Blessings In Disguise (lesbian)

(2) Breaking My Heart Was A Favor?

November 26th 2005

"Aren’t you a cutie pie? Yes, you are! I could just eat you up!" Madeline Tate gushed, kissing the tiny fingertips as the baby seemed to smile at her. The moment that she was introduced to her, she fell in love with her newest ‘granddaughter’. If only Reginald had lived to see her.

"Yes, me too," said the younger woman standing next to her, green eyes on the little bundle. "Dylan, go fetch us a couple of spoons." She and her mother shared a chuckle while Dylan perched on the arm of the couch rolled her eyes. Since she didn’t move, she obviously didn’t intend to appease her younger sibling’s request.

Shaking her head from side to side, she watched the pair fussing over the baby. Nevermind that she had been saddled with a child that didn’t belong with her. Her mother and sister weren’t interested in paying any attention to the major issue at hand. Robin was too adorable to think about anything else. Dylan cleared her throat several times before they looked her way.

"I have a plan but I need you two to help me out."

"What’s your plan?"  her sister Angela asked, holding up the baby’s birth certificate. "Daddy?" Angela grinned, thoroughly enjoying Dylan’s resulting frown. Though her name couldn’t be on the birth certificate without her permission, Celeste had thought of another route to link her newborn to her ex-lover. Her baby’s full name had been typed up as Robin Elaine Tate. Celeste Marie Anderson was her mother and there wasn’t an entry for father.

"Mom," she pointedly ignored Angela, "could you take care of the baby while I go search for her mother? Actually find a detective to search? Once Celeste is found and I talk some sense into her she can retrieve her daughter from you." So what if Celeste claimed in her letter that she was gone. Dylan would hire the best detective money could buy--or at least the best detective she could afford. She was certain that the baby’s mother would be apprehended soon. Her mission was to find Celeste and then make her believe that she could raise her own child. She just needed to believe in herself. Dylan’s speech still needed some work of course.

Madeline shook her head, the opposite of what her eldest daughter figured she would do. She spoke up before Dylan could argue. "You read Celeste’s letter. Robin is your responsibility and because you’ve been allergic to that for thirty-five years, it’s about time that you learn the meaning of the word now."

"What Mom is trying to say is grow up and behave like a woman." Angela was powerless to conceal her grin. She loved her sister, but it was fun to have something to tease her over. "I have four children with eleven being the oldest--you can’t handle one itty bitty seven week old baby?"

"I don’t know the first thing about children!"

"You think motherhood comes with a handbook?" Madeline asked. "Angie and I both had to learn by trial and error. Now so will you. If I didn’t believe that you could handle it I would look after Robin, but I know you could if you just put in some effort. If you need help just call me or come right over. We’re only nine miles apart."

Nine miles might as well have been fifty for all the comfort the rather short distance gave her. Although she was beginning to truly panic, Dylan hoped that it wasn’t revealed on her face. "Seriously? You want me to take that baby home?"

"That baby has a name and it’s Robin," Angela mentioned. "You want me to baby-sit while you nab a detective? I’ll give you the sisterly discount, which means that my services are free. When you’re done we’ll go shopping."

"What for? I’m not in the mood to shop."

"For the baby, moron." Neither her mother nor sister figured out how she managed to sound affectionate despite the insult. "Diapers, formula, more clothing. Robin doesn’t have much to pick from in that bag and she’ll need warmer clothes. Too cold in San Fran for what Celeste packed."