Chapter 13

She had been anxious, even desperate for the man to meet his child, but she was nevertheless also concerned that he would. Contradictions notwithstanding, she now sighed with relief. The delivery man, Lance Conniff, was pulling in to the drive and the baby was visible in the seat beside him. so much for desperation and concern.

The pair came up to the door and she had it opened before the man buzzed the buzzer.

“Come in, come in,” she said. Lance looked at his ex-high school girlfriend and reluctantly entered. She noticed his reluctance.

“Please, Lance, I promise not to bite,” she said, and she was not smiling. Please have a seat.

“It’s time for your nap,” she said, turning to her daughter. She’d nodded and headed down the hall.

“I think she is tired,” said Lance.

“Yes,” said Penelope. “I’ll be back in a minute.”

He watched and waited for the woman to return. It was almost 4:00 p.m. so a nap for the six-year-old made sense,” he thought.

The woman returned in what could not have been more than a couple of minutes. He was surprised.

“You were right, she’s already napping,” she said. “So how did it go if I may ask?”

“Okay, the two of them talked a lot and we had lunch, I cooked. But then she got tired, well as you can see, and so he thought it best that she come back,” said Lance. Penelope nodded.

“Anything else worth mentioning?” she said. The man shrugged.

“Not really. She greeted him very nicely, I thought. I introduced him to her as Mister Wyatt, as you requested. She said his name. He thanked her and told her that his whole name was Lee Wyatt, but that he was also a daddy like her other daddy.

“Lee never said anything you should feel bad about. He allowed that your husband was a daddy too,” said Lance. He did not notice the concern in the woman’s look.

“Well, good,” she said, and that weakly.

“Something wrong?” said Lance, now noticing the tone if not the look of the woman.

“No, no,” she said. “So, everything went well then?”

“Yes, like I said. The two of them seemed to get along real good. And they did talk a lot. I was in the kitchen cooking part of the time, so I don’t know all that went on, but it was good. The little girl was quite comfortable, I think, even being in the unfamiliar environment,” said Lance. Penelope nodded.

“Well, okay then. Is there any indication when he might like to see her again?” she said.

“He told me to ask you about that: when you would allow him to see her,” he said.

“Lance, please tell the man, if you will, that we do want him to get to know her. What works for him we will try to arrange, be accommodating. I mean you know,” she said. “I know the man works. So, I mean just let us know if weekends are best like today, or what.”

“Okay, I can do that. Can I tell him how often on weekends? And yes, they would be best because he does work as you say,” he said.

“We haven’t thought about any of that,” she said. “Obviously some weekends we have things going too. But we will be willing to work with the man on that. Okay?”

“Sure, I guess,” he said. “I’ll tell him what you said.”

“But, Lance...” she started.

“I would really like to talk to him about all of this. I know he doesn’t want to talk to me, but I think we need to. I mean, don’t you?” she said.

“It’s not up to me,” he said.

“Lance, please,” she said.

“Look, Penelope. I do not trust you, get that. He doesn’t either. Would he be willing to meet with you once, or more often than once? I don’t know. I’ll tell him you want to. That’s all I can do,” he said. She nodded.

“Okay, okay, sheesh,” she said. “Yes, do tell him, please.”

The talking went on for a few more minutes; then, the man was gone.

“You’re upset because he called himself her daddy?” said Grant.

“Not exactly. I’m upset, if I’m upset at all, because he compared himself to you. You’re the main daddy. Yes, he has a claim, and I would never deny that. But be your equal? Not happening,” she said.

“You do know that your point of view is why he doesn’t want to be involved with us, or even with the baby, at all, or didn’t before this move on our part,” said Grant. “So, anyway, how do you want to handle this?”

“Not sure, actually. I guess, I’m going to suggest not tell or demand, that he might go a little slower. Build up to getting her to see him as a kind of co-father figure,” she said.

“You haven’t seen him in the flesh. Penelope, the man has no hope of ever having a child of his own apart from Zoey. He knows it and I’m thinking that that is the main reason that he is willing to deal with us at all. Take that away from him, or try to minimize it in any way, and it’s over. I know it,” he said. She was shaking her head.

“Grant, I am not going to tell him he can’t be a daddy to her, not at all. I just kinda want him to see the reality. I mean that you have been there for her since day one. He has not,” she said.

“Yes, and that’s because we kept the truth from him. You do remember that, right?” he said. “Pen, don’t do anything at all in regard to what you just said you have in mind. If anything, give him more latitude than he is asking for. I mean it girl, or we will regret it, and I do mean us!”

“Okay, okay, I guess you’re right. What can it hurt? She is living with us, and will continue to do so. You are in favor of that, right?” she said.

“Well, yes, I mean it would be too hard for him to take care of her like she needs to be taken care of. I know the man has a good job, because of Lance, but that is not nearly enough to cover the care and feeding of a little kid. He’ll know that and not stir the pot. Not on that score I don’t think,” he said.

“But if he does?” she said.

“Then we’ll have to reevaluate the situation,” he said. “Have you heard back from Lance about Lee meeting with us?”

“No, not yet, but soon, I think,” she said.

She was in her greens when he came in. “Milt! I’m surprised,” said Liz Mailman.

“I was in the neighborhood. I needed a couple of things. I decided to get them here, I mean the things that I needed,” he said.

“Well, okay,” she said.

“And?” he said.

“And?” she said.

“Well, to see if you had time for lunch. On me of course,” he said.

She smiled. “Okay, sure.” She glanced up at the wall clock. “Half an hour,” she said.

“Sounds real good,” he said. “I’m gonna go get the things I was talking about.” She smiled, as he walked off to do his shopping.

Liz Mailman turned back to the job she was being paid to do.

“Yes, ma’am,” she said, as a customer came up to the counter.

She handed her, her card. “I need my order, pain killers.” she said. It was a military credit card. She was a vet, and one with a missing leg and a messed-up face. Liz went to fill the order.