Chapter 48 Charlotte
FORTY-EIGHT
CHARLOTTE
JUDE
How’s everything going?
I smile as I look down at my phone. I lie next to Ava on her playmat in the living room, shaking my head at her dad already checking in when it feels like he just left.
I pull up the camera app on my phone and switch it to selfie mode. I make sure both Ava and I are in frame before snapping a photo and sending it to Jude.
CHARLOTTE
We’re doing just fine without you
Have fun!!
JUDE
This photo is a tease. Now I want to leave Pembroke and race home to my girls.
I close my eyes and clutch my phone to my chest. He’s really got to stop doing that. My heart can’t handle it. I don’t think he realizes what he does to me every time he calls me his.
I groan and open my eyes. The sound catches the attention of Ava. She rolls to her belly and looks at me with a gummy smile.
“Don’t laugh at me, Ava girl,” I whine. “Your dad is just too cute, and it’s killing me.”
She excitedly kicks her legs and lets out a tiny little giggle that has me smiling despite my current predicament of catching feelings for her dad, even though I know I shouldn’t. I’m about to tickle her for laughing at me when my phone vibrates again.
JUDE
Keep sending photos of the two of you.
CHARLOTTE
Deal. But also put your phone away and enjoy your time with the guys. I’ll get ahold of you if anything happens, but I promise we’ll be fine.
JUDE
If I put my phone away do you promise to keep sending photos that I can look through later?
CHARLOTTE
Yes. Now go have fun.
JUDE
I love it when you’re bossy.
I roll my eyes and toss my phone to the side. I already can’t wait to hear all about his day golfing and how it went to tell more people about Ava, but I also want him to enjoy his time with the guys. Ava and I will have fun in his absence, while also being excited for him to get home.
My day with Ava has been amazing so far.
We played, read some books, and she drank some milk before doing a great job at sleeping in her crib for an almost two-hour nap.
We’re back on the floor, playing on her playmat and listening to the same song she’s obsessed with from one of her toys, when the doorbell rings.
I pause, wondering who it could even be. The doorknob moves as if someone’s trying to get in. I immediately grab Ava and pull her to my chest.
There’s beeping and then the sound of the door unlocking. My heart thuds because I have no idea who is coming into Jude’s house right now, but it’s obvious that whoever it is knows the passcode to his locks.
My heart hammers as I stumble to stand up with Ava in my arms.
“Jude,” a woman’s voice calls out.
I frown because I have no idea whose voice that is.
The door swings open, and I come face-to-face with a woman I recognize, but only because of photos on the internet and the photos Jude showed me before. A man steps through the door behind her, the two of them immediately looking at me.
“Hi,” I mutter, my heart racing as I try to think of what to say to Jude’s parents.
“Charlotte,” Jude’s mom says sweetly, her features softening as she looks from me to the baby in my arms. “And is this Ava?”
I nod because I don’t know how to respond.
I guess it makes sense that they would know who I am because of Jude.
I’ve been excited to possibly meet them one day.
Jude’s talked so much about them, and they obviously raised an incredible son.
I just wasn’t expecting to be meeting them today, and I definitely wasn’t expecting to meet them without Jude here too.
“We thought we’d surprise Jude and meet our granddaughter,” Jude’s mom explains as she walks to the kitchen counter.
She sets down her large designer bag and gives me a warm smile.
“We told him our trip didn’t end for a few more days, but we finished business early and couldn’t wait to get home to meet Ava.
I guess I should’ve thought about calling him first.”
I swallow as his dad shuts the door and also gives me a smile. I’m wondering if I should call Jude and tell him that his parents are here or ask him what I’m even supposed to do in this situation. “He went to golf at Pembroke. I’m sure he’ll be done soon. Maybe we should call him?”
Jude’s mom waves her hand dismissively through the air. “Not necessary. Let him enjoy his time. Last time we spoke, he told me he hadn’t gone to the club or told anyone there about his daughter yet.”
She walks up to me, and I keep Ava clutched to my chest, not knowing what to do. I know these are her grandparents—they share blood with her when I don’t—but I still feel weird just handing her over to them without Jude here.
“This is his first time going,” I confirm.
Jude’s mom holds her hand out. “I’m Florence, by the way. And this is my husband, Nathaniel.”
I smile because I appreciate that she’s introducing herself and not immediately taking Ava from my arms. My heart still beats erratically, but something about her warm smile helps ease my nerves.
I shift Ava so I hold her with one arm and hold out my other hand. “I’m Charlotte.”
Florence’s smile grows. “I know who you are. Jude’s talked a lot about you over the past year.”
I can’t help but smile while my heart leaps in my chest. I’ve certainly mentioned Jude to my mom—my entire family, really—but there’s something about knowing he’s talked about me as well that makes my heart melt.
“Oh, really?”
Florence’s gaze rakes over me as she drops my hand.
I try not to squirm underneath her stare.
She’s got the same big, almond eyes that Jude has, but instead of being brown like his, they’re more hazel.
“He talks about you often. There was a time when I thought you might be his girlfriend and he was too nervous to admit that to his nosy mother.”
I choke on my own spit at her comment. It was the last thing I was expecting her to say, and she said it so casually. “Not his girlfriend,” I rush to get out in between coughing fits.
