Page 75 of Lucky In Love

“Yeah, don’t think about the worst-case scenario,” Angel said.

“Okay, here’s what our next moves are,” Jackson said. “When you and Ciara leave this evening, I’ll follow you to your place. I’d like to get copies of all the documents we’ll need to for the agency to look for her parents. Then tomorrow you need to add both Angel and Elizabeth to the school pickup authorization so they can help you.”

“We’ll share what you told us with Elizabeth and her husband, so they’ll be ready to help as well. Her husband also works for the agency,” Angel said. “I’ll share her phone number with you in a three-way text. You should reach out and plan to visit her in the next day or two. Certainly before your surgery.”

“I’m not even sure how soon I can schedule it,” Maeve said.

“As soon as possible,” Angel said.

“Now tell us everything you know about your sister and Ciara’s father, so we can start looking for them,” Jackson said. He had a pad of paper and a pen in front of him now.

Jackson followed Maeve back to her apartment when she and Ciara left. He waited in her kitchen while she put Ciara to bed. Then he took pictures of her driver’s license, her birth certificate, and Ciara’s birth certificate, which had no name listed for the father. She also had her sister’s birth certificate, and he took a picture of that as well.

She had one photo on her phone of Ciara’s father. She text messaged it to him. She didn’t know his exact date of birth or his Social Security Number. She had an address he’d lived at four years ago. No current address though. She was able to provide the name of his employer from when they dated. That was it, all she had.

Chapter 2

Bravo

The next afternoon, Angel flipped through the documents Jackson had printed out related to Maeve’s case. Their boss had approved the case during a phone conversation earlier that day. The two of them were in the fifth-floor conference room of the Shepherd Security Building in Schaumburg, Illinois, just down the hall from Angel’s desk. It was where Jackson normally sat when he was in charge of the agency, because his personal office was not on the main floor and he liked to be near Angel.

“Maeve’s sister didn’t even list the father on the birth certificate,” Angel said as she viewed Ciara’s birth certificate.

“I’m sure if we find him, he’ll want a paternity test to prove he’s the father. I’d insist on one if it was me,” Jackson said.

“I just hope no one tries to take Ciara away from Maeve. She’s the only mother that little girl has ever known. It seems to me she’s about to open a can of worms. A big, messy can of worms.”

“For the life of me, if her sister is a walking drama storm as Maeve said, I’m not sure why she’d want her back in her life. Especially now,” Jackson added.

“I get it,” Angel said. “Maeve is worried she won’t make it through the surgery, or the post-surgical complications will either kill her or make it impossible for her to care for Ciara. She loves that little girl more than anything. She’s just trying to be a good mother by trying to find both her parents, with hopes that one of them will take care of her if Maeve can’t any longer.”

“Ciara’s father could be married and have a family of his own by now.”

“That could work for or against Maeve,” Angel said.

“He could petition for custody,” Jackson said. “If he has a stable home, he just may be granted it.”

“Well, first we have to find him. I talked to Maeve this morning. She doesn’t want to schedule the surgery until we’ve found either her sister or Ciara’s dad.”

“I spoke with Doc about a triple A, and it’s as serious as we thought. He said she needs to schedule it ASAP. It’s nothing to mess around with,” Jackson said.

“I spoke with Elizabeth too and she’s as on board with helping Maeve as we are.”

Angel glanced at the report from the Digital Team confirming Maeve’s narrative regarding everything she’d told them about her and her sister. The Digital Team did not find any digital footprints left by her sister in over two years.

“I’m sorry, Jackson. I know we should have talked about it before I promised to take care of Ciara if anything happens to Maeve, and if we can’t find either of her parents.”

Jackson kissed her. “I’m really proud of you, babe, stepping up to help her. I thought that questioning look you gave me before you spoke up, which I nodded in agreement, was you asking me if we should volunteer to help.” He beamed her a smile. “Besides, I knew there was no way you wouldn’t extend the offer you did.”

“Thank you. I know it would change our lives dramatically to take on another child,” she said.

“Not really. We already have two, and have talked about having more.”

“I can’t imagine how Maeve is feeling,” Angel said. “She has to be so afraid, afraid of the surgery and of someone taking Ciara away from her.”

“We have to find them first,” Jackson said. “Later this afternoon, Doc and I are going to that strip club, Gentleman Jerry’s.”

“To look for Quinn, right?” Angel asked with a smile.