Chapter 9 #2
“If she’s like you, she will be.” Her voice lowered. “Don’t tell the other boys, but you were always the better-looking lad, especially since you were lucky enough to be blessed with my mammy’s eyes.”
I smirked. “Thanks, Ma.”
“Don’t let it go to your head now, Donovan O’Shea,” she said, her tone turning steely.
“You were also a fecking tearaway. I’m shocked to the core that Imogen is the only bairn you have out there, seeing as you’ve always stuck your flute in places it didn’t belong, but I’m hoping Rosie Woods will knock that shite outta ya soon enough.
” Her eyes hardened on me. “I’ll send her a link to a set of frying pans she can use to knock your block off. ”
I leaned down and kissed Ma’s soft cheek. “You know what to say to bring a man back down to Earth, don’t you, Ma?”
“Too right, Son,” she agreed. “Now, where’s that eejit brother of yours? We need to go meet my granddaughter Imogen, do we not?”
Goose bumps ran down my arms. “Yeah, Ma. Let’s go meet Imogen.”
—————
We were shown into Tia’s office an hour later and left to wait for her while she went off to grab Imogen’s file. On the way here, I’d stopped and run into a kid’s boutique with Mam to buy Imogen some clothes, then we hit the local grocery store for diapers and medicine.
I’d done some internet searches and found out I wouldn’t be allowed to take Imogen straight back to Hambleton, but I wanted to make sure she was covered at the foster home at least.
My eyes fell on the row of bags lining one wall. “Do you think we got enough?” I asked.
Mam grinned at me. “Yes, Son. She has a month's worth of diapers, new outfits, medicine, and you’ve even put a five-hundred-dollar Whole Foods gift card in there. We’ll ask Tia to let us know if she runs out of anything, and we’ll send more if we need to.
” Her hand hit my knee, which was bouncing with nerves.
“Calm down, Son. Whatever will be will be.”
The door opened, and my head whipped around to see Tia walk in alongside a mixed-race lady who I would say was close to my ma’s age.
“Sorry to keep you waiting,” Tia told us with an apologetic smile, taking a seat at her desk.
The other woman sat beside her, and her gaze immediately fell on me. “Imogen has your eyes,” she murmured.
My throat heated because more than anything, I wanted to see those eyes in person.
Tia opened the file she’d laid on her desk and handed both me and Callum a sealed envelope.
With a fortifying breath, I ripped mine open and studied the results. I read the words over and over again until they finally began to sink in. That was when my shoulders slumped. My gaze slid to Mam, and I confirmed, “Imogen’s my daughter.”
“Congratulations, bro,” Callum murmured, squeezing Maeve’s leg.
Tears filled Mam’s eyes, and her hand covered mine. She straightened her spine and croaked, “So, what happens next?”
“I assume by your reaction that you want to take parental responsibility for Imogen?” Tia asked.
The lump in my windpipe almost choked me, but I cleared my throat and rasped, “Yes.”
She smiled. “Then we’ll start the ball rolling.
I need to go through your home life, your job and earnings, where you live, and your family.
We have to do police and financial checks, and finally, we have to take it before a judge to get everything signed off.
” She glanced at the woman beside her. “This is Imogen’s foster carer, Jen.
She has to leave town by the end of the week, and I’d like everything settled by then.
Do you have any objections to me rushing this through? ”
“No,” I replied, glancing at Jen and smiling my thanks. “I want everything settled as soon as possible. I want to take her home with us.”
“Are you able to stay in town while we do this?” she asked.
“Yeah,” I agreed.
“I’ll stay, too,” Mam added.
I squeezed her hand.
“And us,” Cal offered.
“No,” I protested. “You and Maeve need to get to Ireland.”
“We’ll stay a couple of days while we organize new flights,” she reiterated. “I want to meet my new niece more than anything.”
My stare went back to Tia. “When can we meet her?”
Tia smiled. “You have to file a petition with the family court for legal custody. Your name isn’t on the birth certificate, so you’ll need a court order to complete that. You’ll have to appoint a family lawyer to represent you. Will that be a problem?”
“No,” I stated. “We have a close family friend who’s a partner in a law practice. I just need to make a phone call.”
“That’s good,” she responded. “If we want to rush this through, you need a lawyer who can take on your case immediately. As for meeting Imogen, we need a judge to sign off on it, but in the circumstances, I can make an exception and let you see her at least.”
My heart did a backflip. “Today? Now?”
Tia let out a little laugh. “Yes. Give us a few minutes to set it up, and I’ll come back for you.”
Jen stood up and took a step toward me. “Imogen’s such a sweetheart. She’s quiet and watches everything like she’s taking it all in and storing it up in her head. She’s a pretty baby, but there’s more to her. She’s got an old, wise soul.”
My mouth curved. “That’s nothing like me. I’m impulsive and I wouldn’t say I’m really a watcher; I’m more of a doer.”
“Having opposite personalities isn’t a bad thing,” Jen declared. “You’ll balance each other out.”
I stood and clasped her hand. “Thank you for taking care of her. I bought her a few things—clothes and medicine and diapers, and stuff. There’s a gift card for you to put toward food”—my eyes swung to Tia—“if that’s okay.
I don’t know the setup and I don’t mean any offense, but Imogen’s my kid and I’ve already missed so much.
I want to be the one to provide for her.
Even if things don’t go my way, that won’t change.
