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“Let me know if you have any questions or concerns. I want to make sure that we keep an open line of communication with all parents.” Aili frowned. “Or adult figures in our kids’ lives.”
Miranda nodded. “Thank you.”
Aili turned to Rebel. “See you tomorrow, cutie!”
Rebel grinned and ran straight to Aili, giving her a hug. Then she took Miranda’s hand as they walked out of the office.
The entire drive to her parents’ house, Miranda couldn’t stop thinking about the future and what it might look like for her and Rebel. The lump in her throat eased as she focused on how she might begin the process to file for custody, temporary or not. This was better. She had always been better at action than emotion. The conversation with Aili only confirmed that she was right to start thinking about all of this. Miranda knew the state recognized that at six months of no support a parent had abandoned their child. It was how Tierney got Rebel’s father out of the picture. But did she really want to do that to her own sister?
Pulling Rebel out of her seat, Miranda watched as her toddler—wait, her toddler? She shook her head and corrected her thoughts—Tierney’s toddler ran up the stairs to the house. Cold washed through her. What would her parents think? They’d talked about Tierney every time she’d come over and more in between, but they always held strong behind Tierney, particularly their mother. But that could just be a defense mechanism.
“Hey!” Sandra scooped Rebel up and gave her kisses all over her cheeks as Rebel giggled. Eventually she put the child down, and Miranda stepped into the house. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost. Then again, in your line of work…”
Miranda shook her head. “I had a conversation with the daycare director when I picked her up.”
“Oh?”
“She’s very impressed with Rebel’s improvements lately.”
“That’s good.” Sandra crossed her arms as they walked into the house.
Miranda immediately went to the kitchen to get started on cooking dinner. Her mother followed her in, snagging a wine glass and leaning against the counter as Miranda worked.
“So why do you look like you’ve just received devastating news?”
Tori flashed to her mind. The awkward conversations they’d had in the last couple weeks. The silence she had encouraged to grow between them. Then she went to Tierney. Also silent, and with the same amount of tension.
“Have you heard from Tierney this week?”
“She’s going to Puerto Rico with Jaxon? Or was it Hunter?”
Miranda hadn’t heard either one of those names before, so Tierney must be onto boy number five or six already. She frowned. “She hasn’t talked to me in over a week, and she hasn’t asked to talk to Rebel in close to a month.”
Sandra remained silent. Miranda eyed her carefully. The bomb she was about to drop would no doubt explode wildly and leave scars years deep.
“I’m thinking about contacting a lawyer and filing for guardianship. It may lead to terminating parental rights in the end, but I’d like to avoid that if possible.”
Sandra’s face remained impassive. Miranda wished she knew what was going on in her brain, that she didn’t have to parse through all the drama between everyone to try and figure out where they stood. Then again, her parents would undoubtedly be torn between their two daughters, something Miranda had attempted to prevent.
“Mom?”
Sandra cleared her throat, looking Miranda in the eye.
“Mom, what are you thinking?”
Sandra sighed, setting her wine glass down and picking Rebel up when she screeched into the room. “I think you need to do what’s best for Rebel. I just wish you had someone to support you through it.”
Isn’t that what you’re for? Miranda hated that her mom didn’t see her role that way. She went back to chopping the vegetables for the saute, her jaw clenched tightly. Tori had a perfect support system, even if it was made up of all her exes. She had people she could rely on. Sandra wasn’t wrong. Miranda needed someone to help her through it all, but she also knew that her mom meant a husband and not just a support system of friends.
“You need balance, Miranda.” Her mom just wouldn’t let it go, and it took all of Miranda’s strength to bite back what she really wanted to say.
Instead, she jerked her chin up, locking her eyes with her mom’s. “What do you mean?”
“Parenting can be all consuming, and you need to have a balance. I don’t want to see you throw your life away for a child.”
“You mean one that isn’t mine?” She bit back.
“No. I mean a child. Having a kid doesn’t mean you can’t also be you.”
