The Best I Could Give
Chapter 3
Austyn went right to sleep after Stephanie changed him and had most of a bottle of formula. Ella was visiting a sister so she couldn't rely on her for some baby help and a building of ex-Military men was no help. So far the searches hadn't returned any clue to who 'Krys' may be and Stephanie was racking her brain trying to remember any woman who stuck out. The baby could have been born anywhere and not necessarily near or in Trenton. But if the mysterious 'Krys' thought Stephanie was kind, then she had to have observed her over time. Her weekend in Point Pleasant wasn't going to happen. Until a search brought up a lead to Austyn's mother or hopefully she had a change of heart and would contact Stephanie somehow, the 'Burg' girl had a baby.
Placing a call to Mary Lou, she and the baby were off to see her best friend for some baby tips and advice. She considered her sister, but didn't want her parents to know or it be around the 'Burg' grapevine that Stephanie had a baby.
Quickly running in the Stankovics sidewalk, her friend held open her door with a shocked expression on her face.
"It's a baby!"
"I know, Mare! Stinky diaper and all," Stephanie said handing her best friend a copy of the note that was with Austyn.
"This 'Krys' left you her baby because you were kind to her?" Mary Lou was dumbfounded and believed only something like this would happen to her best friend.
"And she's sick she says. Rangeman is running searching for some leads. I don't know any Chris with a 'K'. Should I call the cops? Help me here, Mare!" Stephanie pleaded.
"Maybe if she gets better, she'll want Austyn back. If you call the cops, they'll call 'Children's Services' which will take him. If they find Krys, they may not give him back to her saying she abandoned him. He'll probably go into foster care I would imagine," Mary Lou rattled.
Stephanie felt deflated. She didn't want him to end up with someone who Krys wouldn't like and never get back.
"Steph, what are you going to do if this Krys is really sick and never gets better?" Her friend questioned and said out loud, "Or worse?"
"I don't know anything about babies or if I ever wanted any," Stephanie sadly admitted what Mary Lou knew. "Maybe, I should call the police. Just because I was kind to his mother, doesn't make me mother material."
Austyn began to wake up. "Oh, look at those beautiful eyes. If I didn't have three boys that kept me hopping, I'd keep him until you found his mother. I love the smell of a fresh baby after a bath and one cuddling in my arms. Mine are too big for that."
"I don't know what I should do?" Stephanie wailed, but she couldn't resist wiggling the baby toes in front of her.
"How's this, Steph?" Mary Lou was thinking. "If you decide to keep Austyn and find his mother, I can have Lenny drop off my portable crib I have stored in the attic, a baby car seat, and some of baby clothes I kept for you so you're not spending money on him. You'll need to get formula and diapers."
"Thanks Mar. I'll think about it."
"Steph," Mary Lou stopped her as she collected up the baby saying quietly, "I don't want you to get hurt by getting attached to him and maybe have to give him back. Look how you feel about Rex."
"I need to find Krys and learn about her situation. If she is really sick and can't take care of him, I'll have to convince I'm not the one for the job."
"So?"
"I guess I'll need to borrow the baby stuff."
She left Mary Lou very uncertain. Before she went into the grocery store to purchase diapers and formula, she called Tank.
"Yo."
"Tank, any luck on Krys?"
"Nothing, Bombshell."
"Call me if you do."
She was about to get out of her SUV when she dialed Eddie. She had to know what would happen to Austyn if you gave him to the police.
"Hey, Eddie."
"Hey, Steph, do you need something?"
"Yeah, my friend, Lula, is taking a creative writing class and was throwing some ideas at me, but I wanted to give her the right info so it was realistic. If a baby is lost, what procedures to the police do?"
"We'd check if any missing children were reported for the area. We canvas the area where the child was found. If a parent wasn't immediately located maybe have the TV stations post a picture hoping someone could ID the child. The Child Services would take temporary custody of the child until a suitable parent or relative could be verified."
"If no one could be found, would they place the child in foster care, Eddie, or if the parent was found to be unsuitable?" Stephanie asked hoping she didn't seem too concerned just getting factual information.
"Well, yeah, Steph. The child would become a ward of the state if the parent was not suitable and his or her rights were terminated, then the child could be adopted. Depending on any issues in the case, the child could be in foster care for a while before a permanent home may be found. Is that what you told her?"
"Pretty much, Eddie. Thanks."
"Ok, Steph."
She looked at the peaceful sleeping baby in her backseat. Everyone always heard horror stories about children shipped from foster home to foster home just looking to be loved. There are very good and caring families in the world providing homes for children like Austyn, but she needed to search for his mother and give her the opportunity to do what she thought was best for her child.
Placing his carrier in the grocery cart and sunglasses on her face hoping no one would recognize her, she spent some of her Point Pleasant 'fun' money on formula, diapers, and a couple of noisy baby toys.
Rounding a corner almost at her apartment, she read a church's marquee outside with the theme for the next sermon 'Small Gifts of God's'.
"Jon, are you trying to tell me something?" she cried out because that 'Bon Jovi' mother song came on the radio.
She just got Austyn in his carrier, his bag with his few things, and the grocery bag in her apartment when her cell phone rang.
"Hello."
"Stephanie, this is your mother. Mrs. Lieber, Carol's mother, just called to tell me she thought she saw you pushing a grocery cart with a baby!"
Stephanie made a face at the phone and looked down at the big dark eyes looking at her, "Mom, now would I really have a baby? She must have been mistaken."
"That's what I said because you're not married and can barely take care of yourself. Are you coming to dinner on Thursday? I'm making lasagna."
'I'll let you know, Mom."
Ellen Plum said before she hung up, "Mrs. Lieber must need new eyeglasses because you wouldn't know how to take care of a baby."
"You're right, Mom. I'll let you know about dinner. Bye," she told her mother sitting on the floor rocking Austyn in her arms.