Love & Learn Page 8

  Julia turned toward him. She looked mostly neutral but also a bit shy. No, not shy. Afraid. “Where is Danny going to sleep?”

  God, the baby. In just a few moments, he had forgotten all about the baby. All he’d been able to think about was his daughter, in his apartment, a part of his life.

  Julia looked around her. “And he’ll need somewhere for his stuff. Clothes.” She looked at Lizzie. “And could we go and get some more diapers? We’re almost out.”

  Lizzie walked over to her and patted her arm. Henry wished that he’d been able to do that. He wanted to be the one to comfort his daughter, but he didn’t have the first clue on how. Instead, he walked over to the wardrobe in the corner and opened the door. It held his workout clothes and some dumbbells.

  “Let me just …” he mumbled, gathering everything in his arms and carrying it back to his walk-in. There he grabbed some spare hangers and brought them back into the guest bedroom. “Here you go,” he said, putting the hangers in the now empty wardrobe. “And we’ll get you a chest of drawers as well.”

  She looked at him. “And Danny? Where is he going to sleep?” she repeated.

  “We’ll get him a cot,” Lizzie said. “But first, you need some rest. You look dead on your feet. Do you want something more to eat or drink first? No? Then I think you should take a nap now that your brother is sleeping. We’ll sort everything else out, eventually.”

  The girl nodded. She went back out into the living room and got the stroller where her brother was sound asleep, placing it next to her bed. She found a charger in her suitcase out by the front door and put her phone to charge on the bedside table.

  “We’ll leave you two alone,” Lizzie said and ushered him toward the door.

  Henry reluctantly left the room. The last thing he saw before Lizzie closed the door, was his daughter curling up on the bed, pulling a blanket over her legs.

  His daughter. Asleep in his guest bedroom.

  22

  Lizzie

  The poor girl was obviously in shock, and her concerns all seemed to be for her brother’s wellbeing. She hadn’t given a second thought to her own needs, Lizzie noted, and she made a mental note of making sure that the girl could return to her teenage world as soon as possible. It was obvious that she wasn’t accustomed to caring for the baby. There was something awkward and nervous about her movements around the child. But at the same time, she was desperate for the baby to stay with her.

  Lizzie went into the master bedroom, where Henry was standing, staring helplessly at his trainers and sweats that lay in a heap on the floor of his walk-in. Her bags were piled to one side of the closet space, just by the door. She had quickly hidden them out of sight before making up the bed in the spare room.

  He turned and looked at her. “We need to talk.”

  Lizzie steeled herself. What was he going to do now? “I know,” she replied and tried to sound calm, although she was anything but.

  “First, I need you to tell me exactly what you are doing in my apartment. The truth.” He crossed his arms across his chest.

  She walked past him and started picking up the items on the floor, arranging them on hangers or shelves, wherever there was room for them. A couple of the items she dropped in the clothes hamper in the corner after sniffing them. “I needed a place to stay,” she said and glanced at him.

  He had raised his eyebrows. “I gave you money for rent.” Not an accusation. Just a fact. She was amazed that he remembered.

  She nodded. “It was too late. The landlord kicked me out. I had nowhere to go.”

  “So, you came here? How did you even know where I lived? And how did you get in?”

  “I heard you on the phone,” she said apologetically. “Telling someone that the spare key was in the flowerpot.”

  He looked even more baffled. “So, you just moved in?”

  She shook her head. “I went to a shelter, but it was impossible to get any sleep. And someone tried to steal my stuff. I didn’t have enough money for a deposit on a new apartment, and I couldn’t get a job that paid decently, living on the streets.” She sighed. “I tried; I really did. But in the end, I just couldn’t do it. And then I remembered what you’d said about the key. And that you’d be out of town for months. It felt like a good idea at the time. It was just going to be for a night. For a couple of nights.” She shrugged. “Just so that I could get back on my feet. Get a job and find a new place. You weren’t ever supposed to know that I’d been here.”

  “So, did you?” he asked, sternly.

  She nodded. “I got a job as an assistant at a law firm. Just as a temp, at first, but the boss told me yesterday that they want to keep me on when the woman that I’m temping for gets back from her maternity leave.”

  She couldn’t hide the pride in her voice, and she could tell by the look in his eyes that he’d noticed it.

  “But you haven’t found a new apartment,” he said.

  “I’ve got some leads. And my boss said he knew someone who might be able to help me out. I had several apartments to look at today. I honestly thought I’d be out of here before you came back.”

  He nodded. “I wondered about the outfit. But then I thought it might be some kind of kinky roleplay.”

  She could feel her cheeks burning. “I suppose it is some kind of roleplay. Fake it ‘til you make it, isn’t that what they say?”

  He didn’t reply at first. Just looked at her. “So, you need a place to stay for a couple more weeks,” he said matter-of-factly. “And I need someone to help out with that baby until I have had a chance to get to know my daughter.”

  She couldn’t help herself. “Did you really not know that you had a child?”

  He shook his head. “Not a clue. Her mother never told me.”

