Hope Valley, Rhode Island, summer
Lucas stood on the back deck of his new house. He took a deep breath in and smiled. It was his. He had always just rented but now he would have children, two of them. His own house, his own family.
Lucas turned as his good friend Lee handed him a beer, tapping the neck of the bottle with his own.
"Congratulations, Bro."
"Thanks."
"Its a big house. Four bedrooms?"
"Master for me, one for Amie, one for Ace and one for a guest room," he told him. But his plan was to adopt one more child in the next few years and that guest room would be his or hers.
Lee was a bachelor but he'd been dating women for years, never settling down with one. Lucas didn't need to date. He was fine alone.
"When is your decorator person coming over?"
"In about an hour. I need to get started on Amie and Ace's rooms so they are finished by next weekend." That was when the adoption of her and Ace would be finalized. 10 days and it would be official.
He was so excited. His parents were even traveling from Portsmouth for the occasion. It was about a hundred miles so they would be using his guest room for a night.
The doorbell rang. "That should be the delivery truck," he said, walking back in the house, plenty of pep in his step.
He had purchased top of the line furniture for the guest room, knowing his parents would expect nothing less. In addition, he had bought a new master bedroom set and mattresses and beds for the kids, a new sectional for the living room and family rooms and a large screen tv for family movie nights.
Money wasn't a problem for Lucas. At the age of 40, he owned three thriving real estate businesses in various states that ran themselves. He had oodles of time to be the best dad he could be and give the kids what he had always wanted.
Like family movie nights. Like birthday parties in the backyard and all Saturdays would be "sleep late and wear pajamas all day" days.
They'd read 3 or 4 books before bed and if one or both of the kids got scared during the night, his king sized bed was theirs too.
They were going to get a dog and a cat and go on all the vacations together.
Possibilities were endless and with his success, he could enjoy every minute of it.
….
Elizabeth Thatcher smiled as Nora, her new daughter as of a week ago giggled at the TV.
She was two and a half, blonde with chubby cheeks and blue eyes and the most contagious laugh. She didn't like sleeping in her own room at all though so Elizabeth moved her crib into the master.
Elizabeth yawned. Allowing that though meant less sleep for Mama. But it was worth it. It made sense she was struggling a bit. It was a new situation.
"I'm happy for you," Vi said, giving her a hug.
"Thanks. Me too. Isn't she beautiful?"
"Very."
"Thank you for offering to watch her. I should be there for only a couple hours. This new house is only over on Spruce Hill."
"Oooo ritzy."
"A bit. Not my type of house at all but I'm just decorating it. Well, two of the rooms."
Elizabeth loved her two bedroom cottage on Lake Hope. It had a small deck out back where she sat in the evenings and read novels or planned her various projects for E. Thatcher Designs.
Thankfully E. Thatcher Designs had grown over the last few years and she was able to pay off her home, car and have substantial savings for any emergencies or future children she might want to add to the family.
"Mamamama," Nora said, waving at her over the back of the couch.
"Hi, sweet girl."
The past year, Elizabeth had visited with Nora numerous times and her foster family had introduced her as Mama. This made the transition a lot easier.
"Choos…"
"Where's your sippy? Bring it to me and I'll get you juice."
"No no?" she said, shrugging.
"You don't know? I'm guessing its in your toy box."
"Ya, toy." Nora got off the couch and ran across the room to her toy box. "Ya, Mama. Choos."
Once Elizabeth washed her sippy cup and gave her fresh juice, she walked her back to the couch and covered her with a blanket. "Mama is going to go to work, okay? Be good for Auntie Vi."
"Bye bye," she waved, laying down and drinking her juice, her eyes already back on the TV.
Elizabeth went into her room, changed into her polo and khakis and grabbed her purse. After thanking Vi again, Elizabeth left and headed to the ritzy Spruce Hill home.
…..
She rang the doorbell about ten minutes later. It echoed throughout the large house.
"Come in!" a voice called from inside somewhere.
She hesitated a moment and then opened the door. The alarm beeped when the door opened.
"Hello? I'm Elizabeth from E. Thatcher Designs!" she called.
"Yes! Come in. I'm down the hall in the bedroom on the left, off of the kitchen."
This was rather strange. Normally her clients would meet her at the door and lead her to the area she was going to be working in.
"Hello?"
She walked in to find a tall, dark haired man in shorts and a t-shirt, measuring the room.
"Hi. Right on time," he said, turning and grinning at her.
Whoa. Adorable. Tall. Nicely trimmed beard. The opposite of her ex-hus…. No. Not going there.
"No?" he said, seeing her shake her head.
