Sarah shifted her purse to her other shoulder with her overloaded backpack
and knocked on Mrs. Toliver's door. She found herself unconsciously
smiling at the prospect of spending time with Anna Grace. In the two weeks
since the accident that claimed the lives of the infant's parents, the
newly formed Camden family had fallen into a routine. Sarah had always
known she wanted children but had never realized just how quickly a tiny,
helpless infant could so remarkably change her life for the better. Every
time Anna Grace smiled, a little piece of Sarah's heart melted away.
Mrs. Toliver opened the door and seemed surprised to see Sarah there. "Hello, dear. Is something wrong?"
Sarah frowned. "No, I'm just here to pick up Anna Grace. Was she a good girl today?"
"She's always a little angel; you know that. But Matt picked her up two hours ago. I was a little disappointed; I have to admit. You know I can't get enough of her."
"We feel the same way." Sarah admitted with a smile. She was more than a little curious as to why Matt was already at home instead of at work where he was supposed to be but she didn't let her curiosity show. "I'll drop her off in the morning about seven. Thanks again, Mrs. Toliver."
"My pleasure, dear, my pleasure."
Sarah waited until the elderly woman had closed her door before turning to her own apartment. Why was Matt home? Had something else happened? She turned the key in the lock and entered quietly. Stepping just inside the apartment, she stopped as she saw Matt sprawled on the floor next to Anna Grace. He was making cute and funny expressions at the infant. Sarah choked back a laugh. She wondered if he had been this sweet when his little brothers Sam and David were her age.
"What's going on?"
Matt looked up and smiled. It was a smile reserved just for her; one that lit up her heart and made her pulse quicken. It was an unspoken "I love you" that she would never get tired of. "Hey, how was class?"
She put her backpack down next to the door and joined her husband on the floor. She gave him a kiss before leaning down and kissing Anna Grace's cheek. "It was good. I think I am now technically, if not officially, a safe person to have around if you ever need a tracheotomy. The question is, why aren't you at work?"
Matt looked away. "I called in sick. I finished my test early this afternoon and when faced with the decision of whether to go to work or come home and spend time with my two favorite girls, well, it didn't seem like much of a choice."
Sarah frowned. "But you are already taking off next week so we can go home to Glen Oak for Lucy's wedding."
"I know, but I felt like I should be here tonight. It would have been Jack's birthday."
Sarah nodded. "I know. Dana had planned on buying Jack an old-fashion doctor's bag. She'd found one on Ebay and was hoping she could outbid everyone. I know we promised each other that we would make sure that Anna Grace grew up knowing who her real parents were but do you really think she's old enough to understand right now?"
"It's never too early for us to get in the habit of telling her about them. If we are going to be Anna Grace's adoptive parents, then I think we owe it to her and Jack and Dana to do this."
Sarah bit her lower lip. There was something in Matt's tone. "What do you mean 'if'? We've talked about this. Despite how difficult it might be and the sacrifices we might have to make, we want to keep her. Don't you mean when?"
Matt smiled. "I do. I'm sorry. I know how hard this is going to be on all three of us. I guess I'm just making sure it's what we both want and not just what I want. You matter to me, Sarah; your happiness matters. Once we sign the papers, it's for always. Do you want to become Anna Grace's mother?"
Sarah sighed. "I'd be crazy to say that I wasn't scared, Matt. You're right; even with Mrs. Toliver's help, raising Anna Grace is going to be hard. Last night I was up at two am finishing my homework while giving her a bottle and I thought it was going to take a crane to get me out of bed this morning." Matt's face fell even though he tried to hide his disappointment. Sarah caressed his cheek. "But what scares me more than anything is the thought of losing her. When I drop her off in the mornings next door, part of me doesn't want to leave and I can't wait until it is time to come back home. I love her, Matt; maybe even as much as if I gave birth to her. I don't think I can take Dana's place; I don't even want to try but I do want for the two of us to raise Anna Grace in their place." She took a deep breath as Matt's expression turned to relief. "Did you talk to Mr. Graves today?"
Mr. Graves was the attorney who had handled Jack and Dana's will. He had offered after the funeral to help them with whatever they decided to do about Anna Graces' custody situation. Matt nodded. "He said since Jack and Dana named us as her guardians in her will, it should be a pretty straightforward adoption. It will take time however, several months in fact. But when all the red tape has been cut and all the paper work gone over with with a fine tooth comb, she'll be ours."
Smiling, Sarah lifted the baby off the pallet and cuddled her close to her chest and looked at her husband. "So, have you given any thought as to how we are going to tell our families about her?"
Matt shook his head. "Not really. We can't wait and just send them a graduation notice when she finishes high school?"
