Not Quite Mine

“Great seeing you.”

“You, too.” Sasha kissed both Katie’s cheeks and let her swivel away. Out of the corner of Katie’s eye, she noticed Sasha grab an early pregnancy test.

Katie peered down at the bottles of formula in her basket and forced herself to continue walking forward.

It’s not your business.

Take the baby and run, she wanted to shout at her could be friend. But she couldn’t do that. Shouldn’t do that.

The cashier smiled as she rang up Katelyn’s purchases and bagged the formula.

In her car, Katie grasped the wheel and realized her heart was beating too fast. The lie she was living was larger than Sasha’s…by a lot.

Something needed to change.

The answers from Patrick were coming too slow for Dean’s taste. He’d spent some time researching private detectives and found one who specialized in finding parents of adopted children. Dean took the opportunity of Katie leaving Savannah in his care to snap a couple of pictures with his cell phone. Not that a picture could help that much. She’d grown so much in such a short time, she wouldn’t look at all like she did the day she was born. As he saw it, all infants started to look alike.

Savannah could easily be his niece or even Jack’s daughter for that matter.

As if hearing his thoughts, Savannah slowly blinked her eyes open.

Dean couldn’t stop the grin that spread over his face. She really was amazing.

Without waiting for her to fuss, he unbuckled her from the car seat and lifted her into his arms. She protested with a whine and, with one pat of her bottom, Dean understood her needs. He noticed a diaper bag left on his sofa and attempted to grab it while holding her. He fiddled a little before giving up and setting her down on the floor.

Savannah’s shriek filled the room.

“I’m hurrying, darlin’. No need to cry.”

But Savannah didn’t listen. She went on crying and flailing her arms as if to emphasize her point about his delay.

He found several diapers and a box of those wet wipe things moms used. Dean had seen Katie use a cushion for diaper changes and searched the bag for one.

“OK, baby girl. We’ll get you out of that old one and into this new one, but you’re going to have to give me a little break. I haven’t done this before.”

His words seemed to calm her a little. She blinked several times and hiccupped on her tears. He managed to unsnap the outfit and expose the damage.

“Whoa! What is your mama feeding you?”

A dozen wipes later, her tiny behind was clean and she was kicking her legs and smiling. “You like being naked? Is that what you want?”

Savannah kicked at his hand. He laughed and snuck a clean diaper under her. “My carpet won’t hold up to the abuse,” he told her. “And your mama would tie me up if she came home and you were exposed. We can’t have that,” he cooed.

It took him twice as long as it should have, but in the end, Savannah was clean and smiling as he talked to her.

He left her safely in the middle of the floor on her back and ran the soiled diaper to the outside trash. When he made it back inside, he found her on her tummy and lifting her head.

“Look at you.” He removed his cell phone from his pocket and crawled on the floor with her, taking pictures. “Did you do that all by yourself?”

Savannah smiled, lost the strength in her neck, and bopped her chin on the floor. She cried at the shock. He walked her around the room for a while, but she kept crying. He moved to the backyard and let the early evening air wrap around them.

That was where Katie found them less than twenty minutes later. Dean was pointing out different objects and plants with Savannah propped against him.

“There’s your mommy. I told you she’d be back.”

Katie stopped in the doorway and stared at the two of them.

“What? Do I have baby powder on my face?” Dean asked.

She shook her head and grinned. “No. It’s just…”

“It’s just what?”

“I rushed and I didn’t need to. Look at you two. It’s sweet.”

Dean leaned down and brought his lips close to Savannah’s ear. “Hear that, I’m sweet. Maybe I can score some points and keep my girls here with me tonight?”

“Her bassinet is at the apartment.”

Dean shrugged. “Let’s go shopping. She’s getting too big for the tiny bed anyway. Might as well get ready for the next phase.”

“There isn’t room in the apartment for a crib.”

“I have plenty of room here.” The words popped out of his mouth before he realized what he was saying.

“Excuse me?”

He settled into the thought of Katie and Savannah staying with him. “Stay here. You and Savannah. Move in with me.”

Katie’s brows pitched together. “That’s fast, Dean. I mean, we’re just starting over. Moving in is huge.”

Dean placed Savannah on his shoulder and walked over to Katie. “What better way to see if this is going to work, with all of us, than to have you stay here.”

“I don’t know. It’s a major step.”

“And staying with Monica in an apartment wasn’t a big move? C’mon. It doesn’t have to be permanent. We’ll take it one day at a time. Besides, Savannah rolled over a little while ago. She’s growing out of her tiny quarters whether a crib will fit in your space or not.”

“She rolled over for you?” Katie’s eyes grew large. She reached out and took Savannah in her arms. “You rolled over? Oh, baby…I’m so proud of you.” She kissed Savannah several times.