Winning the Custody of Three

ANDIE

Andie stayed in the shower until all the hot water was gone, and it still had no effect on her cold body. She got out, dried off, then went to get dressed.

She decided on a pair of gray sweatpants and an oversized gray T-shirt that had the logo of her bakery, Andie’s Sweets, with two cupcakes with pink frosting and multi-colored sprinkles.

She headed back to the Pack ‘n Play, where Lucy let out a squeal as she pulled herself up, and Lily rolled to her knees and crawled over to the same side.

“You both are getting so big,” she said happily, and she was rewarded with two big smiles.

“Are we in better moods now?” She scooped Lily up first, then Lucy, and made her way out to the kitchen.

She placed Lily in a high chair and then Lucy. She first gave Lucy her plain Cheerios and Lily her strawberry-flavored Puffs.

They sat there stuffing their little faces while she began fixing their bottles and baby food: strawberry banana for Lily and peaches for Lucy.

She sat down in front of them and alternated between them. They were giggling and smacking their hands against their high chair tables.

Andie smiled. If only to be a child during this, not to fully understand what was happening, to not feel the heartache.

She was just finishing up their baby food when a knock sounded at her door. She gave the girls some more Puffs and Cheerios.

“I’ll be right back, sweeties. Behave,” she said, kissing their heads and headed to the door. She opened it to see a couple standing there.

Both were older and a tad wrinkly. The woman was wearing glasses in front of a pair of blue eyes, and she had blonde hair. The man had salted brown hair with brown eyes.

“Mr. and Mrs. Howell?”

Rose Howell stepped forward and hugged Andie tightly. “We got here as soon as we could. Are you okay? How’s Lily?”

Andie hugged the plump older woman. “I’m okay. Lily seems to be okay after I finally got her to sleep some. We’re in the kitchen just finishing up breakfast.”

Andie pulled back from Rose Howell and led her and her husband, Bruce, toward the kitchen.

Lily and Lucy were babbling at each other as they were smacking their hands on their high chairs.

Andie let a small smile touch her lips as Rose strolled forward and kissed her granddaughter on the head.

“You look so much like your momma,” she whispered.

Andie felt the knife stab her heart as she thought of Candice. She let out a shaky breath as Lucy squealed. Andie shook her head, went to her daughter, and handed Lucy the bottle she had made her.

Lucy took it and began to drink. Andie then grabbed Lily’s bottle. “Here, Mrs. Howell. She’s probably ready for this too.”

Mrs. Howell loosened the tray and unfastened Lily. When she tried to pick Lily up, she let out a gut-wrenching cry, making Andie whip around.

Rose stood there frozen. “What happened?”

Andie stepped forward and placed a tender hand on Rose’s shoulder. “She’s been in a mood since last night.”

Andie picked Lily up, and she instantly curled her fingers into Andie’s hair and clutched her T-shirt in the other hand.

Andie bounced her up and down slowly. “Shh, shh, little one, it’s okay. Mamaw just wanted to feed you your bottle.” She rubbed Lily’s back soothingly as she slowly began to settle down.

“Will you let Mamaw hold you while Aunt Andie cleans up?”

Lily turned those expressive amber eyes on Andie. They were still swimming with tears, making them a gold color. She pushed her face against Andie’s shoulder and rubbed against it.

Andie repositioned Lily and took the bottle from Rose. When Lily took the nipple, Andie managed to give Lily back to Rose.

Andie grabbed the tray and turned to see Bruce getting Lucy. “It’s okay, Mr. Howell. I can get her.”

“It’s okay. You’ve got to clean her tray too, and it’s my pleasure to take her.” Bruce smiled his fatherly smile, but his brown eyes didn’t light up as they usually did. But did she really expect them to?

She grabbed Lucy’s tray and began to clean them both. She shoved her hands into the water just as her phone began to ring. “Oh great.”

Rose answered it. “Hello? No, she’s elbow deep in bubbles and water. We just arrived. Yeah, we can do that. I’m sure Andie can bring us out there. Okay, we’ll see you then.” Rose hung up the phone and continued to feed Lily.

“Who was that?” Andie asked, turning around to fasten the trays back to the chairs.

“Eli Cameron,” Rose answered.

Andie dropped the trays on the floor.

Rose looked at her. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, fine. Um.” Andie cleared her throat. “What did he want?” She tried to act calm.

“He wants us to meet out at the ranch Caleb and him ran together. He’s taking his parents there in a little bit so we can discuss everything.

