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Yep.
No matter how much I thought having Lamise here with my son was a bad idea for me, there was no question she was the best choice for him.
Since she already had her hand on his head, I placed my hand on his back and patted him gently as I returned my attention to Lamise. “So, he was good? You aren’t second-guessing taking the job?”
“Are you kidding me? He was an angel. If I’m honest, I’m not sure how I’m going to last until later this week without seeing him. He’s so cuddly and happy. He puts a smile on my face, and it’s been a long time since I’ve been able to do that. I’m not going anywhere.”
Almost as soon as she got all of that out, I could see the look of regret wash over her face. Evidently, she realized she’d shared more than she’d intended. I had wanted to ask her what she meant by it when she said it had been a long time since she’d smiled, but I didn’t want to pry for more information about something she was already regretting having shared.
“I’m relieved to hear that. And while I’m not expecting you to do it, you are certainly more than welcome to be here throughout the week, if you’d like. You don’t have to wait until the end of the week to make one more visit,” I said, not understanding why I would ever make her such an offer.
She shook her head. “That’s sweet of you to say, but I think I’ll let your mom have her time alone with Rhys this week. She’s probably going to want all she can get before she goes in for that surgery.”
“And that’s really kind of you to do for her,” I reasoned.
At that moment, Rhys finally lifted his head from Lamise’s chest and reached for me. “Aw, see? He missed you. He just wanted to get a few extra minutes of cuddling in.”
I lifted my son out of Lamise’s lap and pulled him close, so I could press a kiss to the side of his head. “Hey, buddy. I missed you today.”
Rhys grabbed at my face with both of his hands.
“That’s my cue. I should get going, so you can enjoy the rest of your night with your baby, and I’ll be back on Friday.”
Lamise stood from the couch, and I did the same. “Sounds great. We’ll look forward to seeing you then.”
She reached out, gave Rhys’s hand a gentle squeeze, and said, “Me, too.”
Rhys and I walked Lamise to the front door, and I waited until she was safely in her car and pulling away before I stepped inside and closed the door again.
I then spent the rest of the night with Rhys, soaking up all the time I could with him before it was time for him to go down for the night. We ate, we played, and Rhys got his bath.
And when I laid my head down on the pillow after my own shower, I glanced over at the framed picture of Violet and me on the nightstand.
“You’re supposed to be here, Violet. You’re going to miss it all.”
She never responded.
SEVEN
Banks
“I’m happy to report I’m ending this week feeling much differently than I started it.”
Since the words my mom had just shared indicated something positive, and I knew the one thing that had been troubling her earlier in the week, I could only assume what she was referring to. And considering it was early Friday evening, I’d just gotten home from work, and Lamise had just left the house while my mom hung around, I was even more convinced of what my mother’s words were all about.
Even still, wanting to be certain, and positive she needed to share, I asked, “Care to enlighten me?”
Her eyes went in the direction of the front door. We couldn’t see it from where we were in the kitchen, but it was clear what, or who, she was thinking about. Contentment was written all over her face.
“I like her,” she finally declared.
“Lamise,” I stated, confirming what I already knewwould be the case.
Shaking her head in disbelief, my mom said, “I don’t know how you did it or why it worked out the way it did, but you couldn’t have found anyone better than her to look after Rhys.”
I’d been feeling similarly since she showed up at my house last Saturday morning. “What makes you say that?” I asked, wanting to get more information from her perspective.
“Banks, she’s delightful,” my mom started. “I know I’ve only had two days of being around her, but I’ve been with her all day, and I think she’s wonderful. She’s so engaged with Rhys when she’s with him, and from what I can see, he adores her. Honestly, I can’t begin to express just how relieved I feel knowing that she’s going to be here with him, and I’m no longer worried about something bad happening to Rhys when I go in for my surgery next week and have months of recovery ahead of me.”
