“That would be great.” Quinn hands me the keys to the car. I unlock it, lift Lily into her safety seat, and buckle her in.
Quinn and I get settled in the front seat.
“Hurry!” Lily urges. “We need to rescue Sugar Bear!”
The reality, I think as I start the engine,is that Sugar Bear rescued me.
CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
Margaret
Monday, May 27
“LOOK AT YOU,out of bed and sitting in a chair!” Quinn smiles as she comes into my hospital room, and it feels like the overhead lights increased their wattage. She leans down and kisses my cheek, then sits in a chair beside me. “How are you feeling?”
I pat her hand. “Well. Very well.” Although I’m not. I’m sitting in a chair, all right, but I needed help to get in it, and I couldn’t stand on my own to save my life. A walker is right there beside me, but I can’t use it without assistance; I’m not supposed to put much weight on my broken hip. The truth is, I’m weak as dishwater and I wear out faster than dime-store socks. The worst part, though, is my mind; my attention wanders, and I’m having trouble remembering recent events. I know that Lilly was ill recently and I think she got better, but I don’t remember what was wrong with her or how much time has passed. “How’s Lily?”
“She’s great.” Quinn sets her purse on the floor. “She’s at a friend’s birthday party this afternoon.”
“How nice,” I say. It’s amazing how many parties and events that child has been invited to since I’ve been in the hospital. I never managed to find her any friends or connect with any mothers of three-year-olds in Alexandria. It’s yet another reason Quinn is better suited to be Lily’s guardian than I am.
“I’m sorry I didn’t bring her,” Quinn says. “I had an appointment in this part of town and thought I’d go ahead and come on by.”
“I’m glad you did, dear. There’s something I need to talk to you about.”
“Oh?” She smiles again and regards me expectantly.
My mind goes blank. I pull a little notebook from the pocket of my sweater. The occupational therapist gave it to me, and I’ve started making notes in it. I thumb through it and peer at my wobbly handwriting. Oh, yes. Now I remember. “I had a visitor this morning. Brooke’s attorney.”
Quinn’s brows rise in surprise. “Marty?”
I nod. “He was visiting a friend in the hospital and thought he’d drop in to see me while he was here.”
“How nice.”
I look at my notes again. “He said you’re already Lily’s primary guardian because I’m disabled. He wants me to sign some papers making the change permanent and transferring Lily’s monthly trust payments to you.”
“What did you say?”
“That I wanted to talk to you, dear. I wanted to make sure you’re willing to take it on.”
“Oh, yes! Of course!” She reaches over and takes my hand, her eyes full of emotion. “I love Lily as if she were my very own.”
I already knew this; seeing them together here in New Orleans has confirmed the depth of Quinn’s attachment to the child, and Lily’s attachment to her. Besides, Marty said he’d already discussed it with Quinn. All the same, it touches my heart to hear her say it. “I’m so glad, dear. I know that she’ll be in good hands with you—as good as with a blood relative. Right after Brooke’s death, all I could think was that the poor child lacked any true kin.”
“Is that why you reached out to Lily’s father?”
I nod again. “I know that you and Brooke and your single parent group disagree, but I think every child deserves to know both parents. And after Brooke died, well, I didn’t think it was right for Lily to be orphaned if she still had a living father. I don’t care what those donor clinics say, blood is thicker than water.”
Quinn pulls her brows in a puzzled frown. “I’ve never understood what that’s supposed to mean. People adopt children and love them as much as their own all the time.”
“Yes,” I allow, “but that’s a freely made choice. When someone who’s not family takes in a child because of an emergency or a sense of duty, the child doesn’t always remain the priority.”
“Nothing could ever alter my love for Lily.”
“I believe you,” I say, “but not everyone has your sweet, loving nature. And oh, things can happen! Children get older and become belligerent. There can be accidents, disabilities, marriage and remarriage, other children—life has no guarantees. But blood relatives, more times than not, will take of care their own.”
“I worried that you wanted Zack to have guardianship of Lily.”
