Until then, I would do everything to secure Hannah’s well-being. I tugged up the blanket until it was just below her arms, switched on the baby monitor, and whispered, “Goodnight, sweet Hannah.”
Then I tiptoed out of the room and pulled the door mostly closed, leaving it ajar so the room wasn’t completely dark.
“Where's Simon?” LaShelle asked, making me jump at the sudden noise. She’d been standing beside me the whole time,but I’d zoned out looking at Hannah’s beautiful tawny brown cheeks.
I led LaShelle to the kitchen and gestured to a chair. Then I pressed my lips into a tight smile and admitted, “He left. We broke up very recently.”
“Weren't you on your way home to tell him about Hannah?”
I nodded. “Yeah. Like I said, we broke up very recently. As in a couple of hours ago.”
“Oh.” LaShelle looked toward Hannah’s room, and I could see the questions forming in her mind. Was it the best decision to leave Hannah with me? Should she take her somewhere else? Was she going to be a priority with someone who was going through a fresh breakup?
Before she could voice any of the concerns, I cut her off. “LaShelle, I want to be here for Hannah. She needs someone. I can be that person.”
“And what about looking after yourself? You can’t take care of Hannah if you’re not okay.”
“I have loads of support—Mom is close by. She’s coming over tomorrow to help out. I can work from home or take some time off if I need to. Hannah is my highest priority. She’ll be safe and loved here. I can be who she needs.”
LaShelle didn’t look happy, but she eventually relented and relaxed back into the chair she was sitting on. She opened the Bluey backpack that had Hannah’s name written across the top and fished out a folded sheet of paper.
“This is Hannah’s routine, how she falls asleep, and what her favorite foods are. She hasn’t yet transitioned away from formula to cow’s milk, so she still takes a bottle of it a couple of times a day.”
I took the note from her, written on the day care center’s letterhead, and read the perfect loopy handwriting. The foods she enjoyed most were plantains, scrambled eggs, soft cookedokra, and corn bread. She loved banana, but wouldn’t eat it mashed, and would demolish a bowl of pasta sauce made with ground beef provided it didn’t have the pasta in it. She wouldn’t eat spaghetti, but loved shells and bowties eaten plain. The educator had also written down the brand of formula, how much she took, and when, the brand of bottles she used, the size and type of diapers, and clothing sizes too.
“The daycare center wasn’t sure whether you would have anything on hand, so they’ve packed up all the spare diapers, bottles, and formula they had.”
“Oh, that’s great,” I rushed out, relieved that I might have enough to get Hannah through the night.
“Does Hannah have any allergies?” I asked, trying and failing to bite back a yawn.
“None the daycare center knows about. But she hasn't tried seafood or nuts.” LaShelle paused, then asked, “What will you do for daycare? The center is on the opposite side of town.”
“Hannah should stay there at least until you know what her permanent care arrangements are. I'll make sure I can get her there and back every day. She needs familiarity.”
“Good. That’s good.”
“LaShelle, how do I care for her hair? I’ve never…”
She smiled. “It’s okay. I added a list of products that I like using in my hair.”
“Thank you,” I breathed. “I don’t want to do the wrong thing.”
“YouTube has some great videos, but essentially, wash her hair once or twice a week at most. Use a specialty shampoo and leave-in conditioner. Be gentle brushing her hair. Her brush from daycare is in the bag too. Hannah’s educator said she often wears her hair in puffs—high pigtails.”
“Okay, I can do that.” I nodded, making a mental note to set my alarm a lot earlier than usual so I wasn’t rushing Hannah.
I paused for a moment and added, “It’s probably too early to think about it, given we don’t know long-term care arrangements, but I want Hannah to be connected with her culture. Do you have any contacts I can reach out to so she can be involved?”
LaShelle smiled and patted me on the hand. “You’re a good one, Keeley. The daycare center Hannah attends is a Black-run facility. The educators love connecting the kids with their culture. It’s part of what they do every day. They’ll be able to help put you in contact with a community center, but don’t forget the gospel churches. They’re important parts of our cultural heritage.”
We spoke for a while longer, until I couldn’t hide my yawns anymore, and LaShelle asked, “How about I do that inspection now and let you turn in?”
I followed her around the house as she checked cupboards, ensured the heavier furniture was anchored to the walls, and the cords for the blinds were screwed down, among a hundred other things. Everything was okay—we kept it that way in case we were called upon for urgent situations exactly like this—but it was a relief when LaShelle said, “You’re all set, Keeley.”
She smiled gently and gestured to Hannah’s room as I followed her to the front door. “You be sure to call me if you need anything.”
“I will.”
