Dixie's stomach dropped—she wasn't sure if it was because of the plane taking off, or because she knew she was actually on her way to Pine Valley. She sighed, and began to bounce baby Jenny on her lap.
"My, what a beautiful little girl you have," the woman sitting next to her suddenly spoke up. She had grey-streaked black hair pulled into a bun, and a pair of modest rectangle-rimmed glasses.
"Thanks," Dixie replied happily.
"There'll be boys lined-up outside your house when she gets older." The woman's eyes crinkled as she chuckled.
"Well, not if her Daddy has anything to say about it," she laughed at the thought, but her heart sank as she remembered that Jenny's Daddy didn't know about his little girl.
"What's her name?" asked the woman.
"Jenny."
"What a beautiful name," the woman sighed. "And I'm sorry, I didn't even ask your name."
"Dixie. Dixie Cooney."
"Well Dixie, I'm Sarah Sprites," she held out her hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you."
"Pleasure to meet you too," Dixie replied, as she shook Sarah's hand.
"And a pleasure to meet you too, Jenny," Sarah cooed as she shook Jenny's tiny hand with on of her fingers. "So what's bringing you to Pine Valley?"
"Family," choked Dixie after a moment.
"Oh, well that's nice. How long had you been in France?"
"A few months. I was taking some classes." *And having a baby,* she thought to herself.
"Is that so? I was only in France about a week myself, but you wouldn't know it with all the bags and pictures I've got," she chuckled again. "And I must have sent at least two dozen postcards!"
Dixie laughed with the woman, at the same time remembering her own pictures. She and Lanie had used a up a few rolls of film on her first days in France, just so she could have pictures to send to JR during the following months when her stomach began to show too much. Of course, that hadn't stopped Lanie from taking pictures almost every day she was there, but Dixie knew there were plenty of those pictures she'd cherish, that she could show to Jenny someday.
"Did your little girl enjoy France?"
"Yes, she was born there, actually, so I guess you could say she liked it."
"Was she really? Well, that must have been a surprise then! Was she early?"
"No, she was right on time." The tone in Dixie's voice told the woman not to press for further answers.
"Hmm. Well, if you don't mind, I think I'll nap for a bit, now that we're up in the air."
"No, of course not. It looks like we could all use a nap." Dixie grinned as Jenny yawned.
It wasn't long before Sarah and Jenny both were fast asleep. Finally, Dixie's drowsiness got the best of her, and she drifted into an uneasy sleep.
She was lying there with her head on the pillow when the voice she knew so well whispered into her ear "I love you Dixie." Dixie giggled as she felt his lips slowly work their way from her shoulder to her collarbone, and finally to her own lips, as she pulled herself closer to him.
Dixie smiled in her sleep as she remembered that night. Then another day, not long after that.
"Please, please be positive," she thought, staring at the home pregnancy test, willing the lines to appear. "No," she thought suddenly. "Negative, negative." But her heart won over her mind. "Positive, please, positive." Then the color began to appear. Two lines. "Positive," she breathed to herself. "Positive."
She suddenly awoke with a start, her heart pounding. Stirring softly, Jenny's whimpers were quickly quieted by Dixie's gentle rocking. *I did the right thing,* he said to herself. *I had to keep it a secret. I had to divorce Tad. There's no way I could have held onto him and the baby. I did what I had to do. I did the right thing.* But if she'd done the right thing, why did she feel so awful?