He thought about it for a few seconds and then nodded. “I understand that. But maybe I can pay one to do the initial consult and get an idea of what we’re working with, and then you’ll know what you need from yours. Save some time and money, perhaps.”
“Okay.”
“Okay. In the meantime, I want to show you something.” He stood, so she did the same, and he went to the living room first. “Oliver, do you want to see the upstairs?”
Of course he did, so Siobhan took him by the hand. He was pretty good at stairs, but he was also excited aboutexploring a new place. And Stella was pretty excited, too. They didn’t need a fall.
It took Brian a minute to get the baby gate open, and then they were held up again by the second baby gate at the top. She tried not to laugh at him, but some amusement squeaked out and he rolled his eyes at her.
“I’ll get it eventually.” Once they were in the hall and he’d secured the gate behind him, he pointed. “That’s my room and there’s the bathroom. But in here.”
Siobhan stepped into a room that was very clearly Oliver’s bedroom. There was a box with a picture of a toddler bed frame, complete with side rails, on the label. A small mattress wrapped in plastic leaned against the wall. There was a toy box with some plastic trucks and stuffed animals in it, and a low bookshelf with more brand-new books on it.
There was that gut punch again, but this time she was able to shake it off quickly. Of course he’d need a room for Oliver. “This is amazing. You got all of this this morning?”
“Yeah. I figure after you’ve been here a few times, maybe we can try a sleepover. You know, when he’s ready. But this is what I wanted to show you.”
Siobhan turned, and that’s when she saw the framed photos on the wall. The family photo, with Oliver sitting on Leo’s lap. There was also a small picture of Nora and Oliver, their heads bent in concentration as they painted their rocks. Next to that was Oliver in the grass with Stella, pointing to something in his book while the dog looked on eagerly. There was an 8x10 photo of Brian helping Oliver toast a marshmallow.
And right next to that one, an 8x10 of Siobhan and Oliver taken during the reception. She’d been holding him—dancing, so to speak—and Oliver had his hand pressed to her cheek while they laughed.
“I wanted him to have family photos in his room, so Rob sent them to me and I had them printed and bought frames this morning.” He smiled at Oliver and then at her before turning back to the wall. “This is who Oliver’s family is to me and there’s no world in which that doesn’t include you.”
She breathed in slowly, taking in the images of all the people who’d fallen in love with Oliver over the course of a week, and who’d never once tried to push her out. It calmed her fears in a way no words ever could. “Thank you.”
“Let’s have a day of hanging out and just making this a comfortable place for Oliver. Then the rest, we’ll get through it together.”
Chapter Eighteen
There were very few things Siobhan enjoyed less in life than calling her mother. Talking to Janelle drained her on every level, and other than Christmas, her mother’s birthday and Mother’s Day, she kept contact to a minimum.
It wasn’t hard to do. Her mother only called her when she needed something, and she’d decided years ago her older daughter had little to offer. Working hard and paying bills weren’t exciting to Janelle, and she complained about Siobhan’s lack ofgenerosity. Janelle had always been much closer with Kelly, and Siobhan hoped that was still true.
She’d finally found a lawyer who had the time to talk to her before snow fell again. She didn’t have space to take on Siobhan’s case, but she was willing to do a brief consult about next steps. Step one was to find an attorney she could afford, and it seemed as though she had a better chance of finding Sasquatch than an affordable family lawyer taking on new clients.
Step two was finding Kelly. The odds of them sorting through the adoption mess without needing her involvement weren’t great, and since her number was disconnected and an online search hadn’t turned up anything, the only way Siobhan could get to her was through Janelle.
She waited until Oliver had eaten his supper and settledinto his little bean bag chair with a picture book that had him hunt for objects in a busy picture. It would keep him quiet and occupied for long enough to make the phone call, and she was out of excuses.
Janelle answered on the third ring. “Siobhan. Haven’t heard from you in a while.”
“I’m sorry,” she lied. “I’ve been busy.”
“Or you want something,” her mother said, because that was really the only motivation for reaching out to somebody that Janelle understood.
Siobhan didn’t bother denying it. “I need to get in touch with Kelly and the number I have for her isn’t good anymore.”
There was a long silence on the other end, and Siobhan guessed Janelle was choosing between inserting herself into the situation or trying to make Siobhan feel guilty for only calling her because she wanted something from her. “What do you need her for?”
She’d spent a lot of time thinking about how she was going to answer this inevitable question. Telling the truth led to too many variables. Janelle might try to protect Kelly by refusing to give up the information—assuming she even had it. And if anybody was going to whisper in Kelly’s ear about taking Oliver back and fleecing Brian for child support, it would be her. Unfortunately, that was just how her mother’s mind worked.
And then there was Kelly herself. There was a good chance if she found out Siobhan wanted to talk to her about Oliver, she’d change her number again. Because she wasn’t quite as selfish as their mother, she might not think about how much monthly money she was missing out on, but she definitely shied away from anything that smacked ofresponsibility.
“I was going through some stuff to donate and found a necklace of hers,” Siobhan said. “It’s not really my style or I’d keep it because I think it’s valuable.”
“It might be mine,” her mother said without hesitation. “I’ve lost a necklace or two over the years.”
Even though she’d known Janelle would try it, Siobhan was still disappointed by how quickly dishonesty came to her mother. Of course, she was being dishonest, too, but for a good reason and she’d had to practice before she made the call. “I’m sure it’s Kelly’s. I remember her wearing it. If I can get her address, I’ll drop it in the mail from work tomorrow.”
