36. Mason Domestic
MASON Domestic
Motherhood looks good on you,” I said, wrapping my arms around Daisy’s waist.
She smiled and kissed me, quickly at first and then longer. Then she put both hands on my shoulders and pretended to push me away. “Oh, no, no,” she said. “Do you know that I’m having trouble resisting you?”
I pulled her close and whispered into the top of her head, “That’s what I was hoping.” I kissed her hair and said, “Maybe I could take Tilley home and then come back for a longer visit?”
I felt her nod. “Maybe you could stay the night?” she said into my chest.
I pulled away and made a face like I was impressed. “I thought I would have to convince you.”
She laughed, stood on her tiptoes, and kissed me. “No convincing me. I’m good and hooked.”
Maybe this was what I felt myself falling for so quickly.
She was so open with me. Although maybe it was because I was honest with her.
I had asked her to be mine and no one else’s.
And that should mean something. It did mean something.
I hadn’t so much as thought about anyone else since we had met.
I couldn’t remember ever having that feeling of wanting to be together all the time.
I would remember not to be so hard on Parker for being so whipped by Amelia. He would love throwing this in my face.
“So, maybe we should sort of talk about what the ground rules will be with Maisy here?” I asked.
I knew this was going to totally change Daisy’s life.
I wanted to be a help, not a hindrance. But I also wanted her all to myself.
The juggling was going to be tricky. With anyone else, this would have been too big a complication.
With her, I felt like I would jump over any hurdle.
“For sure,” she said. “I will put her down around seven, and then I thought maybe we could have dinner and hash all that out?”
It was all very domestic, very un-me. But I was going to lean in, because this was what it would take to be with Daisy. Growth.
“I know Tilley is doing well and everything,” Daisy said. “But maybe we shouldn’t, you know, tempt fate.”
I nodded. “For sure.” She was talking to Maisy, but I couldn’t make out what she was saying.
I put my hand out to stop Daisy.
“Robbie, they’re trying to take you from me,” she said.
Daisy and I shared a confused glance.
“But I won’t let them,” she continued, cooing down at Maisy. “You are my own precious baby boy with my Robert, and I will not ever let them take you away from me. I can take care of you just fine.”
Daisy mouthed, “What?”
She was definitely having a spell. And, while my first instinct was to grab Maisy, I stood back.
Something was coming together for me, a memory maybe, of my mom and Elizabeth talking in the kitchen when I wasn’t supposed to be listening, of feeling confused about something having to do with baby Robbie.
Her voice was smooth and calm as she continued.
“We will just tell Elizabeth and Mom and Dad that we don’t need Elizabeth to take you.
She doesn’t need to be your mommy because I’m your mommy, and, no, you won’t have a daddy because he’s gone, but you have uncles and a grandfather and plenty of people who love you.
” Still looking down at Maisy, she said, “You’ll see, sweetheart.
We’ll have the best life together, just you and me. We don’t need anyone else.”
Horror washed over me. There was a chance, sure, that Tilley was just waxing poetic about something totally fictional. I couldn’t count the number of times I’d pretended I was at a ball with her, or going to see the queen at court or some other absurdity.
But this felt different.
Was Robbie actually Tilley’s child? Surely not. I rubbed my chin. But in my memory, wasn’t Elizabeth saying, “It’s not like I want to do this. But she isn’t in her right mind. She can’t raise him”?
It hadn’t meant anything to me then. But now…
I couldn’t remember Elizabeth being pregnant with Robbie.
I couldn’t remember seeing Tilley at all for months after Robert died.
I was a child, so that didn’t mean much.
But still… I remembered people being sad.
I remembered Mom telling me not to ask where Robert was.
But God. They just named him Robbie anyway?
Elizabeth always said she had named him for her father, which I guess was a lucky coincidence.
I wanted to ignore this feeling. But I knew, with every cell, that Tilley was Robbie’s mother.
It was like a vase had shattered and now that the biggest piece was in place, I could glue the whole thing back together.
Daisy knelt down by Tilley, cradling Maisy’s head. “Aunt Tilley, this is Maisy, not Robbie.”
Aunt Tilley smiled placidly at her. “This is my baby, Robbie. Isn’t he beautiful?”
Yeah. She was long gone. I sat beside her on the couch and asked, “Robbie is your baby? Not Elizabeth’s baby? Not Amelia’s little brother?”
Tilley shook her head sadly. “No one will tell you the truth but me. I gave birth to this baby, and they won’t let me keep him because I wasn’t married to Robert. They say I’m only twenty, but twenty is plenty old to raise a child.”
Honestly, that seemed like something they would have done.
“Tilley, can I hold your baby?” Daisy asked smoothly.
“I think it’s time for the baby to go to bed,” I said. “Maybe Daisy could put him to bed? She’s a nurse, you know.”
Tilley nodded. “Oh yes. A baby nurse. How kind of you to hire one for me. I am so very tired.”
Daisy took Maisy, and I gestured for her to go into the nursery. I’d never seen Tilley get mad or violent, but I wasn’t going to risk it.
“I’m going to get you home, Tilley. Okay? Back to Dogwood?”
She nodded sullenly. “Okay.” Then, with her most piercing stare, she looked right at me. “But they don’t love me there. They took my baby.” Then she whispered to me, “Robbie is my son, Mason. My son.”
She said it with such ferocity that my blood ran cold.
And I had the distinct feeling that Daisy wasn’t the only one I would be visiting tonight.
I would get Tilley home and try to act normal as I told Amelia she needed to keep an eye on her.
But, as soon as she was settled, I was going straight to see my mother.