Chapter 5
Maddie
I'm cooking dinner as Connor is getting the baby dressed in one of the new dresses we picked up. The sounds from the living room have a permanent smile on my face, as does the kiss we shared earlier. "Are you excited to meet your aunt Megan?" Connor asks Faith as if she's going to answer him back.
"Megan is just going to love you, but remember she's career-driven. Though there's nothing wrong with that, you need to make sure that you balance it with fun too and that's what me and Maddie are here to teach you."
I smile at the thought of watching this little one grow up before my eyes. Though the thought terrifies me, but before I can get any more freaked out, there's a knock on the door that pulls me from my thoughts.
"Well, looks like your aunt Megan is here. Let's go get the door and let her in, shall we?" Connor says to Faith, and I watch him carry her to the door and open it.
Megan stands there with the fresh from the office look, which is how I know her. With her hair pulled back in a no nonsense hairstyle, very little makeup on, she’s dressed in her usual power suit. Her eyes are locked on Faith, and no one moves. Even Connor doesn't seem to know what to do.
So, I step forward with a smile on my face.
"Megan, this is your niece Faith. Faith, this is your aunt Megan."
That seems to shake Megan out of whatever trance she was in, and she steps inside.
"I'm possibly her aunt Megan, but we won't know until the DNA test comes back." Though her tone is stern and cold, when she looks at the little baby in her brother’s arms, her face softens. "She does look just like you when you were a baby."
"Why don’t you both sit down? We've got a little time before dinner's ready," I tell them as they very uncomfortably sit in the living room.
"All right. Tell me exactly what happened from the moment this little thing entered your life," Megan says, and I recognize her lawyer face again.
So, Connor starts at the beginning, at being woken up by a pounding on the door and finding the baby on the doorstep with the diaper bag. Then he tells her about the letter and the paperwork that was left, down to remembering the one-night stand and calling me for help.
After handing over the letter and folder with the paperwork that was in the diaper bag, she looks it over as we sit down for dinner. Without speaking, she goes over the paperwork, reading it intently, and going over it more than once. Finally, she looks back up at us.
"This paperwork seems straightforward. You were right to get the DNA test. I'm going to start the process and get a paper trail going. The sooner we can get this finalized and appear before court, the better on the off chance the mother tries to change her mind," Megan says.
"What if she changes her mind before then?" Connor looks a bit panicked at the thought.
"There isn't too much that she can do, even if the cops show up on your doorstep.
Your name is on the birth certificate, and you have the letter with her signature and the paperwork showing that she gave up her rights.
They would tell you to take it to family court, which is exactly what we are going to do.
If she makes contact, let me know. Do not let her in the house and do not let her near the baby.
If you can avoid it, don't make contact because the next time you talk to her should be in court. "
Not even finishing all of her dinner, Megan stands and starts filing the papers in her bag.
"You need to call Mom and Dad and tell them what's going on. I understand you don't want to ruin their trip, but this is bigger than that, and I'm not leaving until you do."
"And put it on speakerphone because this will be good." I smile, and Megan smiles back at me. We have to have a little fun with this.
Clearly outnumbered, Connor does as we ask. Pulling out his phone, he calls and puts his mom on speakerphone. After making sure that his dad is there, he breaks the news. Though he gives them the condensed version of what's happened.
There’s dead silence on the line, and I can just imagine their faces on the other end. They’re probably a bit shocked, along with some utter confusion.
"I want to see this girl. I'm going to call you back on a video chat," and the line goes dead.
A moment later, the phone rings and when Connor answers it, this time his parents’ faces fill the screen.
"Let me see her." His mom says sternly in the ‘I'm your mom don't mess with me kind of way.’
"Mom, she's sleeping. I don't want to..."
"I don't care what you want. What you want became insignificant the moment you became a father. Now go get that little girl."
No one argues. Instead, I walk over and get Faith out of her swing and bring her to Connor. She stirs slightly, but thankfully, stays asleep.
Silently, his parents both just stare at her on the phone before his mom gives orders for him to move the phone here or there. Finally, a huge smile crosses her face.
"She looks just like you did as a baby. Have you contacted Megan to make sure that all your rights are taken care of?"
"Yes, he did, Mom. I'm right here, and I'm going to start working on all of this. Hopefully, we have it taken care of before you even get home."
"Good. You see to that."
His mom then spends the next twenty minutes asking what she can do to help. Wanting to know what sizes the baby is wearing and if they have everything that they need. Then his mom claims that tomorrow she's going shopping, which makes his dad groan and Megan and I laugh.
With a promise not to cut the trip short since they're visiting his mom's sister, we hang up, and the look on Connor's face is like he just came home from battle.