“First off, there’s no way in the world he’ll hate you. And of course you’re going to have something in common, he’s your father. You know how crazy both of my parents are and I have something in common with both of them.”
“Yeah, I guess you’re right.” She took a deep breath. “Well, here goes nothing.” She hit send and gave me an anxious look as she waited impatiently for someone to answer on the other line.
“Um, hello, this is, um, Hannah. Hannah Gordon? I’m calling for David Johnson?” I watched her closely as she listened. Her face went from red to pale before settling on a color somewhere in between.
“Oh, okay.” She said. “I guess I’ll call back later then? Or he can call me… Yeah, that sounds good. Okay, thanks.” She hung up and turned to me, her eyes wide.
“I think that was his wife.”
“You think?”
“Well, she didn’t say and she didn’t sound like she knew who I was. I mean, if he cared at all he’d probably tell her my name, right? I knew this was a bad idea. He’s never going to call back.”
“Hannah, calm down,” I advised, shifting Harper slightly so I could wrap my free arm around Hannah’s shoulders. “I’m sure she knows exactly who you are, but probably not your last name. And you have to remember Hannah is a pretty popular name and she probably wasn’t expecting his daughter Hannah to call some random Saturday afternoon in September. She probably just didn’t connect the dots yet, but when he sees you called, he’ll call right back. Try not to worry about it too much, okay? It’s all going to work out. He wouldn’t have been sending Nora checks for so long if he didn’t care and didn’t want to be a part of your life.”
Hannah nodded slowly and shot me a grateful look. “Thanks, Lainey. I have no idea how I’d get through any of this without you.”
“It’s my job,” I said with a smile. “You were there the entire time I was pregnant. It’s the least I can do.”
“Not the entire time,” she said ruefully. “I was kind of MIA for a few months when I was with Nolan.”
“Yeah, but I forgive you for that. You were pretty crazy about him.”
“Or just plain crazy.” We laughed.
Harper was getting fussy, the kind of fussy that meant I was going to find a surprise in her diaper, so we headed to a nearby burger shop for lunch and a bathroom break. Hannah found us a seat while I found the bathroom and proceeded to change Harper’s diaper at the changing station.
I remembered the first time I ever had to do this, over a month ago. It was the first time I’d really taken Harper out anywhere for more than a walk or a doctor’s appointment. Mason convinced me to let him take me out on a lunch date, leaving Cynthia to run the bed and breakfast alone for an hour or so. I felt guilty about it but they both insisted, claiming I needed to get out of the house more often. I finally agreed, only when they stopped begging me to leave Harper with Cynthia. I’d felt so awkward trying to get Harper’s diaper on, my hands shaking because I swore everyone in the rest room was watching and judging me. Now, it was just second nature.
“Oh wow, what are the odds of this?” I turned when I heard a slightly familiar voice. I smiled when I recognized the girl from the grocery store nearly two weeks earlier.
“Hey,” I said with a smile.
“I think she looks even bigger than she did the last time,” the girl laughed, motioning at Harper.
“Yeah, definitely.
“Yeah, I guess you’re right.” She took a deep breath. “Well, here goes nothing.” She hit send and gave me an anxious look as she waited impatiently for someone to answer on the other line.
“Um, hello, this is, um, Hannah. Hannah Gordon? I’m calling for David Johnson?” I watched her closely as she listened. Her face went from red to pale before settling on a color somewhere in between.
“Oh, okay.” She said. “I guess I’ll call back later then? Or he can call me… Yeah, that sounds good. Okay, thanks.” She hung up and turned to me, her eyes wide.
“I think that was his wife.”
“You think?”
“Well, she didn’t say and she didn’t sound like she knew who I was. I mean, if he cared at all he’d probably tell her my name, right? I knew this was a bad idea. He’s never going to call back.”
“Hannah, calm down,” I advised, shifting Harper slightly so I could wrap my free arm around Hannah’s shoulders. “I’m sure she knows exactly who you are, but probably not your last name. And you have to remember Hannah is a pretty popular name and she probably wasn’t expecting his daughter Hannah to call some random Saturday afternoon in September. She probably just didn’t connect the dots yet, but when he sees you called, he’ll call right back. Try not to worry about it too much, okay? It’s all going to work out. He wouldn’t have been sending Nora checks for so long if he didn’t care and didn’t want to be a part of your life.”
Hannah nodded slowly and shot me a grateful look. “Thanks, Lainey. I have no idea how I’d get through any of this without you.”
“It’s my job,” I said with a smile. “You were there the entire time I was pregnant. It’s the least I can do.”
“Not the entire time,” she said ruefully. “I was kind of MIA for a few months when I was with Nolan.”
“Yeah, but I forgive you for that. You were pretty crazy about him.”
“Or just plain crazy.” We laughed.
Harper was getting fussy, the kind of fussy that meant I was going to find a surprise in her diaper, so we headed to a nearby burger shop for lunch and a bathroom break. Hannah found us a seat while I found the bathroom and proceeded to change Harper’s diaper at the changing station.
I remembered the first time I ever had to do this, over a month ago. It was the first time I’d really taken Harper out anywhere for more than a walk or a doctor’s appointment. Mason convinced me to let him take me out on a lunch date, leaving Cynthia to run the bed and breakfast alone for an hour or so. I felt guilty about it but they both insisted, claiming I needed to get out of the house more often. I finally agreed, only when they stopped begging me to leave Harper with Cynthia. I’d felt so awkward trying to get Harper’s diaper on, my hands shaking because I swore everyone in the rest room was watching and judging me. Now, it was just second nature.
“Oh wow, what are the odds of this?” I turned when I heard a slightly familiar voice. I smiled when I recognized the girl from the grocery store nearly two weeks earlier.
“Hey,” I said with a smile.
“I think she looks even bigger than she did the last time,” the girl laughed, motioning at Harper.
“Yeah, definitely.
Similar Books
