“Jeffrey, you’re making a big mistake. Carmen doesn’t care one bit about your daughter. I do. I’ll take great care of her. I won’t be a permanent guardian. Once you’re out, you can reclaim your parental responsibilities. Don’t you see? I only have Jenna’s best interests at heart.”
Even though he agreed to a plea bargain in exchange for a lesser sentence, given the severity of his crimes, it’s likely he would never get out, but I obviously can’t tell him that.
“I have her best interests at heart too.” He leans forward, his expression tight. “She’s my daughter and I want her to be with her family.”
“Okay.” I press my fingertips to my eyes, thinking about what to say next. I don’t know how to talk him out of his decision.
“Viola, I’m sorry if this is not what you wanted to hear, but Jenna is my child. I have the power to decide who takes care of her. I think it should be Carmen, her grandmother.”
“A grandmother who might disappear tomorrow? She told me she doesn’t like to stay in one place for long. She also never wanted kids. Jenna deserves someone who wants her, and she needs stability.”
“Once Carmen takes on the responsibility of caring for a small child, she could decide to settle down.” He tugs at his earlobe. “She hates me, but I don’t think she would do anything to harm her own granddaughter. I’m sorry, Viola, but you cannot be Jenna’s guardian.”
He has a point. Carmen might learn to take care of Jenna, just like I did. When I’m not there to do the work, maybe she will be the grandmother that Jenna deserves.
Maybe I’m trying to hold on to Jenna to distract myself from my problems. Am I using the little girl for my own selfish reasons?
“I’m sorry you feel that way,” I say to Jeffrey. “I’ll speak to Carmen. But what if she decides she’s not able to take care of Jenna? What happens then?”
“Then I have no choice, of course. If she refuses, you can file the papers and I will not contest it. But I don’t think it will come to that.”
He leans forward and rests his forehead on one fist, then he breaks down in front of me. He’s crying so loud the guard tells him to shut up.
“I let her down,” he mutters. “I let my daughter down. I let Lavinia down.”
“Yes, you did.” I push my chair back and stand, doing my best to keep from crying.
Drake Hoffmann is waiting for me outside. He had offered to drive me to the jail, and I was grateful for his support.
“How did it go?” he asks.
I lean my head back and close my eyes. “He doesn’t want me to take care of Jenna. He wants Carmen to be her legal guardian.”
“That’s not what he told me. When I talked to him, he was open to the idea of you doing it.”
I open my eyes. “I guess he changed his mind.”
“I’m sorry about that.”
“It’s fine. The thing is, I don’t think Carmen is going to agree to this. There’s no way she’s going to want to keep Jenna.”
I’m hoping that when I get home, I’ll find her so overwhelmed with taking care of the baby that she will refuse to do it any longer.
I hold on to that hope until I get to the house. When I walk in, I call out for Carmen.
I hear nothing, not even Jenna. She must be sleeping, but it’s only ten o’clock. Her first nap has been at eleven lately. I decide to check on her, but she’s not in the nursery. Neither is Carmen.
I look around the house, calling Carmen’s name, but there’s no answer.
Where are they?
I dial Carmen’s number, but it goes straight to voicemail.
It’s only when I go to the kitchen that I notice a note on the fridge.
I’ll take care of my granddaughter. I have Jeffrey’s permission.
Carmen
