like Dusty, you know, that didn’t surprise us, but we’re so worried about the baby. Is the baby all right? That’s all that really matters right now.”
What a relief! What a sensible easy explanation. And how like Dusty. “Oh, Cinda, I am so glad you called. You almost missed me. I was just going home to ask my mother what to do.”
“No, don’t bring your parents into this,” said Cinda. “Really, we have it all under control. Is the baby all right?” Her voice was high and urgent.
“Oh, he’s fine,” Kit promised, “he’s just fine. I’ve fed him, and changed him, and we’re cuddling him on the couch, and he’s just fine. You’re going to love him. Have you met him yet?”
“We? Who’s we?” said Cinda.
Kit did not feel like long explanations. “Two of my friends are over here helping me with him,” said Kit.
Muffin beamed. Kit had won an admirer.
Cinda said, “Kit, I also have to apologize because Ed told me he scouted around the house and peered in windows and scared you. He shouldn’t have done that. It’s just that we were both coming apart, worrying if Dusty would take good care of the baby.”
They had been right to worry. Dusty had not taken care of the baby. She had not even told Kit how to take care of the baby before abandoning him. But Sam was not abandoned. He had a family waiting. Cousins. And they weren’t Ed, and they were nice.
“I just feel so much better hearing your voice,” said Kit. “You sound just right for a mother.”
Row muttered, “Not so fast, Kit. You don’t have any idea who that is. And she didn’t say whether she’d met the baby, she just wanted to know who’s here with you.”
Kit glared at him. “She’s just upset!” she hissed. “She’s had a terrible day of worry.” Rowen had no idea what it was like to wait for an adoption baby to arrive. Kit knew, because she had read lots of articles in women’s magazines and listened to several panels on talk shows. You and your husband had to go through examinations and inquisitions and inspections, and it took weeks and months to qualify for a baby, but then there was no baby available, and you had to wait and wait and wait and wait, and then when you found out there was going to be a baby, and it would be born in — say, September, like Sam — then you bought all the baby things, and told all your friends, and took time off from work, and practiced changing diapers — and the mother — say, Dusty — changed her mind.
No wonder Ed had been crazy! Kit would have run over a flower bed, too, if she had been waiting for Sam all her life and couldn’t find him, didn’t know if he was all right. Well, of course, it wasn’t Ed waiting for the baby, it was Cinda and Burt Chance. What nice names! The baby was going to be Sam Chance. No, that didn’t really work. She would have to ask what name the baby was really and truly going to have. Jonathan Chance. Alexander Chance. Michael William Chance. There were lots of wonderful possibilities.
“Kit, would you be a darling and bring the baby to us?” said Cinda. “Ed is driving everywhere he can think of to find the baby, hoping to find Dusty at one of her old haunts, and Burt is driving everywhere he can think of. I have to stay by the phone, and we so badly, badly want our baby here and we want him now.” Her voice broke with grief, and Kit’s heart exploded for her. Kit was the one cuddling and kissing this perfect little guy while his mommy, his mommy who had waited for years and years, was alone in the house with a phone!
Kit did have a driver’s license, and Dad had given her a car for her sixteenth birthday. It was in the garage at home. It was an ugly square Volvo. She hated the looks of it, but Dad felt she would be safer in it than any other vehicle. So she was safe, though totally not cool. On the other hand, it was probably the best car for hauling a baby in. And the car carrier was upstairs.
Rowen said very quietly, “You were
What a relief! What a sensible easy explanation. And how like Dusty. “Oh, Cinda, I am so glad you called. You almost missed me. I was just going home to ask my mother what to do.”
“No, don’t bring your parents into this,” said Cinda. “Really, we have it all under control. Is the baby all right?” Her voice was high and urgent.
“Oh, he’s fine,” Kit promised, “he’s just fine. I’ve fed him, and changed him, and we’re cuddling him on the couch, and he’s just fine. You’re going to love him. Have you met him yet?”
“We? Who’s we?” said Cinda.
Kit did not feel like long explanations. “Two of my friends are over here helping me with him,” said Kit.
Muffin beamed. Kit had won an admirer.
Cinda said, “Kit, I also have to apologize because Ed told me he scouted around the house and peered in windows and scared you. He shouldn’t have done that. It’s just that we were both coming apart, worrying if Dusty would take good care of the baby.”
They had been right to worry. Dusty had not taken care of the baby. She had not even told Kit how to take care of the baby before abandoning him. But Sam was not abandoned. He had a family waiting. Cousins. And they weren’t Ed, and they were nice.
“I just feel so much better hearing your voice,” said Kit. “You sound just right for a mother.”
Row muttered, “Not so fast, Kit. You don’t have any idea who that is. And she didn’t say whether she’d met the baby, she just wanted to know who’s here with you.”
Kit glared at him. “She’s just upset!” she hissed. “She’s had a terrible day of worry.” Rowen had no idea what it was like to wait for an adoption baby to arrive. Kit knew, because she had read lots of articles in women’s magazines and listened to several panels on talk shows. You and your husband had to go through examinations and inquisitions and inspections, and it took weeks and months to qualify for a baby, but then there was no baby available, and you had to wait and wait and wait and wait, and then when you found out there was going to be a baby, and it would be born in — say, September, like Sam — then you bought all the baby things, and told all your friends, and took time off from work, and practiced changing diapers — and the mother — say, Dusty — changed her mind.
No wonder Ed had been crazy! Kit would have run over a flower bed, too, if she had been waiting for Sam all her life and couldn’t find him, didn’t know if he was all right. Well, of course, it wasn’t Ed waiting for the baby, it was Cinda and Burt Chance. What nice names! The baby was going to be Sam Chance. No, that didn’t really work. She would have to ask what name the baby was really and truly going to have. Jonathan Chance. Alexander Chance. Michael William Chance. There were lots of wonderful possibilities.
“Kit, would you be a darling and bring the baby to us?” said Cinda. “Ed is driving everywhere he can think of to find the baby, hoping to find Dusty at one of her old haunts, and Burt is driving everywhere he can think of. I have to stay by the phone, and we so badly, badly want our baby here and we want him now.” Her voice broke with grief, and Kit’s heart exploded for her. Kit was the one cuddling and kissing this perfect little guy while his mommy, his mommy who had waited for years and years, was alone in the house with a phone!
Kit did have a driver’s license, and Dad had given her a car for her sixteenth birthday. It was in the garage at home. It was an ugly square Volvo. She hated the looks of it, but Dad felt she would be safer in it than any other vehicle. So she was safe, though totally not cool. On the other hand, it was probably the best car for hauling a baby in. And the car carrier was upstairs.
Rowen said very quietly, “You were
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