Sarah laughed and regarded Anna Grace thoughtfully. "I think Daddy Matt is a bit of a chicken on this; don't you." Almost on cue Anna Grace smiled and blew bubbles. Both Matt and Sarah laughed. Sarah continued. "Seriously Matt, we fly out to Glen Oak Monday for the wedding. Are we going to just show up and say 'Surprise'? And as much as I think Mrs. Toliver would jump at the chance, we are not leaving her here while we go."
Matt sat up and seriously contemplated her remark. "I like the first one better than calling them tonight and saying 'oh by the way, Sarah and I are bringing our three-month old soon-to-be-daughter with us to the wedding.' I don't think that will do either of our fathers' hearts very good. Besides as soon as they take one look at her and they are going to love her too much to come up with any reasons why we shouldn't do this.
Sarah bit her lower lip again. "Do you think they'll disapprove? I know my dad's first thought is going to be that I'm going to give up medical school but what do you think your parents are going to say?"
Matt shrugged and pulled Sarah, Anna Grace still in her arms, close to his body. "What can they say? They had seven kids. Before Mom got pregnant with the twins, they considered adopting George."
"Your uncle?"
Matt nodded. "Long story. I think deep down both our parents will know we are doing the right thing but it is going to come as a shock. Usually there are nine months to prepare for being grandma and grandpa. But in the end, it doesn't matter what they think. You and I both know we are doing what's right for Anna Grace and for us. Look at her, baby." They both looked down at the little girl in Sarah's arms. Her eyes were getting droopy and she had curled her finger around the chain to the necklace Sarah was wearing. "She's apart of our family now. Your family, my family, nobody is going to change that."
Sarah smiled again and leaned over to kiss Matt tenderly on the lips. "I love you Matt Camden."
The phone rang only once in the brightly painted house on the quiet streets in the Chicago suburb before a tall woman answered. Her posture was ramrod straight and her appearance immaculate. "Hello?"
She listened for a moment, her neutral expression slowly turned to a frown. "No, I'm sorry, my daughter's name is Dana Anderson."
A gray-haired man came up to her curious about the conversation. Dana's was a name that hadn't been mentioned in a long time. After a few more minutes of listening, his wife hung up the phone and turned to him. Her expression was a mixture of sad acceptance and pain. "What is it, Martha?"
"Dana married that Jack Myers guy we forbid her to see."
"We figured she had when she left home two years ago."
"She has apparently had a baby as well."
The man smiled. "A baby? I'm a grandfather? Was that Dana? Is she coming home?"
"That was the insurance company we bought her life insurance policy from. They had just received a claim on a policy Dana and Jack bought last year. Dana was killed in a car accident a couple of weeks ago. That boy died too."
Mr. Anderson shook his head. "That means our grandbaby is out there all alone."
Mrs. Toliver opened the door and seemed surprised to see Sarah there. "Hello, dear. Is something wrong?"
Sarah frowned. "No, I'm just here to pick up Anna Grace. Was she a good girl today?"
"She's always a little angel; you know that. But Matt picked her up two hours ago. I was a little disappointed; I have to admit. You know I can't get enough of her."
"We feel the same way." Sarah admitted with a smile. She was more than a little curious as to why Matt was already at home instead of at work where he was supposed to be but she didn't let her curiosity show. "I'll drop her off in the morning about seven. Thanks again, Mrs. Toliver."
"My pleasure, dear, my pleasure."
Sarah waited until the elderly woman had closed her door before turning to her own apartment. Why was Matt home? Had something else happened? She turned the key in the lock and entered quietly. Stepping just inside the apartment, she stopped as she saw Matt sprawled on the floor next to Anna Grace. He was making cute and funny expressions at the infant. Sarah choked back a laugh. She wondered if he had been this sweet when his little brothers Sam and David were her age.
"What's going on?"
Matt looked up and smiled. It was a smile reserved just for her; one that lit up her heart and made her pulse quicken. It was an unspoken "I love you" that she would never get tired of. "Hey, how was class?"
She put her backpack down next to the door and joined her husband on the floor. She gave him a kiss before leaning down and kissing Anna Grace's cheek. "It was good. I think I am now technically, if not officially, a safe person to have around if you ever need a tracheotomy. The question is, why aren't you at work?"
Matt looked away. "I called in sick. I finished my test early this afternoon and when faced with the decision of whether to go to work or come home and spend time with my two favorite girls, well, it didn't seem like much of a choice."
Sarah frowned. "But you are already taking off next week so we can go home to Glen Oak for Lucy's wedding."
"I know, but I felt like I should be here tonight. It would have been Jack's birthday."
Sarah nodded. "I know. Dana had planned on buying Jack an old-fashion doctor's bag. She'd found one on Ebay and was hoping she could outbid everyone. I know we promised each other that we would make sure that Anna Grace grew up knowing who her real parents were but do you really think she's old enough to understand right now?"
