"She has to see Joyce as mommy and not Aunt Annette. I know." Emotion washed over her. Worry and doubt and fear a maelstrom that always seemed ready to take over.
And it made no sense because Joyce and Fantino were improving every day.
"I just wish I knew how to make it easier on all of them," she told Carlo.
"You take too much on yourself, but I have been making plans."
"You have?"
He just looked at her.
She almost laughed, but was afraid she'd start crying if she did. Darn hormones. "Of course, you have. What are they?"
"I've spoken to the clinic she went to, and they are sending a psychologist who specializes in adoption transitions to facilitate those first weeks with Joyce home."
Relief washed through Annette. It wasn't on her to fix it this time. Someone who knew what they were doing was going to guide Joyce and Fantino. "Jo-Jo isn't adopted though," she couldn't help pointing out, nevertheless.
"No, but many things about the situation have a similar emotional makeup, or so the director for the clinic claimed."
That made sense, Annette supposed. Joyce and Jo-Jo's bond was tenuous at best. While Jo-Jo seemed happy for Fantino to hold her and play with her, she still reached for Annette when she needed comfort. That had to change for the baby's sake and her parents' sakes.
"My parents will remain in New York for the next few months. My father will cover Fantino's office until my brother is able to return to work fulltime."
"Aren't you worried for his health?" The senior Messina had recovered from his accident, but he was in his seventies now and she worried the stress of working the long work hours he and his sons were known for could be detrimental.
"No," Carlo said with assurance. "Mama will be policing his time and she can be a dragon if she needs to."
Annette agreed. She thought Valentina Messina was a formidable woman even when she didn't need to be, but she was also very occupied with her own projects. "Will she be able to keep track of Alceu's hours when she herself is so busy?"
"Mama has slowed down her involvements since Papa retired. They spend more time together. They travel a great deal."
"Oh, that's good then."
"I have also used my time here in New York to identify additional members of management staff who will make solid adds to Fantino's executive team. He approved my choices this morning and I have had human resources contact each with their promotion offers. This will free up more experienced executive team members to take some of the daily burden from my father."
"You're a good son."
Carlo looked pleased with her assessment, and it occurred to Annette that he'd always liked praise from her when he seemed indifferent to it from everyone else. Except his family.
Further proof that in his mind she was on equal footing with his family, which was not a bad place to be in the life of the Sicilian tycoon.
Fantino came home that evening and Joyce five days later. The psychologist from California arrived at the same time. He fit right in with the household, insisting on being called Ray and began facilitating the adjustment of the little family toward what would betheirnormal almost immediately.
Annette and Carlo were out walking together with Jo-Jo, since neither parent could manage the task just yet, when Carlo said, "Ray is a good man and competent doctor, I am sure, but I am glad I am not Fantino right now."
"Because you'd have to talk about yourfeelingsat least daily?" she teased.
But Carlo nodded quickly, his look of utter horror at the prospect making her laugh.
"Feelings don't make you weak, Carlo."
"Nor does talking about them make them any more real," he countered.
But Annette wasn't sure she agreed. "Maybe it does."
"No. All this talking, it brings up more bad than good."
"At first, maybe, but not talking about it doesn't mean the bad wasn't there, under the surface."