She was amazed that she could see a difference in the baby in two weeks. He was growing so quickly and his personality seemed more evident every day. This morning he was delighting himself by blowing bubbles and babbling nonsense sounds.
After tidying the kitchen, Phoebe picked him up out of his high chair and carried him over to the tree. “See what Leo and I did, Teddy? Isn’t it pretty?” The baby reached for an ornament, and she tucked his hand to her cheek. “I know. It isn’t fair to have so many pretty baubles and none of them for you to play with.”
Teddy grabbed a strand of her hair that had escaped her braid and yanked. She’d been in a hurry that morning after her shower and had woven her hair in its usual style with less than her usual precision. It was beginning to be clear to her why so many young mothers had simple hairstyles. Caring for an infant didn’t leave much time for primping.
In another half hour Teddy would be ready for a nap. Already his eyes were drooping. After last night’s excess, Phoebe might try to sneak in a few minutes of shut-eye herself. Thinking about Leo made her feel all bubbly inside. Like a sixteen-year-old about to go to prom with her latest crush.
Even in the good days with her fiancé, sex had never been like that. Leo had devoted himself to her pleasure, proving to her again and again that she had more to give and receive. Her body felt sensitized…energized…eager to try it all over again.
She walked the baby around the living room, humming Christmas carols, feeling happier than she had felt in a long time.
When the knock sounded at the front door, she looked up in puzzlement. Surely Leo hadn’t locked himself out. She had made sure to leave the catch undone when he left. Before she could react, the door opened and a familiar head appeared.
“Dana!” Phoebe eyed her sister with shock and dismay. “What’s wrong? Why are you here?”
* * *
Leo jogged back to the cabin. He was starving, but more than that, he wanted to see Phoebe. He didn’t want to give her time to think of a million reasons why they shouldn’t be together. When he burst through the front door, he ground to a halt, immediately aware that he had walked into a tense situation. He’d seen an unfamiliar car outside, but hadn’t paid much attention, assuming it belonged to one of the workmen.
Phoebe’s eyes met his across the room. For a split second, he saw into her very soul. Her anguish seared him, but the moment passed, and now her expression seemed normal. She smiled at him. “You’re just in time. My sister, Dana, arrived unexpectedly. Dana, this is Leo.”
He shook hands with the other woman and tried to analyze the dynamic that sizzled in the room. Dana was a shorter, rounder version of her sister. At the moment, she seemed exhausted and at the point of tears.
Phoebe held Teddy on her hip. “What are you doing here, Dana? Why didn’t you let me know you were coming? I would have picked you up at the airport. You look like you haven’t slept in hours.”
Dana plopped onto the sofa and burst into tears, her hands over her face. “I knew you would try to talk me out of it,” she sobbed. “I know it’s stupid. I’ve been on a plane for hours, and I have to be back on a flight at two. But I couldn’t spend Christmas without my baby. I thought I could, but I can’t.”
Leo froze, realizing at once what was happening. Phoebe…dear, beautiful, strong Phoebe put whatever feelings she had aside and went to sit beside her sister. “Of course you can’t. I understand. Dry your eyes and take your son.” She handed Teddy over to his mother as though it were the most natural thing in the world.
Leo knew it was breaking her heart.
Dana’s face when she hugged her baby to her chest would have touched even the most hardened cynic. She kissed the top of his head, nuzzling the soft, fuzzy hair. “We found a lady in the village who speaks a little English. She’s agreed to look after him while we work.”
Phoebe clasped her hands in her lap as if she didn’t know what to do with them. “How are things going with your father-in-law’s estate?”
Dana made a face. “It’s a mess. Worse than we thought. So stressful. The house is chock-full of junk. We have to go through it all so we don’t miss anything valuable. I know it doesn’t make sense to take Teddy over there, but if I can just have him in the evenings and be able to see him during the day when we take breaks, I know I’ll feel so much better.”
Phoebe nodded. “Of course you will.”
Dana grabbed her sister’s wrist. “You don’t know how much we love you and appreciate all you’ve done for Teddy. I have an extra ticket on standby if you want to come back with me…or even in a day or two. I don’t want you to be alone at Christmas, especially because it was that time of year when you lost—” She clapped her hand over her mouth, her expression horrified. “Oh, God, honey. I’m sorry. I’m exhausted and I don’t know what I’m saying. I didn’t mean to mention it.”