He whispered, “I thought I’d better come see you before you decided to disappear again.”
“I’m not going anywhere. I’m home to stay.”
He patted her back and stepped away. “I’m glad to hear that.”
“So are the rest of us,” Amy added, coming to stand beside Melissa.
“We want you to know that we are here for you,” Heather chimed in.
Melissa accepted Heather’s hug then wiped at the tears forming in the corners of her eyes. “Thank you. I wasn’t expecting this kind of reception.”
Tim, impeccable as always in his finely tailored suit, came to stand directly in front of Melissa. “It was Heather’s idea and a good one. This family has seen its share of crises in the past few months. It has prompted all of us to do some soul-searching. I, for one, have had the Lord open my eyes to how important my family is to me. We want you to know that whatever it takes, we will help you through this.”
“I don’t know what to say.”
Pulling her into his embrace, he kissed her forehead. “You don’t have to say anything, shrimp. Just know that we’re your family and we love you.”
“Does this mean you forgive me for flushing your baseball cards down the toilet when I was six?”
Everyone laughed, including Tim. He held her at arm’s length. “Absolutely not. Do you know what my Willie Mays rookie card would be worth today?”
“More than the package of gum it came in?”
“A lot more.”
“Y’all have blown me away. Amy, you had to have a hand in this.”
“I knew you were coming back to work today. Heather and I thought it would be best to have everyone meet away from prying eyes.”
“Thank you, all of you, for your support. I haven’t done much except add to the family’s troubles over the past few years, but I’m going to turn over a new leaf.”
“Does this mean you won’t superglue my favorite running shoes to my closet floor again?” Chris asked with a grin.
“Your shoes are safe, I promise. Now your gun and holster—maybe not.”
“That sounds like the pain-in-the-neck kid sister I know.”
Melissa turned to his twin. “Heather, you look great. I love what you’ve done with your hair.”
Always the shy one, Heather blushed and tucked a strand of her feathered cut behind her ear.
“I understand congratulations are in order for both you and Chris. I go away for a few months and look what happens.”
Melissa spent a few minutes hearing the details of her siblings’ engagements, but it wasn’t long before Tim took control of the assembly. “Let’s everyone have a seat,” he suggested. He held out Melissa’s chair until she was seated, then took his place at the head of the table again.
Melissa faced her siblings for the first time in years without feeling unhappy or out of place. The words came much easier than she had expected only twenty minutes ago.
“I know that Amy has told all of you that I’m pregnant. Amy, I’m still miffed about that, by the way.”
“You’ll get over it.”
Melissa chuckled. “I’m sure I will.”
“What are your plans?” Heather asked gently.
“That’s a hard question to answer. I guess the best way to say this is to tell you that I want to find a good home for this baby with a loving couple.”
“Adoption?” Chris’s voice revealed his surprise.
“Yes. I’ve made a pretty good mess of my life. I have some work to do on me before I try raising a baby.”
Tim clasped his fingers together on the table in front of him. “Are you sure this is what you want?”
“It will be best for both of us in the long run. Mom knows, but I haven’t told Dad. I’m hoping none of you will say anything to him until I’ve had a chance to tell him this myself.”
Her family glanced at each other and seemed to reach the same decision. Tim spoke first. “I don’t like keeping things from Dad, but I agree that you should be the one to tell him. Are you planning to see him soon?”
“I want to wait until he’s out of the hospital.”
Heather spoke up. “Dad’s doctor says he should be able to come home before Thanksgiving. That’s at least two or three weeks.”
“I realize that I’m asking a lot, but please do this for me.”
Each of her sisters and then her brothers nodded in turn. “It’s agreed, then,” Tim said. “We’ll keep your pregnancy quiet until you’ve spoken to Dad. Now, what about your job?”
“I understand my old position is still available. I’m ready to get back to work. I also understand that you’ve kept my insurance paid up. Thanks for that.”
“Dad insisted,” Tim said. “Where are you living?”
“I’m staying with Richard McNeil and his family for a few weeks, until I can find a place of my own.”
Tim frowned at her. “With Richard? Why?”
“His sister needs someone to help with her children for a few weeks. Richard was kind enough to think of me.”
“Why don’t you move home?” Heather coaxed. “You know you are always welcome.”
“I know that, but it’s time I stopped relying on Mom and Dad to bail me out. Now, I want to hear more about these weddings.”
Both her sisters were eager to oblige. After listening to them happily discussing wedding plans, bridesmaid dresses and reception dinners, Melissa knew she’d been right not to move home. Her condition and pending adoption would certainly cast a pall over the house.
After a final round of hugs and well-wishing from her family, Melissa followed Tim to the ground floor. They passed the Gordons with nods of acknowledgment and went through the swinging doors to the heart of the Davis Landing Dispatch, the newsroom. Although the room still sported the high, hammered tin ceilings of the original structure, the work areas were ultramodern with a maze of half-walled cubicles surrounding computer stations.