  The thought pierced her heart. Her own mother had made the same choice, never telling the man who impregnated her that he was a father. Or, the men. Her siblings had all had different dads. By the time Lizzie had managed to track her father down, the man had been dead. So, she had her own reasons for wanting to help Henry connect with his daughter. That teenager in there could have been her, showing up in some strange man’s life, where she wasn’t expected and didn’t know if she was welcome.

  At that moment, Lizzie resolved that she would help Henry make a home for his daughter and her brother. Helping those poor children find a new home after losing their parents was the most important thing right now.

  But finding her own apartment was important too. Henry was not going to let her stick around here forever.

  23

  Henry

  Lizzie left to go and look at a couple of apartments. Henry didn’t want her to leave, but he certainly didn’t want to get in the way of her apartment hunting.

  “But what do I do if they wake up?” he asked with a lump of fear in his stomach.

  Lizzie glanced at her phone. “They should sleep for a couple of hours, at least. When they wake up, they’ll be hungry. There’s some stuff in the fridge; you can make them a …” She must have seen the look on his face. “Or you can order takeout. Let Julia pick whatever she wants.”

  “But ... The baby?” Did babies that size even have teeth? He hadn’t a clue.

  She smiled. “There was some formula in the diaper bag. And he’ll try a little of whatever you’re having, I’m sure. He’s a big boy, with lots of teeth coming in.”

  She moved toward the door, checking the contents of her purse. Then she looked up and gave him a little smile.

  “Hurry back,” he said jokingly, but it wasn’t really a joke, and they both knew it. Her smile got a bit wider.

  “I’ll pick up some diapers on my way back,” she said, and then she left.

  Henry grabbed his suitcase by the door, rolling it into his bedroom, where he tossed it on the bed and started unpacking. Most of his clothes went into the hamper. When he went to put his suitcase back, he saw that two duffel bags occupied the space where it used to be. That must be Lizzie’s things. />
  He looked around the walk-in. There was plenty of room. He didn’t have a lot of clothes, didn’t really care about stuff like that. He moved everything on the right side of the closet to the left, leaving a whole side of the walk-in for her things. After all, if she was going to fake being a professional, she couldn’t show up at work with her clothes all wrinkled. He debated unpacking her things, but only for a moment. He didn’t think it would help their situation if he were to handle her underwear.

  Instead, he wandered into the living room, tidying away after his ‘guests’. It all felt so unreal. The fact that his ex-wife had died didn’t exactly devastate him, but it felt strange knowing that someone he had once loved—sort of—had died. He found it difficult to grieve for her, though, after what she’d done. How could she not have told him that she’d had his child?

  He slumped down in an armchair, staring at the blue sky outside. Would it had made any difference, though? If she had told him, then what? Would they have stayed together? Probably not. At least not for long. She’d been miserable; he knew that. Had known it at the time.

  Hadn’t cared much, to be honest.

  He’d been experiencing his first small successes as an author around the time of his divorce, and he’d been on a constant high from the fame and money and the way people had started to suck up to him. He wasn’t proud of the way he had treated his then-wife, but he wasn’t exactly ashamed about it either. They hadn’t been right for each other. He hadn’t been the man she needed, and she hadn’t been the woman for him.

  Not that he believed that there was such a creature. Living on his own for almost his entire adult life had taught him that he wasn’t the marrying kind. He’d never longed for kids or moving to the suburbs and drive a carpool. The idea made him shudder.

  No, he had no desire to nest and find a soul mate. But discovering that he had a daughter, his own flesh and blood, that was fully grown and didn’t need any diapers or midnight feeds, that idea fascinated him. It was like an experiment in genetics and nature over nurture. He had already spotted his mother’s eyes in the girl’s otherwise unfamiliar face, and she had his height and build and coloring. Were there other things about her that she’d gotten from his genetic contribution? He couldn’t wait to find out.

  The idea of there being someone here on earth that he shared a genetic bond with, now that both his parents were long gone and he had no living relatives, appealed to him on some very primitive level.

  My daughter, he thought to himself, trying out the words, mulling them over. He could see himself now, at future launch parties, with Julia by his side, dressed up in expensive designer dresses, looking chic and composed among the celebrities. He wondered if they had traveled, his ex-wife and her family. He could show Julia the world. Take her to Paris. Tokyo. South Africa. She’d love that.

  Or would she?

  He honestly had no idea where she’d want to go.

  But he couldn’t wait to find out.

  24

  Lizzie

  Lizzie made it to three of her five appointments. Two of the apartments she looked at were depressing and overpriced, but the third got her heart thumping, as soon as she stepped inside the building. It was nowhere near as fancy as the building where Henry lived, but it was really nice, and the woman that rode up with her in the elevator was friendly and welcoming. The neighborhood was nice and quiet, with lots of little shops and restaurants. It was a big step up from her old place, but she had taken a big step up on the pay scale as well when she got a steady paycheck instead of making some money here and there. Her desperate actions—moving into Henry’s apartment and pretending to be a completely different person—had really paid off, but she’d had to work hard to keep the job, and she had earned each and every one of those paychecks.

