Ryane’s forehead.
She turned to Anne and squeezed her hand. “Thank you. Having a friend who believes in you, regardless of what others say, is a real treasure.” She squeezed it again. “Everything will be okay tomorrow.”
“I’ll be just fine. The sooner it’s over, the sooner I can be home with Ryane again.” Anne’s face clouded. “Wherever that is.”
“Don’t worry. I have a plan.” Allie winked.
Anne’s face cleared. “I just bet you do.”
“Good night,” Allie said. “Don’t worry about anything.”
She didn’t spare Ian another glance as she left the room, and she met Mary’s glare with a steady look as she walked down the floor.
She’d never cared what people thought of her and she wasn’t about to start now. Just because Ian Ryan chose to believe the worst of her didn’t bother her at all.
Alexandra McGraw didn’t need anyone. She never had, she never would.
Ian’s opinion didn’t matter any more than anyone else’s.
She kept telling herself that as she marched to her car, and though her head was listening, her heart didn’t seem to care a bit.
“It looks better, doesn’t it?” Allie asked Ryane, who gurgled her agreement.
“Yes, I think so too.” She stared at the shelves, loaded with books and little mementos from over the years.
“Okay, let’s go stir the soup. Chicken noodle soup is always good for what ails you, not that anything is bothering me, mind you,” she assured the baby.
Just because Ian had wordlessly dropped the baby off that morning.
Just because his expression said he’d rather leave the baby anywhere other than with her, but he had no choice.
Just because her heart gave a shudder as he turned his back with a crisp, obligatory “Thank you.”
“No, there isn’t anything at all that’s bothering me,” Allie assured the baby and herself.
The house was finally cleaned, the soup was stirred, and Ryane was contentedly gurgling. Allie didn’t know what to do with herself now.
She could make some follow-up calls, she decided.
Feeling better, she found her logbook and turned to the first marked page, her nimble fingers dialing eagerly.
If only she stayed busy enough, she wouldn’t have to dwell on all the things that weren’t bothering her.
“Hello, Marsha? This is Allie McGraw. I just wanted to see if things were going better.”
The new mother had had sore nipples, but with some work on the baby’s positioning, Allie thought they’d beat the problem. She talked to Marsha for the next twenty minutes and hung up, confident that the mother and newborn were on the right track. This was what mattered.
Allie loved every part of her job. There was nothing more miraculous than helping a mother bring a new life into the world. She especially enjoyed working with those mothers and their babies afterward to see to it they got a good start at breastfeeding. And she loved helping those who didn’t start quite so smoothly get back on track.
Making a difference provided Allie with a great deal of satisfaction.
“Well, you were good,” Allie told the baby. She glanced her watch. “And it’s almost time for your feeding. Let’s go get that bottle ready before you decide you can’t wait for it.” One thing she’d learned was that when Ryane was ready to eat, Ryane was ready to eat. The baby didn’t accept excuses.
She had just settled down with the baby and the bottle when there was a knock at the door. “Come in,” she hollered.
“You shouldn’t leave your door unlocked,” a scowling Ian Ryan greeted her.
“You’re probably right,” Allie said. “How’s Anne?” she asked, changing the subject.
“Everything went fine. She’s groggy with the pain meds, and when I left she was sleeping off and on.”
“Good. Before you know it, she’ll be home.” Allie picked up the baby and began patting her back. “She’s just about done here and almost ready for a little nap.”
“Fine, I’ll take her upstairs.”
“Do
She turned to Anne and squeezed her hand. “Thank you. Having a friend who believes in you, regardless of what others say, is a real treasure.” She squeezed it again. “Everything will be okay tomorrow.”
“I’ll be just fine. The sooner it’s over, the sooner I can be home with Ryane again.” Anne’s face clouded. “Wherever that is.”
“Don’t worry. I have a plan.” Allie winked.
Anne’s face cleared. “I just bet you do.”
“Good night,” Allie said. “Don’t worry about anything.”
She didn’t spare Ian another glance as she left the room, and she met Mary’s glare with a steady look as she walked down the floor.
She’d never cared what people thought of her and she wasn’t about to start now. Just because Ian Ryan chose to believe the worst of her didn’t bother her at all.
Alexandra McGraw didn’t need anyone. She never had, she never would.
Ian’s opinion didn’t matter any more than anyone else’s.
She kept telling herself that as she marched to her car, and though her head was listening, her heart didn’t seem to care a bit.
“It looks better, doesn’t it?” Allie asked Ryane, who gurgled her agreement.
“Yes, I think so too.” She stared at the shelves, loaded with books and little mementos from over the years.
“Okay, let’s go stir the soup. Chicken noodle soup is always good for what ails you, not that anything is bothering me, mind you,” she assured the baby.
Just because Ian had wordlessly dropped the baby off that morning.
Just because his expression said he’d rather leave the baby anywhere other than with her, but he had no choice.
Just because her heart gave a shudder as he turned his back with a crisp, obligatory “Thank you.”
“No, there isn’t anything at all that’s bothering me,” Allie assured the baby and herself.
The house was finally cleaned, the soup was stirred, and Ryane was contentedly gurgling. Allie didn’t know what to do with herself now.
She could make some follow-up calls, she decided.
Feeling better, she found her logbook and turned to the first marked page, her nimble fingers dialing eagerly.
If only she stayed busy enough, she wouldn’t have to dwell on all the things that weren’t bothering her.
“Hello, Marsha? This is Allie McGraw. I just wanted to see if things were going better.”
The new mother had had sore nipples, but with some work on the baby’s positioning, Allie thought they’d beat the problem. She talked to Marsha for the next twenty minutes and hung up, confident that the mother and newborn were on the right track. This was what mattered.
Allie loved every part of her job. There was nothing more miraculous than helping a mother bring a new life into the world. She especially enjoyed working with those mothers and their babies afterward to see to it they got a good start at breastfeeding. And she loved helping those who didn’t start quite so smoothly get back on track.
Making a difference provided Allie with a great deal of satisfaction.
“Well, you were good,” Allie told the baby. She glanced her watch. “And it’s almost time for your feeding. Let’s go get that bottle ready before you decide you can’t wait for it.” One thing she’d learned was that when Ryane was ready to eat, Ryane was ready to eat. The baby didn’t accept excuses.
She had just settled down with the baby and the bottle when there was a knock at the door. “Come in,” she hollered.
“You shouldn’t leave your door unlocked,” a scowling Ian Ryan greeted her.
“You’re probably right,” Allie said. “How’s Anne?” she asked, changing the subject.
“Everything went fine. She’s groggy with the pain meds, and when I left she was sleeping off and on.”
“Good. Before you know it, she’ll be home.” Allie picked up the baby and began patting her back. “She’s just about done here and almost ready for a little nap.”
“Fine, I’ll take her upstairs.”
“Do
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