Katie gives me a sexy smile, then giggles under her breath. “It could have gone worse.”
“Teenagers are hard,” I huff. “Sometimes I just have no idea what to say to her. I wish she came with an instruction manual.”
“Women, whatever age, are a complex business. I’ll do my best to help.”
I smile at her like a loon. Her eyes dance, a knowing smile crossing her lips.
“What?” I ask.
“I could do with some help moving my stuff. Now we’re together, we’ll be sharing a room?”
“Hell, yeah.” I step forward, grabbing her ass with both hands, pulling her hard against me. “And as soon as I get you on my own, I’m showing you how much I’ve missed your body. Prepare to be cherished.”
David’s screams disturb the moment. He’s woken from his nap.
“I’ll get him,” Katie says as she hotfoots out the door toward the screaming baby. Minutes later, she arrives back with him expertly held in one arm and makes a bottle with the other. “Now, now, chicken,” she coos. “I’m just making your bottle. Your tummy will be full soon.”
David gulps his meal. She looks so at home with a baby in her arms. It saddens me that she never had the chance to experience having her own child. I hope she’ll come to think of my children as part of her family. She may never be their mother, but she can have an active role in their lives.
I know the road ahead will not be easy, but if we work together, we can create a loving family unit.
Chapter forty-three
Katie
It’s the middle of the night, and sleep evades me again. I’m so bloody hot. Menopause is a bitch. Stone cold one minute, then sweat pours out of every pore the next. The last few nights have been spent walking the corridors while my mind whirls, not allowing me to sleep.
The bathroom door is closed. I twist the handle, confused by who could be inside—it’s locked. Lance is asleep in bed, snoring loudly as I roam the halls. It must be Hannah.
“Hannah?” I whisper. “Are you in there?”
“Go away,” she wails.
“Hannah, what’s wrong? Do you want me to get your dad?”
“No.” Her rejection bouncing through the house.
“Okay, okay. Keep it down. We don’t want to wake your brother. Let me in.”
“No,” she shouts stubbornly.
“Let me in, or I’m getting your father,” I warn in my most authoritative voice. I stand behind the door, willing her to open it. The soft click of the lock releasing tells me she has given in. I push the door and enter the bathroom, moving with caution while glancing around to try and decipher what’s going on.
Hannah sits on the toilet in her pajamas, bloodstained panties lying on the floor.
“I don’t know what to do,” she cries. “I’m not ready. I don’t want this to happen.”
I go to her and pull her into my arms.
“It’s okay,” I whisper into her hair. “I’ll help you. This is completely natural. Are you in pain? Is your stomach sore? It just means you’re growing up, sweetheart. It’s nothing to be frightened of.”
Her eyes are wide, terrified of what is happening to her body. She’s visibly shaking. I wonder how long she’s been sitting here on her own. My heart breaks for her. She needs so much support. I wish she would let me in.
“I’ll run you a bath. You sit there and relax. Then we’ll get you some fresh nightclothes and a sanitary pad. I have some in the bedroom.”
I turn on the hot water and add a generous blob of bubble bath. Steam rises from the tub as it fills with bubbles. When it’s ready, I help her in and ensure she’s comfortable. She disappears into the water, closes her eyes, and sighs in understandable relief.
“You relax,” I tell her. “I’ll get your clothes.”