same way. “That’s what Ahn’s psychologist thinks we should do. She advises against hiring a nanny. She thinks Nate and I should be Ahn’s primary caregivers until the readoption so we will be able to choose the best parents for her.”

“And how is Nate supposed to do that from Afghanistan?” Her tone clearly said what she thought of the doctor’s recommendation.

“Nate isn’t going back. He’s staying here. Someone has to be available to check on his mother.”

“And what are you supposed to do? Take Ahn to work with you?”

Hallie sighed. “No. I’d have to ask for an indefinite leave of absence. Or turn in my resignation if they refuse to give me one.”

“That’s ridiculous,” Roberta said. “You can’t be expected to quit your job. And what kind of idiot would suggest that two people who have no experience taking care of a baby, let alone one who needs special attention, should act as the child’s primary caregivers?”

“Nate and I aren’t imbeciles, Roberta. We could learn to take care of a baby.”

Roberta shook her head in disgust. “Well, as far as I’m concerned, this doctor is the imbecile. That’s why I’ve never had any faith in psychologists. They’re all idealistic snobs completely out of touch with reality.”

Her words should have made Hallie feel better. Too bad they didn’t.

Hallie grabbed the notebook and held it up for Roberta to see. “Have you been following Janet’s copy of Ahn’s daily developmental exercises?”

Roberta straightened into her stern no-nonsense teacher pose. “Absolutely not. I told Janet from the be ginning what I thought about that hogwash. Parents today rely too much on so-called experts to tell them how to raise their children, without realizing that within five years the opinion will change, and everything they’ve been doing is now considered wrong. Parents know best what’s right for their children.”

There was truth in what Roberta said. But still Hallie was worried. Ahn’s situation was different. She’d been cheated out of a normal start in life. She hadn’t had parents in the beginning, following some expert’s guide lines or otherwise.

Roberta started to say something else but a slight noise from the monitor stopped her.

Hallie leaned past Roberta to look at the screen. Ahn was now sitting up in her crib. She wasn’t making any effort to get out nor was she making a sound. She remained in place, her thumb in her mouth, patiently waiting until someone noticed she was awake.

Roberta stood. “Time for a diaper change, then lunch.”

Basic needs,
Hallie thought.

“Wait.” Hallie rose. “I’ll go with you. I think it’s time I learned to change a diaper.”

“You? Change a diaper?”

“Are you still a good teacher? Or have you lost your touch?” Hallie challenged.

Without a word Roberta led the way into the house. Hallie followed, notebook in hand. She’d told Nate earlier she wasn’t capable of making any decisions right now.

Obviously, she’d lied.

Hallie still felt a little nauseous as she walked back into the nursery. Thankfully, Roberta had taken care of the problem. The mess was gone and Ahn awaited a fresh diaper.

“Sorry,” Hallie said, looking at Ahn. “Aunt Hallie has a weak stomach.”

Ahn didn’t look at her.

Why would Hallie expect anything else? This was the first time she’d ever interacted with Ahn personally. She’d always been in the background looking on—an observer, not a caregiver.

She hadn’t even been a good observer, not really.

Sure, she knew Janet was concerned about Ahn’s delayed speech and her other developmental problems. But Janet had been concerned about everything involving Ahn. Hallie had put those concerns down to new mommy syndrome.

If only she’d paid more attention. If only she’d been there for Janet. If only she’d been a concerned sister and a concerned aunt.

“The insert goes into the slot on her diaper panty,” Roberta instructed.

Hallie placed an eco-friendly insert into the slot of Ahn’s pink reusable diaper panty as Roberta instructed, thinking the whole eco-thing was
so
Janet and David. They had been organic about everything. But her diet wasn’t the only aspect of Ahn’s life that had been carefully structured and monitored. There were the play groups with scheduled dates. And toddler music classes. And a million other progressive-parent babyisms that Hallie knew from listening to Janet rattle on for hours were part of the whole stay-at-home-mom regimen.

Could she really live that kind of lifestyle? Even temporarily?

“Well? What are you waiting for?” Roberta’s impatient question broke Hallie’s train of thought. And from the expression on her face Roberta was convinced Hallie couldn’t handle the demanding job of caring for Ahn.

“Pick the child up,” Roberta said. “Take her downstairs so you can fix her lunch.”

Hallie picked up Ahn, but she handed her to Roberta when Ahn went rigid in her arms. “I think I’d rather take one thing at a time.” Yeah, she hated that she was confirming Roberta’s worst opinion but it seemed easier to forestall a tantrum from Ahn than to go out of her way to prove Roberta wrong. Seemed both Hallie and Ahn needed to ease into this relationship.

“That’s too bad.” Roberta bent to place Ahn on the floor with a toy. When she straightened, she said, “Time is something you don’t have. I’m past ready to go home. And I’m too old to be taking care of a baby. I just don’t have the energy. I’ll stay the rest of this week and give you a crash course on how to take care of her. That’s my offer. Take it or leave it.”

Hallie stared at her.

“What?” Roberta said. “You think I didn’t know the minute you decided to change a diaper that you had also decided to take that quack psychologist’s advice? My question is, how are you and Nate going to survive playing house without killing each other?”

Roberta wanted details? Hallie would give her details.

“Nate and I had a long talk this morning,” Hallie admitted. “We cleared the air between us. And we
won’t
be playing house. Nate will be living in the cottage the same way he always has. And I’ll be living here in the house with Ahn.” And where had that decision come from? Especially without consulting Nate first? Was this her typical knee-jerk reaction to Roberta’s domination? While that factored, Hallie had to admit there was something more to this sudden change of heart. Ahn deserved more than Hallie had given her so far and this was her chance to do better.

“If you believe that arrangement will last,” Roberta said, “then you’ll believe I’m going to use Janet and David’s
monetary gift
to get a boob job.”

Hallie’s mouth dropped open.

“Oh, please,” Roberta said. “Do you really think it’s been a secret that you and Nate had a fling back in the day and that you’ve been mad at him all these years because he dumped you?”

Hallie’s mouth closed. “Whatever happened between us back in the day is over. And I intend for it to stay that way.”

Roberta laughed. “That’s the signal you think you’re sending Nate by quitting your job so the two of you can play mommy and daddy? I don’t think so.”

Hallie wasn’t only over the edge, she was the splat at the bottom of the cliff.

“I don’t want to talk about this any further, Roberta. I’m serious. I’m going to go lie down now and sleep off this headache. And yes, I am going to take you up on your offer to stay the rest of the week and show me how to take care of Ahn. I’ll sincerely appreciate it if you’ll do that. But whatever happened between Nate and I, or whatever might happen between us in the future, frankly is none of your business.”

Hallie pushed past her out of the nursery.

“What are you going to do when you have a head ache while you’re taking care of Ahn?” Roberta called after her. “You won’t be able to lie down and sleep it off then.”

“I’ll suck it up and deal.” Hallie headed for Janet and David’s bedroom, where she’d been staying since the accident.

Slamming the bedroom door definitely didn’t help the headache. But climbing onto Janet and David’s big four-poster bed, pulling the covers over her head and closing her eyes did.

At least two hours mental shutdown time. That was all she needed.

And when she got up, Hallie
was
going to suck it up and deal. She was going to take charge of the situation the same way she took charge at the station every day.

It had taken Roberta’s indifference to Ahn’s special needs to make Hallie realize she’d made the same mistake. She’d assumed all Ahn needed was a nanny to take care of her basic needs until they found new parents.

But Hallie couldn’t lie to herself anymore.

If she were going to be the type of aunt she wanted to be, she had to put Ahn’s needs above her own. And whether she was emotionally ready or not, she had no choice.