A Love of Her Own (22 page)

“
You mean if you deposit a check at eleven-fifteen they won’t credit your account until the next day?”

“
That’s right. And they’re open ‘til four. Highway robbery, if you ask me.”

“
I have to agree. How’re you doing otherwise?”

“
Just a hectic day. I’m working with a web designer to change the look of the Beginnings site, plus I’m coordinating a wedding on Saturday.”

Hilton recalled something that he had
meant to ask her about. “I didn’t know Linda was back in town. Is Neil here with her?”

“
No. She’s back because her father had a stroke.” Of course Linda had been in town before her father became ill, but Ava figured Hilton didn’t have to know that. She still felt the obligation to protect Linda’s privacy.

“
That’s too bad. Is he going to be all right?”

“
They don’t know yet. I hope so.”

“
How was your first full day with Marcus?”

“
Oh, it was wonderful. Hilton—I’m thinking about adopting him legally.” She studied his expression carefully. His opinion was important to her.

For a few moments he said nothing; he appeared to be thinking.
“I suppose that’s the logical next step after he moves in with you, but it didn’t take you long to go from Step B to C.”

“
I just started to think about it. It’s not like I’m going to rush out and get a lawyer tomorrow.”

“
It’s not easy being a single parent, Ava.”

“
Is that a proposal?” she asked innocently, batting her eyes playfully.

Hilton pondered how she would react if she knew his thoughts were moving in precisely that direction
. She’d been conspicuously silent when he told her he’d fallen in love with her, but he understood her basically cautious nature. Instead he said, “I’m serious, Ava. The guidance you and I have given Marcus might be enough to set him on the right path. Relationships between parents and their children often change in the teenage years. Right now Marcus is little and cute, but he’s already dabbled in a criminal lifestyle. By the time he’s thirteen he’ll probably be bigger than you and a little fearsome.”

“
So are you saying I shouldn’t consider adopting him because eventually he’s going to grow up?”

“
Of course not; that’s absurd. I just want you to think long and hard about it. It’s very difficult to raise kids.”

“
Oh, really? And how many kids have
you
raised?”

He kept his voice even
. “I’m just looking out for you, Ava.”

“
What you’re doing is treating me like a child. Or is it that you think that not being able to give birth to a child means I’m not qualified to bring up a child?”

“
Get that chip off your shoulder, Ava,” he snapped. “You and I both know one thing has nothing to do with the other. You take better care of Marcus than some birth mothers take care of their kids. I know that as well as you do.”

She
blew out a breath. Either she was being especially short-tempered and unreasonable these days or Hilton was being exceedingly difficult; she wasn’t sure which. The only thing she was sure of was that she felt unusually tired lately, to the point where she had to lie down after dinner each night to regain lost energy. She made a mental note to pick up some vitamins from the drugstore. “It’s been a long day, Hilton, and I have more work to do when I get home. I’m about ready to lock up now.”

Hilton glared at her, exasperated
. Why did she take everything he said in the wrong context? Hadn’t he just explained what he meant? Yet she was dismissing him, shutting him out again.

He went to the back to get Max and say good-bye to Marcus
. Both boys followed him into the salon. Hilton brushed his lips against Ava’s cheek and spoke in his most soothing voice. “I’ll give you a call later.” He turned to Max. “Say goodnight, Max.”

Max turned to Marcus
. “See ya tomorrow.” He proceeded to walk toward the door.

“
Max!”

He turned around at the sound of his father
’s sharp voice. “Yes, Daddy?”

“
You forgot to say good night to Miss Ava.”

“
Oh. G’night, Miss Ava.”

“
I’ll be seeing you, Max. Come on, Marcus, let’s lock up.”

The incident disturbed Hilton
. He had noticed the other day when they went bowling and then to dinner that Max seemed to shy away from Ava, only speaking when she spoke to him and then using one-word answers, reserving his usual effervescence and curiosity for himself or Marcus. What made it so bad was that Ava had gone out of her way to be nice to him. Hilton had chalked it up to his missing Janelle, but ignoring her like he had just now meant the situation would have to be addressed, because no way would he tolerate Max being rude to Ava.

