Page 56 of The Surrogate Nanny
“I don’t feel anything else. I felt a sense of inadequacy as a mother when I was arrested, but I felt differently by the time I laid down. Being in your bed got me thinking straight, I guess. I’m an amazing mother; no one can take that from me or convince me otherwise. But one thing is for certain when it comes to Nori, I’ll never go down without a fight.”
“What happened today will never happen again.”
“How can you be so sure?”
I dangled the gold bracelet in front of her face. She reached for it and pushed herself into a seated position. Tears sprang from her eyes as she held the ID bracelet.
“I went to the jewelry store when we got off the phone. I got you one, too.”
Simone cried as she read the inscription.
“Hi. My name is Nori Livingston. My mother is Simone Livingston, and my father is Anthony Powell.” She paused and wiped away tears and snot from her face. “You even put our phone numbers on here.”
“I would’ve put Jonathan’s info on there, too, if I had enough room,” I confessed, making her laugh.
“This,” she said, holding the gold bracelet in the palm of her hand, “is really thoughtful, but…I think we need to have a conversation about it.”
Shit. Did I screw up?
“Okay,” I replied uneasily.
“This bracelet will not be the cure all nor a guarantee that an incident like this won’t happen again. It’s just…it’s just how the world works.”
“The world is shitty, but I understand, Simone, and perhaps I was a little too optimistic and naïve by claiming this won’t ever happen again, but something’s gotta give. Maybe we can get Nori a passport that you can carry around. I’m sure we’ll need it eventually for international travel. If you’re questioned by law enforcement, you can show them Nori’s passport and your driver’s license since Nori is still a Livingston.”
Simone smiled weakly. “I like that idea.”
“You also need to have Jonathan’s business card in your wallet to show to the officers. Before you call me, call Jonathan.”
“I will.”
“I’m sorry this happened to you, Simone.”
She sighed. “I should be used to it. It’s not the first time I’ve been approached but it never escalated this far. I can understand being genuinely concerned about the well-being of a child, but can’t they see that she’s happy and well cared for?”
“That’s the thing, Simone…they can see it, but they don’t want to see it.”
She nodded receptively. “Thank you,” she said, holding up the ID bracelet again. “This was really sweet of you.”
“You’re welcome,” I said, pulling her back down to the mattress. I kissed her temple before resting her head on my chest. I thought about her birthday trip as she drifted to sleep. I had to make it a moment she’d never forget.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Simone
“Rise and shine!” Anthony exclaimed, causing me to jolt out of my sleep. My tired eyes checked the time.
3:00 AM? What the hell?
“Why are we waking up so early? Our flight doesn’t leave until 8:00,” I whispered.
“Because the early bird gets the worm, and the on-time traveler misses the plane. Chop chop, Simone.”
I rolled my eyes and sat up. “Chop chop? Really? Is Nori still sleeping?” I asked, reaching for the baby monitor beside me. The crib was empty.
“Nori is already put together for the day. I have your driver’s license, Nori’s birth certificate and the bags are secured and tracked.”
“Tracked?” I asked as I stumbled out of bed towards the bathroom. I wasn’t surprised when he followed me, and quite frankly was too tired to care.