29. Sterling
My phone buzzed. It was earlier than I expected to hear from Cecelia. I thought she would have still been asleep.
“You’re up early,” I grumbled. My voice wasn’t ready to be awake and functional.
“Sorry, I thought you’d be up with Georgie.”
“I am, but she’s almost back asleep.”
“I woke up, and I am so awake, right now.” She sounded entirely too enthusiastic for this time of day.
“You went to bed early,” I commented.
“Hardly. After you left, I was up for hours trying to figure all of this out.”
“Did you go to bed at all?” I asked.
“I did. And I slept really, really well. I think you had something to do with that.”
I was too tired to laugh. I managed a light chuckle. “Happy to be of service.”
“You can service me any time,” she purred.
“Don’t start talking dirty. I’m still under the influence of sleep and am susceptible to your charms.”
“Oh, I have charms?”
“You need to stop flirting with me this early in the morning. There is a child present,” I gently chastised her. “I do like that you called me first thing, but I am curious as to why.”
I could practically hear her blush as she let out a nervous giggle.
“I have a plan that I think will work. I was really afraid we were going to have to wait until Georgie’s custody situation was resolved, but… anyway, I wanted to see what the schedule later today looked like. Do you have an appointment with Peggy? What about the nanny?”
“Are you asking if it’s safe to come over?”
“That’s exactly what I’m asking.”
I closed my eyes and thought for a moment. Georgie squirmed and shifted. I opened my eyes to make sure she was okay. Her little head was tilted back, and her mouth fell open with her bottle slowly sliding into the space between us.
“Hold on, let me get the baby back in her bed. Don’t go anywhere,” I grumbled before putting the phone down.
I lifted Georgie into the crook of my arm. She was getting bigger. Soon, I wouldn’t be able to easily carry her with one arm. After tucking her back into her crib, I crawled back into my own bed.
“I’m back,” I said with a yawn. “When do you want to come over?”
“Seriously, like right now.”
I might have groaned.
“I know I can’t, Sterling. I’m just anxious to go over my ideas with you. And to see you again.”
“Stanholt and the nanny are scheduled to be here later this morning. No one will be here if you come over for dinner.”
“Dinner?”
I made an affirmative grunt.
“If I come by for dinner, how long can I stay?”
“You can stay as long as you want, but maybe plan on leaving by six.”
“Six? I won’t even be there by six,” she complained.
“I meant A.M.”
She gasped, and this time, I knew she was blushing.
“I want to hear this plan of yours.” I was interested in how she thought it would work. I figured as long as she came over after hours, there was no reason for anyone at her agency to know she was here. And we only had to sneak around for a few months. I’d have to petition the state or something like that for custody, but after all of that was finalized, Cecelia and I could finally go public with our relationship.
I liked that she was organized and had a plan. And that her plan wasn’t to simply take care of her, though that wasn’t a bad idea. She was too independent to give up her career and take care of me and Georgie. Strong-willed and stubborn. Hmm, and beautiful.
“Come over for dinner. Stay the night,” I demanded.
“You don’t have to tell me twice. Go back to bed. Sorry I made you talk to me while you were sleepy.”
“Don’t be silly, Cecelia. I’ll see you this evening.” I ended the call and slid back into bed. Once upon a time, not so very long ago, before Georgie, I would have taken advantage of being up this early and hit the gym. I groaned and mentally prepared myself to flop onto my back and guilt myself into getting up. Instead, I pushed that stupid idea to the side. Sleep beckoned, and I returned.
The second time I woke up, I almost thought talking to Cecelia had been a dream. But Georgie was in her crib, and her bottle was still on my bedside table. If those things had happened as I remembered, then I accepted that so had talking to Cecelia.
I stayed in the background, not part of the conversation between the new nanny, Mrs. Fletcher—who insisted on being called Nanny Fletcher like some character from a Jane Austin novel—and Ms. Stanholt. They discussed growth milestones and care level expectations regarding Georgie. At no point was my opinion or my participation in the conversation requested.
“I still am her guardian, here,” I said at one point.
“Well, of course you are. And you have her best interests at heart. That’s all we’re discussing,” Ms. Stanholt said. I had been summarily dismissed. Only, I was expected to still appear as if I were participating in their discussion.
It was clear to me that the scenarios they were concocting regarding raising Georgie had me out of the picture but footing the bill. That was not going to happen. I grew irritated, and Georgie picked up on my mood and became irritable and cranky.
“I’m going to put her down for a nap,” I announced.
When neither woman said anything implying that I needed to be there, I scooped up Georgie. I headed to the kitchen first.
“You want a snack?”
Georgie smacked her lips, making eating motions. I grabbed an applesauce from the cupboard and peeled the foil lid from the individual serving-sized container. I didn’t bother to put Georgie in her highchair. I spoon fed her as I carried her back to the bedrooms. I was getting pretty good at this.
It didn’t take much to finish off the snack between the two of us.
Georgie yawned and rubbed her eyes. I rocked back and forth on my feet for a bit, soothing her until another yawn split her face. She didn’t fight it when I laid her in her crib. I patted her back for a few more minutes until I was certain she was out before I returned to the living room.
Ms. Stanholt looked at me as if I had done something wrong. I was beginning to realize that was pretty much all the time. “You can’t just leave with the baby like that,” she said.
“Yes, I can. She’s my niece, and this is my home. And while I get your agency is concerned that she is cared for properly, I am still the one caring for her.”
“That’s why Nanny Fletcher is here.” Ms. Stanholt pursed her lips and opened her eyes wide at me, as if to make a point.
“Remember, I’m only here part-time until Mr. Alexander returns to his work. Then I’ll be full-time.”
Nanny Fletcher shot me a quick glance and a wink before returning her undivided attention to Ms. Stanholt and their discussion regarding the proper foods Georgie should be eating and when.
Peggy Stanholt would probably have a nervous breakdown if she knew that more than half the time, I had Georgie eating the same foods I had, and not baby mush.
It seemed forever before Ms. Stanholt announced we were done for the day, like some overly strict teacher dismissing class. I stared at her for a long while before she stood up to leave. I think she may have forgotten this wasn’t her office. I let Nanny Fletcher see her to the elevator. After all, it was pretty clear to me that the Stanholt woman no longer thought I was in charge of Georgie’s wellbeing.
Nanny Fletcher returned to the living room and sat down. I couldn’t read her smile. Was she apologizing? Did she think I was as useless as the other woman thought?
“May I speak frankly?” she asked as she folded her hands on her lap.
I nodded. This was going to be interesting.
“That woman is insufferable.”
I barked out a laugh. Tension eased out of my shoulders. What a relief. I wasn’t the only one who thought so. “Yeah, yeah, she is. I thought for a while there that you were going to defect to her way of thinking.”
“She really doesn’t think you have any skill or intention of raising your niece, does she?”
I shook my head.
“The agency she works for originally sent someone over who provided some kind of training. Well, she told me what to do and what to buy. This case manager, she manages the case, not the people involved. Sometimes, I think she forgets that Georgie is an actual person and not a name on a piece of paper,” I admitted.
“I think you might be right,” Nanny Fletcher said. “Well, I’m sorry I can’t stay longer, but I am back tomorrow afternoon.”
I saw Nanny Fletcher to the elevator. It was good to know she was more inclined to be on my side. I needed the support and assistance in raising Georgie. And I would be raising Georgie.