“Alright.” I place my hand over Mom’s. “I’ll see what I can do.”
12
GARRETT
The hotel room door opens,revealing Athena with Peony on her hip.
At seeing me, fear rounds Peony’s eyes, and she buries her face in Athena’s chest, like she does every time I come too close to her.
“The rest of the stuff’s in my vehicle.” I smile at Peony, my arms filled with bags. She can’t see the reassuring gesture, but maybe she can hear it in my voice.
I slip off my shoes and put the groceries next to the TV on the dresser. The dreary, late afternoon sunlight fills the room from the partially opened curtains. The room seems colder than it did this morning, though the temperature is the same.
“That’s the food you asked for. And I bought board books for Peony that someone at the bookstore recommended.” I set them on the bed. “I’ll be right back with everything else.”
When I return to the room, my arms are even more weighed down than last time. “I ordered some furniture for Peony. It’ll be delivered Tuesday to my house.” I put the bags in the center of the bed. “That will give me time to decorate her room. You can take the room next to hers.” Luckily, the guest room is furnished.
“I also got her some clothes. The woman in the store told me to get a larger size, so Peony has room to grow into them.”
Why the hell am I telling her this? Athena would already know that. She’s a nanny. She knows way more about little kids than I do.
“So…you’ve accepted she’s your daughter?”
I open the first bag and pull out an orange pair of pants. “I’ve accepted Kenda would never lie to me about something like that. But I’m still having the paternity test done.” I hold the pants up for Peony’s approval. She doesn’t say anything, but she also doesn’t start crying, so I figure she’s okay with them.
“That’s fine. I mean…” Athena cringes, and her hand goes to her pendant. “Froggies…you—you make me as nervous as a chicken sitting next to a fox sharpening his teeth.”
An unexpected, barked laugh erupts from deep in my chest. Living with Athena will be interesting if that’s a sample of things she’ll be saying.
I fold the pants and put them in the top dresser drawer. “Sorry.” I press my lips together, but the betrayal of a smile twitches on my mouth. “I don’t mean to make you nervous. Anyway, my mom’s happy to also help out with Peony”—understatement of the year—“since I’ll be busy with my book. It’s due to my editor in three and a half months.” One hundred and eleven days, to be exact. “Plus, I’m away on the weekends until the end of October.”
I remove from the bag a white top with bees embroidered on it. Zara would think it was adorable. Peony doesn’t react to that one either. I fold it and put it in the drawer.
Athena gently rubs Peony’s back, as if Peony’s a magic lamp with a genie inside. “That’s probably not a good idea. Your mom. Peony’s shy around strangers.”
I continue to fold and put away the clothes, but now without bothering to get Peony’s feedback. I just need something to keep me busy, so she doesn’t sense how out of my element I am. And it goes well beyond picking out clothes for a little girl. “My parents won’t be strangers for long. They’re excited to meet their granddaughter.” Well, Mom is. Dad is being cautious on her and my behalf.
Athena doesn’t say anything. She just keeps rubbing Peony’s back, her forehead wrinkled with fine lines.
“They’re hoping to meet Peony Tuesday evening.” Mom suggested this weekend, but given Athena’s reaction to the news, Tuesday evening will give Peony a chance to get used to me first—before she meets my parents. “My mother thought you could take Peony to a playground, and they can see her there. She figured that might be easier for Peony.” I move on to the bags with the toys.
I pick up the squirrel pillow. “Hi, Peony,” I say, distorting my voice into a comical, squeaky sound. I jiggle the pillow so it looks like the squirrel is dancing on the bed. “Have you seen my nuts?”
Peony blinks at me, as if she thinks I’m ten nuts short of a full brain.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.” Athena shifts her body slightly, putting more space between Peony and me. I assume she’s referring to my parents and not the talking pillow.
I open the bag of cartoonish plastic animals and remove the purple hippo. “What do you say, Peony?” The hippo’s voice is much lower than the squirrel’s, but no less comical. “Do you want to meet your grandparents?”
Still nothing, other than the tilt of her head. One by one, I remove the animals from the bag and line them up on the bed to face her.
Peony squirms in Athena’s arms and reaches for them.
“You wanna play with the animals?” Athena asks.
Peony nods with a level of enthusiasm I haven’t witnessed from her yet. She’s not smiling, but she’s definitely interested in the toys.
I’m one tiny step closer to gaining her trust, although that has more to do with the gifts than her wanting to get to know me.
