5.
“I can’t believe how fast it went” – Rachel told Dee after taking a sip of the cold water – “I can’t believe I’m already leaving!”
“You’re welcome to come again anytime” – Dee said. She liked having Rachel around and was sad that she had to go too.
“So are you,” – Rachel looked at her – “you know I could use some company in that big house” – she said trying not to sound too needy. Part of the reason she didn’t wanted to leave was because she was afraid of feeling lonely.
“Do you still miss him?”– They hadn’t talked about Chase in a while. It had been almost two years since the divorce and even though Rachel had played it cool and was being strong by standing for her decision of leaving him and never looked back, sometimes Dee still wondered if she was really over him.
“Who?” – Rachel asked.
Dee looked at her but didn’t say a word. Rachel knew exactly what she was talking about.
“I miss what we had. I miss what we were” – she mumbled – “I miss having someone to come home to.”
Dee stayed silent. She got up and hugged Rachel tight. She knew nothing she could say could change what Rachel was feeling.
Rachel appreciated it. She didn’t need someone else telling her how much of bastard Chase was or how silly she was to still miss him. She already knew all that and was frustrated enough for not being able to change it. She just needed someone to get her and that’s what she got.
The door opened and Inês came running inside.
“It’s pouring rain!” – she complained gasping. One of those summer rains had suddenly come and Inês was obviously not prepared for it.
“Let me get some towels” – Dee said. The doorbell rang.
“Rachel, do you mind checking it for me please?” – Dee shouted from the other room.
“Sure, no problem” – Rachel hurried because whoever was on the other side would be totally soaked too. She thought it would be Kate or one of the boys, but when she opened the door she saw someone she didn’t recognize.
“Is Dee here?” – the guy asked in Portuguese before Rachel even get the chance to say anything.
He was tall, probably taller than Alexandre or Miguel. He had large shoulders and braided hair. The dark skin was shining from the rain. His simple sleeveless shirt was soaking wet, and on his arms, under a jacket a baby was painfully crying.
She wasn’t sure what he had said but still answered – “She’s inside” – she didn’t know if the guy spoke English or if he just didn’t care but he got inside.
He had strong features and a worried expression. The baby didn’t seem to want to settle on his arms and what was before a cry were now screams of desperation.
Dee heard it and came running.
“David?” – she said surprised when she finally saw who the visitor was – “Is everything okay? We haven’t seen you for months.”
He ignored the comments and said roughly – “I need your help. I can’t make her stop” – and he put the baby girl in her arms.
“Take some towels” – she said serenely while holding the baby against her chest and rocking her slowly.
“I’m fine. Just help her” – he grumbled.
“I will, but you’re no use to me sick so just get yourself dry.”
He obeyed without saying a word.
Neither Rachel nor Inês said a word. The baby was still crying and it was becoming distressing.
“She’s been like that for two days. I’ve tried everything. I don’t know what else to do” – what before seemed rudeness Rachel could now identify as desperation – “it’s not just that she’s crying she doesn’t seem to be okay” – David claimed worried.
Rachel could understand him. She had only being hearing it for a few minutes and it was already agonizing.
“What’s her name?” – Dee was the only one apparently not affected by it. She was as calm as any other moment.
“Lea.”
“Could she be hungry?” – she wondered.
“She has to be” – confirmed David – “she barely drank or ate since she’s been with me.”
She walked around the room with Lea in her arms while talking to her tenderly. The crying didn’t seem to affect Dee, or at least she was not showing it.
“Is she yours?” – she finally asked him.
He nodded. She didn’t ask more questions but David continued.
“Hayley showed up at my door a couple days ago. She dropped Lea on my roommate’s arms with a note and left” – David took a wrinkled piece of paper out of his pocket. It looked old, he must had read it a thousand times before,
I think it’s time you meet your daughter. Her name is Lea and she’s 18 months. It’s too hard. I can’t have her anymore. The documents are in the bag. Goodbye. Hayley.
“Did you know?” – she asked.
Dee was being patient, but David knew she would be furious if he had known and walked away again. He had done it before. After their grandma died he had left Alexandre taking care of their little sisters all by himself.
“No” – he was being honest – “after that last time, when she walked away on me, I’ve never heard from her again. I had no idea.”
“She’s quiet!” – Rachel spoke for the first time since she had opened the door.
She was right, Lea was still wining a little bit but nothing compared to what she was doing before.
“Are you kidding me?” – David couldn’t believe. Dee had managed to do in ten minutes what he couldn’t achieve in two days – “how do you do it?”
“Children trust you to be in charge, to fix the issue” – she said smiling – “if even you’re scared they think there’s no hope and they panic.”
“That’s all it was? She was scared?” – Rachel asked – “She seemed in pain.”
“I agree. Something is definitely bothering her” – she sat down and laid the baby on her lap.
“I’m going to warm up some milk” - Inês said finally – “maybe she’ll drink it now.”
Dee tried to look for something that was not right. She checked her feet and legs. The diaper seemed dry which was normal considering she hadn’t being eating or drinking. She felt the baby’s belly and her arms but she didn’t find anything. When she was reaching for her neck Inês coming out of the kitchen stumbled on the couch and dropped the tray with the milk. The noise startled everyone.
“Do it again!” – Dee ordered.
“What?” – Inês was looking at Dee confused.
“The noise. Look at her and just make a noise” – she seemed to be on to something.
They all looked at the baby while Inês threw some heavy books on the floor.
“See?”
The others look at eachother, they weren’t getting it. “I didn’t see anything” – said David.
“Exactly! When Inês dropped the tray we all reacted to the noise. We were not expecting it and we couldn’t avoid it. It’s a reflex.”
“She didn’t even blink” – acknowledged Rachel starting to get it.
“You think she’s deaf?” – David asked.
“I think there’s something wrong with her hearing but we have to take her to the doctor to find out more. She has a fever too, and if she’s not yet, she’ll soon be dehydrated.”
“What if they take her away from me?” – David was nervous.
“Why would they do that?” – Dee asked – “Didn’t you say you have her documents?”
“I do. I mean I think I do. Hayley said they were in the bag but I didn’t really check them I don’t know if they’re legal. She’s sick, maybe very sick. What if they’ll think I can’t take care of her?”
Rachel felt sorry for him. Even though he had no idea he had a daughter until a couple of days ago. Now that he had her David seemed really worried about her.
“Don’t worry about that now” – Dee tried to reassure him – “It’s going to be fine.”
“There’s something else” – he said almost whispering – “Take a look under her diaper.”
Dee opened it up carefully and could not believe what she saw. The diaper rash was so severe that the baby’s bottom was vivid red and the skin looked raw. Someone had obviously tried to cure it because some lotion remains were still visible, but it was bad. Dee got it then why David was afraid to go to the hospital, they would most likely accuse him of negligence.
She took a deep breath and grabbed her cellphone.
“Hi Sara. It’s me, Dee. Are you at the hospital? Yeah, I need you to take a look at this baby… Ok, we are on our way.”
“What are you doing?” – asked David anxiously.
“She’s a friend. She’ll help us.”
“What if…” - he tried to interrupt her but she stopped him.
“You came here because you need my help. You’re going to have to trust me on this one, okay?”
David didn’t like the idea but he didn’t have any choice so he agreed.
Dee gave him a dry t-shirt, they gathered all the documents and drove to the hospital. Rachel and Inês decided to go along.