"It's never too early for us to get in the habit of telling her about them. If we are going to be Anna Grace's adoptive parents, then I think we owe it to her and Jack and Dana to do this."
Sarah bit her lower lip. There was something in Matt's tone. "What do you mean 'if'? We've talked about this. Despite how difficult it might be and the sacrifices we might have to make, we want to keep her. Don't you mean when?"
Matt smiled. "I do. I'm sorry. I know how hard this is going to be on all three of us. I guess I'm just making sure it's what we both want and not just what I want. You matter to me, Sarah; your happiness matters. Once we sign the papers, it's for always. Do you want to become Anna Grace's mother?"
Sarah sighed. "I'd be crazy to say that I wasn't scared, Matt. You're right; even with Mrs. Toliver's help, raising Anna Grace is going to be hard. Last night I was up at two am finishing my homework while giving her a bottle and I thought it was going to take a crane to get me out of bed this morning." Matt's face fell even though he tried to hide his disappointment. Sarah caressed his cheek. "But what scares me more than anything is the thought of losing her. When I drop her off in the mornings next door, part of me doesn't want to leave and I can't wait until it is time to come back home. I love her, Matt; maybe even as much as if I gave birth to her. I don't think I can take Dana's place; I don't even want to try but I do want for the two of us to raise Anna Grace in their place." She took a deep breath as Matt's expression turned to relief. "Did you talk to Mr. Graves today?"
Mr. Graves was the attorney who had handled Jack and Dana's will. He had offered after the funeral to help them with whatever they decided to do about Anna Graces' custody situation. Matt nodded. "He said since Jack and Dana named us as her guardians in her will, it should be a pretty straightforward adoption. It will take time however, several months in fact. But when all the red tape has been cut and all the paper work gone over with with a fine tooth comb, she'll be ours."
Smiling, Sarah lifted the baby off the pallet and cuddled her close to her chest and looked at her husband. "So, have you given any thought as to how we are going to tell our families about her?"
Matt shook his head. "Not really. We can't wait and just send them a graduation notice when she finishes high school?"
Sarah laughed and regarded Anna Grace thoughtfully. "I think Daddy Matt is a bit of a chicken on this; don't you." Almost on cue Anna Grace smiled and blew bubbles. Both Matt and Sarah laughed. Sarah continued. "Seriously Matt, we fly out to Glen Oak Monday for the wedding. Are we going to just show up and say 'Surprise'? And as much as I think Mrs. Toliver would jump at the chance, we are not leaving her here while we go."
Matt sat up and seriously contemplated her remark. "I like the first one better than calling them tonight and saying 'oh by the way, Sarah and I are bringing our three-month old soon-to-be-daughter with us to the wedding.' I don't think that will do either of our fathers' hearts very good. Besides as soon as they take one look at her and they are going to love her too much to come up with any reasons why we shouldn't do this.
Sarah bit her lower lip again. "Do you think they'll disapprove? I know my dad's first thought is going to be that I'm going to give up medical school but what do you think your parents are going to say?"
Matt shrugged and pulled Sarah, Anna Grace still in her arms, close to his body. "What can they say? They had seven kids. Before Mom got pregnant with the twins, they considered adopting George."
"Your uncle?"
Matt nodded. "Long story. I think deep down both our parents will know we are doing the right thing but it is going to come as a shock. Usually there are nine months to prepare for being grandma and grandpa. But in the end, it doesn't matter what they think. You and I both know we are doing what's right for Anna Grace and for us. Look at her, baby." They both looked down at the little girl in Sarah's arms. Her eyes were getting droopy and she had curled her finger around the chain to the necklace Sarah was wearing. "She's apart of our family now. Your family, my family, nobody is going to change that."
Sarah smiled again and leaned over to kiss Matt tenderly on the lips. "I love you Matt Camden."
The phone rang only once in the brightly painted house on the quiet streets in the Chicago suburb before a tall woman answered. Her posture was ramrod straight and her appearance immaculate. "Hello?"
She listened for a moment, her neutral expression slowly turned to a frown. "No, I'm sorry, my daughter's name is Dana Anderson."
A gray-haired man came up to her curious about the conversation. Dana's was a name that hadn't been mentioned in a long time. After a few more minutes of listening, his wife hung up the phone and turned to him. Her expression was a mixture of sad acceptance and pain. "What is it, Martha?"
"Dana married that Jack Myers guy we forbid her to see."
"We figured she had when she left home two years ago."
"She has apparently had a baby as well."
The man smiled. "A baby? I'm a grandfather? Was that Dana? Is she coming home?"
"That was the insurance company we bought her life insurance policy from. They had just received a claim on a policy Dana and Jack bought last year. Dana was killed in a car accident a couple of weeks ago. That boy died too."
Mr. Anderson shook his head. "That means our grandbaby is out there all alone."
