Her drive had gone well. She was now in Flagstaff, Arizona, ready to start the new phase of her life. She had done it; she'd left Los Angeles, and after a somewhat restful sleep, she was ready to tackle her day. She and Hannah were staying in a hotel for a couple of days while her furniture was delivered, and she started to organize her apartment. She'd been busy during her pregnancy, researching jobs, apartments, and childcare, along with even coming to Arizona for the interview. She'd kept it quiet at work too, which was in her favor, as still, no one knew she wasn't returning. For her interview, her parents had driven up and met her, and the three had stayed at the hotel for a few days while she looked around the town, talked to the university, and looked at potential places to live. It had been good to see her parents; she hadn't lied to work when she had said she was visiting her parents. It had just all happened in her new town. They hadn't seen her pregnant yet this pregnancy, and now that she had her two-month-old in her arms, she realized it was the only time they'd seen her pregnant this time. The three had done a lot of talking on that trip, here at the same hotel. She'd been tight-lipped, not telling them much about Andy. She hadn't even given them his name, but had only told them she'd briefly been involved with a man, and he was not in the picture. When the expressed concern he would find out, she explained that Gavin had handled that. That was all she would tell them, and even though they had pressed her for more, she had refused to give it.
Sharon had enjoyed her visit with her aging parents, but it was clear they wouldn't be doing a lot of traveling much longer. The just over two-hour drive was doable for them, but it had worn them out too. Living in Phoenix, they were used to the hot weather, and it had been a nice change for them to visit with her in Flagstaff that trip, as a relief from the hot desert air Phoenix provided. Flagstaff was hot too, just not like Phoenix. Now, here in November, Sharon was enjoying the change in climate, the winter weather, as with its elevation, Flagstaff had plenty of winter weather. It was almost alarming for people driving north from Phoenix to leave a balmy 70-80-degree day, drive north to Flagstaff, change 7,000 feet in elevation, to arrive in a winter wonderland with snow and frigid temperatures. It was a welcome change for Sharon, but she hadn't thought about how she would miss taking easy walks during the "California winters" because it would be much colder to take Hannah on walks here in Flagstaff. One thing was for sure, she noted looking out over the landscape from her car, she would need to get some new clothing. That would need to be at the top of the list-new clothing that was suited for winter and clothing that fit her. Hannah would need things as well. Today, though, she needed to start moving into her place.
Her day was shaping up well, and she was happy to report she wasn't stressed. Hannah had done a pretty good job in the car, sleeping on and off, which was great. Her age still helped with that, not that two-month olds did a lot of moving around, but still, it helped she was still so young. Sharon had taken plenty of breaks to feed Hannah, change her diaper, and get food for herself. The drive across the desert had been healing in a way, and she really felt much calmer now that she was here in Arizona. The hotel had been perfect. Sharon had packed as little as possible in the car, putting most of it on the moving truck, but her car was still full. Of course, traveling with a baby wasn't an easy feat, and it required a certain amount of gear. She'd brought her standard diaper bag, a new travel crib her parents had ordered for her when they knew she was going to move, Hannah's stroller (which took up a lot of room), a suitcase for Hannah, a large and a small suitcase for Sharon, a file box of important documents, a small box of miscellaneous items the movers wouldn't pack (some open cleaning solutions mainly), her weapons (securely stored for moving)-she was a police officer after all, and a small cooler. It had been daunting to finally finish at the condo, to load everything she had left, and to leave, but she'd done it. Gavin had been a lifesaver too, helping with Hannah during the process, and her hotel had been amazing too, helping her get situated in her room. Hannah had been a trooper, and even the overnight in the hotel had gone pretty well. Hannah had gone to sleep okay and was up twice during the night, which was still pretty standard for her. Now, with some breakfast in both and with her keys in hand after signing the last of the paperwork for her apartment, she was ready to check out the place. She parked, got out of the car, and she looked up at the building. She wasn't thrilled with a first-floor apartment; the complex had three floors, but it would be the easiest with the baby. She could maneuver the stroller without issue, as well as the groceries. Besides, she expected it to be somewhat temporary until she decided what she wanted to buy in Flagstaff. She also wanted to get her condo in L.A. rented, as now, she was still covering the mortgage there. So, the modest apartment would work well for her. It was two bedrooms, but each bedroom had its own bathroom. Hannah's room was large enough to fit an air mattress for now. She hated doing that to guests, but it was what it was. Gavin, upon hearing her plan, had ordered her the most expensive air mattress, telling her if he was visiting, he was at least sleeping on the best. Sharon was waiting until he visited to tell Gavin he would take the air mattress in her daughter's room and let Gavin use her room, but for now, she enjoyed tormenting him. She still had her queen-sized guest bed, but for now, she was going to have the movers put it into her garage storage that she'd acquired with the apartment rental. It cost a bit more, but it was basically a place to call storage while she was in limbo with her living situation. She was fine keeping her sedan outside, parked near her door and using the garage area as storage.
