Chapter 27
You don’t have to share the same blood to be truly connected. My relationship with Lavinia taught me that. It took her death for me to appreciate just how special our bond was. The special, unbreakable connection I shared with her, has now transferred to her daughter.
The way I’m freaking out, one would think Jenna is my child.
By the time Drake answers the phone, my anxiety has reached its peak. At this point, I’m blubbering so much he can’t make out what I’m saying.
“Slow down a second,” he says. “What did you say happened?”
“She took her. Carmen… Jenna is gone.”
“Carmen and Jenna are gone?” He knows who Carmen is by now. She called him several times since the funeral to make sure she’s really not mentioned in Lavinia’s will.
“Yes,” I say. “They’re not here.” I chew a corner of my thumb. Blood is pounding in my ears now.
“I’m sure you have nothing to worry about. Maybe they went out for some air.”
“No. Carmen left a note.”
I grab the piece of paper from the fridge and read it to him.
I should have known. It was unlike Carmen to offer to babysit Jenna. She had an agenda.
I doubt it was a spur-of-the-moment kind of thing. I wonder how long she’d been planning to take Jenna. She witnessed the bond I formed with the baby and knew I wouldn’t let her go that easily.
The day of the funeral, when I told her about Lavinia’s letter, she didn’t seem particularly upset, but she hardly showed much emotion, anyway. She did spend a lot more time inside the master bedroom, where she slept, and only left the house one time for a couple of hours.
Did she visit Jeffrey so she could ask his permission to be Jenna’s guardian?
“Is there anything I can do in this situation?” I ask Drake. “Should I call the police?”
“There’s not much you can do, I’m afraid,” he replies. “She’s Jenna’s grandmother.”
“But she doesn’t care about that child. She was talking about putting her own grandchild into foster care.” I’m seething now. “She does nothing for her. I’m the one who got up at night to change and feed her.”
“But she’s still her grandmother. And she has the father’s permission to file for legal guardianship.”
“There’s nothing I can do at all?”
“You could wait and see if she’ll bring her back.” He pauses. “Also, you mentioned that your husband filed for divorce. It might not be a bad idea for you to focus on creating a safe and stable environment, so there are no hiccups if Carmen comes back and you decide to file a petition for guardianship.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, once the petition has been received, the court will consider whether or not it’s in the best interests of the child. The court’s research or investigation may include background checks and other procedures that will help determine if Jenna will be well taken care of in your care.”
“You think that if I filed right now, they might refuse to give Jenna to me because of my imminent divorce?” I never considered that possibility and now that he brought it up, I feel a hollowness deep inside me.
“It does complicate things, especially since your husband was also involved with the law.”
“But he was innocent. They released him.”
“I know,” he says. “But unfortunately, the fact that he was behind bars, even for a short while, could be enough to cloud someone’s mind. I really do want to help you, but at this point, the only thing to do is wait. I’ll handle the paperwork related to the will, and I’ll keep you in the loop as much as I’m authorized to. If you need help with anything else, give me a call.”
I do need something. I want Jenna back, and I do not know where to start.
But Drake is right. I don’t have a strong case here.
As Jenna’s grandmother, Carmen can do whatever she wants. There’s nothing to prove that she won’t be able to take care of her granddaughter.
