Haunting Memory

CALLUM

“Where’s my precious grandbaby?” Carla’s voice echoes through the hallway as she and Liz make their entrance. They make a beeline for Violet, who’s barely conscious on the couch, cradling Ella. Violet’s managed to position herself in a way that allows her to breastfeed Ella and doze off at the same time.

Ella’s having a tough day, insisting on doing nothing but lying on Violet’s chest. She’s been awake since three in the morning. Violet’s nipples are tender, she’s worn out, and she’s cranky. She’s also frustrated that Tyler and Zach stayed out all night.

Despite her exhaustion, Violet doesn’t miss a beat. She peeks over the couch cushion as our visitors enter the room. She hands a fussy Ella to Carla, who snuggles her close and coos over her. We’ll have to be cautious, or Ella will end up being spoiled.

“Oh my goodness, you’ve grown so much, Ella bear, and look at this hair. Is it going to be curly like your mommy’s?” Carla toys with a tiny curl by Ella’s ear. Surprisingly, Ella doesn’t start crying. She just gazes at her grandmother with curiosity. “Oh, I bet it is. Bet it will be long and luscious like mommy’s beautiful girl.” I hope not. Violet’s hair is too long and could be a hazard, especially if she were taken again.

She won’t even consider cutting it. A few inches shorter would be better. She sits on it if she doesn’t move it out of the way first. That must be uncomfortable.

“How are you, dear?”

“Tired.” Carla and Liz give Violet knowing smiles.

“We’re here now, whatever you need…just ask,” Liz tells her. It’s odd to see them so in sync, like they’re the same person in two bodies. I wonder if they’ve always been like this, or if it’s a result of years of friendship.

“I might have a shower?” Violet suggests, standing from the sofa and bending to kiss Ella. She closes her eyes, as if she’s committing Ella’s scent and touch to memory.

“We’ll be down here. Take as long as you need,” Carla calls after her, watching Violet slowly leave the room.

Violet pauses in the doorway, looking back at Ella before sighing and continuing down the hall. “There’s quite a few ounces pumped in the fridge. If one of you wants to try her on a bottle...” She looks sad at the suggestion, and I want to tell her she doesn’t have to. That I’ll bring Ella up as soon as she fusses, but she’s already halfway down the hall, her long hair trailing behind her.

Carla and Liz are silent for a few minutes, still looking down the hallway before they speak.

“Where are the boys?” Liz asks.

“Let’s tidy this kitchen up and make your mommy some food, shall we, Ella bear?” Carla suggests. They move from the sofa to the kitchen, a whirlwind of positivity. My heart clenches as Carla starts loading the dishwasher with Ella in one arm.

Plates, sharp knives, and cups are quickly moved from the sink to the dishwasher.

“Tyler, Zach?” Liz asks again when I don’t answer. I can’t tear my gaze away from Ella, so close to things that could harm her.

“Um, they spent the night out together,” I admit. They exchange a look and nod, smiling.

“Ella having a bad day?” Carla asks, returning to the dishwasher.

“And night,” I confirm, sighing.

“What seems to be the problem?” Liz walks over, looking down at Ella. Ella’s eyes are wide, not quite focused, but she’s trying.

“Doesn’t want to stop feeding,” I tell them.

“Ah, cluster feeding are we, sweetie? Making sure mommy’s supply stays up,” Liz walks away, gathering ingredients from the fridge. She struggles to keep the door open, so I jump up to hold it for her as she takes beef, noodles, and an array of vegetables to the kitchen island. She finds the spices in the pantry and brings them out too.

“Need any help?”

“Oh no, Callum, why don’t you go have a shower or nap, or you know...” I blush at Carla’s suggestion.

“I’m fine here.” I want to tell them to be careful with Ella, but I don’t. Instead, I pick up my laptop from the coffee table and bring it back to the kitchen island, pretending to work.

“Has Zach built the Tripp Trapp yet?” Carla asks as she takes a large sharp knife out of the drawer.

“Please move that away from Ella?” I almost plead. Carla gives me a strange look before passing the knife to Liz, who starts cutting peppers. She cuts the outside, leaving the core and seeds untouched. Why didn’t I think of cutting them that way?

“No, it’s still in the box in the washroom.”

“Do you want to build it? I’m sure Ella would love to watch us cook,” she suggests. I raise my eyebrows but nod anyway. I bring the box and a small toolbox from the washroom to the kitchen, laying everything out on the floor before briefly looking over the instructions.