I’ll still take financial responsibility. ”
Tia beamed. “From what I can see, Donovan, you’re going to be fine.”
Maeve sat forward and asked, “Can you give her the dolly that Donovan bought her? It’s a soft toy and it’s age appropriate.”
Jen nodded. “Of course.”
I went over to the bags and rummaged through them until I found the soft, raggy doll I’d bought. “I read that I wouldn’t be able to meet her straight away, so I wanted her to have something to hug until it can be me.” I stalked back to Jen and handed her the doll.
“Oh, Donovan,” Mam whispered, then a sob left her throat, and her face crumpled.
Maeve and Callum were out of their seats in a flash. “It’s okay, Maureen,” Maeve whispered, bending down to hold her. “Imogen will be home soon enough.”
Mam swiped the tears away from her eyes and nodded, unable to speak.
“We’ll give you a few minutes,” Tia murmured. “I realize this must be highly emotional for you all. I can’t give you guarantees, but from what I’ve seen so far of you and your family, I’d be shocked if you weren’t back in Wyoming with Imogen by the end of the week.”
I took my seat next to Mam and pulled her close. “I hope so; my Ma’s going to drive me insane with all her crying. She’ll be dehydrated by Friday.”
Ma let out a soft snort, while Tia smiled.
On the outside, I was keeping my shit together, but I couldn’t stop the surge of excitement shooting through me.
I wouldn’t admit it to Tia or Jen, but I wasn’t going anywhere without my girl. The day I drove home, she’d be in her car seat, either watching me sing along to the radio or snoozing all the way.
I hadn’t even met Imogen yet, but my chat with Ma had swept away all my doubts and filled me with a newfound sense of determination to have my kid with me where she belonged.
I may have had a slight wobble and a major crisis of confidence, but in my defense, it was a big shock.
Deep down, I always knew what the outcome would be; I just needed a push and for somebody to help me see the light.
Very soon, I’d be a single dad with a little girl to care for, but I didn’t give a fuck. Being a single guy didn’t mean I couldn’t learn. Hell, I’d attend daily goddamned parenting classes if that was what it took to get the judge to side with me.
I also had women around me who Imogen could go to if she needed more than I could give.
Ma, Aislynn, and Maeve. I hoped one day I could add Rosie to that list, even though we’d had a glitch already, and I was pretty sure she was pissed at me.
However, I also knew the woman Rosie was.
When I explained about Imogen, there was no doubt that I’d have her support because she, of all people, understood that kids came first every time.
It was crazy how suddenly that phrase made so much sense. I hadn’t even laid eyes on Imogen in the flesh, but she was already the most important thing in the world to me. Without question, I knew I’d lay down my life for my daughter.
Now, I just had to convince the judge.
—————
Seventeen minutes later, looking through a window into a playroom that contained a solitary tiny baby girl, something happened that was so goddamned profound, I knew I’d never be the same man I was mere seconds before.
I fell in love.
And it was weird because even though I felt an overwhelming sense of protectiveness for Imogen before, it was nothing like this.
We stood at a large window looking into a room laden with toys and games where a tiny, dot of a baby girl sat with an elderly black lady, surrounded by building blocks.
Tia and Jen let themselves into the room, and Tia went straight over to the little girl and picked her up.
The baby held her arms out willingly to Tia as she lifted her, and allowed herself to be carried toward the window, her knowing, watchful gaze never leaving Tia’s face.
And when I said allowed herself to be carried, that was exactly what I meant because I had a feeling that if that baby girl objected to anything you did, she’d let you know it, and something about that made me smile.
Jen fell into step beside them and cooed something to Imogen while holding up the raggy doll I’d bought her. My heart melted as I watched Imogen’s face light up. She clumsily took the toy in her little arms and buried her little face in it.
Fire hit the back of my throat.
“Sweet, sweet Jesus, Donovan. She’s a beauty just like my mammy,” Ma whispered.
I nodded, unable to speak, and swallowed down the lump burning my throat.
Mam’s hand caught mine, and I heard her suck in a breath as Tia approached the window. She murmured something to Imogen, who looked at her owlishly and then turned and stared straight at me.
Our eyes locked, and my heart exploded because there and then, for the first time in my thirty-five years, I had something.
I was gone for my daughter.
I must have looked like an idiot, standing there, gulping back tears, unable to drag my eyes away from the most beautiful creature I’d ever seen, but I didn’t care. I had a feeling it wouldn’t be the first time I’d be a fool for my baby girl.
I smiled wryly because the photograph I saw the day before didn’t do my daughter justice.
It certainly didn’t prepare me.
Imogen was blonde-haired, smooth-skinned, and beautifully formed. Her bright blue eyes were mine, but they were also her own. They held their own story behind them and conveyed that she already knew more than she should have, and it was something I didn’t entirely like.
There and then, I decided we’d make more stories—our own beautiful ones—and we’d do it together. Never again would anything bad happen to my girl. I’d slay every dragon that breathed fire in her direction.
Imogen snuggled her raggy doll into her already elegant little neck and smiled shyly up at me.
She knew. She could feel it too.
My insides melted, and the compulsion to raise my hand and touch the glass separating us was so strong that I couldn’t resist.
Seeing it, Imogen leaned forward and touched the window where my fingertips rested.
Every organ, every bone, every drop of blood inside me, and every inch of skin encasing me blazed with the need to protect her.
My daughter was perfect.
Just perfect.
And she was mine.