He waited until they were having dinner; roast chicken, mashed potatoes and vegetables from the supermarket deli
. “Hey, Dude, I want to ask you something.”

“
What, Daddy?”

“
Do you like—” No, that sounded leading. He tried again. “What do you think of Ava?”

“
She’s nice,” Max replied without enthusiasm.

“
You don’t sound like you think she’s nice.”

“
She’s all right.”

“
I’m confused about something. The other day you told Mommy you thought I should have somebody like she has somebody. But now you seem like you’re, well, not as friendly toward Ava as you were when you first met her.”

“
It’s not that I don’t like Miss Ava. Honest, Daddy. But I
really
like Marcus. It’s like having a big brother.”

Hilton, not wanting to press too hard, let the matter drop, silently acknowledging that the circumstances would warrant continued observation.

Chapter 18

“
I
need a favor, Maria. I’m doing a wedding Saturday afternoon.”

“
I can mind the shop for you.” Ava’s sister was her second backup and took over if Woody wasn’t available.

“
Well, actually, Woody offered to work Saturday. What I was going to ask is if you can watch Marcus for me.”

“
I suppose I can…”

“
But?” Ava prompted, sensing there was more.

“
But I would think he’d just stay at home that day, since you’re going to be busy.”

“
It’s not that simple anymore. Marcus has moved in with me.”

“
He has? When?”

“
Just since Saturday. Unfortunately, child care is something I didn’t give much thought to. He would normally come to work with me on Saturdays, and I can probably leave him with Hilton if I have a meeting with a client at night.”

“
So how long will he stay with you?”

“
I don’t know. His grandparents are still waiting to get a larger place.” Ava didn’t mention that the Hudson’s apartment would be located in the town’s senior citizen housing, which didn’t allow children. She already hated to think about what would happen to Marcus’s three cousins when that happened…

“
Have you told Mom about this?”

“
No, not yet. Don’t say anything; it needs to come from me.”

“
She was asking about you the other day. Said she never hears from you.”

“
What does she expect? So she can criticize me or sigh and say, ‘Oh, poor Ava?’”

“
You want to hear something funny?”

“
What?”

“
When I was over there with the kids the other day and she was asking about you I told her you were probably busy with work and spending time with Marcus. She had her usual reaction, and Colleen turned to her and asked, ‘Grandma, why do you always go,’ and then sighed dramatically and said, ‘Poor Ava?’”

Ava laughed
. “Out of the mouths of babes. I’ll bet that caught her off guard. What did she say?”

Maria giggled as well
. “She said what you’d expect. That she felt sorry for you because you don’t have children of your own and that you’re trying to mother someone else’s child instead.”

“
That’s what I’d expect her to say, all right.”

“
Don’t let her get to you, Ava. She just doesn’t realize how she sounds.”

“
Maybe she doesn’t, but it’s hard sometimes, Maria. I don’t think she realizes how much it hurts.” Ava sighed. “I’m just glad I’m not an only child. Can you imagine what a mess that would be? At least she’s got you and Joy.”

“
And Larry.”

“
Mom probably hears from Larry as much as she hears from me, but he can get away with it because he’s a boy and he’s got Joy to fill in for him.”

“
You know she’s probably not going to take the news about Marcus too well.”

“
I know. She’ll say it’s unhealthy or something like that. But she’s got to know, so I’ll just have to tell her and we’ll both have to deal with it.”

Ava dreaded the confrontation, but knew it had to be done
. It occurred to her that her recent grumpiness and quick temper was related to her bringing her feelings out into the open rather than retreating into herself. It wasn’t as simple as turning off the television if a topic she found unpleasant was being covered. She had to become a part of the world, for it wasn’t just her anymore; there was Marcus…and there was Hilton as well.

