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  “I am heading to a meeting. Please...just sort this thing out. I am feeling very nervous about this. Anyway, I have to go. Talk to you later.”

  “OK. Love you,” I replied.

  “Love you too.”

  I didn't even wait to process what Rachel said before I dialed Victoria's number. I badly needed to speak to her because I didn't even know what the baby needed medically...if there was an appointment or who was the intended pediatrician. The phone rang and still no answer.

  Suddenly, the doorbell. I went to see if it was Stewart because my housekeeper was already back so it could not be her. I looked through the peephole and it was Jill. Fuck! I could not let her in. I pretended not to be home so I did not open the door. She rang the doorbell again and I did not want to wake Kaci up, so I realized that I did not have any choice but to let her in.

  I opened the door and immediately she had questions.

  “What is going on with you, Lea? I have been standing here for the longest while and where is your housekeeper?”

  “Jill, I’m sorry but you have to go. I am very busy with something.”

  “Did I do something to you, Lea?”

  “No…”

  “Is this because I questioned your relationship with Rachel? I am really sorry. I was just…”

  “No. That is not it. I will...I can't talk about it right now, but I’ll talk to you soon.”

  At that moment, Kaci started to cry.

  “Wha...what's that?”

  “Nothing. You need to go,” I said holding her arm and guiding her out the door. She pulled away from me and walked up the living room, listening with her mouth wide open.

  “Where did you get that? Is that a baby crying?”

  “Jill, please!” I said but the cries were getting desperate and I needed to go check on her. “Please leave.”

  I rushed up the stairs and I could hear her footsteps behind me. I entered the bedroom and rushed to the bassinet and picked Kaci up. I wanted to give her a bath but her special tub that I ordered had not arrived yet and I was scared to bathe her anywhere else. It was coming today along with the host of other things I had purchased and paid for rushed next day delivery.

  “Lea...whose baby is that?”

  “Mine.”

  “Where did you get her…oh my God she is beautiful! Who is she? Can I hold her?”

  “No, you can't. She is new and I don't want her getting sick.”

  “Let me wash my hands,” she said and rushed into the bathroom.

  I knew I would not be able to keep Jill away for long. I might have better luck with the other girls but she was impossible.

  “Hands are clean. Give her to me.”

  “Have you ever held a baby before?”

  “No. Have you?” She mocked. “The only thing I know is that I am not to drop her.”

  “OK. That's good. We could start there. Put this over your clothes before you hold her.”

  She did as I asked and I gave Kaci to her. It was so beautiful to see my best friend with her and how much she lit up. I was not prepared for the tears that fell from her eyes.

  “Lea...oh my God…she is perfect. Look at her little lips. She is so beautiful.”

  “Yes, she is. I am so in love with her.”

  “One of us needs to have a baby. I know you and Rachel are not planning on having one but surely you have to reconsider after holding this bundle of joy,” she smiled, not taking her eyes off Kaci. “Are you babysitting? Whose baby is this?”

  “She is mine...for a little while.”

  “What do you mean?” she finally looked up.

  “Give her to me. Let me see if I can put her down,” I said.

  “No. I am not ready to let her go.”

  “She is not a toy, Jill. Give her to me,” I said and took Kaci from her arms.

  I gently laid her in her bassinet and she went back to sleep. I led Jill out of the bedroom and downstairs into the kitchen. She did not ask again but sat there looking at me, waiting for an explanation.

  “I found her on my doorstep.”

  “The real story.”

  “That is the real story. I heard the doorbell and when I opened the door the baby was in a bag on my doorstep. I took it in and there was a note inside begging me to take care of her.”

  “Are you making this up?”

  “No. Rachel was here and I had to get real mad at her to stop her from calling the cops. The note begged me not to call the police and there was a number.”

  “But you could get in trouble, Lea. Maybe Rachel is right. I can’t believe what I am hearing. Who the fuck leaves a newborn baby at some stranger’s doorstep?”

  “A desperate person who has six months to complete college and has nowhere to raise a baby.”

  “I can’t believe this. So did you call the number?”

  “So many times, but she has not answered. She, however, replied to my text. She repeated her plea for me to help her, so that’s what I am going to do. She asked for six months...the problem is that Rachel gave me two months. She will be in China for two more months then she is coming home and the baby should not be here when she arrives.”

