Divided Hearts (6 page)

Simon crouched next to Hannah, speaking to her in a soft, singsong voice. “Do you like asparagus?”

“Ah-beh-beh-beh,” she replied.

His brows arched as he feigned understanding. “You do? Me, too. It’s very good for you, you know, with vitamins and antioxidants to help you grow big and strong.”

He tickled her belly and she ducked away, chuckling, and then scurried out of his reach, daring him to chase her. When he didn’t, she toddled back to him. Faye smiled to herself; she loved watching the two of them interact, as their comfort with one another grew. Recalling Simon’s story about his father deserting his family, she felt certain that he would never forsake Hannah.

And she had to wonder again why Jenna had felt the need to keep her daughter from this man who so clearly wanted to take care of his little girl.

“Do you know you’re going to meet your auntie and your cousin today?” Simon asked Hannah. “Yes, they can’t wait to see you. They’ll be so happy to see what a little sweetheart you are. And I think you’ll have a lot of fun with them.”

Faye’s smile broadened; focused on Simon and Hannah’s burgeoning relationship, she hadn’t given much thought to the toddler gaining a whole new set of relatives, and the positive affect that would have on her future.

“Look at this, Faye.” The voice from behind startled her, and she spun around to find Simon’s mother holding up a small wicker basket. “I bought this for the girls to play with. Isn’t it sweet?” She lifted the lid to reveal a miniature ceramic tea set, its pot, cups and saucers adorned with characters from Beatrix Potter’s
Peter Rabbit
.
Mary looked at Faye expectantly, pleased by her find.

“It’s precious. They’ll love it,” Faye said, hoping Mary hadn’t noticed her spying from the kitchen doorway.

“How’s your soup coming?” Mary asked, walking around her into the kitchen.

“Almost done,” Simon replied, his gaze capturing Faye’s, as a small smile curved his lips. “You look very nice, Faye.”

“Thanks.” Feeling the blood rise in her face, she dipped her chin and reached for Hannah, who was busy sitting her stuffed dog in her high chair.

“I think everything’s nearly ready.” Mary said, a moment before the doorbell rang. “And just in time.”

Quelling a nervous flutter in her stomach, Faye took Hannah’s hand and followed Simon and his mother to the living room. Simon opened the door, ushering in a slender, dark-haired woman and a young girl. As the pair stepped inside, their gazes fastened instantly on Faye and Hannah; Faye smiled but slowed her steps, feeling at once unnervingly outnumbered.

“Oh my, Simon, she’s as gorgeous as Mum said,” the young woman crooned, bending toward Hannah, whose arm was now wrapped tightly around Faye’s leg. After a moment the woman glanced up at Faye with a kind smile. “Hello, Faye, I’m Simon’s sister, Laurel.” In one hand she held a plate of hot cross buns; she offered the other hand to Faye, who grasped it briefly.

“Very nice to meet you,” Faye said. “Those look delicious.”

“I make these every year. Simon eats most of them himself.” Glancing down at the plate of buns, Laurel uttered a quick, nervous laugh, and it occurred to Faye that the unorthodox circumstances were just as uncomfortable for Simon’s family as for her. What struck Faye equally was Laurel’s resemblance to Hannah, in the shape of her eyes and mouth, as well as the curve of her smile.

The little girl standing next to Laurel resembled Hannah less, but had the same curious round eyes, though brown instead of blue. She was dressed in a pink satin dress, accessorized with a necklace of chunky plastic beads, glittery pink high-heeled slippers and a tiara lavishly encrusted with plastic gems.

“I’m Princess Sienna,” she announced. “I’m Hannah’s cousin.”

“I’m pleased to meet you, Princess Sienna,” Faye said, bending forward. “Happy Easter.”

“Happy Easter to you, too.” Sienna crouched down to Hannah’s eye level. “She’s so cute. She can be a princess, too. Want to try on my tiara?”

Instantly enamored, Hannah beamed and gabbled happily as Sienna pulled the tiara off her own head and set it atop the toddler’s unruly dark mane.

