Saturday.
Zac pressed buttons and pushed on the stroller trying to get it to collapse so he could get it back inside the truck. Paris loud cry poured out of the open hatch. Fatima worked to secure the baby in her seat. "Is she still teething? She's been crying like that all day." He pressed a button and the stroller folded in half. "She misses her mom." "How do you know?" He shrugged. "The way she's crying." Fatima looked around the seat with a questioning gaze. "Now who do we call the Baby Whisperer?" "I just heard it before. My sister used to cry like that." "You have a sister?" Zac turned away and closed his eyes. He already said too much and that was a question he wasn't sure he could answer. "I imagine she does miss her mother. Where are her parents?" Fatima asked him once he got inside and started the ignition. "You've had her for quite some time." He pulled out of the space and drove toward the exit. "Her mom is out of town." "Well is she ever coming back?" Fatima joked. She couldn't recall hearing Zac mention Pat's parents and in the past few days that she'd been at Zac's, no one called to check on her. "Zac?" "Yeah. They're just working out a few more things before she goes back home." Fatima looked back at Zac, but he said no more. He was already gripping the steering wheel and clenching his teeth so she didn't press it. Whatever was going on with that precious little girl was serious and she hoped everything would work out in the baby's favor.
Sunday.
Fatima rolled on her side and pushed up on her elbow at the sound of Zac's voice. He sat with his bare back toward her, with his hand gripped around the phone. "Call me on my cell when you get there. I'm leaving the house as soon as I can get dressed." He hung up and dropped his head in his hands. "That was my mother. Do you mind watching the baby until I can arrange for the agency to send someone over?" "I can keep her. There's no need to call anyone. What's going on?" "My mother woke up and couldn't move her arm. I'm meeting her at the hospital." "Perhaps Pat and I should come with you." "No, not yet. She says it's fine now, but the doctor still wants to check her out. I agree, with her condition and all." "Of course. Keep me updated." Zac nodded and stood to find his clothes.
***
Zac sat on the window ledge and stared down at the hospital parking lot. At least this time his mother didn't require an ambulance. "I'm ready to go. What's taking them so long?" his mother complained from the bed. He turned to see Lilian tugging at the belts of her robe. Trying to convince her to change into a hospital gown was probably the roughest part of his morning. In the end, she won and got to keep the leopard printed muumuu on. "The doctor just wants to get one more set of tests back before he releases you." "I told you that I'm fine." She patted the spot next to her. Zac laughed and moved to sit on the edge of her bed. "That's what you were thinking when you asked me to make sure the most up-to-date will was in the safe?" "I have a grandchild now." "You do?" "Yes, Penny." "Mom, her name is Paris." "It is? But you told us it was Penny." Zac shook his head disappointed in himself. "It's Paris Nicole. When this is over, it will be Paris Nicole Taylor" Lilian smiled and patted his cheek. "She got to you, didn't she?" Warmth radiated throughout his chest and he reached to place his hand on top of hers. "Am I crazy for wanting her to be mine?" "Not at all."
"Since we're here with you hooked up to all this equipment, do you mind if I ask you something?" "What does the equipment have to do with anything?" "In case I get you too worked up with what I'm about to ask you, the doctors can get to you in time. Why did you hate Paige so much and not Dad?" Lilian took a while to answer. At first just getting her thoughts together. "I never hated her." "You never liked her either." "I don't know why I would." "What about Dad? He was the one who cheated." "Yes, he did, but why are you bringing that girl up?" "I just remember the fights you and Dad used to have. Her name would be part of it. I knew it hurt you. It always bothered me that Paige did that to you and I didn't want to like her." "But you do." "I don't know. I don't even know her. Not really," Zac said. "But she is my sister and sometimes I wonder if that's something we should stop faulting her for." Lilian said nothing and neither did Zac until a nurse returned to her room with discharge instructions and a wheelchair to help them leave. Once she was situated inside the car, Lilian turned to look at Zac before he closed the door. "Paris is innocent. She didn't ask for any of this. Don't ever let anyone treat her like she did something wrong by being born."
