The Country Guesthouse (Sullivan's Crossing #5)(21)

Hannah told her everything they’d been doing from swimming to piggyback hiking, ice-cream sundaes at Rob Shandon’s pub.

“Rob is married to my niece,” Helen said. “That makes him like a son-in-law.”

“My God, this whole town is connected!”

“Talk about a family tree...” Helen said.

“And Noah is taking pictures now. Owen gave him an old camera and showed him how to focus and shoot. Then they look at his pictures on the computer and he’s thrilled.”

“Isn’t Owen the loveliest man?” Helen asked. “The second I met him, I knew he was special. I love talking to him about his travels, about his accidental success. Well,” she laughed. “Accidental in that he didn’t plan it or expect it but when you look at those books of his, read his descriptive prose, it’s unsurprising. It was bound to happen. He has the heart of an angel.”

“I know! I admit, I’m thoroughly captivated! He’s made such a difference in Noah’s life. And mine! He seems like such a pure soul. But, Helen, I know you’ve been in my shoes—will you please give me your three or four strongest tips for learning to be a sudden mother? My friend Erin, though a single, working mother, was the most wonderful mother I’ve ever known. There’s no way I can ever measure up!”

“Oh, you’ll do fine. I had to build a network, not just so I could survive, but so Leigh had connections, too. Neighbors, mostly. I had to get cozy with her teachers, making sure they all knew it was just the two of us.”

“I have two other best friends who aren’t far away. They were also close to Erin and Noah. They promise to help and they have kids who are great with Noah. And I’ll get him going on a new physical therapy program. Although, if Owen has his way, Noah will be walking on his own before we leave.”

“I have something important to tell you, something I struggled with. You must always remember Noah’s mother’s death wasn’t your fault. He’ll need sympathy and reassurance but don’t let a cloud of guilt cause you to make bad decisions. Don’t overindulge or let him get away with being naughty just because you feel bad for him. That won’t help him. And my best advice—tell him you love him often but also tell him how much you want him. You miss his mom, too, but what a gift she gave you.”

“Yes,” Hannah said. “The first week I lived with this gift, that first terror-stricken week, all I could think about was how impossible it would be. By the end of that first week, after cuddling him at night a few times, after watching him soldier on despite how much it hurt, I knew I couldn’t live without him. How does a person fall in love with a child that fast? A child not even my own?”

“Doesn’t take long for that child to become yours, does it? Takes about twenty-four hours and you need that child as much as he needs you.”

“I didn’t realize...”

“Sadly, that’s not always the case. Some people don’t bond with their children, even the children that came out of their own bodies. I count myself so lucky in that regard. It was very hard at times but I was so lucky to fall in love with the child I would raise.”

Hannah remembered. She always felt her mother didn’t love her. There was a coolness about her when she dealt with Hannah. She always felt it was because she was adopted and didn’t look like her sisters. Hannah grew up being the least loved in the household, the only one with a different last name. She was resented and she knew it; she’d always known it. She had felt it long before she could put a definition to it.

It was not going to be like that for Noah. She would be his champion. No matter what it took.

“How did you manage a full-time job?”

“So much juggling. I was close with my neighbor who was a stay-at-home mom. On those occasions Leigh had to stay home with a cold or flu, my neighbor would look after her. Sometimes Leigh came to my classroom in the late afternoon. Oh, hell, she went everywhere with me. When she was a little older, she could go to a friend’s house after school. There was a lot of trial and error the first couple of years while we were figuring things out. Keep an open mind, Hannah. New ideas will present themselves.”

“I bet you were wonderful fun to grow up with,” Hannah said.

“On some days,” Helen said. “Are you doing all right, girl? You look like you’re happy.”

“I dread going back to the real world. But that’s where my network is. This has been like a fantasy.”

“Let’s walk over to the store and let Sully feed us.” Helen hooked her arm through Hannah’s. “A lot of us live here full-time, you know. And it might seem like a fantasy but I guarantee you it’s real life. It’s also real nice. I even made it through winter and I hate winter.”

“What’s winter like here?”

“Not too bad,” she said. “Don’t tell Sully I said that. It will take all the starch out of my complaining.”

“He dotes on you,” Hannah said.

“Oh, yes. And all winter he dotes more, bringing in firewood and making soups. He only knows four soups, by the way. And they’re a lot alike. This next winter we’re going to find some new recipes so I don’t go bat shit crazy.”

When they got to the store’s porch, Sully and Noah were sitting at a table playing checkers. And it looked like Noah was winning.