A Precious Gift

Carrie slipped her hand into his and they lay there a long time. “Are you awake?” she asked in a whisper.

“Yes.”

“The caterer called today while I was at the hospital to go over the menu for Saturday night. I’ll finalize everything with him tomorrow. We’re still having six guests?”

The dinner they were giving on Saturday would bring together his closest associates and their wives. “Yes, plus the two of us. Do you still want to fly to San Francisco with me on Wednesday to see your sister?”

“If that’s all right with you.”

“I’d like you to have dinner with my client and his wife.”

“That’s fine. Brenda has to go to work at five anyway. I’m hoping if we have a few hours alone, I can convince her to give college another try.”

Carrie’s younger sister Brenda was twenty now. She’d dropped out of Berkeley and an education Carrie had been funding because she’d fallen in love with an L.A. musician. It hadn’t worked out and she was back in San Francisco now working behind the cosmetics counter in a department store. Brian stayed clear of giving advice to Carrie where her family was concerned. He knew nothing about sibling dynamics and when it came to parents… Carrie was polite to hers, the perfect daughter as far as he could see. There seemed to be an invisible wall between Carrie and her mother, though. Maybe he recognized it because he sometimes felt that same wall between Carrie and him.

Suddenly Brian felt restless, much too wired to go to sleep. Sliding his hand from Carrie’s, he moved to the edge of the bed.

“Where are you going?”

“I have work to take care of before we go to San Francisco—a spreadsheet on property assessments.”

His wife was silent and he knew why. Nothing she could say would dissuade him from going to his office downstairs.

“I’ll see you in the morning,” she said softly.

Standing by the side of the bed, he was so tempted to touch her again.

But then she pulled the sheet up to her shoulders and turned over.

Brian snatched up his sweatpants from the bedside chair and left the bedroom, closing the door behind him.

Two

“Are you almost ready?” Brian called up the stairs on Wednesday morning.

Lifting her cosmetics case from the dresser, Carrie took a last look in the mirror at her sea-green pantsuit and went into the hall. “I’m ready. Are you in a hurry to get to the airport?”

“I’m initiating a conference call after we get through security. I don’t want to have to rush it.”

Ever since Monday night when Brian had made love to her so passionately, he’d seemed to withdraw. Sometimes she didn’t understand him, and she knew he didn’t always understand her. She marveled how when they’d first met, they’d seemed to be able to read each other’s minds. Where had that ability gone?

“I guess I’d better take along something to read if you’re going to be tied up.” She’d hoped they’d discuss their plans for the baby. She’d hoped—

As she descended the steps, the phone rang. Since Brian was already in the kitchen on his way to the garage with their luggage, she went to the living room and picked up the cordless phone. “Summers residence,” she answered automatically.

“Mrs. Summers, it’s Trina Bentley from Children’s Connection.”

“Hi, Trina. What can I do for you?” The caseworker probably needed yet another signature on something.

“I think I might be able to do something for you.”

Carrie’s heart began to pound. “Do you have a baby?”

Brian had returned from the garage and caught her question to the caseworker. Standing in the doorway, his gaze met hers.

“Not exactly, but a baby could be the end result.”

“I don’t understand.”

Obviously eager to explain, Trina went on, “What we have is an unwed mother who is homeless. Her name is Lisa Sanders. She’s been residing in a shelter for the past month. Yesterday she passed out, and one of her friends called the paramedics. In the emergency room, one of the nurses referred her to a social worker. When Lisa said she wanted to put her baby up for adoption, I was assigned to talk to her.”

“How old is she?” Carrie asked, thinking about how scared the young woman must be without a secure roof over her head.

“Lisa is eighteen and eight months pregnant. She’s been waitressing, but her blood pressure’s elevated. She has to slow down for her health as well as the baby’s. I gave her several portfolios to examine. She chose yours and that’s why I’m calling. As you know, the adopting couple often pays for the medical expenses for the mother of the child they’re going to adopt, and it would be true in Lisa’s case. We also need a couple who is willing to take her in until the baby’s born. Would you consider doing that?”

“I don’t know.” Carrie cast a worried glance at Brian. “We’d definitely be able to adopt?”

There was a short pause. “While Lisa is living with you, she could determine whether you and your husband are her choice to adopt her baby.”

“I see.”

“This isn’t as irregular as it seems, Mrs. Summers. All types of arrangements can be negotiated between mothers giving up their children and the adoptive parents. Do you think you’d be interested?”

Carrie was more than interested. For years she’d acted as a second mother to her three sisters, and she missed taking care of someone. Since she’d stopped modeling, she’d become more involved in volunteer work but there was still a hole in her life that needed to be filled. That hole had grown bigger since Brian’s success took him away from home more and more. Taking care of this teenager could fill some of the emptiness. It could also lead to the end result of becoming a mother.

“I have to talk to my husband about this. We’re on our way to the airport. How soon must I give you a decision?”

“As soon as possible. Lisa’s gone back to the shelter, but we’d like to get her out of there.”

“I’ll talk to Brian now and get back to you.”

“That was Children’s Connection?” he asked, sounding wary as Carrie replaced the cordless phone on its stand.

“Yes, it was Trina. We could have a baby in less than a month!” She couldn’t keep the excitement from her voice. “An eighteen-year-old unwed mother, Lisa Sanders, is living in a shelter and needs a place to stay until she has her baby. She’s chosen us as a possible couple. Isn’t that wonderful?”

His expression and demeanor said that wasn’t his assessment of the situation. “Let me get this straight. A teenager who’s homeless wants to give up her baby. What do you know about her?”

“Not much…yet. But she doesn’t have anywhere to go, Brian.”

“We don’t know where she came from or what she’s been doing. We can’t just bring a stranger into the house.”

“Why not?”

Now he looked at her as if she’d totally lost her mind. “Because she might not be honest, she might do drugs, she might steal. Why is she on the streets? Why is she homeless? You can’t make a decision like this without having the right information.” He checked his watch. “And I don’t have time to get it now. We have a flight to catch.”

Ever since they were married, Carrie had supported Brian’s career. She loved him. If it was in her power, she’d do anything to make him happy. That had included giving up modeling and being available when he needed her. Since she’d learned she couldn’t have children, and since she hadn’t told Brian the real reason, guilt had kept her quiet about his long hours and his reticence to adopt a child as well as about how lonely she was. Now, however, she could envision laughter filling this big house. They had so much…and she’d love to help a young girl in need, not just with a roof over her head, but with emotional support. Carrie remembered how desperately she’d needed that after the rape, after her abortion, after her world had fallen to pieces all around her.

“I want to meet her, Brian.”