Faye glanced over at Simon, who was sporting his own broad grin as he unfastened his apron, clearly pleased by his family’s immediate fondness for his new-found daughter. Faye also saw relief suffuse his expression, and the tension in his shoulder muscles, which she hadn’t noticed before now, eased visibly.

“Sienna, the Easter bunny came by last night,” he told his niece playfully. “I suspect he left some chocolate eggs out in the garden, knowing you’d be here this morning.”

“Can Hannah help me look?” Sienna bounced on her heels as she looked up hopefully at Faye.

“Of course,” Faye said. “It’s her first time. You can show her how it’s done.”

Taking the plate of buns from Laurel, Mary ushered everyone toward the French doors that led to the back yard. “Go on, girls. Brunch will be ready soon. Simon, come and help me carry the food outside, will you?”

“Come on, Hannah.” Grasping her little cousin’s hand, Sienna led her patiently toward the door, wobbling on her high shoes. “You can look for the easy ones, in the grass. I’ll show you the usual spots. Don’t worry, I’m sure the Easter Bunny left enough for both of us. He knew you’d be here, too.”

* * *

Seated at the picnic table, Faye watched the girls as they rambled around the yard, Hannah tottering after Sienna, chortling and waving her small arms as they zigzagged across the grass. Both of them had chocolate smears in the corners of their mouths, having indulged in their stash of treats immediately after finishing their brunch. Now and then dashing behind a gnarled arbutus tree at the edge of the lawn, Sienna would poke her head around the trunk and shout “Peek-a-boo!” to Hannah’s delight.

“Sienna’s beyond thrilled to have a little cousin,” Laurel remarked from across the table. “Especially a little one she can mother. She hasn’t been able to talk about anything else since we told her. And it’s cheered her up; she misses her dad. Todd’s in the military and he’s been stationed in Cyprus for the last couple of months.”

Faye set her tea cup on the table, turning to smile at Laurel. The adults were passing the warm afternoon more sedately, consuming the hot cross buns with rhubarb jam and Earl Grey tea. Faye found herself alone with Simon’s sister for the moment, while he took some dishes to the kitchen, and Mary went to retrieve the miniature tea set she’d bought for the girls.

“It’ll be nice for Hannah, too,” Faye replied. “Her mother doesn’t have any siblings, so she’s had no cousins until now. She’s having a ball.” It occurred to Faye that she and Jenna had no garden at their apartment in which to hide Easter eggs for Hannah. They frequented the nearby parks and beaches, but even so, she had to admit that Simon’s house had much more to offer a young child: not only a yard full of trees, but fresh air and quiet, and even an occasional playmate.

“So you’ll bring her back?” Laurel inquired, her voice hopeful.

Faye lifted one shoulder noncommittally. “At this point I’m taking things day by day, with Hannah’s mother being in the hospital. Well, I suppose you know the story.” She tried to imagine what Laurel’s initial reaction had been to learning of Simon’s secret child—shock, probably, and perhaps anger at Jenna, as expressed by her more outspoken mother. If so, she seemed to have recovered from it, or hid it well.

Nodding, Laurel tucked a lock of her long dark hair behind her ear, in an effort to keep the warm spring breeze from fanning it across her face. “It’s just that Simon’s been so happy today. I think he’s been sort of lost lately. Even before he found out about Hannah, I got the sense he’s been reevaluating things, you know? Like he’s wondering about the direction his life has taken.”

“But he’s so successful,” Faye pointed out, puzzled.

“Yes, but I don’t think it’s quite fulfilled him the way he expected it would, all those years when he struggled to get his writing published, neglecting other areas of his life along the way.” Laurel caught her lip between her teeth for a moment, as though grappling for the right words. “I think becoming a father, as sudden as it was, has put things into focus for Simon. Just look at him.” She lifted her chin toward the lawn where the girls were playing.

Turning to look, Faye saw that Simon had returned from the house and joined the girls. The tea set had been laid out, and while Mary stood looking on, he was sitting cross-legged on the grass, serving imaginary tea to his daughter and niece.

“Simon’s great with kids,” his sister went on, her tone more buoyant. “On holidays, he turns into a big kid himself. You should see him at Christmas. Well, holidays do bring out the best in people.”

