“Wow,” Penelope says. “You’re such a big girl. I don’t think I know how to use a hand mixer. Maybe you can show me.”
Kailee turns her little face up to my mine, her eyes wide with anticipation. “Ooh, daddy, can I show Penelope?”
“Of course, sweetheart,” I say, putting her down.
“Here, come with me,” Kailee says, grabbing her hand. She’s so comfortable with Penelope, even though they haven’t seen each other in a while.
Kailee leads her into the kitchen, practically dragging the nurse in her excitement. Penelope looks back at us, and her face is beaming. I can tell she likes Kailee. Which is good, because if she didn’t . . . well, it wouldn’t matter how cute and fun she is. Anything less than total adoration of my daughter is a dealbreaker for me. That little lady will always come first. But I’m starting to think there’s room in my heart for one more.
My mom smiles at me and we hug. Then she takes my hands and looks at me with motherly concern, squinting a little, the lines around her eyes deepening. When did she get so old? Time and its slippery ways. Pretty sure I’m gonna wake up one of these days to find that Kailee has packed her bags for college. Sometimes I wish I could just freeze time. Always been a fantasy of mine, ever since I saw that Adam Sandler movie where his character gets his hands on a magical remote. To be able to walk around and just observe the world, without having to worry that you need to be somewhere, or do something. But life ain’t a movie, and time keeps on ticking no matter what I do. I can only hope and pray that the time I have left with my daughter isn’t going to be cut drastically short by Laci and her damn meddling.
“How did it go?” My mother’s voice lifts me out of my troubled thoughts.
“Um . . . okay. Paul said he’s confident going forward.”
My mom nods, looks down, her forehead creased. “Did you speak to her?”
“Yeah, we spoke briefly after the hearing. Didn’t have much to say to her to be honest.”
Another nod. I deliberately left out the part about Laci showing me the unflattering photograph.
“Well, hang in there. I know that’s not the most profound advice. But in life, sometimes that’s the best thing we can do—just hang in there. Time has a way of sorting things out, even if it sometimes doesn’t do so as quickly as we’d like.”
Switching gears, my mom nods her head toward the kitchen. “She’s great,” she whispers quietly enough so that Penelope won’t hear her.
“Yeah, she is. And she’s good with Kailee too.”
“Looks like it. Are you two . . .”
“We’re just friends for now.”
“Hmm. . .”
“What?”
“Here, let me hang your jacket.”
“Come on, mom, say whatever it is you’re thinking.”
“Well,” she says, “I’m a pretty good judge of character, and I can tell that girl really likes you.”
“You think?” I say, as hope erupts inside of me like a geyser.
“Oh yes. She’s sweet on you, Harp.”
“I don’t know, mom,” I say. “I think I’ll just go with the flow. Let things fall in place.”
“Okay, if you insist. But I still—”
“Daddy, grandma!” Kailee screams. She’s standing in the doorway to the kitchen. “Penelope said it’s the best cookie she’s ever had.”
My mom leans in and says in my ear, “You know, chocolate’s an aphrodisiac.”
I glance at my mom with a wide-eyed look.
“Just saying,” she says, putting up her palms.
Penelope appears in the doorway behind Kailee. “Okay, seriously, you need to come in here and eat some of these cookies before I finish them all. They aresogood.”