“We haven’t been there since they had just started the business and moved out there. Will you take us there, dear?”

Andie picked up the trays, grimacing to herself. “Of course, Mrs. Howell.” She placed the trays back on the chairs and said, “Just let me get the girls changed, and we can head out. Where do you plan to stay?”

“Probably a hotel,” Rose replied.

“You can stay here if you want to. I can take the couch or set up a spot in the nursery,” Andie offered as she took Lily and Lucy.

“Nonsense, you won’t give up your bed to us. We’ll make do with a hotel,” Bruce said.

“Okay, but the offer still stands if you change your minds.” Andie headed to the nursery.

She placed Lucy on her feet first, then Lily on the floor. She gathered their diapers, wipes, and new clothes. Then she sat on the floor and stripped Lucy of her dirty clothes from breakfast and then Lily of hers.

She changed Lily’s diaper while Lucy tried to get her toes in her mouth.

“Lucy, don’t do that right now. That’s icky,” Andie scolded her a little, and Lucy sat back up and stared at Andie.

She dressed Lily in a cute pink onesie that said Princess and matching pink pants with little crowns along them.

She snatched Lucy up and changed her as well, then put her in a purple onesie with a white cat on the front and purple pants.

Andie sat back and took a breather for a minute, running her fingers through her hair. She picked Lily up, then Lucy, and headed out to the living room.

She sat Lucy down on the couch, grabbed the bags, threw them over her shoulder, and scooped Lucy back up.

She turned around, seeing Bruce and Rose standing there. “What’s the matter?” she asked, worry filling her.

“You handle both of them so well and quickly,” Rose began.

“I’ve been having them both at least twice a week for six months now. I always take Lily when they have their date night.” She paused and took in a sharp breath.

“Are you guys ready to go?” she asked as she placed Lily in her carrier and then Lucy in hers. She grabbed the carriers as Bruce and Rose nodded, and she headed out to the car.

She put Lily’s carrier in its base, then Lucy’s, and got in the driver’s seat. Rose got in the passenger seat, and Bruce got in the back beside Lily.

Andie took a deep breath as she started the car and made their way to the Cameron spread.

It wouldn’t be her first time there but her first time without Candice there. Why them? She let out a shaky breath.

***

Andie’s eyes darted around as she made her way along the long driveway.

She took in the three huge white metal barns with green roofs and the two pastures—one full of cows, some reddish-brown and some black, and the other with about ten horses of assorted colors.

The house was a beautiful log home. Candice had mentioned it was 4,000 square feet. The main house was two stories and had a full, finished basement.

The outside of the second story had a wood exterior with windows all around, and the ground level had an exterior of dark stone with as many windows.

The house was nestled in front of a mountain. The back patio couldn’t be seen from the front and had columns that supported the second-story balcony.

The Camerons had done well for themselves. There were four bedrooms on the first floor and two down in the basement, which had basically been Eli’s domain.

She finally came to a stop beside Eli’s gray truck. “I can come back when you guys are done,” Andie offered.

Bruce was already getting Lucy out of her car seat. “Nonsense. You and Candice were friends for years. This involves you too. Come on.”

He grabbed the bags and headed to the door as Andie got out to get Lily and the other bag.

Bruce apparently didn’t want to upset Lily like Rose had earlier that morning. She walked up the steps as Rose knocked on the door.

Andie didn’t want to be here. She was no longer welcome now that Candice was gone.

Lucy let out a little cry and reached for Andie when Eli answered the door with a frown on his face. Andie took Lucy as she adjusted Lily onto her other hip.

ELI

Eli looked past Mr. and Mrs. Howell, and his gaze landed on the petite woman holding both girls again. She looked worse than last night, although her hair wasn’t a jumbled mess.

He felt his frown soften as he met her tired, stress-filled gray eyes. “Do you want me to take Lily?” he asked as he stepped aside and let Bruce and Rose walk in.

What kind of grandparents didn’t take their granddaughter? he thought.

“It’s okay. I can handle it.” Her tone wasn’t as icy but still had a nip to it.

“Oh, come on, Andie. I can help. I have better manners than that.” He plucked his niece out of her arm and headed into the house as Andie followed after him.

He heard her shut the door behind herself, and all hell seemed to break loose. Lily let out a loud wail and squirmed in his arms, pushing against his chest.

He tried to adjust her. “Come on, Lily Pad, what’s the matter? Nana and Pop Pop are here. Do you want to see them?” It just set her off into a louder tizzy, and she reached out for Andie.

