My mind raced, and then I remembered the plumber who had come a month ago to fix the leaky faucet. He’d been alone in there while I checked on Lily upstairs.
I hurried back to her room.
“Lily, sweetheart, we’re going for a drive.”
“Where?” she asked.
“It’s a surprise,” I said. “But Mr. Buttons has to come with me first.
He’s going to a spa hotel for teddy bears.”
She frowned, hugging him tighter. “Why can’t he stay with me?”
“Because this spa is only for toys, and they don’t let kids in.” After a long pause, Lily reluctantly handed him over.
Minutes later, we were in the car. I buckled her in and drove.
My destination was a house I hadn’t seen in over five years.
As I pulled into the familiar driveway, memories came rushing back — the bitter arguments, the slammed doors, the tears. Lily watched curiously from the backseat.
“Who lives here, Mommy?” she asked.
“You’ll find out soon,” I said quietly.
“For now, wait in the car. I need to talk to someone.”
I slipped Mr. Buttons under my arm, rolled the window down a crack, and marched to the door.
I pounded hard until it swung open.
Standing there was Margaret. Her face went pale. “Claire?
What on earth are you doing here?”
I shoved the teddy bear up in front of her. “Care to explain what this is?”
“It’s just a toy.”
“Don’t play games with me,” I snapped. “I heard your voice coming out of it.
And I found a camera hidden in my kitchen. Do you realize what you’ve done?”
Margaret’s lips trembled. “Please, I can explain—”
“Then do it,” I cut her off.
“Explain why you were spying on us. Explain why you thought it was okay to sneak into our lives this way.”
“I just wanted to be close to my granddaughter.”
“Granddaughter? You mean the child you told your son to walk away from?
The baby you wanted nothing to do with?”
Yes, Margaret was my ex-mother-in-law.
“I was wrong,” she whispered. “I was cruel and foolish. But I regret it every day.
I thought if I could at least hear her, talk to her… maybe I could make up for it.”
“By planting a camera in my house?” I shouted. “By tricking my daughter into trusting you through a stuffed animal?”
“I didn’t know how else,” she said through sobs. “I’ve made so many mistakes, Claire.
But I want to be better now. I want to know her. Please.”
For a long moment, I just stared at her.
I stepped closer.
“If you ever pull something like this again, I’ll go straight to the police. Do you understand?”
She nodded, tears spilling down her cheeks.
I turned, ready to leave, but then paused. My hand lingered on the door.
I thought of Lily in the car, waiting with her hopeful little face.
I walked back out and opened the car door. “Lily,” I said gently, “come meet someone.”
She slid out of her seat, holding my hand. I led her to the doorway where Margaret stood, wiping her eyes.
“Sweetheart, this is your grandma.”
Lily looked up in surprise, then slowly stepped forward. Margaret bent down, and in the next second, Lily wrapped her arms around her. Margaret let out a sob, clutching her tightly.
I didn’t trust Margaret, not yet.
But I trusted my daughter’s need for love.
She deserved to have a grandmother. She deserved more family than just me.
And if I had to swallow my pride to give her that, I would.
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