Faye nodded once, though she wasn’t sure she agreed. Holidays had brought out the worst in her parents; the perpetual fights over which of them would spend which part of the day with Faye had sucked most of the joy out of the festivities.

But this was different. The scene unfolding before her was just what she’d imagined a holiday
should
be like. It eased her mind to know that Hannah would have special days like this, full of fun and laughter. She hoped, at least, that things could stay this civil.

Leaving the girls with their teacups, Simon rose from the grass and approached the picnic table, reaching into his pocket as he walked. Stopping next to Faye, he drew out his hand.

“Look, the Easter bunny left something for you,” he said.

Faye glanced down to see a pink plastic egg lying on the palm of his hand.

“What’s this?” she asked, surprised.

One of Simon’s brows quirked upward, a playful smile tugging at the edges his mouth. “Open it and see.”

Standing up and stepping over the bench, she took the egg from him and pulled it apart at the seam, finding a nest of pink tissue paper inside. Within the folds of paper she found a silver chain; looped over the chain was a silver locket, the front etched with an Easter lily design. Faye laid it on her palm, studying the intricate pattern in disbelief before lifting her eyes to met Simon’s. He looked back with anticipation.

“You didn’t have to do this, Simon,” she said, her pulse quickening.

He shrugged dismissively. “I wanted to get you a little something in thanks for the trouble you’ve gone to, bringing Hannah up here.”

“It’s gorgeous. Thank you.”

“Here, let me.” Taking the locket from her, he unlatched the chain. Faye gathered her hair in both hands and held it at the back of her head, lowering her chin so he could lift the chain around her neck and latch it behind.

“Thanks,” she said, feeling the weight of the closed chain against her neck, as the locket came to rest below her collarbone. As she let her hair fall, Simon’s hands lingered on her neck, her golden waves spilling over them. For a moment she stood frozen, his fingertips igniting delicious sparks along the flesh on which they rested, before abruptly dropping away.

Faye turned to face him. He smiled as he studied the locket lying against her chest.

“Looks beautiful on you.”

“Thanks,” Faye said again, feeling a deep flush invade her cheeks.

In a moment Simon was back with the girls, chasing them around the yard. Faye rubbed the back of her neck with her hand, in an effort to smooth away the shivers of sensation that still prickled beneath her skin.

“A lovely gift,” Laurel remarked. “Whose picture goes in there?”

Having almost forgotten Simon’s sister was still sitting on the other side of the table, Faye turned with mild surprise, cradling the locket in her hand. “Probably Hannah. She’s the love of my life, after all.”

“No boyfriend?” Laurel inquired mildly.

“Not at the moment.”

“Something Simon would like to change, I’d imagine,” his sister added, one slender eyebrow lifting, the edge of her mouth curling slightly.

Faye blinked at her. “Pardon me?”

“The way he looked at you just now,” Laurel elaborated, then shook her head as though she wished she hadn’t, abruptly dropping her gaze. “Sorry, I should mind my own business.”

Her cheeks burning hotter, Faye couldn’t think of a response. Instead she gathered up their empty teacups and saucers, grateful for a purpose to draw her away from a conversation from which she could think of no graceful exit.

“Why don’t I take these inside,” she said, forcing a smile before turning to the house.

Behind her Faye heard Simon’s voice: “Say Dada. Come on, Hannah.
Da-da. Da-da
.”

As she walked, she turned her head to see that he was now wearing the tiara, which had slid off Hannah’s head long ago. Sienna was dancing behind him, giggling, as Hannah stood gazing up at him, gripping a plastic saucer and grinning in amusement at the silly man repeating the funny word. Faye felt her lips pull into a more genuine smile as she entered the house.

After setting the dishes on the counter, she decided she might as well wash them while she was there. Slipping off her cardigan and hanging it on a chair, she filled the sink with soapy water and began scrubbing out the cups and saucers. She then moved on to the brunch dishes stacked by the sink. As she washed and rinsed, Faye felt the strain ease from her shoulders; it was a relief to be alone for a little while, focused on her task with no distractions. Once everything was set in the drying rack, she wiped down the counter, satisfied with the job she’d done.