We're Having Our Baby

Thirty

"Don't tell me she's considering letting this go," Annie is quick to say.

"All she said was that maybe we should reconsider how we go about the lawsuit. She didn't explain much more than that. I understand that she's a very empathetic person, but I'm not about to let this guy go just because we have plenty of money to take him to court, but he doesn't."

"Didn't he make a ton of money selling your photos?" Annie asks.

"That's what I thought, but he's making it seem like it's not enough. I don't know, the whole situation is frustrating, and I just can't believe he has the audacity to basically ask us to let him off the hook." Annie is quiet for a while.

"I'm sorry. I've obviously never been in a similar situation, but I know you and Emma will figure it out. If there's anything I can do to help, please let me know."

"Thanks, Annie. I'm going to go check on Charlie," I'm not sure where Em went off to after our call, so I head up to the bedroom to see if Charlie is awake yet.

I creep into the dark room and catch a glimpse of her tiny body shifting a bit in her crib.

"Hello, my little sunflower," I smile when she sees me. As I pick her up from the crib, I brush my fingers over her soft hair. It's gotten a bit darker in the past month and a little longer but it's still thin in the back from laying down so much.

"Did you have a nice nap?" I talk to her as I carry her into her room where the changing table is. "I heard Jamie drew a picture for you. We'll take a look at it after I change your nappy. I'm sure it's wonderful, he's very talented. Maybe you'll be an artist like your cousin." She just makes cute baby noises in response.

After Charlie's all clean, I take her to find Jamie and Mason, running into Em while doing so.

"Hey, I was just looking for you," Em says at the top of the stairs.

"What's up? I was just going to see if Charlie wanted to play with her cousins for a bit," I tell her.

"I need to show you something in my office. If you could leave her with my mom or Annie that would be better."

"Oh, okay. Is everything alright?" I turn around and change paths so that I can find someone else more qualified that two five-year-olds to watch my baby.

"It's just an email," she says, leading the way.

We find Em's mum first and she doesn't even have to be asked to hold her granddaughter. I kiss Charlie's cheeks and hand her to Jillian so I can follow Em into her office. I'm sort of worried about whatever this email is about. I really don't want to deal with the lawsuit anymore today.

"I just got this a few minutes ago," Em turns her laptop towards me to read the email.

George Leonard:
My deepest apologies

Emma,

I know made an unforgivable mistake, but I hope you find it in yourself to let me explain. I feel terribly guilty for any hurt I caused to you and Harry. It was never my in my intentions to cause such trouble.

I will admit, the beginning of my relationship with your mother was not truthful, but I genuinely grew to love her. I will forever regret not telling her my true feelings, but I felt you should know that I care about your mother deeply, and I care about the wellbeing of her family as well.

I know there is probably nothing I can do to mend things, but if you would like I can send you all of the photos I have left to prove that I will not contact anyone about your life anymore.