Page 73 of The Facilitator: Part 3
“Jesus, May, that’s awful for Sally.” I wasn’t really sure what to say. “We’ll be ready,” I added.
“Great, I’ll call when I’m on my way.”
I disconnected the call. “Mackenzie?” Lauren said.
“Sally had a fall, broke her hip, and May wants to bring Rebecca over to us.”
“Now?” she asked and her eyes were bright.
A grin started to spread across my face and I slowly nodded. “In a couple of hours,” I said, fighting the urge to yell in happiness.
“Holy fuck. We better get up, get ready,” she said. Lauren slid from the bed and ran around the room tidying up and getting dressed.
I laughed. “We have time, and no one is coming to inspect, we’ve had that done already, remember?”
“I know, but…Oh, Jesus, this is so fucking exciting. Let’s make sure her room is ready.”
Since we’d been approved for adoption, Lauren and I had been preparing a bedroom for Rebecca. There were still some items in boxes that needed unpacking. I dragged on some jeans and we raced along the hallway to her room.
Rebecca had an en suite and Lauren had already stocked it with toiletries. One of the boxes that was being unpacked contained the fluffiest towels that Lauren rolled and placed in the bathroom on a shelf. Because Rebecca had some sensory issues, probably due to her delayed development, we had been sure to purchase tactile items for her. In another box was a large teddy bear that she could snuggle into if she wanted; I placed that in the corner of the room. Lauren made her bed up using one of the unicorn duvet sets she’d bought. There were stuffed animals on a shelf, a box of interactive books and toys against a wall. There was also a shelf waiting to have photographs placed upon it. We knew May had some photographs of Rebecca’s birth mother. She hadn’t willingly given up Rebecca, it had been a heart-wrenching decision for her we’d been told, and both Lauren and I had decided we wanted Rebecca to know her birth mother, if only by sight. We had been assured the mother had agreed to that and we’d be given the images on adoption.
“I have to call my mum,” Lauren said. She ran backto the bedroom to grab her phone. I shouted after her to collect mine while she was there.
While she rang her mum, I texted Alex. I knew they were as eager for any news on Rebecca as we were. I received a reply within minutes.
Oh wow, that’s marvelous. Gabriella and I are heading back tomorrow. We’ll call when we land.
Alex was my best friend, abrother from another motheras Lauren called him, and from a different country, I’d remind her. I was thrilled that they were so over the moon about the adoption. Gabriella had constantly said she was coming back to the UK for a while, so the children could properly get to know each other. I wondered just how much she missed being here. There was no need for them to stay in the US, Alex had consolidated all my businesses, and what was left could be run from either country. The thought of having him back on UK soil, and by my side, in the rest of the businesses was attractive, for sure. Especially since Lauren would be quitting Trymast.
“This is so exciting,” Lauren said, beaming a smile at me. I pulled her to my chest.
“It is,” I replied, nodding. I took a deep breath in. “Alex and Gabriella will be back tomorrow. I’m going to ask him to run Trymast again, are you okay with that?”
I looked down at her. “Jesus, Mackenzie, I hadn’teven thought about work. Yes, of course. I want to stay home, I need to stay home,” she said, and I kissed her.
“You are going to be the greatest mom ever,” I said, kissing her again.
“I’m fucking terrified,” she whispered. “And you’ll have to remind me to stop swearing!”
“Yeah, stop swearing, and I’m scared, too. I know, however, that we will be absolutely fine. We wouldn’t be getting Rebecca if May didn’t think we could cope.”
When the bedroom was done, we finished dressing and walked downstairs. I could manage a coffee but Lauren was a bundle of nerves. She paced back and forth from the front door to the kitchen. She swept and wiped away imaginary dust until I grabbed her hand and made her sit.
“Drink,” I said, pushing a semi-warm cup of tea toward her.
“What’s keeping them?” she mused, sipping the tea.
“It’s just seven, they have to get her up and dressed, I imagine. And who knows, she might not like getting up at seven.”
“She’s one, Mackenzie, she’s probably been up hours,” Lauren replied, with a chuckle.
When the buzz came through to indicate someone was at the gates, we both ran for the door. We were on the drive when May pulled up outside the house. She smiled through her window at us.
“Car seat!” Lauren said, loudly. “I knew we’d forget something.”
May opened her door. “You can borrow this one until you get your own,” she said, laughing.
“Got to buy a sensible car as well,” I added, chuckling.
