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There was no hurt within her tone, and I could tell she was trying her best to not feel jealous or threatened. She wasn’t pushing that she was my mother or suspected of being it; she was acting more like a new friend. I had to imagine it was hard for her though, because she did believe that she was my mother and as far as she knew I could have been adopted out. I could have a whole other family that she wasn’t a part of.
“No, no I was never adopted. I spent eighteen years in foster care. Zoey is Charlie’s seven-year-old daughter from a previous relationship.”
“First, I’m sorry you never got adopted out. When I was pregnant, I had a social worker and she assured me that ninety percent of infants are adopted within the first year of their life, most within the first month. It’s why I never tried to find parents to adopt you while I was pregnant. If I had known you would have to spend the first eighteen years of your life in foster care, I would have made sure you had loving parents who had taken you.” There was a deep regret and guilt within her voice, and I had no choice but to believe her.
“You couldn’t have known.” And she couldn’t have. I knew from my own experiences that infants always got adopted before they were six months old. Every foster family, every couple, preferred infants so they could have a full life with them, and the child wouldn’t have any memories of a time before them. Logic dictated that I was adopted; it just never happened for whatever reason.
“Still, I am truly sorry. And second, I bet Zoey is an amazing little girl, and she is very lucky to have you in her life. I’m sure she is going to be over the moon excited to have a sibling to play with and love.”
“I hope so,” I said with a small smile. “Tell me about your business,” I said, looking to change topics a bit. We had talked a lot about me, and I needed the break from the attention. And maybe I would discover something that could help us to determine if she was being honest with us. At least she had agreed to the DNA test and really that was all I could hope for.
Charlie
“Areyoureadytodo some shopping Baby Girl?” I asked as I looked at Zoey through my rearview mirror.
“Yes. What are we looking for?”
“Nothing special. I just thought it would be good for the three of us to get out for the day and have some fun. Play a little hooky from school and work.”
I had ulterior motives though, because I wanted to talk to Zoey about Maya being pregnant. I figured doing it in the car would be best because then we could go shopping and have lunch and maybe by the time we got back home, she would have processed the information. It also worked as a buffer if she was upset. A little retail therapy and bribery might be in order. That’s not usually how I did things with her, but I had never had to tell her she was going to be a big sister either. I was kinda doing this by the seat of my pants.
“How has school been going? Are you still enjoying it?” Maya asked.
“Mhmm. It’s awesome. Maddie is having a sleepover next Saturday. Can I go?”
“Absolutely. Did you get an invitation?”
“She said she was making them.”
“Okay, well bring it home when she gives it to you, and I can reach out to her mom and figure out the time.” I was more than happy for her to go to a sleepover. It would be her first, and I had no idea if she would make it all night, but the fact that she was invited was a massive improvement from her last school.
“Yay!” she cheered, practically bouncing in her seat.
I looked over at Maya, and she was smiling at the joy that was all over Zoey’s face. The love was so clear in her eyes, and I knew it was now or never. I gave Maya a pointed look, and she gave me a nod in return knowing exactly what I was asking. I took a deep breath in before I spoke.
“Hey Zoey, there was something Maya and I wanted to speak to you about really quick before we get to Austin.”
“Okay,” she simply said as she turned her gaze away from the scenery passing by her window.
“As you know, Maya and I are together, and we were wondering how you would feel if there was a baby in the house with us.”
I had no idea if this was the right way to handle this conversation. I wasn’t a child psychologist. I had no clue how to approach this conversation. I had done some reading at night from various articles, but they all said contradicting things. Essentially it was wing it and hope your child wasn’t predisposed to be jealous.
“Like a puppy or a kitty?” she asked, very excited at the idea of a pet. I knew she had always wanted a puppy, but I never agreed to it. Not because I didn’t like dogs. I loved them. We had a bunch on the farm growing up. It was more of the fact I was trying to adapt to being a single parent and with her being so young, I didn’t want to risk her becoming afraid of the dog once it left puppy size.
“No Sweetie, not like a puppy or a kitty,” Maya stated.
“It would be a real baby, a human baby,” I clarified.
“Like a little sister?” she asked, slightly confused still.
“Or a little brother. I’m not sure yet which it would be. How would you feel about being a big sister?”
“I like babies. I’m very good with them at the park. I would be a good big sister. I can play with them and teach them things. Are we getting one at the mall?”
I could see the glow within her eyes and some of the tension within my shoulders and chest started to dissipate. A quick glance over at Maya and I could tell she felt the same. Apparently, we were worried for nothing.
“Not at the mall no. The baby is in Maya’s belly. It has to grow, just like mommy’s belly did when you were in it. Remember the pictures that I showed you?”
