Brittany considered Jennifer’s offer. She would save a fortune if she didn’t have to pay for daycare. And Jennifer had said any time. Maybe Britt would be able to start taking night classes and eventually escape her soul-sucking job and shit-hole apartment. This could be good.
“I…” Brittany opened her mouth, and pride closed it. She turned away from Jennifer and rubbed at the tension in the back of her neck. Britt recalled the way that just moments ago, she’d been curled up on the floor, unable to breathe. “Why would you do that for us? We aren’t your problem.”
“Because,” Jennifer sighed, rocking Millie to sleep. “This is my grandchild, and I want her to have everything she needs.” She glanced up to meet Brittany’s eyes. “Justin did you wrong. Raising a baby alone is more than most anyone can bear. I want to do what little I can to make my son’s wrongs right.”
Tears welled up in Britt’s eyes. She paced back and forth behind the futon. She hated Justin. If she allowed his mother to help her, would that make him think he had some right to be a part of Millie’s life? And how could she trust Jennifer?
But Britt and Millie couldn’t keep living like this. She had to be strong for Millie, and sometimes being strong meant letting go of your pride.
“Okay,” Brittany said. “We can try this, just while Millie is sick. But I’m serious about Justin; absolutely no contact.” She ran her hands through her hair and stared out the window. “Can you be here tomorrow at 7:00 am? So I don’t lose my job?” Tears formed in her eyes again.
“Absolutely.”
“Thank you.” Brittany sighed and let the smallest bit of tension melt away from her body. She turned to look at Jennifer. “How will I know if I need to take Millie to the doctor?”
“Well, if she’s having a tough time breathing, and if her lips turn blue—”
“What?” Britt clutched her racing heart. The thought of Millie’s lips turning blue made her want to puke.
Jennifer shook her head. “That probably won’t happen! We’ll just watch her! She’ll be okay.”
Britt sank onto the futon and rested her head on her knees. She had terrible health insurance. Her parents had cut her off six weeks after Millie’s birth. Now she paid through the nose for a high deductible shit insurance plan from the call center. “Millie’s never been this sick before. I can’t afford to take her to the doctor.”
Jennifer frowned. “Justin! I’ll call him right now.” She handed the now sleeping Millie to Britt and pulled out her phone. “Justin! Have you paid Brittany yet?” She rolled her eyes. “Transfer the money now! Your daughter is sick, Justin! You can’t just forget these things!” Jennifer hung up the phone and turned to Britt. “He’s going to make the transfer right now. His videos from his Ireland trip are doing well and—”
“Stop!” Britt held up her hand. “I don’t want to hear anything about him.” Her phone dinged with a notification. She opened her banking app with her free hand. $500. She let out a deep sigh of relief and leaned back against the cushion. She’d be able to take Millie to the doctor with the extra $200.
Jennifer stood near the door. “Will you two be all right today? Would you like me to stay?”
Britt glanced down at Millie’s fluttering eyelids. She looked peaceful, and her fever had already gone down. “Um… no. I think we’ll be fine. We’ll just see you here tomorrow morning.”
Jennifer nodded and turned to leave.
“Jennifer,” Britt said. “Thank you.”
Jennifer gave her a sad smile and walked out the door.
4
Britt
“She lives!” Tasha stood and slow clapped when Britt walked into work the next morning. “What’d you do with your kid?”
Britt sighed. “I left her with Justin’s mom.”
Tasha raised her eyebrows. “You serious, girl?”
“I know. I know. It’s just until Millie gets better and can go back to daycare. I’m desperate.” Britt slid into her desk and picked up her headset. Her heart already raced, and she couldn’t stop thinking about Millie and Jennifer, wondering if she’d made a terrible mistake. And Millie was sick. She needed her mama.
Britt could hardly focus on her calls and rushed to the break room as soon as her first fifteen arrived. She dialed Jennifer’s number and paced in front of a table.
“Hello?” Jennifer answered.
“Hi! Just checking in!” Britt could hear Millie coughing in the background. “Does Millie need a doctor?” She bit her lip and rubbed at the tightness in her chest.
“Oh, I think she’ll be all right.” Jennifer sounded completely unconcerned. What the hell? “She’s not eating much, but I’m sure that’s just because she isn’t feeling well.”
“Does she still have a fever?” Britt hadn’t slept a wink the night before. Instead, she’d pressed her palm against Millie’s forehead every thirty minutes. At 1:00 am, her fever seemed to break, but at 4:00, Millie woke up screaming and coughing.
Britt had flipped on the lamp to check for blue lips because it sounded like Millie couldn’t breathe. Millie’s lips were pink. Her cheeks were pink. She was breathing. After another dose of Tylenol, Millie fell back asleep. Britt rocked back and forth on the edge of her bed until 5:30, before taking a quick shower.
Jennifer said, “She feels a little warm, but not like she did yesterday.”
Brittany chewed on her lower lip. “Okay. My break’s almost over, and I won’t be able to answer the phone unless you call my boss, but she’ll be pissed. The pediatrician’s number is—”
“On the fridge. You showed me this morning.”
“Right.”
“Brittany, I’ve got this. I raised five children!”
Britt scoffed. Yeah, and one of them turned out to be a real winner. “Okay. I’ll call on my next break.” Brittany hung up the phone and hurried to use the bathroom before heading back to her desk.
“Yes, sir. No sir. Okay, sir.” Tasha glanced up at Brittany and rolled her eyes. She mimicked holding a gun to her head and pulling the trigger.
Britt gave her a weak smile and picked up her headset. She felt exhausted and panicky. She didn’t know how she’d get through the rest of the day.
***
Three days later, Millie’s fever was gone entirely, and she only coughed at night before she fell asleep.
“What’d I tell you?” Jennifer smiled and gently bounced a rosy-cheeked Millie. “Good as new!”
Jennifer had been perfectly wonderful that whole first week that she watched Millie, at least as far as Brittany could tell. Millie seemed happy to see Jen, and always snuggled into her. Why then, did Britt feel the urge to rip Millie from her arms each night upon arriving home from work?
“I’m so glad you’re letting me spend time with Millie. I’m just the luckiest nana in the world! I’m sure your mom feels the same way.” Jennifer beamed at Millie and kissed her chubby little cheek.
Britt froze as she mixed a bottle for Millie. Leah Delos was tough and cold. Brittany couldn’t even imagine her saying, “I’m the luckiest nana in the world!” Britt hadn’t heard a word from her in at least six months.