"Hannah, let's check out our new home," Sharon said as she scooped her out of her car seat and secured her in the carry pack she had. The carrier had been a lifesaver already. Hannah was a good baby, but she liked to snuggle on Sharon. Sharon had found that Hannah also enjoyed being in the carrier when she vacuumed the condo, something she'd discovered by accident one day. It just seemed to calm her. She was so sweet when in the carrier. She would pull her legs up and curl up on Sharon. The only annoyance was just how hot Sharon would get. Hannah was like a little furnace in that thing, but Sharon cherished every moment with her daughter. She secured her, collected her purse, and Hannah's diaper bag before she started to the door. The property manager had sent Sharon ahead and told her she would be by shortly to do an inspection, to note any issues or damages, so Sharon was excited to enjoy this moment with just her daughter.
After she unlocked the door, she walked inside and glanced around at the place. It was a nice size. She'd been assured this was a quiet complex with few students. The department secretary from the legal studies office at the university had recommend this place. Sharon did not want to live around a lot of students; she didn't want to be walking the halls with a baby and listening to a party going on outside. This was just far enough away from campus and expensive enough it kept most of the students away.
The apartment opened to the living room, and as she looked around, she could picture where she'd put her furniture. The kitchen was beyond that, and her feet echoed on the newer flooring. She'd been told they put in a faux-wood flooring a year and a half ago, and as she walked, she looked down and noted it looked to be in good condition. The kitchen had basic white cabinets and appliances, and the bonus for her was that it had a very small pantry off it with a sliding door to the kitchen. In that pantry area, there was enough room for her washer and dryer, critical appliances with a small baby. It would work. She could probably roll the stroller in there if needed, but she'd figure it out in the weeks to come.
The two bedrooms were down the hall with the bathrooms between them. The bathrooms shared an exterior wall, she was sure that was used for plumbing. Hannah's room was just off the living room, and while Sharon wasn't thrilled by that, it would be okay. She didn't expect to have big parties, and in the evening, she could always watch television in her room if the sound bothered Hannah. Her room was then, at the very end of the hall, stretching across the back of the condo. It had a nice view with windows to the side and back. It was bright and airy, and it would work just fine for her.
Sharon paused in that bedroom and looked around at everything. It was so quiet in the apartment, and Hannah was already pulling her legs up in the carrier. Sharon ran her hand over her back and patted at her, and she heard Hannah making noises as she started to fall asleep. She heard a knock at her door and moved quickly to greet the property manager for the inspection.
"Ricky!" she exclaimed happily at the sight of her now middle child and only son. She quickly wrapped her arms around him and pulled him in for a hug.
"Hey, Mom! Surprise!" he exclaimed.
"What are you doing here?" she asked, now stepping back. "I wasn't thinking I would see you until Thanksgiving in Phoenix at Grandma and Grandpa's house!" Ricky pulled back the carrier cover to glance down at Hannah. He could see the outline of her dark hair and that was about it. He grinned at Sharon.
