And by the way, ‘Neil’ or ‘Dad’ will do just fine.”
Matthew chuckled. “I’ll remember that.”
“Take care,” he said. “You, too, Charlotte.”
As Matthew and Charlotte walked inside Racquel’s room, Racquel smiled wider than Charlotte had seen her smile since the baby was born. She was sitting in the recliner and was about to get up, but Matthew couldn’t wait for that. He leaned down, squeezed her tightly, and kissed her on her forehead. Then he kissed her on the lips. “It’s so good to see you, baby, and thank you.”
“It’s great to see you, too, but why are you thanking me?” she asked.
“For going through all of this without me. For not complaining.”
“Please. We agreed that it was important for you to go to school, and you know I support that. Plus, you’re here now.”
Matthew hugged her again. “I love you so much.”
“I love you, too, sweetie.”
A chill ripped through Charlotte’s heart. She wasn’t sure why, but she couldn’t control the way she felt. She’d heard Matthew and Racquel share their feelings for each other out loud before, but this time, it seemed different. It sounded more intense and…well…like they really meant it. Hopefully, this I-love-you phase was merely a result of high emotions relating to the baby, and it would quickly pass.
Charlotte glanced around the room at all the greeting cards and floral arrangements. Then, to her great disappointment, Vanessa walked in. Charlotte had been relieved that she wasn’t there.
“Oh my goodness, Matt!” she said with open arms. “I was so glad to hear you were coming home.”
“Hey, Mom. It’s good to be here.”
Mom???? Charlotte must have been hearing things, and if for some reason she wasn’t, why on earth was Matthew calling her that? She was his mother, not that witch, Vanessa!
“Just wait until you see that little one of yours!” Vanessa said, beaming. “Talk about the most handsome baby ever.”
Racquel shook her head and laughed at her mother. “She acts as though there are no other babies in the country. But, Matt…he really is perfect. He’s everything you and I could have hoped for.”
“He certainly is,” Vanessa said. “And what are you waiting for? Racquel and I were planning to go down to the nursery, but now the two of you can go together.”
Matthew helped Racquel up. “Do you want your wheelchair?”
“No, I’m fine. I need to walk as much as I can.”
“Okay,” Matthew said to Charlotte and Vanessa. “We’ll be back.”
“Have a good time,” Vanessa said, but as soon as they left the room, she walked past Charlotte and started gathering all of Racquel’s cards. Charlotte guessed she was helping Racquel pack up to go home tomorrow.
As usual, the atmosphere was awkward and icy and Charlotte felt out of place, so she sat down. Vanessa kept her back to her and continued pulling down cards. Charlotte picked up the television selector, flipped through a few channels, but she couldn’t take all this silence. It was maddening, to say the least, and given the way Matthew had looked at Racquel and the warm connection between him and Vanessa, she wondered if maybe she should swallow her pride and try reaching out to Vanessa. It was the last thing she wanted to do, but she also couldn’t chance losing her son to this woman.
“Vanessa, can I talk to you?”
Vanessa never turned around but said, “About what?”
“Our grandson, and the fact that you and I are going to have to see each other pretty regularly…whether we like it or not.”
Vanessa never even grunted.
“Maybe you didn’t hear me.”
“Of course I did.”
This woman was already trying Charlotte’s patience. “Well, since you didn’t respond, I figured maybe you hadn’t.”
Now Vanessa faced her. “Look, Charlotte. To be honest, I really don’t have anything to say. We do share a grandchild, but I think we both know that we’ll never be friends.”
“Nonetheless, we need to treat
Matthew chuckled. “I’ll remember that.”
“Take care,” he said. “You, too, Charlotte.”
As Matthew and Charlotte walked inside Racquel’s room, Racquel smiled wider than Charlotte had seen her smile since the baby was born. She was sitting in the recliner and was about to get up, but Matthew couldn’t wait for that. He leaned down, squeezed her tightly, and kissed her on her forehead. Then he kissed her on the lips. “It’s so good to see you, baby, and thank you.”
“It’s great to see you, too, but why are you thanking me?” she asked.
“For going through all of this without me. For not complaining.”
“Please. We agreed that it was important for you to go to school, and you know I support that. Plus, you’re here now.”
Matthew hugged her again. “I love you so much.”
“I love you, too, sweetie.”
A chill ripped through Charlotte’s heart. She wasn’t sure why, but she couldn’t control the way she felt. She’d heard Matthew and Racquel share their feelings for each other out loud before, but this time, it seemed different. It sounded more intense and…well…like they really meant it. Hopefully, this I-love-you phase was merely a result of high emotions relating to the baby, and it would quickly pass.
Charlotte glanced around the room at all the greeting cards and floral arrangements. Then, to her great disappointment, Vanessa walked in. Charlotte had been relieved that she wasn’t there.
“Oh my goodness, Matt!” she said with open arms. “I was so glad to hear you were coming home.”
“Hey, Mom. It’s good to be here.”
Mom???? Charlotte must have been hearing things, and if for some reason she wasn’t, why on earth was Matthew calling her that? She was his mother, not that witch, Vanessa!
“Just wait until you see that little one of yours!” Vanessa said, beaming. “Talk about the most handsome baby ever.”
Racquel shook her head and laughed at her mother. “She acts as though there are no other babies in the country. But, Matt…he really is perfect. He’s everything you and I could have hoped for.”
“He certainly is,” Vanessa said. “And what are you waiting for? Racquel and I were planning to go down to the nursery, but now the two of you can go together.”
Matthew helped Racquel up. “Do you want your wheelchair?”
“No, I’m fine. I need to walk as much as I can.”
“Okay,” Matthew said to Charlotte and Vanessa. “We’ll be back.”
“Have a good time,” Vanessa said, but as soon as they left the room, she walked past Charlotte and started gathering all of Racquel’s cards. Charlotte guessed she was helping Racquel pack up to go home tomorrow.
As usual, the atmosphere was awkward and icy and Charlotte felt out of place, so she sat down. Vanessa kept her back to her and continued pulling down cards. Charlotte picked up the television selector, flipped through a few channels, but she couldn’t take all this silence. It was maddening, to say the least, and given the way Matthew had looked at Racquel and the warm connection between him and Vanessa, she wondered if maybe she should swallow her pride and try reaching out to Vanessa. It was the last thing she wanted to do, but she also couldn’t chance losing her son to this woman.
“Vanessa, can I talk to you?”
Vanessa never turned around but said, “About what?”
“Our grandson, and the fact that you and I are going to have to see each other pretty regularly…whether we like it or not.”
Vanessa never even grunted.
“Maybe you didn’t hear me.”
“Of course I did.”
This woman was already trying Charlotte’s patience. “Well, since you didn’t respond, I figured maybe you hadn’t.”
Now Vanessa faced her. “Look, Charlotte. To be honest, I really don’t have anything to say. We do share a grandchild, but I think we both know that we’ll never be friends.”
“Nonetheless, we need to treat
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