  “Really? Well you can’t throw the baby on the streets so she just has to accept that or get stepping…”

  “Jill, stop. Please. I know you don’t like her but she is my fiancée so she has a say. I will try to get Victoria to come and talk to me about her baby and help her out before Rachel gets back,” I said then smiled when I thought of my assistant. “Poor Stewart. I wouldn’t be surprised if he quit. The baby came with nothing and I could not take her on the road naked or so fragile so I sent Stewart to get formula and bottles, diapers...neither of us knew anything about a baby, but we got the job done.”

  “I love him. That Stewart is so dependable.”

  “I know! He had to call his sister to meet him at a baby store to buy some clothes, but he was not allowed to talk to anyone about the baby so she thought the things belonged to him. Now the whole family thinks he has a baby.”

  “Oh my God!” Jill laughed. “It is really an injustice working for you.”

  “Fuck you. Listen, it applies to you too. Do not tell anyone about the baby.”

  “You expect me to keep this from our friends? They would kill me if they found out that I knew and said nothing.”

  “I don’t want them barging in here before I get to work things out. I don’t want them to make things worse.”

  “OK, fine. But if they attack I am going to tell them that you…”

  The doorbell rang.

  “That must be Stewart,” I said and went to let him in.

  I opened the door and was looking in the most beautiful pairs of blue eyes I had ever seen. Victoria!

  CHAPTER 4

  I stood looking at the beautiful young woman dressed in jeans and t-shirt who was absolutely breathtaking without even trying. She had no idea of how gorgeous she was or she would not be standing at my doorstep lacking confidence.

  “Hi, Victoria,” I said before she said a word. “Come on in.”

  She stepped into the living room and started to look around before she brought her eyes to mine.

  “Hi...I…,” she stuttered. She was terrified to be here.

  “Victoria, please have a seat...and feel comfortable. My friend is here with me so I am going to get rid of her so you and I can talk privately.”

  “No...please don’t send your friend away because of me,” she said and her voice was so soothing and beautiful.

  “It’s OK. She was just leaving anyway. Have a seat. I’ll be right back.”

  I hurried into the kitchen to see Jill searching my refrigerator.

  “You’ve got to go…”

  “What? But I want to spend more time with the baby. I haven’t even…”

  “You will. I promise. But Victoria is here.”

  “What? Here in the house?”

  “Yes. You need to leave. Do not say a word to her but hi. Please, Jill, a
nd do not tell anyone.”

  “Okay, Okay.”

  “Come,” I said and she followed me out to where Victoria sat. “Victoria, this is my friend, Jill. She is just leaving.”

  Victoria stood up and held out her hand.

  “Nice to meet you, Jill.”

  “Oh my God!” Jill laughed and took her hand. “You are so beautiful.”

  “Yea. She knows. Bye. See you later,” I said dragging her away from Victoria and leading her to the door.

  “Lea, you have to help her. Look at her...she is…”

  “Bye, Jill,” I said and closed the door.

  “I’m sorry you have to let your friend leave,” Victoria said when I returned to her.

  “Don’t worry. She will be back before the day is done,” I smiled. “I am happy that you came because I desperately needed to speak to you.”

  “I am sorry that I put you in this position. Where...where is Kaci?”

  “She is sleeping upstairs.”

  “Can I see her?”

  “You will, but I have a few things to talk to you about and then I will take you to her.”

  “OK,” she said and leaned forward on her knees. Her almost jet black hair, like Kaci’s, fell forward as she looked at me.

  “Why did you choose my house to leave the baby. Was it just random?”

  “No. Someone...someone I know told me I could take her here because you would take care of her. She was confident that Kaci was safest with you.”

  “Which person is that?”

  “She asked me not to say.”

  “I won’t say anything. I just need to know.”

  She looked at me for a while because she did not know if she should break a friend’s trust but I was breaking all sorts of rules to keep her baby safe so it was the least she could do.

  “Janet told me.”

  “Janet...my old housekeeper?”

  “Yes. She knew I just needed a few months but I had no one I could leave her with so I was going to give her up to the state, but she suggested I take her to you because that was my best chance of getting her back as soon as I was done, without any problems.”

  “What about your family?”

  “They didn’t know I was pregnant. As soon as I was no longer able to band my belly far down enough to stop them from finding out, I went to stay with Janet, but she barely has room for me…,” she said and paused when she saw my confusion. “My family is very poor and I am the first to finish high school and go to college. I am there on a full scholarship and they are expecting me to break the cycle. They are so proud of me,” she started to cry, “and I felt ashamed...so I couldn’t bring a baby on them when we were already struggling. I have not seen them in three months and they are so worried...but now that you have Kaci, I can go visit them.”

