My gran stayed with her during her pregnancy. She intervened with the Evans and helped set up the adoption process. Gran kept her clean and sober. She made sure she took her vitamins and ate properly. When Keerly was born that following October, she was a healthy baby girl. Lily held her then handed her to parents who would give her a happy life and love her.
The Evans had agreed with Gran’s suggestion that Saul get to be a part of Keerly’s life. He had no other siblings and he had asked if he would ever get to see the baby again. Gran fixed it so that he could see her often.
The night Saul returned from taking his mother to Maine, he stopped by the Evans to let them know about Lily. Keerly often made Aunt Lily art that they would take to her at the penthouse. He gave them her address and told them they could mail her things whenever they wanted.
I stepped out of my car and had to shade my eyes from the bright sun. Although it was two weeks into fall, south Alabama hadn’t gotten the memo and it was hot. Reaching into the back seat I picked up the plate of lemon cookies that I had Hillya make this morning.
Saul and I had a lot of details to work out, but we had time. It didn’t have to be fixed overnight. I was finishing my last year of college online and Saul was considering an offer from his father to be the head of Hendrix Condominiums. With Lily in Maine, he was ready to figure out his future.
Stepping up to the door of the nursing home, I opened it and headed into the cool air-conditioned building.
“Hello Henley,” one of the nurses called out and waved at me.
I waved back. “Helllo!”
Then I made my way to room fourteen.