Always Then and Now

Chapter 5

LIAM

“I’m telling you, Liam, she’s going to be perfect!”

I sighed and sat down on the couch beside Kate as we watched Emily play with her dolls on the floor in front of us.  I still had no idea how to interact with the toddler.  Everything felt unnatural.

“Kate, you met her, what, a few days ago?  If you can even call it ‘meeting.’ She took your order a few times this week.  I’d hardly a call that a basis for such a claim as the one you’re making.”

“You should have seen her today with that little boy.  He came in bawling his eyes out, scared to death, and she calmed him down and reunited him with his mother, all within a few minutes.  She was like the child whisperer, I swear.” 

I just looked at her, not convinced.  Kate was too trusting sometimes.  It made her a great person and a great therapist, but I didn’t want her to be taken advantage of again.

She gave me an exasperated look and threw up her hands.  “Look, just look into her tonight, okay?  I’ve got her number.  And then we can meet with her tomorrow morning, and you’ll see.  I’m going to text her and tell her to be here at 11 tomorrow.” 

She was already typing and sending the text before I could stop her.  I sighed.  Well, I guess this was happening, whether I liked it or not.  “I’ve got a meeting with Roger at 10,” I told her, though I already knew any kind of argument was useless.  Once she got something into her head, there was no stopping that freight train.

“On a Saturday?  Wait a minute—why am I even asking?  Of course, you would schedule business on a Saturday.  You do realize that now that you have a daughter, it can’t be all business all the time, right?  You actually have to spend time with her.”  She rolled her eyes at me.

“It’s not all business all the time,” I protested.  She gave me a look that told me she didn’t believe a word she said, and I couldn’t blame her.  Work was intense though.  It couldn’t be helped.  “But we’ve got an important deadline coming up, and this meeting has been scheduled for at least a month.  I only just found out about Emily a few weeks ago.  I can’t just drop everything, all at once.  I can’t just change everything in my life.”

“Actually, yes, you can.  In fact, you’re going to have to.  Whether you like it or not, Liam, your life is going to change,” she said heatedly, her eyes flashing dangerously.  I’d clearly struck a nerve.  “You can’t just put Emily on a shelf and forget about her while you continue on as if nothing ever happened, even with a nanny.  You are going to have to learn how to be a father.  I know ours was not the best role model, but you can use that as motivation to be a better one to Emily than dad was to us.” 

Properly chastised, I looked away.  She was right.  I’d never wanted kids, but now I had one.  I couldn’t change that, and I couldn’t just abandon Emily the way dad had practically abandoned us.  I had to try, no matter the inconvenience.  I groaned, closing my eyes and wiping my hand over my face.  “Fine.  I’ll meet her tomorrow.  But she’d better be as good as you say she is.”

“I promise you, she’s better!” Kate said excitedly and then hugged me.  I sighed again.  We’d see about that tomorrow.

*****

The next morning, I was just finishing up my meeting with Roger, my business partner and best friend from college, when there was a knock on the door.  A moment later, Kate walked in carrying Emily, giving Roger an unimpressed look before smiling at me.  She’d never liked Roger, and she wasn’t afraid to show it.  I couldn’t say I blamed her.  Women either loved or hated Roger—sometimes both at the same time.