“What did you do to my niece?” he demanded, whirling around to the tiny woman standing behind him.

She frowned, placed her free hand on her hip, and glared at him. “I didn’t do anything to her.”

“She’s never been like this with me until you had her last night and today.” He glared back at her. He saw her gray eyes flash into hard steel.

“She knows something is wrong, Eli. She feels all the tension from everyone. Just let me have her.”

“So what are you saying? You’re not tense, not upset about what’s happened?” He glared harder at Andie.

He didn’t know what was setting him off besides the fact he was still so angry about his brother and sister-in-law, and now his niece was having a fit in his arms. He saw her eyes break and change to a soft gray.

“No, that’s… that’s not… never mind.” She turned to storm out of the house.

“What on earth is going on?” Maisy demanded, rushing out of the living room.

“Nothing, Mom. Andie was just leaving.” He adjusted Lily, who cried even louder and reached for Andie again.

“Why is she leaving? This involves her too,” Maisy demanded, frowning at him.

“She’s apparently not upset about Caleb and Candice and doesn’t put off tension, upsetting Lily.” He glared harder as Andie swung back around and glowered back at him.

“I never said that. You said it. Look, you can’t discuss anything with an upset baby crying. Let me take her to her room. She didn’t sleep well last night. Let me see if I can get her to nap.”

Eli practically growled at the suggestion.

Maisy took Lily from Eli and handed her to Andie. Lily immediately stopped crying and rubbed her face against Andie’s shoulder.

“Mom…,” he began.

“Elijah, just stop. We have enough going on!” Maisy squeezed Andie’s shoulder and said, “You can take her to her room, sweetie.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Andie headed down the hallway and turned into Lily’s nursery.

“Mom…”

“Elijah, enough!” Maisy yelled.

He clamped his mouth shut.

He called Detective Murphy after his meltdown to find out when the mortuary could pick up Caleb and Candice. Two days. They had two days to figure everything out.

ANDIE

Andie couldn’t believe the nerve of Eli. He was nothing like Caleb. Eli always let his temper get the best of him.

When she walked into Lily’s nursery, she put Lucy on the floor with a few toys to keep her busy.

She then stood by Lily’s crib, rocked and soothed Lily until she fell asleep in her arms, then laid her down in her crib.

She sat on the floor by Lucy, who played contently. “What are you doing, baby girl?” she asked as Lucy crawled up to her and pulled herself up. “You’re getting so big,” Andie told her.

Lucy laid her head on her shoulder and let out a yawn. Andie pulled her into her arms. “I know, sweetie. Our schedule got a little messed up. Are you ready for a nap too?”

Lucy rubbed her eyes with a tiny fist and yawned a little. Andie cuddled Lucy and began to rock her back and forth slowly. Her pretty gray eyes slowly shut as she fell asleep also.

Andie managed to lay her down in the crib without waking her up. She covered her with another blanket, turned the baby monitor on, and went to get the other half from Candice and Caleb’s room.

The door was shut. She laid her hand on the silver knob and slowly turned it. She stepped into the peacock-blue room, walked over to the dark dresser, and grabbed the monitor.

Her eyes caught the two photos in a double frame on the dresser. She slowly picked it up, backed up to the end of the dark wooden sleigh bed frame, and sat on the floor.

One picture was of the day she gave birth to Lucy, and the other was the day Candice gave birth to Lily.

Tears filled her vision. She’d been so alone most of her life, and only Candice had been there on the most important day of her life.

The tears fell rapidly down her cheeks as her finger traced the two pictures. And Eli thought she didn’t care. Candice was the only family she had in the world besides Lucy, and it was killing her.

She pulled the picture frame to her chest and sobbed uncontrollably. Her eyes slowly drifted shut as she continued to cry even in her sleep.

ELI

Eli and his parents managed to figure out what suit and dress Caleb and Candice would wear and what kind of caskets they’d have.

Eli went to get a drink, and as he moved down the hallway to the kitchen at the back of the house, he heard crying. He frowned as he neared the nursery, and it seemed to get louder.

Andie left them alone? He pushed the door open, but Lily and Lucy were sound asleep.

He pulled the door shut and headed farther down the hall when he noticed the master bedroom door was cracked open, and the crying was getting louder.

He pushed the door open, and he heard the sobs and mumbling.

“I can’t look. Don’t make me. I can’t do it.”

