A Heart for Two, 2nd Edition

Royce stood at the front of the coffee shop, making sure that everything was running smoothly. He observed customers placing orders and the staff preparing them with precision and pleasant attitudes. He couldn’t be happier with the decision to own this type of business. The business offered everything he wished for. A noise in the courtyard caught his attention. If he hadn’t looked down, he would have missed seeing a cute little girl with big, beautiful eyes waddling up and wrapping her arms around his leg. She didn’t reach his knee, but she looked up and said, “Da…ddy.”
There was no doubt in his mind that this child didn’t belong to him, for several obvious reasons. He’d always practiced safe sex; he looked around and didn’t see any screaming mothers barreling down on him. So, he picked her up.
“Well, cutie, where is your mother?”
The little girl lay her head on his shoulder and played with his beard. He stepped outside the GCH, looking left and right. There were quite a few people in the food court area. He realized that the mother hadn’t yet discovered her child was missing. He started walking, looking for any signs of a frantic mother. He could call security, but he figured the child’s mother would probably show up before they got here. Maybe she got separated from her sister or brother. He called out.
“Hello, is anybody missing a little girl?”
He only received some crazy stares and a few shakes of the head. People went right back to what they were doing. God, he hated to call the police. What if someone just left her, abandoned her? She was so tiny. Having no experience with children, he didn’t even know how old she was. So he kept walking around the food court, hoping that a family member would recognize her. Royce called out again when he got to the other side. Still, no one came to claim the little girl. He was holding her with one arm up against his chest. She lay on him comfortably, as if she knew she was safe, protected. Royce had almost completed the circle and was on his way back to his business. He heard her before he saw her. A mother was screaming. He tightened his grip on the little girl and took off, running toward the noise.
“Ma’am…ma’am, excuse me. Is this your little girl?” He shouted to get her to stop shrieking.
Now the whole food court was paying attention. She grabbed her daughter from his arms, crying.
“It’s okay. I found your daughter, or more like, she found me. She wandered into the coffee shop.”
The little girl was hugging her mother, reaching for Royce, and still calling him her version of daddy.
“Marguerite, that is not your daddy. Your daddy isn’t with us anymore.” She talked to her daughter as if she understood everything she was saying.
She turned her attention to Royce and got a good look at him. Her eyes glazed over momentarily as she raked over his physique. She blushed and stuttered. “Thank…thank you. I was next door filling out an application, and she got out of her stroller.”
“You’re looking for a job?”
“Yes.” She said, embarrassed, losing the half-smile she had a moment ago.
“When you’ve completed your other application, come to Gourmet Coffee and fill out one. I know the manager.”
“Okay, I’ll do that.” Her smile got a little bigger.
Marguerite squirmed in her arms and tried to get to Royce. Her mother put her in the stroller, and she screamed bloody murder.
“Marguerite, please stop screaming. Mommy has to fill out this paperwork.”
Marguerite screamed for Royce, continuing to call him daddy. People were staring at him. He felt they thought he didn’t want his child. Squatting down in front of Marguerite, he called her by her name. She stopped crying and gave him the saddest look that broke his heart. He couldn’t resist her big, wet tears. Royce pushed on the buckles until he figured out how to get her out of the stroller. She threw her little arms around his neck.
“We’ll be at the Gourmet Coffee House when you finish. I promise she’s safe.”
“I know.” She told him honestly.
Royce and Marguerite walked back to the coffee shop. All the employees were staring at him when he walked back in, holding the little girl. He sat her on the counter and introduced her to everyone. The employees were just as smitten as he was. One of the employees asked if she was hungry. Shaking his head, he had no idea and told the employee that her mother would be there in a few minutes. Heading back to his office, he sat her in his lap. He didn’t know what to do with kids, period. Was he supposed to talk to her? Her mother conversed with her. He wanted to know what her mother meant when she said that Marguerite’s dad wasn’t with them anymore. Was he dead, or did he leave? If he left, how could a man walk out on this beautiful baby?
“Marguerite, what happened to your daddy?” He whispered, asking her as if she could answer.
She wasn’t paying him any attention. Marguerite was trying to grab a pen off the desk. She stretched until she grabbed it and headed straight to her mouth with it. He took the pen and put it out of her reach, telling her he didn’t think she was supposed to put it in her mouth. He looked around on his desk for something she could play with, but there was nothing. Thinking about her mother, was she looking for a job now that she was a single parent? Could he hire her now? It would be several more months before his other store was ready. He could hire her for that location, but it was way across town. Does she have transportation, or was she using public transportation? He didn’t think she could wait for months if she needed a job now.” He was deep in thought when Toby knocked on his door.
“I think Marguerite’s mother is looking for you.”
“Bring her back here, Toby.”
Toby escorted her to the office, and Royce stood like a gentleman, pointing to a chair next to his desk.
“You’re the manager?” She asked, surprised.
“Yes. I am, Royce Hawthorne.”
“I’m…my name is Rosita Rodriguez, and you already met my baby Marguerite.”