"She's getting bigger, but I mean, when you start at five pounds, I suppose you can only go up, right?" he said and kissed her cheek. "What am I doing here? I'm here to decorate my room." Sharon's eyes widened, and Ricky winked at her. "Just kidding. Gavin told me I should thank him, that he had ordered some crazy expensive air mattress for when I was home. No, I flew to Phoenix last night after my classes, stayed with Grandma and Grandpa, and then, this morning, I drove up here to check on things. I'm just glad as your son I had your new address. I 'll still be there for Thanksgiving, but I wanted to come help this weekend. I can leave if you want me to wait until Thanksgiving," he started to laugh, and Sharon swatted at him.
"Oh, you are such a good son," she sighed. "Come in," she gestured.
"Wow, love what you've done with the place," he laughed again, and he nodded as he looked around at everything. "Looks nice."
"Your grandparents didn't come, did they?" Sharon glanced outside as she closed the door and saw her mother's black sedan parked next to her silver one. Her mother barely drove anymore, and the car probably hadn't been out of the city limits in over a year. Ricky turned back to her and shook his head.
"No, they knew it would be chaotic here with you trying to move in and all. I don't have class today," he rolled his eyes, "or I should say, one class was cancelled, and I might have decided to skip the other, but I'm here all weekend. I figured I could help you get organized and all. Is your moving truck still coming tomorrow?"
"Yes," she nodded. "It is, at least last I heard. They had a small delivery in Palm Desert on the way, but otherwise, they didn't have anyone else between here and there. It was cheaper to do a split truck like that, and I don't mind. As much as I'd enjoy seeing your grandparents, I'm glad they didn't come this trip. It would be a lot, and I would be worried they could slip on the sidewalk. There's some black ice already with winter setting in here."
He nodded and started to walk around the place, "I can't believe you are actually here and all, that you moved. You're still good with it?"
"Yes," Sharon continued to pat at Hannah, just as she had when she was pregnant with her. She flashed a big smile at Ricky. "I'm very happy with my decision. I feel like a big weight has been lifted. What do you think?" He looked around and started to walk, looking down the hall toward the bedrooms. "I know there's no charm or character; it's a very standard looking apartment, but it works for what I need right now. The first floor will make it easier with your sister and her stroller."
"Yeah, it's nice," Ricky nodded. "Looks cleaner than my room at the frat house," he flashed a grin at her. "The bedrooms?" he nodded and started down the hall. Sharon followed, her flat with their hard soles echoing on the floor. "Yes, that first room there is for your sister, and you can stay there too. It has its own bathroom." Ricky walked in and looked around it. He nodded, and Sharon continued to pat at Hannah. "My room is down the hall." Ricky walked down, looked and it, and while he did, Sharon continued to pace with Hannah. The little girl was fighting sleep, still making noises, and moving slightly. Sharon knew she'd sleep better if she could stretch out, but it was at the hotel in her room. Ricky walked back to her, and he nodded.
"Yeah, it's really nice, Mom. The kitchen is big, and with you retired now, maybe you will have a normal work schedule to cook in the evenings. That would be nice," he told her.
"I thought the same," she said and hummed. "I have no regrets about working at the LAPD with you and Emily growing up, but I'm older and want a different lifestyle now with Hannah."
"Cool. It's exciting. So, what's next?" he clapped his hands together. A knock at the door alerted Sharon, and she looked to Ricky and pointed to him, "That is the property manager to do my inspection. For now, could you unload what I have in the car? I have most of my things at the hotel, but there are a few things I have in the car. We can get that inside, which will leave the car empty. Then, I was thinking we could go to the grocery store. It would be wonderful to have help," she smiled brightly at him. "I'm so glad you surprised me." She had her hand on the door, and he yelled to her.
"Me too, Mom. Grandma and Grandpa need credit too. They paid for the plane ticket and let me borrow the car, but we all just want to support you and Hannah."
A little over an hour later, Sharon had finished the inspection, signed the last of the paperwork, located her garage unit, and Ricky had unloaded the things she had in the car. The place was already feeling more like home with just a few items in it. She really liked the porch off the back of her bedroom. The back of the place overlooked a small hilly wooded area, and she had a very private porch. It would be nice to sit outside when the weather was better, and Ricky pointed out he could add a small grill there when he was home. Even that, all her patio furniture, would most likely be put in her garage unit, but she was hopeful there would be enough room at least for her small patio table. So, with the apartment coming along, Hannah was ready for her next feeding. Sharon took her out of her front carrier and instructed Ricky to get her diapers and changing pad out of the diaper bag. He did, and she handed Hannah to him.
