Chapter 6

Chapter 6

“Hey, Miss Ariel! How are you this morning? Adrienne is going to be happy to see you!” The employee checking us in for Ariel’s therapy appointment keeps steady talk with her while I sign all new paperwork as her guardian. I hand the completed forms back to them, they quickly review to make sure I haven’t missed anything, then they nod decisively.

“Looks good, Mr. Hawthorn. If you want to have a seat, Adrienne will take you and Ariel as soon as she gets here. There was a traffic accident, so she is running a few minutes late.”

“No problem. Thanks.” I reach for Ariel’s hand. “Come on, Baby Girl. Let’s wait over here.” I point to the chairs I am speaking of and lead her over.

I have been looking forward to this appointment for weeks. I’ve read Ariel’s medical records thoroughly, but it will be good to talk with her therapist face-to-face and see the plan in action, get some advice for when we go back to Austin.

Which will be this evening or tomorrow. Jack O’Brien is beyond what I can continue to tolerate. I have to get her out of Crystal Creek.

I go to help Ariel up to the chair next to me, and for the first time, she puts up a bit of resistance. She is staring across the room at a large bin of toys. She carefully looks around the room, takes a few tentative steps toward it, then a few more. I don’t stop her, wanting to see how this plays out. I’m not sure what she is looking for, but her mind must be at ease because she doesn’t waste anymore time and rummages through the box until she finds exactly what she wants: an electric toy keyboard. She drops to the floor, happily turning it on and settling it in her lap.

To my surprise, she isn’t just banging away; she’s playing something that sounds like actual music. My face sags in disbelief and something akin to panic begins to rise in my chest.

No, no, no. Of all the things that could make her happy, why is it this? It can’t be!

Maybe it’s a passing thing. Is it wrong for me to hope?

“Oh look at her! She’s wanted that toy for months but wouldn’t ever go for it on her own.”

A female voice sounds behind me, and she seems delighted with this turn of events. Before I turn around, she steps in front of me and offers her hand.

“Hi, Mr. Hawthorn. I’m Adrienne. I’m sorry it is under these circumstances, but it’s nice to finally meet you.”

Wow.

The young woman in front of me is the prettiest I have seen in a while. Her skin is the color of rich coffee with cream, smooth as silk without one blemish; the little mark just off the corner of her mouth is too sexy to be considered one. Her black, curly hair is pulled to the side in a low ponytail that shows off double pierced ears. One ear also has a tiny stud nestled in the cartilage at the top, and its twin barely twinkles in her nose on the opposite side. Big brown eyes are beginning to look uneasy, and I realize I have been staring a moment too long.

Get a grip, man!

“Yes, yes. Just Wesley is fine.” I scramble to salvage the situation and shake her hand. “I’ve been looking forward to meeting you as well.” I incline my head toward Ariel. “So this isn’t something new?”

Adrienne looks at Ariel fondly. “Nope. It was clear that she was drawn to it as soon as we put it in the box, but she wouldn’t play with it. Eventually, she would if we brought it to her, but today is the first time she got it out on her own. I like that progress.” She pauses for a minute before continuing. “It could be that music is going to be her thing, you know? Something that will make her open up like nothing else will. You might want to find ways to foster that.”

I don’t answer; the feeling of dread is too heavy. And I’m feeling horrible for feeling that way.

Adrienne sits next to me and crosses her legs. “How has Ariel been doing since her dad died?”

I quickly run through my thoughts, specifically mentioning how well she has seemed to react to me and my family over all, and Adrienne nods.

“Good. Erik was very deliberate in making sure Ariel heard your names often and saw pictures of you all. Especially yours.”

I nod. “OK. Now it makes sense why he said that she would stare at my picture when he showed it to her.” I pause before I ask the next question; I’m not sure I want to know the answer. “Did he....did you know? That he...that he...”

Adrienne shakes her head in interruption. “No. But now that I do, it makes sense why he was insistent on her knowing you. Making sure that she recognized your name and face, associated you with safe spaces and all of that.” She looks thoughtfully, intently at me before she continues. “Aside from Erik’s persistence, I think she was taken with you specifically because the water in her favorite relaxation video is the same color as your eyes.”

Color of my eyes? That catches me off guard. In another life, a different situation, I would have assumed the woman was subtly trying to flirt with me. But with Adrienne, I don't think she is. She seems like she is making a statement of fact, giving a professional opinion, and I’m surprised to find that I feel…rejected. Like, my feelings are kind of hurt.

What? I don’t understand this feeling but it’s there, and now I’m annoyed. I can feel the scowl forming on my face.

“Wesley?” Adrienne chuckles. “Are you OK? Where did you go?”