"I'm sorry. Yes. I'm here to show you my plans for your two children's rooms."
"I'd love to see them. I mentioned the time-crunch, didn't I?"
"Yes. I'll get it done."
"Great."
She opened her tablet and showed him the little girl's room first. "Based on the measurements and parameters you gave me, this is what I came up with."
"Its perfect. Amie loves pink and unicorns."
"Great. And this is for your son."
"Wow. I wish I had that room when I was his age."
His room had been plain and boring. He wished for a space room with an astronaut on the wall.
"Its perfect."
"Great. I will place the order for the furniture and accessories. I'll bring the paint tomorrow and get started. 7am okay?" she asked, pulling up her scheduling app.
"Um…yeah. If you don't mind that I may still be asleep."
Her eyes shot to his gorgeous brown ones. "Well, what time will you be awake?"
He didn't have a schedule. It was just him and he didn't have anywhere to be.
"Seven will be fine. I'll have the coffee ready."
"Alright. See you then."
Shopping for her clients, especially children, was the highlight of her work life. She had loved every minute of designing Nora's nursery and this was similar.
She wandered the aisle of the local home improvement store and purchased window shades, an accent rug for each room and the paint she would need to make it look amazing.
As she arrived home, she walked in the door, expecting Nora to be taking a nap, since it had only been an hour but instead she found a child screaming and kicking on the couch.
"Hey, hey. Nora Thatcher. What's going on?"
Nora continued her fit while Vi, the experienced mother that she was, watched her from a nearby chair.
"Nora, shhhh," Elizabeth said, not touching her. Just crouching down next to her.
"What's happening?" Elizabeth asked Vi.
"About two minutes after you left, she realized it and hasn't stopped screaming since. I figured she'd tire herself out and go to sleep but she has some lungs and a stubborn streak."
Nora finished screaming and sniffled, wiping her eyes and cheeks.
"Mamamama."
"Nora, I need you to say sorry to Auntie Vi for throwing a fit. Now please."
"No."
"Yes." Elizabeth helped her stand up and walked her over to Vi. "Now, please."
"Hold," she sniffled, turning and hugging Elizabeth's knees. "Hold, Mama."
"I'll hold you after you tell Auntie Vi."
"Sorry," she mumbled.
"Now give her a hug."
Nora did as she was asked and then reached for Elizabeth.
Elizabeth wrapped her in her arms and sighed. "I love you, doodlebug, but you can't throw fits. That's not nice."
Her little chubby arms hung on so tight around Elizabeth's neck. It made her question leaving her to do this job for Mr. Bouchard.
"She will be fine, Beth," Vi told her. "I don't have any problem watching her."
"Even after today?"
"Of course. This whole thing is new for her."
"Maybe I shouldn't have taken on a new project right now. She obviously isn't ready for me to leave her."
"Maybe not, but you'll be working periodically throughout her life. She will get used to it."
"You have so much patience, Vi."
"You must if you have four boys. Trust me."
Seeing her daughter so upset had hurt, so much so that she was fighting her own tears.
"Beth, you are a good mother and being a mother is not easy at all. You can do this."
"How do you always know what I'm thinking?"
"I don't know. I just do."
Nora was now asleep on Elizabeth's shoulder so she took her into the master and put her into her crib. "We will figure this out, honey. I promise."
However, the next day, when Elizabeth needed to leave, the same thing happened. "Nooooooo, Mamamama!"
"Hey, its alright, honey. You'll have fun with Auntie Vi and your cousins."
"No no no no no!"
"Maybe I can just reschedule my job," she said to Vi. "I don't know what to do here."
"You can go. We will be fine." She was torn between obligations to Mr. Bouchard and Nora.
"Not today. I think its too soon to leave her."
"Its your choice, Beth, but it may never be the right time to leave her."
Elizabeth sat down on the couch, Nora hanging on for dear life, and sent a text message to Mr. Bouchard.
He called her instead of texting.
"Hello?"
"Ms. Thatcher. I understand family obligations and all that but the way I see it, you also have an obligation to finish my job. Am I correct?"
"Of course you are and I apologize. I'll be able to make it tomorrow."
"If you don't think you will be able to get this job done, I will call someone else. However, there are only eight days left until my kids will be with me. I need this done and the clock is ticking."
"I understand. I will be there, Mr. Bouchard. Tomorrow, 7am, and I will get it done."
"Very well. I will see you tomorrow."
"So you won't be needing me today?" Vi asked when she hung up her phone.
"No. Not today. I'm sorry, Vi. Would you still be willing to…"
"Come tomorrow? Of course. I promised."
"Thank you."