A/N: People with Down's syndrome were called Mongoloids back in the 1950's, so that's the terminology I'm using for this story.

January 1950

Outside the hospital, a freezing wind blew light wisps of snow around in crazy circles. In the waiting room, Ike Godsey paced back and forth, his mind in turmoil. They had taken Pearl back hours ago, and he'd heard nothing since then. Were she and the baby all right? Had there been unexpected complications?

He was sick with worry.

At last the door opened and the doctor appeared, but the look on his face made Ike's heart plummet.

"Is - is she still alive?" he stammered.

"Pearl's fine; she's resting," said Dr. Banion. "You have a son, but I'm worried about him. He only weighs a little over six pounds, and he seems to have some problems. His cry is weak, his movements are sluggish, but what's most worrisome is the shape of his eyes. They look like Chinese or Japanese eyes. I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but I think he's a Mongoloid."

Ike felt as if he'd just been punched in the stomach and had all the wind knocked out of him. He'd longed for a child of his own for so many years. He'd been accepting of Corabeth's infertility, and after they'd adopted Aimee, he'd loved her as if she'd been his own biological child. With his marriage to Pearl, he'd dared to hold out hope that maybe someday, he'd hold his own child in his arms.

Now it was as if that chance had just been cruelly snatched away.

"C-can I see him?" he asked.

"Of course. He's in the nursery. Come with me; I'll take you there."

With his insides still churning, Ike followed the doctor to the nursery, where he looked through the window and saw several babies sleeping peacefully. The two in the cribs labeled 'Hansen' and 'Mosley' were beautiful infants with perfectly proportioned features, but as soon as he saw the baby in the crib labeled 'Godsey', he knew right away something was terribly wrong. The baby's face looked abnormally flat, his ears were small and set low, and most tellingly, his eyes had the characteristic slant of Mongoloids.

As the doctor lifted the sleeping infant and brought him over, Ike felt a mixture of hope and fear, but as soon as his son was placed in his arms, he looked into the smoky blue eyes and felt an overwhelming love.

"Have you seen him?" Ike asked Pearl, who was still drowsy from the anesthetic.

Pearl nodded. "The doctor said there's something wrong with him."

Ike nodded. "I know. You can tell just by looking at him, but he's still our baby boy. He still needs love and care."

Pearl stared at the wall. "Dr. Banion said he's seen babies like ours before. His brain isn't normal, and there's all kinds of other problems, too." She turned to her husband. "I think we should do what the doctor suggested and put him in an institution, Ike. I don't think I can handle taking care of him. I know how much you want a baby of your own. Maybe we can try again next year."

Ike gasped, shocked. "But we can't just throw him away! He's our son, and I love him!"

"It wouldn't be throwing him away," said Pearl. "An institution would be much better equipped to take care of him - special doctors and nurses, round the clock care. We could even go visit him sometimes, if you want."

Ike was suddenly angry. "No, Pearl, I don't want that! I want him home with us, where he belongs!" A pleading look came into his eyes. "Don't you even love him at all?"

Anger flashed in Pearl's eyes. "Of course I love him! I'm his mother, aren't I?"

"If you really love him, you should want him home with us, where he belongs."

Pearl sighed. "How am I supposed to take care of a Mongoloid baby?"

"Why, the same way you'd take care of any other baby - feed him, keep him comfortable, and give him lots of love."

Samuel Isaac Godsey came home from the hospital with his mother when he was a week old. His sisters, Patty and Sharon, watched as their mother got out of the car with the little bundle wrapped in a white blanket.

Patty held him first. "Hi, Sammy." She held him closer and folded the blanket back so she could see him better. "Mama, his eyes - he looks Japanese!"

"He's a Mongoloid," said Pearl.

Patty frowned. "What's that mean?"

"It means he isn't like other babies. He won't be able to learn like other children, and he'll probably have physical problems too, like heart defects. He'll have to go to a special school."

"He will?" Tears filled Patty's eyes and began to roll down her cheeks. "Poor little Sammy!"

"Can I hold him?" asked Sharon, and Patty handed the baby to her.

"Be sure and support his neck. His head's kind of wobbly."

Sharon's eyes grew wide. "He sure is tiny!"

"The doctor advised us to put him in an institution, but your Daddy thinks we can take adequate care of him at home," said Pearl.

"Why?" asked Sharon.

Pearl sighed. "Because Mongoloids have special needs. Your Daddy thinks we can meet them, but I'm not so sure."

"I'll help, Mama," said Patty.

"So will I," added Sharon.

Ike smiled and put his arms around both girls. "He's lucky to have two big sisters like you two girls."