A Mom For His Daughter

“Of course.” Fiona pulled her gaze from Stella, concern replacing the longing on her face.

“Thanks for the information. I’ll tell...I’ll tell my friend, and be in touch.”

He watched her walk out, assuming she meant she’d be in touch about La Table Frais.

“Daddy. Her go away. ’Pointment.”

He didn’t know whether Stella was making an observation about Fiona leaving or expressing a preference—not that it mattered. His relationship with Fiona was business.

A half hour later, Marc was sitting in the pediatrician’s exam room with the doctor and Stella.

The doctor had finished Stella’s exam. “I read the medical records from Stella’s previous doctor. She’s always been in the lower third of children her age in height and weight. Am I correct in assuming her mother is petite?”

He leaned forward on the arms of the chair. “I don’t really know. Stella is adopted.”

The doctor made a note on a pad beside her. “I don’t want to alarm you, but over the months since her last checkup, she’s fallen into the lowest tenth. With that and the stomach upsets you said she’s been experiencing, I want to refer her to a gastroenterologist at the Adirondack Medical Center. Dr. Franklin.”

From the way the doctor’s expression softened, the fear careening through him must have shown on his face. She looked more the grandmother she might be and less the medical professional.

“Dr. Franklin is a good man as well as physician. Great with kids. We can set up the appointment for you, or I can send a referral and you can make it yourself.”

“Send the referral. I’ll make the appointment.” After I talk with Autumn or Jon. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust the pediatrician. But he didn’t know her. He’d grown up with Autumn, gone all through school with her and knew he could trust her opinion.

“Daddy, Stella good girl?”

“Yes, you were a very good girl.” He lifted her down from the examination table and looked at the doctor apologetically. “Her other pediatrician gave her what he called a good girl prize after her exams.”

The doctor smiled. “It just so happens I have something for you, Stella.” She handed Stella a coloring book called Teddy Bear Goes to the Doctor’s.

“What do you say, Stella?”

The little girl beamed. “Fank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

Marc couldn’t help but compare how at ease Stella was with the doctor to the way she’d hugged his leg and tried to hide behind him the whole time he’d talked with Fiona in the entryway. Maybe she was experiencing an aversion to younger women or, as Claire had suggested, women Cate’s age who had light hair like she’d had. Stella was okay around his sisters.

Marc rubbed the middle of his forehead. He didn’t know why he was even concerned about Stella and Fiona together. It wasn’t as if there would be many occasions for that—no matter his attraction.

The doctor typed a note into her tablet. “I’ll get that referral off to the gastroenterologist. You should be set to make the appointment this afternoon.”

“Thanks.” He took Stella’s papers and her hand and checked out.

“Let’s see what we can rustle up for lunch,” he said as he walked her to the car.

“Let’s rustle lunch.” She giggled, her full sentence capturing his heart with hope that she was making progress.

After lunch, Stella fell asleep on the couch while coloring in her new book, and he straightened up the place, waiting for his friends Autumn or Jon to return the call he’d left for them. He squatted to pick up Stella’s crayons but thought better. She should pick them up. It’s how Mom would do it.

His phone vibrated, and he pulled it from his back pocket. Private Caller. Probably the birthing center number. Marc swiped the screen to answer as he walked to the kitchen.

“Hello.”

“Marc? It’s Autumn. I got your message. What’s up?”

It could be his concern about Stella and the referral, but Autumn’s casual question sounded forced. He told her about Stella’s exam.

“What do you know about Dr. Franklin at the medical center?”

“The best in the area, especially for children.” Autumn paused. “Anything else?”

“No, that’s it. I wanted a second opinion.”

“Okay, then,” Autumn said with what sounded oddly like relief.

But that made no sense. He pulled the slip of paper with Dr. Franklin’s phone number from his wallet, but a text came in before he could dial. Fiona. He’d added her to his business contacts.

Hi, how did Stella’s appointment go?

Marc scratched the side of his neck. He was used to his mother and sisters’ friends and his business partner’s wives asking him about Stella because he figured that was what women, especially mothers, talked about. Although Fiona’s question wasn’t any different, it prickled his spine.

Okay, he typed back.

Could we get together this evening?

Fiona was using Stella as a lead-in to getting together? He couldn’t say it was the first time since Cate’s death that a woman had. He slumped against the wall. From their work together at church the other evening, he’d thought better of Fiona.

It’s about Stella appeared before he could form a response. Marc pressed the i-button at the top of his screen and then the telephone icon to call Fiona. He wore off the sudden spike of adrenaline by tapping his foot while the phone rang. He didn’t need this, whatever it was, on top of Stella’s doctor’s appointment.

* * *

Even though Fiona had expected Marc to respond, she nearly dropped the plate she was putting in the cupboard when her phone rang on the counter. She stared at his flashing caller ID and debated whether to let it ring. She’d thought he’d text back to her casual invitation to get together. Her fingers had seemed to go off on their own and added It’s about Stella. She drummed her fingernails on the counter before pressing the answer button with her other thumb.

“Hello.”

“This is Marc Delacroix. I got your text. Why would you need to talk with me about my daughter?”

“I’m sorry. My text was cryptic.”

Fiona clearly heard the derision in the puff of breath Marc released.

“Can I start over? I have an important reason for talking with you about Stella.”

“I’d like to hear it.”

Fiona took a deep breath and kept her voice low. “I had wanted to say this in person. I’m almost certain Stella is my sister’s child.”

The phone went silent for so long, Fiona wondered if he’d hung up, except her phone showed the call was still connected.