He rushed into the room, his boots soundless on the plush gray carpet. He spotted Andie on the floor at the foot of the bed, holding a picture close to her chest.

Tears were falling down her tan cheeks, and she was repeating the words, “No, I can’t,” over and over.

Eli flew over to her and knelt in front of her. “Andie, hey, it’s okay,” he whispered to her.

She pulled away and continued to cry. He laid a hand on her shoulder, which made her jump, and her eyes snapped open. She dropped the frame she was holding to the floor.

She quickly wiped her eyes and cheeks, stood up—stumbling a little, grabbed the monitor, and practically ran from the room.

He watched her leave, and then he looked at his hand. She’d felt so cold through her T-shirt. She cared. She was just as upset.

God, you’re an idiot. It hasn’t even been twelve hours since she had to identify them. She’s breaking inside, he scolded himself. He picked up the frame.

Candice was all Andie had in the world. Caleb had told him a little about her bouncing from foster home to foster home until she was old enough to take care of herself.

She’d managed to stay in the same school district, so she never lost Candice until she had moved here, found Caleb, and married him.

Then Andie moved here a few months after the wedding, pregnant. She was braver than he gave her credit for. She was holding herself together because she never let anyone but Candice see her at her worst.

He set the picture back on the dresser as he took his hat off and raked a hand through his hair. He needed to apologize.

He went to find her but couldn’t. He got his drink and returned to the living room to finish the talk he and the two sets of parents were having.

ANDIE

Andie escaped to the balcony deck. She shivered and wrapped her arms around herself tightly. How had she messed up and let him see her actually lose it?

She couldn’t let it happen again. She would survive this by herself. No matter what. She stood there, losing track of time.

She had no idea how long she had been out there when one of the girls began to stir. She went back in to check on them.

Lucy was standing up in the crib, and Andie picked her up, changed her diaper, and let her play on the floor while Lily still slept.

After a little while, Lily woke up, Andie changed her, and she let the little girls play together.

Maisy came in and sat in the rocker.

“Mrs. Cameron,” Andie said, greeting her.

“Please, dear. Maisy is fine. Are you okay with Lil staying with you until we get everything situated?”

“Shouldn’t you be asking Eli if he’s okay with it? He sure does hate me,” she mumbled as she watched Lily and Lucy play together.

“I don’t care what Eli says. He’ll mind his mother,” Maisy said with a smile.

“I feel Lily is better off with you right now. You’re calmer than the rest of us, which isn’t a bad thing, and she’d have Lucy to keep her company,” Maisy explained softly.

Andie met her green eyes. They had so many feelings in them, fear, sadness, anger, and a little bit of compassion.

Andie looked back at the girls and said, “If that’s what you want, Mrs. Cameron.”

“At least until after the funerals and their wills are read.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“You can take whatever you need for Lily. If you need any help, don’t be afraid to call us.”

Lily got on her knees, crawled to Andie, sat down in front of her, and reached her hands up. Andie slowly picked her up, and she latched a hand into Andie’s hair.

“She really does like you,” Maisy whispered.

“And I love her as if she was my own.” Andie stood up to start getting a few more of Lily’s clothes. “When is the funeral?”

“Two days.”

Andie found a little black frilly dress. “Will this be okay for it?” She turned, holding up the dress to Maisy.

“I think it’ll do. I better get back to the others,” Maisy said as she left the room.

Andie nodded. She put Lily back on the floor with Lucy and quickly headed to the living room to get the diaper bag. She froze when she heard Eli’s angry voice.

“I don’t get why we should let her have Lily until after the funerals. It’s stupid. She’s running her own business and already has a kid to take care of.”

He really hated her.

Rose spoke next. “Where else should Lily go? She’ll have a little companion in Lucy. Bruce and I are staying in a hotel. She won’t be happy there, and you are busy with this huge ranch.

“Todd, Maisy, and us are planning for two funerals. It makes sense.”

Andie briefly closed her eyes, hurried into the room, grabbed the diaper bag, and returned to the nursery.

She grabbed Lucy and Lily, and a blanket, then left the house, shutting the door a little more forcefully than she should have.

If he wanted to act so cold to her when she did nothing but love his niece, then she could be just as cold, if not colder.

He was a man, after all, and if a man wasn’t old enough to be her father, she wanted nothing to do with him. If she needed anything else for Lily, she would just get it herself.

ELI

Eli flinched when he heard the house door slam. He really needed an attitude adjustment and fast.