[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
Abby, came back to haunt him sometimes. But he’d bet that
Abby didn’t have much in her past to be ashamed of.
CHAPTER FOUR
FORTY-FIVE MINUTES AFTER Reese’s unexpected visit, Abby
stacked the breakfast dishes in the drainer and tried, un-
successfully, not to think about him. She’d heard of some
significant events in Reese’s life over the years. Her mother
had told her when he’d married, and then when he’d
divorced, seven years ago. Abby didn’t know the details,
just as she didn’t know if he was involved with anyone now.
One thing she told herself. If Reese was in a serious rela-
tionship, she shouldn’t care.
She hung the dishrag over the sink and looked out the
window. Why in heaven’s name was she wasting even a
moment of thought on a man she’d sworn she’d gotten over
completely? Unless she hadn’t.
If only she’d been smarter all those years ago! She
wouldn’t be wasting brain cells on him now.
Grateful when her cell phone rang, she went to the kitchen
table, where she’d left it. She recognized the caller’s name and
pressed the connect button as her concern mounted. “Alicia?”
“Miss Vernay? I’m sorry to call you….” The teen’s thin
voice trembled.
“Don’t be. I gave you my number so you could use it if
you needed to. Is something wrong? Is everything okay
with the baby?”
CYNTHIA THOMASON
45
“Yes, the baby’s growing fine.”
“Then are you rethinking your decision about the adop-
tion?”
“I have to. Things have changed.”
Abby sat in the closest chair and imagined the anguish
on Alicia’s pale face, the sadness in her big brown eyes.
“But when I left, you’d made up your mind. You were
going to keep the baby.”
“That was when Cutter agreed to help me raise it.”
Abby pressed her fingertips against her forehead. She’d
heard this story too many times. “What happened, Alicia?
Did he back out?” She hoped not.Alicia’s boyfriend had been
in trouble with the law a couple of times, but the prospect of
becoming a dad seemed to be turning him around.
“No, ma’am.” Alicia hiccupped—the prelude to what
Abby knew would end in sobs. “He got arrested last night.
He st-stole a car.”
“Oh, no. That’s not his first offense.”
“It’s his third. He’s in jail right now. They aren’t going
to let him out.” Alicia was crying. “I’ve got no choice,
Miss Vernay. I’ve got to give up this baby. Otherwise my
daddy’s going to throw me out.”
For just a moment,Abby considered that being thrown out
of a ratty trailer sitting on cinder blocks on the outskirts of
Atlanta might not be a bad thing. But she didn’t say that. The
single-wide was the only homeAlicia Brown had ever known.
And other than the group homes Abby sometimes sent girls
to—an optionAlicia had already rejected—Abby didn’t have
any other housing suggestions for her and her baby.
“Can you find me a family, Miss Vernay? A good family
to take my baby?”
“You’re at four months now, right?”
46
CHRISTMAS IN KEY WEST
“Yes.”
“We’ve got a little time. I want you to think about this
very carefully. You need to use the best decision-making
skills you have.” Abby realized the near futility of what she
was suggesting. When a vulnerable sixteen-year-old girl
found out she was pregnant, her world fell apart. Yet that
was when she had to make the most crucial decisions.
“I’m just a phone call away, Alicia,” Abby said. “We can
spend as much time as you want going over your options.
I can try to locate a foster home for you.You can apply for
work-study programs. I can guide you to some fine state-
run child care facilities….”
“I’ve made up my mind. I don’t want to do this without
Cutter. And I want a closed adoption.”
As many times as Abby had counseled young girls that
giving up a baby was a personal and critical decision, as
many times as she’d told them they had to make the
decision based on their emotions, needs and expectations,
she would never advise one of them to choose closed
adoption. Even Abby, thirteen years ago, hadn’t picked
that option. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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Abby, came back to haunt him sometimes. But he’d bet that
Abby didn’t have much in her past to be ashamed of.
CHAPTER FOUR
FORTY-FIVE MINUTES AFTER Reese’s unexpected visit, Abby
stacked the breakfast dishes in the drainer and tried, un-
successfully, not to think about him. She’d heard of some
significant events in Reese’s life over the years. Her mother
had told her when he’d married, and then when he’d
divorced, seven years ago. Abby didn’t know the details,
just as she didn’t know if he was involved with anyone now.
One thing she told herself. If Reese was in a serious rela-
tionship, she shouldn’t care.
She hung the dishrag over the sink and looked out the
window. Why in heaven’s name was she wasting even a
moment of thought on a man she’d sworn she’d gotten over
completely? Unless she hadn’t.
If only she’d been smarter all those years ago! She
wouldn’t be wasting brain cells on him now.
Grateful when her cell phone rang, she went to the kitchen
table, where she’d left it. She recognized the caller’s name and
pressed the connect button as her concern mounted. “Alicia?”
“Miss Vernay? I’m sorry to call you….” The teen’s thin
voice trembled.
“Don’t be. I gave you my number so you could use it if
you needed to. Is something wrong? Is everything okay
with the baby?”
CYNTHIA THOMASON
45
“Yes, the baby’s growing fine.”
“Then are you rethinking your decision about the adop-
tion?”
“I have to. Things have changed.”
Abby sat in the closest chair and imagined the anguish
on Alicia’s pale face, the sadness in her big brown eyes.
“But when I left, you’d made up your mind. You were
going to keep the baby.”
“That was when Cutter agreed to help me raise it.”
Abby pressed her fingertips against her forehead. She’d
heard this story too many times. “What happened, Alicia?
Did he back out?” She hoped not.Alicia’s boyfriend had been
in trouble with the law a couple of times, but the prospect of
becoming a dad seemed to be turning him around.
“No, ma’am.” Alicia hiccupped—the prelude to what
Abby knew would end in sobs. “He got arrested last night.
He st-stole a car.”
“Oh, no. That’s not his first offense.”
“It’s his third. He’s in jail right now. They aren’t going
to let him out.” Alicia was crying. “I’ve got no choice,
Miss Vernay. I’ve got to give up this baby. Otherwise my
daddy’s going to throw me out.”
For just a moment,Abby considered that being thrown out
of a ratty trailer sitting on cinder blocks on the outskirts of
Atlanta might not be a bad thing. But she didn’t say that. The
single-wide was the only homeAlicia Brown had ever known.
And other than the group homes Abby sometimes sent girls
to—an optionAlicia had already rejected—Abby didn’t have
any other housing suggestions for her and her baby.
“Can you find me a family, Miss Vernay? A good family
to take my baby?”
“You’re at four months now, right?”
46
CHRISTMAS IN KEY WEST
“Yes.”
“We’ve got a little time. I want you to think about this
very carefully. You need to use the best decision-making
skills you have.” Abby realized the near futility of what she
was suggesting. When a vulnerable sixteen-year-old girl
found out she was pregnant, her world fell apart. Yet that
was when she had to make the most crucial decisions.
“I’m just a phone call away, Alicia,” Abby said. “We can
spend as much time as you want going over your options.
I can try to locate a foster home for you.You can apply for
work-study programs. I can guide you to some fine state-
run child care facilities….”
“I’ve made up my mind. I don’t want to do this without
Cutter. And I want a closed adoption.”
As many times as Abby had counseled young girls that
giving up a baby was a personal and critical decision, as
many times as she’d told them they had to make the
decision based on their emotions, needs and expectations,
she would never advise one of them to choose closed
adoption. Even Abby, thirteen years ago, hadn’t picked
that option. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]