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She waited a beat and then, afraid that she already knew the answer, she asked, “What’s the issue?”
“Jerry and Evelyn Lancaster, Mason’s parents, as well as Mason’s sister, Diana, are contesting you being named guardian. They’ve already filed a motion with the court asking that custody of Milly remain with Mason’s sister. I can fax you a copy of the complaint if you’d like.”
“Can you email it to me?”
“Yes, I can do that.”
She gave him her email address, then said, “Thank you. Can I ask you a few things before you hang up?”
“Of course.”
“Did my sister say why she wanted me to have the baby?”
“She said she wanted Milly raised by someone who’d teach her to appreciate both the big things and the small things in life. She wanted Milly to be able to love herself no matter what others thought or said or did. And she said you were a master at that, Miss Conrad.”
Lucy felt herself choking up and her thoughts felt clouded. Gail, the big sister who had once been her best friend, the woman who’d died without knowing how much Lucy still loved her, wanted her to raise Milly. But…
“My next question is on what grounds Mason’s family is contesting guardianship? Do they believe Gail was incompetent when she made the decision? Or that Mason didn’t agree to it?”
“No, they’re not contesting on any of those grounds. Mason didn’t like the idea at first, but he ultimately agreed and signed the paperwork in my presence.”
“Then what?”
“They believe you’d be an unfit mother, Ms. Conrad. The specifics will be in the paperwork I’ll email you. After that, if you’d like to meet…”
Lucy listened to the rest of Mr. Cummings spiel but the words seemed to be coming from underwater. All the words, that is, except, “unfit mother,” which echoed loud and clear inside her head.
* * *
When Lucy got off the phone, Jamie put his arm around her and she laid her head on his shoulder. He got the feeling she was trying really hard not to cry. He didn’t ask her any questions, just quietly held her until he felt her body stop shaking. Only then did he ask, “Do you want to talk about it?”
Lucy sighed deeply and said, “My sister left custody of her baby to me.”
He’d figured as much, and he hoped he’d managed to hide his surprise. It wasn’t that he didn’t think she would be a wonderful mother, but from what little she’d told him about her family, it really shocked him her sister would.
“How do you feel about that?” he said.
“I—I don’t know,” she whispered. “I mean, two weeks ago I didn’t even know Milly existed. I’ve only ‘talked’ to her a few times on the phone and I haven’t even seen her yet, but my first instinct is…”
“What?”
“She’s Gail’s child. I know I’m not going to be anyone’s first choice for mother of the year, but if Gail trusted me to care for Milly, well…I want to do my very best for her.”
Jamie smiled and kissed her temple. “You know what? I think she made a great decision, and I think Milly’s a lucky little girl to have you.”
She pulled away from him. “You didn’t let me finish. I’m not sure me having custody is the best things for her.”
“That’s ridiculous, Lucy. You’d make a great mother.”
She barked out a laugh. “Right. Me and all my maternal instincts. How do you figure?”
He tipped his head to the side and brought a hand up to trace a line along her jaw. “You’re fun. Energetic. A strong role model. Ethical. Courageous. Everything a child could learn from, especially in this day and age.”
For a moment, she allowed her eyes to flutter closed. To lean her cheek into his palm. Then she opened her eyes, pulled away, and focused on a lamp in the corner of the room. She shook her head, giving him a sad smile. “Thanks for that vote of confidence, but there are those who don’t agree with you.”
“Right,” he said, remembering more of the conversation he’d overheard. “Mason’s family is contesting it?”
She nodded.