Ava grabs at my cheek and smiles, clearly finding me choking on my own saliva hilarious.
Florence just watches me with a lifted brow and an unreadable stare.
“We’re just friends,” I finally get out.
Florence’s gaze drops.
My jaw clenches, and my cheeks feel like they’re on fire when I realize what she’s looking at.
I hadn’t expected visitors this morning when I got dressed.
I thought it was just going to be me and Ava hanging out.
If we were to leave for a walk or something, I would’ve changed.
But because we were having fun inside, I didn’t think twice about throwing on a tank top and leggings.
The leggings are fine, although I do feel underdressed compared to Florence in her linen dress, but it’s the tank top that’s the problem.
It does nothing to hide the hickeys left all over my neck.
I keep a tight hold on Ava as my cheeks continue to flush. I don’t even know what to say to Florence. I don’t know if I lie and say that the hickeys are not from Jude—that doesn’t seem right—or if I just tell her that they are from her son, but we’re still just friends.
My mouth stays shut because neither option seems like a great idea.
“As a friend,” Florence begins, putting emphasis on friend and letting me know she doesn’t believe me whatsoever, “are you also Ava’s nanny now? I thought Jude told me you worked at Pembroke.”
I nod. “I do. I’m a cart girl there, but I only work the weekend shift. Since I have most weekdays off, we’re trying this thing where I watch Ava a couple of days during the week so Jude can get out and also work when he needs to.”
Nathaniel speaks up from where he stands by the couch a few feet away from us.
“That’s kind of you to step in. I was wondering why he was falling behind at work; that wasn’t like Jude.
Since he told us about Ava, I’ve been trying to delegate his workload to others, but there’s stuff that needs to be overseen by him.
Good to know he has a plan moving forward. ”
“He’s been doing his best,” I say, meeting Nathaniel’s gaze.
The first thing I think when our eyes meet is that Jude has the same warm, brown eyes as his father.
“It’s been hard for him to not take on the full load of caring for Ava, but hopefully soon, we’ll find a rhythm,” I continue, wondering why it’s so important to me that his parents know how hard he’s been trying to juggle it all.
They haven’t seen him every day, navigating all of this, the way I have.
He’s doing the best he can, and they should know that.
“She really looks just like him,” Florence notes, completely changing the subject.
My gaze moves from Nathaniel back to Ava. I focus on her the same way Florence does, remembering how I thought the same thing the first time I saw her. Ava looks almost identical to her dad. I have no idea who her mother is, but I really can’t see anyone else in Ava’s features besides Jude.
“She’s perfect,” I whisper, leaning in and pressing a soft kiss to the top of her head.
“Do you know who her mother is?” Florence asks, taking me by surprise that she would ask the question so quickly.
I immediately shake my head. “I don’t know her name. Jude didn’t tell me, and I didn’t ask.”
Florence frowns for a moment as if she doesn’t believe me.
I can’t help but feel a tinge of pain in my chest because…
is that something he should’ve told me? His mom clearly expects me to know, but it isn’t something I ever wanted to push Jude on.
I didn’t really care to know. If Ava’s mother didn’t want to be in her life, then it isn’t necessary for me to know her identity.
She looks a little disappointed that I don’t have the answer.
“He told us it was someone in his past, but that’s as far as he’d go.
He hired his own lawyers and didn’t involve us in any of the legal dealings, so I can’t even find out from the lawyers who her mother is.
From the sound of it though, it seems like he’s getting closer every day to having full parental rights to Ava,” Florence continues.
“I don’t want to ask him if he doesn’t want to share.
I just feel like I could be doing more to help him, but it doesn’t seem like he wants the help. ”
I don’t say anything in response. Jude’s kept me updated about the legal proceedings. It’s a long process, but so far, it seems like everything is going according to plan for him to have full rights to Ava.
“Can I hold her?” Florence asks, pulling me from my thoughts.
I blink, trying to regain focus as I think about the right thing to do in this situation. Jude adores his parents. I know there isn’t any reason he wouldn’t want his mom holding his daughter…it just feels weird that he isn’t here for the moment.
I nod. “Do you mind if I take some photos of it though?” I point to where my camera sits on the end table by the couch.
Since it was just me and Ava, I spent some of our playtime getting photos of her.
My memory cards are filled with photos of her over the last month.
I want to start putting together a gift for Jude to give him on Ava’s first birthday, something filled with photos of her from every month she’s been with us.
“I just feel bad Jude isn’t here for the moment, and he’ll want to be able to see the two of you holding her for the first time. ”
Florence looks over to where Nathaniel closes the distance to her and places a hand on her shoulder.
Nathaniel stares at me with the same brown-eyed gaze as Jude, his lips pressed into a thin line before he gives one curt nod. “That’s very thoughtful of you.”
Florence nods along with her husband. “We’d love that.”
I smile and squeeze Ava once before handing her over to Florence. Jude’s mom’s eyes immediately glass over when Ava goes to her without any protests. I take in the moment for a second before hurrying over to grab the camera.
I take as many photos as I can, wishing Jude were here to see this moment with his parents but doing everything I can to make it feel like he didn’t miss a thing when he returns home from his day at Pembroke.