“You’re one of us now, girl,” he whispered. “For however long you’re here, we’ve got you.”
At that moment, the weight of the world pressed down on me, and I could feel the overwhelming urge to cry. I sensed a shift, feeling everything all at once. Although I felt supported and comforted, I also felt adrift without a paddle.
I didn’t know vulnerability; it was a foreign concept, unfamiliar territory. I couldn’t step back and trust others. I hoped that the Daniels family and their community would be patient with me through the process of healing.
I still feared that the other shoe would eventually drop. But, more importantly, I felt hope. I hoped we would carve out a life for ourselves. Even if that life didn’t end up being forever in Firefly Cove, I hoped that eventually we would truly be okay.
Max gave me a knowing nod as he rounded towards Ray to take Charlie back. He walked my girl back to me and held her out in offering. Somehow, in the brief time we’d been around each other, Max could sense the shift in my mood. He knew I needed the assurance of having Charlie safe in my arms.
I gave a watery chuckle as the tears I’d been holding back streamed down my face in silent rivers. I held my girl close and breathed in her fleeting baby scent. She was so innocent in all of this, and I relished in her unfiltered joy for a moment.
“Let me show you where you’re gonna stay. I’ll get up in the attic tomorrow to bring down the crib and whatever other baby things Ma stored up there,” he said as he put a hand on my lower back to guide me down a long hallway.
Ignoring the pleasantness of his touch, I followed obediently. I turned my head over my shoulder to acknowledge everyone else.
“Thank you guys. I’ll see you around.”
“See you! I’ll run by the house and snag a pack-n-play for y’all to use tonight if you’d like.” Ray added.
“I’d love that. Thank you again.” I responded.
Max pushed open the last door on the right side of the hallway and held his hand out in offering.
“I hope you’ll find your accommodations suitable, ma’am.” He gestured into the room.
I chuckled, surveying my surroundings. A queen sized bed sat against the far wall with crisp white linens and what seemed to be a handmade quilt draped over top. There was an end table on the right side with a small lamp. A small TV and an armoire stood across the room.
I walked over to the bed and ran my hand over the quilt. The stitching was jagged, obviously hand sewn, and the color was a mixture of sage greens and yellows. It reminded me of a field of daffodils in the spring. It was obviously a family heirloom, and I wondered who had made it. A pang of sadness hit me straight in the gut, reminding me that I never had the luxury of family heirlooms or anything handmade. The difference between the family that Max had grown up with and the one I’d endured couldn’t have been further apart.
Max cleared his throat behind me, bringing me back to the present.
“Um, yeah, so. That door leads to the bathroom. I figuredyou might want the room that had an en suite, so you don’t have to share with me or Wade.” he said sheepishly.
“Thank you. I don’t need my own bathroom, but I appreciate it.”
“Charlie’s room is right across the hall. I’ll ask Ray if they have a spare baby monitor we can install in there. I’m not sure if she had her own room at your previous place, so I figured you might want to be able to see her during the night. Anything else you need for her, I can take you into Atlanta and we can hit the Target...” I stopped him with a hand on his broad arm.
He was rambling and although it was cute as hell; I wanted to give him the peace of knowing that I appreciated everything he was doing for us.
“Max, thank you. I don’t have words to even convey how much this means to me. You’ve seriously gone above and beyond, and I don’t know how I’ll ever repay you.”
He smiled sincerely and backed towards the door.
“I’ll let you two get settled. We will probably have frozen pizzas for dinner tonight since I didn’t plan on extra mouths to feed.” He hesitated before asking, “Uhm.. will Charlie eat that?”
It was endearing how clueless he was when it came to raising children.
“She will probably gnaw on some pizza. She’s still partially breast fed, but I’ve been giving her bits and pieces of whatever I eat when it’s something she can handle.”
A deep crimson blush crept over Max’s cheeks, making me inwardly chuckle at his embarrassment. When flustered, he looked almost boyish.
“Okay, well, you two have a couple of hours beforedinner. Make yourselves comfortable and let me know if you need anything.”
He scrambled out of the room like his pants were on fire and I laughed lightly. I looked down at Charlie with a wide smile.
“All men go soup-brained when women talk about their boobs.” I said with a subtle shake of my head in exasperation.
NINE
