“This is a surprise,” Anne said. “What can I do for you ladies?”
“And she uses the term loosely,” Franny whispered behind her. Anne stepped back on his foot.
“It’s just a formality,” Maureen said, “but I insisted to Judge Espinoza that I make the obligatory home visit so my office can retain some kind of record of this situation.”
“A phone call would have been nice,” Anne said.
“The visits are drop-ins for a reason,” Upchurch countered.
“Oh my God!” Franny exclaimed, slapping his cheeks. “I’ll go hide the sex toys!”
Milo Bordain, impeccably turned out in a Burberry plaid raincoat, turned to Maureen Upchurch. “Who is that person?”
Franny stepped around Anne and offered his hand. She didn’t take it. “Francis Goodsell, three-time California Teacher of the Year in the kindergarten division. Love the scarf. Hermès?”
Milo Bordain touched a gloved hand to the scarf wound around the throat of her camel cashmere turtleneck as if she were afraid he might try to strip it from her.
Anne focused on the Child Protective Services supervisor. “And did you tell Judge Espinoza you’d be dropping by unannounced with a third party in tow? Because if you’re such a stickler for the rules, Maureen, I’m pretty sure tagalongs aren’t in the book.”
“That’s my fault,” Bordain said. “Maureen knows how badly I want to see Haley. She was kind enough to invite me along. I hope you don’t mind, Anne.”
“I do mind,” Anne said bluntly.
“But Haley is like a granddaughter to me,” Bordain went on, tearing up. “I’ve lost her mother—”
“Yes, I know,” Anne said, “and I’m terribly sorry for your loss, Mrs. Bordain. Really, I’m not trying to be difficult. But as Haley’s guardian I’m trying to maintain a certain amount of structure for her. Having people just show up can be overstimulating to a small child, especially to a child who’s already had a sudden traumatic upheaval in her life.”
“But Haley knows me,” Bordain argued, the tears threatening to spill over. “I’ve been worried sick about her! Thinking about how frightened she must have been, wondering what kind of terrible memories must be plaguing her. I would have tried to arrange something with you myself, but I didn’t have any way of contacting you. And I brought her a little gift,” she said, holding up a shoebox-size package wrapped in rainbow paper with a big pink bow.
Anne held fast for a moment, weighing the pros and cons. She saw Milo Bordain as a threat to her custody of Haley, but it was probably smarter to have the woman for a friend than an enemy. And she did know what loss was. Anne knew what a hole her mother’s death had left inside her. Milo Bordain was suffering the loss of a surrogate daughter. That loss was clearly taking a toll on her. Even the most expensive makeup couldn’t conceal the dark circles under her eyes or the deepening lines on her forehead and around her mouth.
Finally she sighed. “Let me go tell Haley you’re here so she isn’t taken by surprise.”
She walked toward the back of the house with Franny right beside her.
“I’m going to the kitchen,” he whispered. “To make a crucifix out of garlic to ward them off.”
Anne went into the family room.
“Haley, sweetheart,” she said, sitting on the ottoman next to the couch where Haley was busy tucking her new doll in bed. “Someone is here to see you.”
Haley’s eyes got big. “Is it my mommy?”
“No, sweetie. It’s Mrs. Bordain. Do you remember her?”
Haley scowled and shook her head.
“Maybe you called her something else. Wendy, did you ever meet Mrs. Bordain at Marissa’s house?”
Wendy, now engrossed in a Brady Bunch rerun on television, shook her head.
“Haley! It’s Auntie Milo!”
Bordain and Maureen Upchurch had invited themselves inside. They came into the family room, a formidable duo—Bordain as tall as a man, Upchurch as big as a house in a black tent for a raincoat.
Haley, already overtired from playing with Wendy, immediately started to cry. Bad Daddy was big and came in black clothes.
Anne picked her up and turned so Haley couldn’t see them.
“Maureen, please take your coat off. The black coat is scaring her.”
“My coat? Why would that scare her?”
Anne glared at her. “Take off the coat.”
Understanding dawned on Milo Bordain’s face.
“The attacker must have worn a black coat,” she said, then snapped at Upchurch. “Take your coat off, Maureen.”
Anne ignored them both, trying to quiet Haley.
“It’s okay, sweetheart. Your auntie Milo missed you so much she had to come see you, and she brought you a present.”
The flow of tears stopped, one big one dangling on the edge of her eyelashes. She took a shuddering breath and looked at Milo Bordain.
“Hi, Haley!” Bordain made her voice higher and softer. “How are you?”
“My mommy is an angel now,” Haley said.
“I know, darling. We miss her, don’t we?”
Haley nodded, thumb zeroing in on mouth. She rested her head on Anne’s shoulder.
“She tires easily,” Anne explained. “Have a seat.”
She settled herself on the sofa with Haley on her lap as Milo Bordain chose the ottoman. Anne gave her a point for that—sitting as close as possible instead of choosing a chair six feet away. Upchurch was busy checking the tables for dust and looking with envy at the quality of the furniture.
“Haley,” Bordain said, leaning forward with the gift. “I brought you something special for you to have here at Anne’s house.”
Haley took the present and tugged on the bow.
“We’ll keep that for you to wear in your hair,” Anne said, setting the ribbon aside.
Her bout of tears forgotten, Haley had moved on to the box, dispensing with the rainbow paper in short order.
“It’s a kitty!” she exclaimed, pulling the stuffed toy out of the tissue paper.
“I thought you were probably missing your kitties at your house,” Bordain said. “This is a kitty you can take anywhere.”
Anne felt her heart soften a little more toward Milo Bordain. She had actually put some thought into the gift and had clearly paid attention to Haley’s obsession with cats and kittens.
“What do you say, Haley?” Anne prompted.
“Thank you, Daddy Milo!”
“Auntie Milo,” Anne corrected her.
“It’s all right,” Bordain said. “Haley tells me I should be a boy because I have a boy’s name.”
Haley was through with the adults, off the couch and taking her new treasure to show her friend. “Wendy, look at my kitty! I got a kitty, but it’s not a real one. It just looks like one.”
“That’s cool, Haley!” Wendy said. “Let’s put her with your dolls. What are you going to name her?”
“Scaredy Cat.”
“Scaredy Cat?”
“She’s obsessed with the idea of the daddy,” Anne said.
“That’s Marissa’s fault,” Milo Bordain said with a hint of bitterness. “I told her time and again she should get married and give Haley a father, but she wouldn’t listen to me.”
“Did she bring boyfriends home?” Anne asked.
“Not in any way that was improper. Marissa was a very conscientious mother. But she had a lot of male friends. I always thought it was confusing for Haley. She calls every man in her life Daddy.”
“She has friends with conventional families, a mommy and a daddy,” Anne said. “It’s normal for her to want that too.”
“How is she coping?” Bordain asked. “I’ve been so worried about her.”