busy.”
“I know, Ma.” Lexi took a deep breath and slowly released it. “As I already told you, Quentin made the arrangements with his mother when he and the fellas set up the spa day. It was a surprise, remember? I didn’t know anything about it.”
Carlene harrumphed. “It just seems that every time you and Quentin need a babysitter, you leave Junior with Georgina. And then you wonder why the boy feels more comfortable around her than me.”
“That’s not true, Ma,” Lexi protested. “You’ve kept Junior plenty of times.”
“Not as often as Georgina.” Carlene sniffed. “I just hope when your brother and Ava have a baby, I won’t have to compete with her mother just to spend time with my grandchild.”
Lexi mentally counted to ten before responding, “No one’s making you compete with Quentin’s mother. You know you can see Junior anytime you want. The only reason Georgina spends more time with him is because she’s retired. Since she’s home during the day, she insists on keeping him for me whenever I have to go out, and I appreciate her for that.”
Carlene huffed, glaring out the window. “Well—”
Lexi reached over and touched her mother’s arm, stopping her midsentence.
When Carlene shot her a startled look, she smiled imploringly. “Remember what Dr. Blumenthal warned us about dwelling on negative thoughts? It’s a beautiful Sunday morning, Ma. Let’s focus on that, all right? Let’s focus on all the wonderful things we’re grateful for.”
Carlene lowered her gaze to Lexi’s hand on her arm. After a few moments, her expression softened and she nodded humbly. “You’re right, baby. I didn’t mean to fuss at you.”
“I know.” Lexi gently squeezed her arm. “We’re getting there.”
Mother and daughter shared an understanding smile.
When they arrived at Quentin’s mother’s house, she came to the door putting on a pair of pearl-drop earrings. As always, she looked effortlessly elegant in a cream dress with a strand of pearls at her neck and matching pumps on her feet. Her makeup was subtle, her lipstick a muted shade of pink that flattered her honey complexion.
“Hey, baby.” She greeted Lexi with a warm hug and kiss, then smiled graciously at her mother. “Good morning, Carlene. You look lovely.”
The compliment took some of the starch out of Carlene’s spine. “Thank you, Georgina. So do you.”
Georgina closed the door and led the way to the living room. “Junior’s been keeping himself busy while I finish getting ready for church.”
The baby sat in a playpen surrounded by an assortment of brightly colored toys. Drool ran down his chin as he banged around a plastic giraffe with gleeful, spastic enthusiasm. When he looked up and saw his mother enter the room, his eyes lit up. He tossed the toy aside and stretched out his arms to her.
“Hey, baby boy.” Lexi scooped him out of the playpen and snuggled him against her chest, savoring his fresh baby scent and the softness of his skin. “I missed you, Cuddlebug. Were you good for Grandma?”
“Are you kidding? He’s always good for Grandma,” Georgina cooed to the gurgling baby. When he grinned at her, she laughed. “He’s got his daddy’s personality, always grinning and putting on the charm.”
“I know,” Lexi agreed with a laugh. “He’s such a flirt.”
“Is he ever.” Georgina smiled, stroking her grandson’s hair. “He had a big breakfast—oatmeal, bananas and a whole bottle of milk. So he shouldn’t be hungry for a while.”
Lexi grinned. “This is Junior we’re talking about, right?”
Georgina laughed. “I see your point.”
When the baby looked at Carlene, she held out her arms with a hopeful smile. “Will you come to Grandma?”
As Junior eyed her dubiously, Lexi found herself holding her breath. When the baby finally went to her mother, she nearly sagged in relief. As Carlene took her grandson in her arms and held him close, her expression of tender gratitude
“I know, Ma.” Lexi took a deep breath and slowly released it. “As I already told you, Quentin made the arrangements with his mother when he and the fellas set up the spa day. It was a surprise, remember? I didn’t know anything about it.”
Carlene harrumphed. “It just seems that every time you and Quentin need a babysitter, you leave Junior with Georgina. And then you wonder why the boy feels more comfortable around her than me.”
“That’s not true, Ma,” Lexi protested. “You’ve kept Junior plenty of times.”
“Not as often as Georgina.” Carlene sniffed. “I just hope when your brother and Ava have a baby, I won’t have to compete with her mother just to spend time with my grandchild.”
Lexi mentally counted to ten before responding, “No one’s making you compete with Quentin’s mother. You know you can see Junior anytime you want. The only reason Georgina spends more time with him is because she’s retired. Since she’s home during the day, she insists on keeping him for me whenever I have to go out, and I appreciate her for that.”
Carlene huffed, glaring out the window. “Well—”
Lexi reached over and touched her mother’s arm, stopping her midsentence.
When Carlene shot her a startled look, she smiled imploringly. “Remember what Dr. Blumenthal warned us about dwelling on negative thoughts? It’s a beautiful Sunday morning, Ma. Let’s focus on that, all right? Let’s focus on all the wonderful things we’re grateful for.”
Carlene lowered her gaze to Lexi’s hand on her arm. After a few moments, her expression softened and she nodded humbly. “You’re right, baby. I didn’t mean to fuss at you.”
“I know.” Lexi gently squeezed her arm. “We’re getting there.”
Mother and daughter shared an understanding smile.
When they arrived at Quentin’s mother’s house, she came to the door putting on a pair of pearl-drop earrings. As always, she looked effortlessly elegant in a cream dress with a strand of pearls at her neck and matching pumps on her feet. Her makeup was subtle, her lipstick a muted shade of pink that flattered her honey complexion.
“Hey, baby.” She greeted Lexi with a warm hug and kiss, then smiled graciously at her mother. “Good morning, Carlene. You look lovely.”
The compliment took some of the starch out of Carlene’s spine. “Thank you, Georgina. So do you.”
Georgina closed the door and led the way to the living room. “Junior’s been keeping himself busy while I finish getting ready for church.”
The baby sat in a playpen surrounded by an assortment of brightly colored toys. Drool ran down his chin as he banged around a plastic giraffe with gleeful, spastic enthusiasm. When he looked up and saw his mother enter the room, his eyes lit up. He tossed the toy aside and stretched out his arms to her.
“Hey, baby boy.” Lexi scooped him out of the playpen and snuggled him against her chest, savoring his fresh baby scent and the softness of his skin. “I missed you, Cuddlebug. Were you good for Grandma?”
“Are you kidding? He’s always good for Grandma,” Georgina cooed to the gurgling baby. When he grinned at her, she laughed. “He’s got his daddy’s personality, always grinning and putting on the charm.”
“I know,” Lexi agreed with a laugh. “He’s such a flirt.”
“Is he ever.” Georgina smiled, stroking her grandson’s hair. “He had a big breakfast—oatmeal, bananas and a whole bottle of milk. So he shouldn’t be hungry for a while.”
Lexi grinned. “This is Junior we’re talking about, right?”
Georgina laughed. “I see your point.”
When the baby looked at Carlene, she held out her arms with a hopeful smile. “Will you come to Grandma?”
As Junior eyed her dubiously, Lexi found herself holding her breath. When the baby finally went to her mother, she nearly sagged in relief. As Carlene took her grandson in her arms and held him close, her expression of tender gratitude
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