"Me?" he looked up at her.
"Yes, you, besides," she grinned and started to chuckle, "imagine the day you can tell your little sister you used to change her diapers." Hannah squirmed slightly, and Ricky gave her a stare before he reached for and took Hannah. Sharon nodded at him. "It's good for you. I do it all the time."
"How is she doing?" Ricky asked as he started to undress her. Sharon stood nearby in case he had any questions. "She sleeping better?"
"She's waking up twice at night. It's better than it was just after she was born, but that's to be expected. She was barely going two hours then for the first couple weeks, but it was okay. Honestly, with just her to focus on at home, it wasn't too bad. I think the time was good for us both. I'm still shocked you haven't seen her since that first weekend."
"Yeah," he nodded, as he continued to change her. She smiled up at Ricky and made some of her small sounds. He tickled at her foot, and she smiled at that too. Sharon continued to watch, and Ricky asked, "So, is she more like Emily or me?"
Sharon paused a moment, and then she nodded, "She's a little like both of you, but I have to say she's more like you. I think she's laid back so far. We'll see how that goes. You slept better than Emily. She's more like you. She has the same smile as Emily. She has a lot more hair than either of you had," she started to laugh. "That's a very different change. I'll always be able to pick her out of baby photos of the three of you. She has hair."
"Yeah, and you wonder why I don't want to cut mine," he flashed a grin at her and finished up with the diaper. "I was bald for so long that I want to keep the hair I have."
Sharon burst out laughing, and Hannah let out a surprising cry. Sharon looked to her, "Hannah, are you feeling neglected? Would you like to eat?"
"Oh, that's all you," Ricky held up his hands in defense. Sharon pointed her finger at him.
"Not so fast," she nodded to him. "I fed her just before I left the hotel. I'm adding a little formula in too. I have a bottle ready that I can finish making up for you. Would you like to feed her? I want her to take bottles okay, and she is so far. Plus, I'm enjoying feeding her, but it's just draining me all the time. I don't know what it is. I'm older, and I suppose I've been so busy. It's good that I can feed her, but I'm glad to have formula too. Gavin has fed her a couple of times."
"Sure," he grinned and picked up Hannah. "Wow, she's much heavier than I remember. Hey little sis," he kissed her head. "The way Gavin is with her, Mom, you'd think he's her dad."
Sharon, who had walked to the kitchen counter where the box of baby supplies was sitting, stopped and turned to Ricky. She saw him looking at her, Hannah in his arms. He was holding her in an awkward way, but she knew Ricky would figure out what worked. She took a deep breath, "Ricky, please, let's not."
He shrugged, "Does she look like him? You said you can see Emily and me in her. Does she look like him-the dad, not Gavin? I know Em and I have features from Dad, so surely, you have to notice something."
Sharon didn't look at him, but she continued to make the bottle for Hannah. She finished and walked to Ricky, who was sitting on the floor with his back to the wall and Hannah now propped up on his lap. She handed him the bottle, and he looked at her, hoping for an answer. She rolled her eyes.
"Her eyes, and that's all I will say. I see it in her eyes. Her eyes don't look like any of us, and that's just the way it is. I thought it would be easy, but it's hard. I see it all the time. Now, can we please talk about anything else?"
"Sorry, Mom," Ricky sighed. He took the bottle from her. "I'm sorry. I came to help, not to upset you."
She nodded, "You didn't upset me, but I just don't want to discuss Hannah's father. When she's finished eating, we can go to the store."
Ricky nodded and held up the bottle Sharon had made, "Whoa, she will drink all of this?"
