Katy looked up at me like she was pleading for help, but if she hadn’t gotten it by now, she soon would. There was no stopping Gloria Kline when she made her mind up.
“Just go with it, honey,” I muttered, shoving my hands in the pockets of my jeans for something to cover up the awkward feeling I had now.
I’d wanted this with Katy, but we had a lot of work to do to fix the fragile link we’d had that had been broken by a misconception. I couldn’t do that while my family were around, and I knew my nosy brothers would be watching everything tonight. Basically, this was a fucking nightmare.
“Invite this Maude, too,” Mom ordered, still waiting for the guest number from Katy.
No, now this was a fucking nightmare.
“There’s eight of us,” Katy whispered, then bit down on her lower lip. “Elodie’s super cool about food, though, and eats anything. Her favorite is Mexican that borders on being too spicy for anyone else.”
“I’d heard all about her from my boys,” Mom said through a grin, tickling the baby and making a face at her. “And they were right when they said she was beautiful.”
And there it was – all the tension went out of Katy at the thought of the little girl who technically wasn’t her niece, but who she’d claimed with her whole heart. “Yeah, she’s the most awesome little girl in the world. I’ve been looking after her because her mom – my cousin – isn’t around, but I love every second of it.”
One of Mom’s hands flew to her chest. “This poor baby’s mother died?”
Katy looked up at me for help, and I knew what she wanted help with was explaining her cousin’s addiction in a way that wouldn’t bring judgement on her family. Not that Mom would, she wasn’t that narrowminded, but I could understand why Katy would be worried about it.
Pulling her into my side, I explained, “Elodie’s mother has an addiction problem, Ma. She has for years, so Katy’s family all help with Elodie, making sure she has everything she needs and grows up healthy. She’s got a strong bond with Katy, so she’s alternating keeping her with her uncle who can’t always get time off or find someone he trusts with her.”
Telling her this wasn’t a mistake, far from it, and I knew that the second she looked at Katy even more determinedly. “Well, you just found someone else who’ll help out. Bring her with you tonight and we’ll set up some more time together next week, too. Once she’s used to me and you’re comfortable with me and trust me with the precious, I can step in to help you out, too.”
Shit. “Katy has her family who can help, Ma…” I reminded her, but it was no use.
“Babies need love from a variety of people, and you can never have too many people to hand. You yourself help Jose out with her little Olivia, don’t you?” She had me there. “So I can help out with Elodie.” She finished and then started tapping her lip. “I need to get some toys, perhaps." Looking around the room, she took in the box in the corner. “Huh, that maze with the beads would keep your brothers and father entertained for hours.”
“It has,” Katy choked out, and then clarified, “I mean, it’s entertained your sons, not your husband, obviously.”
Rolling her eyes, Mom crossed over to us still carrying Elodie. “Right, little one. You go to your auntie, and Auntie Gloria will see you later.”
She didn’t want her aunt, though, she wanted me, which she made clear when she lunged out of Mom’s arms to me. Fortunately, I knew to expect it by now, so I’d been ready just in case she’d done it.
Bringing her around onto my hip, I tucked Elodie in close. “One of these days, the person you do that to isn’t going to be ready, little precious. Then we’ll have an Elodie pancake and your auntie’s gonna be sad all day.”
Staring up at me with big eyes, she stuck out her lower lip and let it tremble as her nose started to turn pink.
“Ok,” Mom croaked, fanning her face with her hand. “I’ve got to go to the store. Jarrod, I’ll check what time the boys can make it and text you a time to tell Katy’s parents.”
“What if they’ve got plans, Ma?” A bit like we’d had plans that now weren’t going to happen, but I was going to take the rest of the day off to sort shit out with Katy and then I could plan something better to do with her tomorrow night. So in a way it wasn’t actually that bad of a situation – unless you counted the woman you wanted a relationship with meeting your crazy family with her crazier (although, that was a matter of opinion) family.