Maybe after she gave her mother the news she would invite everyone over to her place, including the senior Hudsons and Marcus
’s cousins. Her brother and sister and their respective spouses had met Hilton at her New Year’s open house, but her mother had not attended, saying it was an event “for the young folks.” Maybe the knowledge that such a handsome, eligible man as Hilton was interested in “poor Ava” would cushion Doris’s almost certain renewed disappointment in Ava’s choice to get even closer to whom Doris regarded as simply some other woman’s child.

Ava
decided that it might be a good idea for her mother to meet the Hudsons and perhaps in the process become more understanding of their plight, and also for Mr. and Mrs. Hudson to meet her mother as well. A barbecue for the two families was a good idea, but there were other, more immediate plans she needed to make as well.

*****

“Marcus’s birthday is the eighth of February, just a few weeks from now,” she told Linda. “I wanted to give him a party, but not a traditional one with gifts and stuff.” That would be difficult financially for the Hudsons, and she definitely wanted Marcus’s three young cousins to attend. “I’ll take care of his gifts. He needs new clothes desperately, and I saw an easel I’d like to get him, since he likes to draw. But would you help me supervise? I was going to have his three cousins, plus Max, and my nieces and nephews.”

“
I’d love to help out,” Linda replied, as Ava had expected her to. Linda loved children as much as she did. “Did you want to have the party at your house or somewhere else?”

“
Definitely not at my house. It’s not kid-proof. I’ll have to have it someplace else. I was thinking about the bowling alley, but that’ll be awfully expensive for ten kids. Same with the roller skating rink.”

“
How about Chuck E. Cheese? They’re always putting coupons in the paper for specials on tokens and pizza.”

“
That’s a good idea. And it’s safe. I don’t have to worry about someone falling down and getting hurt like I would at the rink. Besides, Marcus’s cousins are younger than he is, and they might even know how to skate.”

*****

Ava drove slowly through the Nile Beach neighborhood that had been her permanent home from birth until the day she was married. Bungalows much like the one her parents had bought in the early years of their marriage lined the street. Some homes had two bedrooms, others three, but all of them were small. The passing years had brought more prosperity to the homeowners, most of whom had made improvements to their property. Additional bedrooms and baths had been added on to some of the houses, but all of them had been upgraded with things like new siding, shutters, awnings, front porches and fresh paint in vibrant colors. The street looked ten times better than it had twenty years before, when Ava used to feel a little self-conscious about living in an area considerably more modest than the affluent neighborhoods that were home to her best friends Vicky and Kendall.

Since
Gordon Maxwell’s death Doris lived alone in the house that now bore maroon siding, and she insisted she never wanted to live anywhere else. She had neighbors dating back nearly forty years and was quite content. It actually worked very well. The house’s small size made for simple maintenance and upkeep, Larry and Joy were nearby, with she and Maria just one town away.

“
Hello there, Ava,” a voice called out as she was getting out of the car.

“
Hi, Mrs. Chambliss. Good to see you.” Her mother’s neighbor from across the street, clad in a green-and-white housedress, was crossing the lawn from the house next door to hers. The two-story brick colonial built by Mrs. Chambliss’ son looked woefully out of place among the less grandiose homes. She could see him wanting to be close to his mother, who suffered from glaucoma, but she hoped he realized that he’d be in for a tough time if he ever decided to sell. Few people would want to invest in a house that was worth so much more than the others in the neighborhood.

“
Your mama will be happy to see you,” the woman said as she made painstakingly slow progress toward her front door, using a three-pronged metal cane to assist her movements.

Ava
punctuated her wave with a smile, but inside she had her doubts.

She took a deep breath before ringing her mother
’s doorbell. An uncomfortable heaviness settled in the pit of her stomach. She dreaded this confrontation with her mother. Already she wished it was over so she could go home.