  “Victoria...I am so sorry,” I said genuinely heartbroken to see her this scared and worried about everything and everyone. “What about Kaci’s father?”

  “I...I don’t know who he is. I went to a house party and had too much to drink. The next day, I woke up at Janet’s house and she told me about all the...things I did. I didn’t find out that I was pregnant until three months later. Janet did a little investigation to see who it might be but...she...she said it could have been anyone. I have not gone to another party and if I ever do, I will not have any alcohol. It almost ruined my life.”

  “Yea. That was a poor decision to not stop when you had enough. But, we all are allowed one life-altering mistake and that was yours. You got that out the way, so it is about looking forward and doing only what is in the best interest of you and your baby,” I said.

  “What was yours?”

  “My what?”

  “Life altering mistake.”

  “I think I am about to make it. I wouldn’t call it a mistake but it will definitely be life-altering. My girlfriend is currently in China on business but she was here when I found the baby on our doorstep. I had to challenge her to not call the police. She does not want children and she is very uncomfortable around them. She will be home in two months and I sort of gave her the assurance that I will have Kaci out by the time she returned.”

  “Oh no...I’m sorry…,” she was terrified that I was going to give the baby back to her.

  “She is not against me helping you. She just does not want...a baby around her.”

  “Did you want kids?”

  “No. I did not plan on having any...but then I saw Kaci and everything changed. She is such a beautiful and sweet baby, I couldn’t just give her to somebody...no, I couldn’t. So I have no idea what will happen when Rachel gets back and that is why I said life-altering because Kaci does not leave this house until you are ready to get her.”

  “But...your girlfriend is going to be so upset when she gets back.”

  “Yes. So she has to learn to love babies,” I smiled.

  “I feel terrib…,” she paused as I saw her grimace. “I feel terrible about this.”

  “Have you gone to a doctor since you left the hospital?”

  “No...I can’t.”

  “Why not?”

  “I don’t have insurance and I already have a massive hospital bill. I tried to get insurance but I was six months pregnant and I was high risk...then after I would have a pre-existing condition…”

  “So I take it Kaci does not have a pediatrician?”

  “No.”

  “OK. How do you survive? Where do you get money?”

  “I got a job at a deli close to the college…”

  “Which College is that?”

  “Westernshore. I work there for three hours in the evening and it is not much but I give it to Janet to help with her share of the rent. She has room, and I stay in there with her, but the girls want her to pay more...but we are trying to just ride it out for the next six months because then I will be able to find a good job and a place, then I can take Kaci off your hands. I hope you know how grateful I am for your help.”

  When she said she would take Kaci off my hands, I felt a sinking feeling in my stomach. Rachel warned me about becoming attached to the baby because it would be difficult to give her up, but I was attached the second I saw her. I knew that I had another six months with her, no matter how much tantrum Rachel would throw. She can call the police all she wanted now because Victoria was sitting across from me and she was giving me permission to keep Kaci.

  “Come. Let me take you to see her,” I said standing up and she followed me up the stairs.

  “You have a beautiful home.”

  “Thank you,” I said and led her into my bedroom where her daughter was sleeping.

  She stopped by the door but I thought she was behind me. I looked over in the bassinet at the baby who was trying to get out of sleep and realized that I was the only one there. I looked toward the doorway and she was standing there with tears running down her face.

  “Victoria?” I said and walked to her. I held her hand and led her to the bassinet and she started crying harder.

  “Look at her. She looks so pretty,” she said behind the hands that covered her mouth. “Where did you get this?”

  I realized that she was talking about the beautiful pink bassinet.

  “My assistant went and bought it for me...along with everything else.”

  “She did a good job.”

  “Actually, it’s a he.”

  “Your assistant is a man?” she asked looking at me and started to smile with the tears on her face.

  “Yes. He is amazing. Poor thing, neither of us knew where to start. He was so scared but I could not leave so I sent him and he managed very well, especially on his second trip when he needed to get clothes for Kaci.”

  “Poor guy,” she laughed and it was beautiful to see and to hear.

  Kaci was awake and ready for her bottle so I picked her up and changed her on my bed.

  “Can I hold her?” she asked.

  “Sure. Wash your hands in there then just sit in that chair and I will hand her
to you.”

  She did and once again I saw her grimaced as she sat on the chair. She needed to get to a doctor. Both of them did. I would have to get Stewart to find one where they could go that did not need insurance. They would all probably refuse to see her because she gave birth and probably would need multiple and intensive treatment. I had a great insurance and wished there was a way to get her and Kaci on it.