Sharon nodded, "Yes, she will. I think she's getting ready to grow. She's been still hungry after a bottle, which is one nice thing about bottles, that I can see how much she's drinking. I tried pumping, but that just wasn't working for me. Anyway, I am bumping her up slightly on the amount. She was small to start, but she's drinking over four ounces at a time already. I think she's intent on packing on the weight. I just wish she could take some of mine," Sharon chuckled and nodded to Ricky.
He shrugged at her, "You look great to me, Mom, but you always do. Hannah, let's get you fed. I'm getting hungry too, and maybe you and I can convince Mom to get me something to eat when we leave the apartment."
Several hours later, the two had returned to the apartment, this time with the travel crib. Ricky had gone up to Sharon's room, packed it up, and brought it downstairs so they could work in the kitchen while Hannah had time to spread out in her travel crib. Sharon knew the hotel most likely could provide one, but she was a bit worried about germs and was okay moving hers around. She'd also told Ricky he could stay at the hotel with her, as her room had two queen beds. They had been to the hotel, grocery store, and a general household store to get a few things to start. The two adults spent the next couple hours organizing the food in the kitchen and stocking things around the place. She added toilet paper and soap to the bathrooms. She put up some laundry detergent, ready for her washing machine and dryer. Ricky, with his computer skills, worked on setting up her modem and router, as she'd already had the utilities turned on before her arrival. By late afternoon, the place was taking shape, even without furniture.
"Looking good, Mom," Ricky smiled. Hannah was passed out in her crib, her arms up by her head, and she looked peaceful there lying on her back. "I still can't believe she's here. What are you going to do with her when you start your job? Did you decide?"
Sharon nodded, "Yes, there's a daycare here that was recommended by the department, sorry," she smiled at him, "the department at the university. It sounds odd to say that and not mean the police department. Anyway, I secured a spot for her. It's a full-time spot even though I'm part-time. I'm not sure how I like that, but it's what I could get."
He joked as he started to eat a banana, "You could always get a job somewhere fun, you know, to meet people."
Sharon frowned at that, "I know I'm only teaching two classes a week for now, but I hope that will change. It won't take all my time, but I want to dedicate my time to Hannah otherwise. I am not sure how I feel about that."
"Well, you need to get out, in my opinion. You can't just hang around college kids all day. You really should date or something. It would be good for you to be around adults. I know, play in a card group or something, like Bridge."
Sharon burst out laughing, "Bridge? No, I'm not into cards. I'm okay. I'll meet people just fine, and dating," she shook her head. "I don't need to do that. I don't need a man around me. I've learned that."
"Okay," he nodded. "I don't need a girlfriend, but I'd like one," he grinned. "Just like as she gets older, Hannah doesn't need a dad, but she might like one."
"I'm not in search of a father for Hannah," Sharon said pointedly.
"I know," Ricky nodded to her. "I just know what it's like to not have one around at all. You did a great job, Mom, but I'm just letting you know to not rule it out. So, don't be in search of a father for her. Be in search of a man who makes you happy, and if you find that, you find a father for Hannah too. You're starting over, so maybe let yourself enjoy life. That might be with just Hannah, but it could be with someone else. Don't close a door. You're divorced, so try dating. Things happen for a reason."
"They do," Sharon said, and her head drifted to Hannah who was still sleeping peacefully. Sharon didn't even want to put her travel crib in Hannah's room yet, not here, at least. It still felt too new, and she realized that was silly, but she was enjoying this, having two of her kids close right now. "Yes, I know things happen for a reason. She happened," Sharon shrugged. "That's brought me here. It's all for a reason. Now, before she's awake again, let's get this trash out of here from the unpacking, get things situated for the day, and we can get going. The movers will be here tomorrow, and we have a lot to do with that. For tonight, I'd like to take two of my kids to dinner, and then, we can relax at the hotel."
"Sounds like a plan," he nodded. "Hotel have a pool and gym?" he asked.
Sharon nodded, "It does. It has breakfast too."
"Perfect," he grinned. "Things happen for a reason, just like you booked a hotel perfect for me, and you didn't even know I was going to be here."
"Things happen for a reason," she hummed and walked down the hall to put the baby wash in Hannah's bathroom.