Impact (Suncoast Society #32)(25)

“Thank you for fitting us in,” Tilly said as she shook hands with him. “I am extremely grateful.”

“My nurse said you’ve got quite the story to tell.”

Tilly repeated it, the doctor frowning at first, then slowly nodding once Tilly assured him she was now Katie’s guardian and would remain so for the immediate future.

“Let’s get some lab work on her,” the doctor said. “Just to be sure there aren’t any drugs in her system, or any other issues. I’ll call the phlebotomist in here once I’m done. Now, let’s take a look at this little girl.”

It was over an hour before they were out of there. The doctor prescribed supplements and vitamins, recommended a different formula, and wanted to see Katie back in a week. “Hopefully there won’t be any lasting effects from this, since you intervened so soon.”

“That makes two of us, doc.” Tilly changed Katie’s diaper before getting her dressed again.

At check-out, Tilly paid the bill with a credit card and headed back to the car. With the baby securely buckled in, Tilly texted Cris an update. She followed that with a text to Landry, who called her a moment later.

“How is she, love?” he asked.

“Hopefully, we intervened in time. The doctor says other than being underweight, she seems healthy. Where are you?”

“I stepped outside into the hallway. We’re awaiting our turn in front of the judge.”

“Everything okay?”

“She’s rather nervous and I can’t blame her there.”

“About seeing the probation officer?”

“Yes. Dale and I talked alone while Sofia went to the bathroom. He warned me that there is a very good chance she will be remanded to custody when the full story is told.”

“He’s not very hopeful, huh?”

“No, not considering her ex-boyfriend’s arrest record. And the brother’s record. Dale looked it all up last night after taking Cris and Sofia home. He’s hoping that the probation officer will take our guardianship of Katie into account, and the fact that Sofia reached out to us for help, but he warned me not to be surprised if she goes back into custody.”

Tilly turned her head to look back at the baby’s car seat. She couldn’t see Katie, because of the rear-facing setup, but the baby had been nearly asleep when Tilly buckled her in. She’d sucked down another bottle of formula while in the doctor’s office, making that her third of the morning. Until Katie’s weight caught up to what it should be, the pediatrician had told Tilly to feed the baby as much and as often as Katie would take it, along with the supplements.

She clamped down on her anger. “If I tell you something, promise you won’t tell Cris I said it?” She faced forward again.

“Of course, love. Anything.”

“Maybe a stint in jail is the best thing for her right now. Give her time to get her head on straight. And give us time to make sure Katie is taken care of. Not to mention, one less issue to worry about with her safely behind bars for now.”

Landry’s sigh weighed heavily on her even through the phone. “Love, she’s not our baby. Under our care, yes. But she’s not ours.”

“Not yet,” Tilly grumbled.

“I know you don’t mean that.”

“No, I do mean it.” She closed her eyes, rubbing her forehead against the tension headache already threatening to set in. “You didn’t see what a shithole she had that baby in. The carrier was disgusting, Lan. The place stank of weed and cigarette smoke. Serves her right to do a little jail time to make her think about what a good mother does and does not do. Like risking her infant’s life.”

“No arguments from me, darling, but let’s make the goal to rehabilitate Sofia so she can be reunited with Katie, hmm?”

“She’s the one who wanted us to take Katie out of the state in the first place.”

“I realize that. And this morning her opinion hasn’t changed. She is under no illusions that she has screwed up and committed huge errors in her thinking. Do you trust my judgment?”

“Of course I do.”

“Then trust me now with this. I promise you, I will not let her regain custody of Katie unless I’m firmly convinced, and we are all in agreement, that Sofia can take care of her.”

Tilly relaxed. “Thank you,” she said.

“Let me get back in there. I’ll call you when we’re finished. Where is your next stop?”

She started to say the office, then she thought about it. “I think I’m going to go shopping.”

He chuckled. “Spend as much as you wish, love. Get her everything she needs and you desire.”

“You know me too well. Love you.”

“Love you, too, my dear.”

She stared at her phone for a moment after she ended the call. Yes, she lived a charmed life.

One more call to place.

Leigh answered on the first ring. “Well? Do I still have a pediatrician,” she teased, “or do I need to find a new one because you went aggro on him?”

“I’m not that mean. And yes, Dr. Rahling was wonderful. We have another appointment for next Thursday morning. I wanted to tell you I’m not coming in right away. I need to go shopping first. Baby shopping.”