  This apartment was exactly the reason she had been working so hard. If only the landlord would pick her over the other applicants!

  Three other people were already looking at the apartment. The landlord stood leaning against the counter, separating the kitchen from the living room, but when she entered, he came over and shook her hand.

  “Ms. Watson?”

  She smiled and nodded. “I’m sorry, I’m late. I took a wrong turn.”

  He smiled back. “No worries. Just look around, and if you have any questions, please just holler, OK?”

  “OK.”

  He returned to the counter, checking his phone, and Lizzie took in the apartment. It was big for a one-bedroom, and bright, with large south-facing windows. The bedroom was at the rear of the building, away from the street. The bathroom was small, but it had a bathtub and a washer/dryer.

  It was a short walk from the subway, on the same line as the law firm, and with her assistant’s salary, she could easily afford the rent.

  It was almost too good to be true. She walked over to the landlord, who looked up from her phone.

  “So,” he said. “What do you think?”

  “It’s perfect,” she said. “Where do I sign?”

  He laughed. “Not so fast, little missy.” He nodded toward the couple that stood in the kitchen, discussing whether the space under the kitchen counter was big enough for a dishwasher. “They have first dibs. And if they don’t want it, the guy that just left has been on the waiting list for this building for over a year.” Her heart sank. He must have seen the disappointment on her face. “You’re really interested, huh?”

  She nodded. “Could you add me to that waiting list, too, please?”

  “Sure thing.” He grabbed a folder from the counter and opened it. It held a thin wad of papers. He riffled through them. “Ms. Watson.” He read through her application. “A legal assistant?”

  She nodded again.

  “And you’re living on Becher?” He looked at her over his glasses. “So why would you want to move here. No offense, but this is not exactly the most fashionable part of town.”

  “This neighborhood would be much more convenient for my work,” she said. Well, that much was true. “I’m actually on a rather tight deadline for when I need to decide if I should renew my lease or not.” A little white lie. Or a big one.

  He regarded her over his glasses. Then he nodded slowly. “Well, we’ll see what these other folks have to say first, shall we? And if you don’t get this apartment, I’ll add you to my list and get in touch if something opens up, OK?”

  She smiled at him. “Thank you. That would be most helpful.”

  Leaving the building, she knew that she wasn’t going the get the apartment, but she didn’t feel as frustrated and helpless as she’d done after previous disappointments. This proved that there were apartments out there, nice apartments, in her price range, and with landlords that considered her a good potential tenant. She’d find a place, eventually.

  And for now, she had a place to stay.

  Things were definitely looking up.

  25

  Henry

  Everything was going from bad to worse.

  As long as the children slept, he’d been fine being alone with them. But when that little boy woke up, it was with a wail that cut through every fiber of Henry’s being, and Julia didn’t seem able to calm him down.

  Henry stood helplessly outside the closed door to the guest bedroom, unsure of what to do. He could hear his daughter trying to soothe the hysterical child, but nothing seemed to calm him. Oh, god, where was Lizzie when he needed her?

  Reluctantly, he raised one hand and knocked gently. No response. He knocked again, a little more insistent this time.

  “Yes?” Julia sounded fraught. Tense.

  “Are you two alright in there?” Trying to sound calm but failing miserably.

  She was silent for a while. Then he heard movement on the other side of the door, and it opened. Julia was standing on the other side, the baby on her narrow hip. The little boy was wailing, bright red in the face, with green snot in a wide stripe from his nose down to his mouth. It made his stomach turn.

  “Oh �
�” he said. “Are you … hungry, at all? Just let me know what you’d like, and I’ll order in.”

  The girl looked confused, then disappointed. Had she honestly expected him to do something about that hysterical baby?

  “Er … pizza, please,” she said.

  “Pepperoni?” he asked, trying not to look at the baby that was now waving his arms, grasping for his sister’s hair.

  She gave him a look of contempt. “I’m a vegetarian.”

  “Oh …” He took a step back. “One vegetarian pizza, coming up.” He gestured toward the guest bathroom. “There should be some tissues in there for the …” Another helpless gesture toward the snotty baby.

  He turned to leave, but his daughter’s voice stopped him in his tracks. “Actually, I really need the bathroom. Could you take him for just a moment?”

  He slowly turned around. Seriously? But there was more than just a query in his daughter’s eyes. She was testing him. And if he said no, she wouldn’t want to stay here. He had to prove to her that he’d be willing to care for her brother as well.

  “Sure,” he said, and forced a smile, reaching for the wriggling baby. Somehow, he got a grip and lifted the child out of his daughter’s arms. She hurried into the bathroom down the hall.

  Henry just stood there, holding the child away from him so that he wouldn’t get any of that green stuff on his shirt. The baby was wriggling and tense. And hot. Feverish. Well, that was the last thing he needed right now. Not just having to care for a strange child, but a sick, strange child.