She forced herself to sound cheerful when her mother answered the door
. “Hello, Mom.” Ava dutifully kissed Doris’s cheek.

Doris Maxwell studied her older daughter
. “You’re looking well, Ava.”

“
Thanks. How are you?”

“
I’m good. Come in, dear. Would you like something to drink?”

They sat at the
table in the dinette, between the kitchen and living room, tall ice-filled glasses of cold grape juice in front of them. “I haven’t seen you since the holidays,” Doris remarked.

“
I know. I’ve been having a hard time lately, Mom.”

“
Oh? What’s wrong?”

“
Nothing’s really wrong, per se. I’m just forcing myself to face some things I’ve been keeping locked away in the back of my mind for years, like not being able to have kids and the effect it’s had on my life.”

“
You mean because you didn’t want to adopt, even though CJ wanted a child so badly.”

Ava chewed on the corner of her lower lip, determined to be patient
. “Adopting a child wouldn’t have saved my marriage, Mom. It was the blood connection he was looking for. He simply couldn’t have loved a child that wasn’t related to him; for him it wasn’t the same as having your own. The idea was ingrained too deeply in his psyche because of the way he grew up. Daddy understood that,” she added pointedly.

“
Well, I don’t. Once a child is adopted, it’s yours. I’m sure CJ could grasp that.”

“
He went through hell when he was a child, Mom. He told me all about it. It was horrible. The only thing that got him through it was the promise he made himself that one day he would have a family of his own, a real family, and that then things would be different.”

Doris took a sip from her glass.
“I saw them the other day. The kids are cute, but his second wife isn’t anything to write home about.”

“
You’re only saying that because you don’t feel she can measure up to me,” Ava teased.

“
She can’t.”

They looked at each other and laughed
, and Ava noted how good it felt. She couldn’t remember the last time she and her mother had shared a lighthearted moment…or that she had felt her mother was on her side. She liked both ideas.

“
Mom,” she said. “I know that I don’t have to be related to a child to love them. You remember Marcus, don’t you?”

“
The boy you brought with you to Larry’s on Christmas.”

“
Yes. I’ve been spending a lot of time with him lately. He’s really a good kid, but he’s had it rough. He comes from a poor family.”

“
So what? So do you.”

“
We were poor, Mom, but not
that
poor. And we had both you and Daddy. Marcus has never even met his father, and…his mother’s in jail for armed robbery and manslaughter.”

“
I didn’t know. Poor thing.”

Ava blew out her breath in frustration
. “Mom, I’m not telling you this so you can feel sorry for him. Listen to me, please. I promised him I wouldn’t tell anyone this, but I’ll tell you.” Of course, she had told Hilton as well, but she knew she didn’t have to worry about Hilton’s reaction. “He lives in the Avalon Hotel. His grandparents, who he lives with, were burned out of their apartment a couple of months ago. He hates it there, and he started to get involved with the wrong people and do bad things. He was breaking the law and would have gotten into real trouble if…well, if he hadn’t met me. All he needed was a different environment. He started spending weekends with me, and then on school days I started making him lunch. He’d come by in the mornings to pick it up.”

“
That was nice of you.”

“
There’s more to it than just being nice. I genuinely care for Marcus.” She paused, then plunged in. “I asked his grandparents if he could move in with me, and they said yes. He’s been living in my house since last week.”

“
I see. How long will he be there?”

“
I don’t know. Indefinitely, I guess.”

“
Oh, Ava,” Doris said, her voice ringing with disappointment. “I wish you’d find yourself a nice man, get married and adopt. You’re going to be heartbroken when this boy up and leaves.”

“
And what if I adopt him? You said yourself that once a child is adopted, he’s yours.”

“
I meant you and your
husband
should adopt. I didn’t mean for you to do it alone. Single parenting isn’t easy. It’s hard enough to do with a partner.”

She sounded just like Hilton, Ava thought with annoyance
. Still, she had to admit both of them had a point. It couldn’t be easy.