It seems straightforward. Eight bolts, the baby chair and fabric, and a toy holder that clips to the chair. I focus on assembling it, threading the bolts to hold the frame together before tightening them later. I put the footboard in the highest section, not that it matters because the baby chair is going on it, so Ella’s feet won’t even be needing it yet.

Then I put the fabric on the chair. It’s a bit of a hassle and tight, but a pretty pale pink color. I’m just tightening the bolts when Jerry walks in with Dante on his heels. I barely look up from my task to greet them as I finish up the chair for Carla.

“Boss, I have four people booked in tomorrow…need any help?” Dante’s poking the chair as if it’s a foreign object. I suppose it is to him. He decided not to have children, just like I did before, except he really didn’t have children.

Well, technically he might be a stepdad through Catherine…but not really, considering she decided not to be a mother. Their situation is confusing because technically she is Zach’s mother. Yet she isn’t because he was adopted.

“It’s done,” I say, exasperated. Not with the chair but my thought process.

“Where is the pretty lady?” he asks, walking over to Carla. “Ah, there she is.” He reaches out, stroking Ella’s cheek, smiling down at her.

“Here,” Carla thrusts Ella into his arms, and he takes her awkwardly. Holding her out from his body just like I did in those first few days after she was born. It’s strange how easily I’ve adjusted to being a father, no longer holding her awkwardly or stiffly like Dante is doing now.

“She won’t break,” I chuckle, pushing the high chair up to the kitchen island. I have to admit, it’s quite a handy little contraption. A high chair that grows with them throughout their childhood.

“You say, Cal. I don’t know…your head is half the size of my hand, little one,” he pulls her into his body for a moment, leaning to press a kiss to the top of her head before offering her up to me like he couldn’t hold her for another second longer.

I laugh, taking her before he drops her or something. A shudder runs through me at the thought. “It’s okay. Maybe when you’re older, you can wrap him around your finger, Ella.”

“I’m sure she already has,” Carla states. It’s then that I look over to Jerry and it surprises me that he hasn’t asked for her. In fact, out of all the times they’ve seen us since she was born, he’s not asked for her once.

“Here, Grandpa. I have some work to do.” I nod to Jerry.

“I uh,” he takes her even though I’m not sure he wants to.

“We will be in the dining room,” I tell the three of them, grabbing my laptop from the counter.

“Well, it’s been a long time since I’ve seen you hold a newborn,” Carla comments as we leave the room.

Damn, why didn’t I ask before handing Ella to him?

“Not since Daniel was born,” Jerry replies, and I’m shocked. He never held Ava?

“So four people tomorrow?” I shift my attention away from the kitchen, thinking about business.

“Well, technically, there are four. But you’re already acquainted with Lenny, I believe.”

“Right, Violet and Tyler bumped into him at a baby store. Did you manage to go through all their qualifications and references?”

“Sure did. Out of the nine, these four were the only ones I liked.”

“Maybe we should keep the ad running a bit longer. Four’s just two teams. Plus, if we land a bigger job, we’ll need more than just four of them and the two of us.”

“I get your point, Cal. You don’t want to be away from home. I’ll keep an eye on the applications.”

“We’ve got our first gig lined up for the end of February. A two-day job, some folks from the UK visiting. They requested two bodyguards for six-hour shifts.”

“I heard about that. Two women, right?”

“Exactly. Eliza and Elizabeth Stevenson. They wanted to know the best place to stay in town. I suggested the hotel. Figured it’d be nice to throw some business Zach’s way, considering how much he’s helped us,” I say, watching Dante nod in agreement.

Truth be told, I’m still on the fence about bringing him on as a third partner. He’s shown he’s more than capable of helping me run the company. He’s been handling most of the paperwork and background checks, so I don’t have to. I want this company to succeed, but I don’t want to be so consumed with work that I miss out on Ella growing up. The problem is, I haven’t brought up the topic with him yet. He’s too modest for his own good, and I can already picture him arguing with me about it. Maybe I’ll just go ahead and do it, get him to sign the paperwork instead of asking. Because if I ask, he’ll probably turn me down. Looking back, having him as an equal partner would mean I wouldn’t have to work as much. I’d probably only need to oversee jobs being booked and handle payroll.

“So, how’s Violet?” he asks as we settle down at the table, our laptops open, ready to tackle the work that needs to be done."She's doing well, a bit tired but good." He smirks to himself.

Not adding anything else, I watch him.

“She’s doing well, a bit tired but good.” He smirks to himself. I watch him, not adding anything else.

Glancing down at his laptop, he sends me an email with a request for May. Damn, six guards for three weeks. We definitely need to start interviewing and securing more people.