“Oh...uh.um...” Crap! This is the second time that she’s caught me off guard, scrambling not to look like an idiot. I can only imagine what she’s thinking, and now I’m even more annoyed with myself.

“You think so? About the color thing? And I don’t remember anything about a relaxation video in her records. Is that something I should have?” I’m struggling to get back on task and get my jumbled emotions in check. I feel like this appointment has been a disaster, and it hasn’t even really started.

“I probably didn’t note it specifically, but I can get it for you later. And it’s just a theory about your eyes. So, should we get started with the session?” she asks.

“That’s what we’re here for.” My tone is more clipped than it needs to be, almost rude, and I just want this over with. What is my problem today?

If Adrienne thinks I am being weird, she doesn’t show it. She just smiles and gestures for me to follow her so we can get to work.

Laura ~~

It’s only the beginning of summer, but this Texas heat is already brutal.

Especially when you’re sitting in a hot car, refusing to waste gas so that you can leave the air conditioning running, and you’ve already finished the cool drink that you brought to quench your thirst.

There is a little flask in my purse. It doesn’t matter if the liquid in that container is cool or not.

No. I’m not going to start that. I’m not that far gone. It’s bad enough that I started carrying it all the time instead of only for the most taxing of social events.

When did this become my life? I’m Laura O’Brien, and I’m supposed to have it all. A handsome husband. A wealthy lifestyle. A good name in the community. A reputation as a leader in the women’s groups and charity organizations around town.

My own granddaughter to spoil.

I am not a woman who scuttles around town every day, learning to be covert in spying on neighbors just to get a glimpse of the child who should have been in my arms from the beginning.

Or at least I wasn’t.

What would the ladies of the Junior League think if they could see me now? The ladies I called some of my closest friends?

I know exactly what those vicious, backstabbing harpies would think. They would gossip all around town about how scandalized they are about this whole thing, tearing me down and making me look bad. They already are after the scene Wesley Hawthorn caused at the memorial.

That...that.. infuriating boy! How dare he stand there and act like he was Erik’s best friend when he deserted him himself? Like he is somehow better than us just because Erik named him guardian of my granddaughter?

But as mad as I am at Wesley, it is Jack’s fault we are in this mess.

I fell in love with Ariel the minute we got her birth announcement in the mail. I wanted to go to her that very day, but Jack refused. We cut Erik off as an embarrassment, he reminded me. He was certain that Erik having a child with that drugged-out tramp would embarrass the O’Brien name and image beyond repair.

If we had taken Ariel from Erik when she was born, we would be the heroes of this story. Instead, we’re the laughingstock of Crystal Creek. The embarrassment is that no one knew we had cut Erik off. They thought Erik wanted nothing to do with us and he cut us out of his life. Now they have easily surmised what really happened and can’t believe we chose to turn our back on a child with special needs, a child whom could have had the best of everything with our money and connections.

They judge us for it. They look down on us from their pristine mansions where we used to be welcome. We used to be one of them.

I can’t believe my own husband did this to me after everything I’ve put up with and done for him in our marriage. A marriage that died so long ago I can’t even remember when.

Well, he’s going to make it up to me. The night after the memorial, after most of the town saw Jack stand there and let that arrogant Wesley belittle him and then watched the Hawthorn family drive away with our grandchild, I told Jack he had better get Ariel for me or else. He knew I wasn’t kidding; he knows I can ruin him.

I don’t have anything else to lose at this point.

In the meantime, I am trying to satisfy myself with glimpses of her around town and taking pictures of her on my cell phone when I see her.

This morning, I followed Wesley from the Hawthorn estate, and now I’m waiting outside of the medical building next to the hospital. I had a moment of panic thinking that she was not well until I snuck inside to see if I could figure out where they went. I was relieved when I saw them disappear into the physical and occupational therapy office. Of course, I couldn’t stay in there; that would look suspicious, so I had to hurry up and get back to my car.

Thank goodness it is early morning and the clinic isn’t busy yet. I’m sure I didn’t get caught. I might have thought about “accidentally” bumping into his sister and her family at Miss Mamie’s the other day, but I cannot get caught by Wesley.

That would ruin everything.

I reach for my cell phone and look at the pictures I’ve taken so far today. Ariel is so cute in her little pink sundress and matching sandals, her hair in long, wavy pigtails. She truly is the female version of Erik when he was that age. And her smile. Oh, that smile could light up a room.

I should be happy that there is a smile on her face in these pictures, but I’m not, because I know Wesley Hawthorn put it there. She looks much, much too comfortable in his arms.

Jack better get her for me.

Or else.