“I’ll come to the point,” Winnie said, twisting the handkerchief in her lap. “Mr. Govenor informs me that Mr. Holland will undoubtedly arrange Daisy’s surgery to occur before the court’s deadline. I won’t say congratulations.”
“I wouldn’t expect you to,” Angie said with a sigh.
“But . . . perhaps it’s for the best.”
That surprised Angie, being a greater concession than she had expected to hear from Winnie Govenor.
“I would have done my duty,” Winnie hastened to add. “But perhaps it’s best that children be raised by young people.”
“Mrs. Govenor, I’m terribly busy. . . .”
She hadn’t yet familiarized herself with Molly’s kitchen. Donated clothing was piling up in the small parlor and it needed sorting and putting away. It was urgent that she contact Mr. Kravitz at once and arrange for new shoes for Daisy. They needed another icebox and more ice to hold the dishes of food arriving hourly. She had to borrow another cot for Sam. At some point he’d be able to lie down and they needed a place for him. Every few minutes she thought of something else that required her immediate attention.
“Mrs. Holland, please.” Winnie’s pride crumpled and tears swam in her eyes. “Please don’t cut us off from our granddaughters. We want to be there when Daisy has her operation, and we want to be part of their lives. Please don’t deny us access to our granddaughters.”
“That’s not my decision,” Angie said softly. Despite the unpleasantness that had passed between them, and despite not understanding Winnie Govenor, she didn’t want Lucy and Daisy to grow up without knowing Laura’s parents. As much as she disliked the Govenors, denying Lucy and Daisy access to their grandparents seemed wrong.
“But you can influence Mr. Holland!”
She wasn’t as convinced about that as Winnie Govenor seemed to be. But it didn’t matter anymore. Angie still felt the chill that had chased down her body when Sam had told her that Marcus Applebee had been kind enough to rush through the money for the L&D.
“I’ll be leaving soon,” she said, testing the words on her tongue. Leaving Willow Creek, leaving the people she loved, leaving her heart.
“What are you talking about?” Winnie demanded.
“I told you the first time I met you. I came here to divorce Mr. Holland. He has the funds now, and the divorce can go forward.”
Winnie drew back. “I don’t like that at all.”
Startled, Angie smiled. “You surprise me, Mrs. Govenor.”
“A man like him needs a woman, that’s plain. Mark my words, it won’t be long before he marries again. And what sort of woman do you think she’ll be?”
Angie blinked. This wasn’t a subject she cared to consider.
“Heaven knows if she’ll be fit to raise my granddaughters!”
“As I recall, you don’t consider me fit.”
“At least I know you, and I know my granddaughters care for you. You’re a plain-speaking woman, and so am I. We can speak our minds to each other. I know you have your faults, undoubtedly more faults than I’m aware of, but you remind me in many ways of Laura. Headstrong, stubborn, determined to have your own way.” Pursing her lips, she thought for a moment. “I wonder if there’s a way to get the court to prohibit your divorce.”
Angie stood, signaling their conversation had ended. “Mrs. Govenor, stop trying to control other people’s lives,” she said gently. “It didn’t work with Laura, and it won’t work with me. As for your being present at Daisy’s operation, I’ll speak to Sam.”
In fact, it was possible that she wouldn’t be present herself, a likelihood she couldn’t bear to consider. But remaining in Willow Creek until Daisy’s operation meant continuing the present arrangement between herself and Sam. She didn’t know how he would feel about that.
After Winnie left, Angie tiptoed into the darkened bedroom to sit beside the girls. Each wore half a dozen bandages, and each had several small red burns that weren’t serious enough to require a bandage. Leaning over the bed, she kissed Lucy’s forehead and smoothed her singed bangs, then kissed the side of Daisy’s cheek.
Tears stung her eyes as she gazed at them. In the last five months she had learned that children were frustrating, infuriating, and demanded enormous amounts of time, patience, and energy. They were also warm, funny, generous, giving, and loved in a simple straightforward manner that squeezed one’s soul.
She had learned that children didn’t have to come from her body to be a part of her heart.