Slut - Woodruff Jettie - Страница 59

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Paxton met me at the door with our bags just as Mi got there. We barely talked to her. Paxton tried to give her orders, but Mi was too tired.

“Yeah, yeah, I got it. I’m going to borrow your sofa for a bit.”

“Call me if you need anything. We’ll be in the air for about four hours.”

“Okay, night,” Mi called while her bag dropped to the floor, and her pink Minnie Mouse slippers fell to the floor.

Paxton set the alarm and closed the door. “This is such a bad idea. She’s wearing Hello Kitty pajamas. I don’t like this.”

“Stop it. She’s fine.”

“She’s a freak.”

“Wait,” Mi called from the door. “I forgot. I brought this for Vander. Tell him it’s from Aunt Mi.”

“Thanks, Mi,” I said as the little stone fell into my hand.

I handed it to Paxton and he stuck it in his pocket, rushing me along.

The thought of a few more hours of sleep was my plan, unfortunately it didn’t work. I was too wired. With every minute that passed, I became more and more anxious. This was about to happen. Paxton didn’t sleep either. He tried for a while, but like me, gave up, and opened his laptop. I pulled one foot to the seat, wishing we had first class. We were like sardines, utilizing every inch of space.

“What’s this?”

“A design for a new customer.”

I pointed to a bunch of odd shaped squares, stacked at the end of a pool. “What’s that?”

Paxton looked over and smiled. “That, my dear, is a pile of old concrete I picked up for next to nothing.” Paxton clicked on a gray paint bucket and filled it in. “The guy has four boys. He wants something they can climb on, hide in, slide down, and crawl through. I can’t wait to start on it.”

“Hmm, where’d you get that idea?”

“My smart wife. Look at this one, this is the one that’s going in our pool,” Paxton explained.

That’s how we spent our flight, working on plans for Paxton’s job. I think it helped keep us both from wanting to jump out of the plane. Our minds needed the distraction.

We landed in Flint, Michigan right on time, picked up our rental car, and called Mi to check on the girls. They were about to head out for dance, and then they were going to Mi’s work to see the babies. I tried to explain to them where we were and what we were doing, but honestly, they didn’t care. They were more interested in Mi at the time.

We started to grab something to eat, but changed our mind at the last minute, thinking maybe we could take Van to lunch. It was worth a shot. Once we checked into a hotel, showered and cleaned up, we headed to the family service’s building. I don’t know what I was feeling on the ride there. I heard Paxton talking, pointing out the window to different buildings, some famous bridge, and a statue. I heard him, I looked, and I commented, but it wasn’t really absorbed. For the first time since I had learned that we were going there, I didn’t feel nervous. I didn’t feel anything. I was numb.

Paxton held onto my hand while we made our way across the parking lot, talking about food of all things, where we were going to eat, and he wanted seafood. I was fine all the way to the door, up the elevator, and half way down the hall. That’s when I stopped and slid my hand from Paxton’s. At that exact moment, to the second, was when I knew Paxton and I would be okay. I never said a word. Not one. He turned to me, puzzled at first, and then compassionate. He smiled a warm smile and looked around, taking my hand.

I didn’t even care that the bathroom he pulled me into was the men’s. Paxton had me in his arms before the door ever locked, and I cried. Of all times and places to finally break down, it just had to be there. I don’t know why I cried, but I did. I was about to see him, Izzy’s little boy. Her little boy that shared Phi’s birthday. I’m not so sure that was the only culprit though. It was a flood of emotions that I let get the best of me. I couldn’t control it. It hit me from out of nowhere.

“Shhh, I’ve got you, baby girl, and I’m never letting go.”

That one little sentence engraved so deep in my heart, I would never forget it. Paxton held his arms tight around my heaving body, while I let it go. Hysterical, ugly cry all over his shirt. I swear it took ten minutes to finally stop. Every time I thought I was good, it came right back.

It took another ten minutes for my face to look half way presentable. Of all days to have a meltdown. Geesh. I reapplied my eyeliner, catching Paxton’s look from behind.

“Say it, Paxton,” I quietly said through the reflection.

“You didn’t cry before.”

I turned to look at him with a frown. “I didn’t?”

“No. I never saw you cry until after the accident. I don’t like it.”

I smiled and walked to him, wiping lipstick from his mouth with my thumb. “I’m okay.”

Paxton kissed my lips and bumped his forehead with mine. “I love you Mrs. Pierce.”

I bumped his head back and smiled. “Come on. Let’s go meet this little guy.”

I had worked myself up about Mrs. Chadwick for nothing. She wasn’t the scary woman I thought she was going to be at all. She was a short round black lady, as jolly as St. Nick himself. Easier to talk to than the other two were. The interview was pretty much the same as what we’d gone through back in Florida. I presumed they were asking the same questions to see if they coincided with each other. I wasn’t worried about them finding a lie. We may have had skeletons, lies, and secrets, but our family wasn’t one of them. There was no denying how much Paxton and I loved our family, and there was no need for negating our love for our girls. It was heard through our words, expressed on our faces, and shined through our smiles when we talked about them. I was relaxed, my nerves settled into a peaceful state. Until the phone on her desk rang…

Plummet, straight to the pit of my stomach. That’s where my throat ended up, right before my heart heard the ring and joined in, beating clear out of my chest. I was about to hyperventilate and there wasn’t a thing I could do about it.

“He’s here,” Mrs. Chadwick smiled. “The Wagners would like to speak with you first. Is that okay?”

“That’s the people who want to adopt him?” I questioned, my voice shaking and eyes frightened.

“Yes.”

“What happens after this?” Paxton asked with the same nervous shake in his tone.

“Well, we need for all parties to agree. That’s what’s best for Vander. If neither party can agree, it’ll go to court, and in my seventeen years’ experience, I’m going to say you folks would win. It’s just so unnecessary for the child. I’m not saying the Wagner’s aren’t good people, they are, I’ve just never seen a child kept from a good family who wants them. Just remember, they love him, too.”

“I’m not going to tell them they can have him,” I assured her, determination expressed in my suddenly strong voice.

She nodded and stood, admitting her findings. “I didn’t think for a second that you would.”

Paxton and I looked at each other while we waited, watching while she waved them in. He squeezed my trembling hand, and pressed down on my bouncing knee.

“I can’t help it,” I whispered.

“Hello, I’m Rick and this is my wife, June. We’ve had Vander for a couple months now. We’re totally in love with the kid. He’s brought so much joy to our lives, and we love him so much,” the guy said, spewing word vomit all over us. A well thought out speech, a sales pitch. That’s what it sounded like. We both stood and waited for it to be over.

Paxton did the talking, omitting our names. They knew who we were. “Thank you for taking care of him. We appreciate it very much.”

The female gave her spiel next, and I did feel bad for her. Not bad enough to hand over my nephew, but bad. “But you don’t even know him. He’s never met you. We know his routine, and what he likes to eat, his favorite toys, and his favorite books. Please don’t take him from us. We can’t have kids. Vander was our first foster child, and we were adamant about only taking a little boy who was available for adoption. We just had to follow procedure and he would be a Wagner. He would be ours. Please. Please, don’t take him.”

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