The Room I Chose
A knock interrupted us.
Dennis stood outside holding flowers.
“Patricia called. She said something went wrong.”
“Neil told me Alicia was staying with you,” I said. “I never agreed.”
Dennis turned to his son.
“You said Marlee had changed her mind.”
Neil stayed silent.
Dennis phoned Patricia on speaker.
“Did Marlee agree to the visit?”
“She would have refused.”
“Then there was no agreement.”
“She’s keeping our granddaughter from us!”
“She’s Alicia’s mother,” Dennis said. “You’re forgetting that.”
He ended the call.
“I’m sorry, Marlee. I believed Neil.”
Then Neil faced me.
“You’ve embarrassed Mom enough. You should apologize.”
I stared at him. Even now, he was worried about her feelings.
“You knew I’d say no. So you planned to wait until I couldn’t stop you.”
“I was trying to help.”
“Then why did helping require lying?”
He looked down.
“I’m not going home with you after discharge,” I said. “Mom will take Alicia and me to her place. I need space, and any future plans about Alicia must be discussed openly.”
“You’re making this bigger than it is.”
“You planned to take our newborn while I slept. How much bigger should it be?”
He looked to Dennis, who said nothing.
“I don’t know what happens to our marriage. But I’m not pretending this didn’t happen. Please leave.”
Neil collected his things. Dennis followed him out.
Tessa helped me settle Alicia and arrange some quiet. I called my mother.
“Can you come?”
“I’m on my way.”
That night, Mom sat beside me while Alicia slept.
“You don’t have to decide the whole marriage this week,” she said.
“I know. But I’ve decided where we’re going.”
She squeezed my hand.
The following afternoon, after the hospital cleared us, Mom drove us to her house. She’d placed a bassinet beside the guest-room bed.
I laid Alicia down and watched her tiny fingers relax.
May you like
Patricia had spent months preparing a room for my daughter.
But this was the room I’d chosen for her.