Tim escorted her to her desk, in part, she was sure, to show everyone he supported her return.
“Ed Bradshaw knows you’re back, Melissa. He’ll expect you to do a good job and so will I.”
Ed was the managing editor for the paper and a tough but fair man. “Thanks, Tim. I won’t let you down.”
The phone rang and she snatched up the receiver. “Davis Landing Dispatch, Melissa Hamilton speaking. How may I help you?”
Later that afternoon, Melissa used the key Richard had given her to open his front door. She had only a few minutes before the girls were due home from school and she really needed some downtime. Slipping into the quiet house, she kicked off her shoes in the entryway and gave a sigh of relief. “Note to self. Buy sensible shoes for work.”
She dropped her purse near her shoes and tossed her coat over the back of the closest chair. It hung for a moment, then slid in a heap to the floor. That was exactly what she felt like—a heap of worn-out fabric.
She laid her folder of papers on the coffee table then she sank onto the sofa. Closing her eyes, she leaned her head back. This was pure bliss. Two seconds later the front door flew open as Lauren and Samantha came in, obviously in the middle of an argument.
“Lauren, you are such a dork.”
“Hey, Mom said you can’t call me that.”
“Dork, dork, dork!”
Melissa sat up straight as the girls entered the room. “Is this the part where I get to tell you girls what to do?”
“Melissa, tell her she can’t call me a dork.”
“Samantha, don’t call your sister a dork.”
“Tell her not to act like a dork.”
“Lauren, do as you sister says and don’t act like a dork.”
“Hey, that’s not fair!”
“Told you she’d side with me.”
Melissa held up one hand. “Stop. Pretend I’ve walked into the movie ten minutes late. In five words or less, tell me what started this.”
Lauren came and dropped onto the sofa beside Melissa. “She’s
mad because I told Bobby Lambert she likes him.”
“That was more than five words, but I get the picture. Samantha?”
“I’ve never been so humiliated in my life.” Samantha took off her backpack and sat down on the other side of Melissa.
One look at Samantha’s face was all Melissa needed. “I take it that you do like this boy?”
Lauren scooted forward to look at her sister around Melissa. “Of course she likes him. She wrote his name in her diary about a hundred times—with little hearts around it.”
Outraged, Samantha sat forward and glared at her sister. “You read my diary?”
“You left it lying open on the bed. I couldn’t miss it.”
“Brat! I’ll be so glad to get my own room again.”
“Okay, girls, stop it. Lauren, you need to apologize to your sister. Even if she left her diary open, you know that what she wrote was private and you had no right to read it or repeat it. Especially to the person she wrote about. Answer me honestly, you knew it would make her mad, didn’t you?”
Flopping back, Lauren crossed her arms. “Yes.”
“Tell me why you would do such a thing.”
“Because she was making fun of my part in the play in front of everybody.”
Feeling much more like her own mother than Melissa had ever thought possible, she turned to Samantha. “Did you make fun of your sister?”
“All she does is talk about her role in that stupid play.”
“It’s not a stupid play!”
“Of course it isn’t.” Melissa tried to soothe hurt feelings.
“She said I couldn’t play a Native American because they don’t have freckles.”
Since Melissa previously had had the same thought about Lauren’s red hair and Irish looks, she refrained from commenting.
“Samantha’s just mad because I got chosen to be in the play and she didn’t get chosen to be in the junior choir at church.”
Samantha’s chin came up. “Who cares about the dumb old choir? I only wanted to be in it because Bobby is.”
Melissa slipped her arm around Samantha. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know you sang. That must have been disappointing.”
“They’re just a bunch of losers, anyway.”
“I’m sure that isn’t true, but do the two of you see what you are doing to each other?”
Samantha glared at her out from beneath her bangs. “What?”
“Your feelings were hurt by losing out on a position in the singing group. It’s okay to be upset about that, but you shouldn’t have taken it out on your sister. And Lauren, what Samantha said was hurtful, but it wasn’t right to try and hurt her back by revealing what was in her diary. You both need to apologize. There isn’t anything as important as your family.” That was a lesson Melissa had learned the hard way.
“I know,” Lauren admitted. “I’m sorry, Samantha.”
“I’m sorry I made fun of your part in the play.”
“That’s better. Samantha, I know a little something about singing. I took lessons when I was younger. My ex-boyfriend was in a band. The guy who sang the vocals used to practice and I’d play the scales for him on the keyboard. I’d be happy to help you work on your voice.”
“Really? Nah, I don’t think that will help. I stink.”
“Lauren, is she any good?”
Lauren peeked at Samantha. “She’s okay.”
“I’m better than okay!”
“What did the choir director say about your voice?”
“He said I didn’t project.”
“Oh, that’s an easy thing to fix. I can help you do that.”
“You can?” Samantha began to look interested.
“Sure. I’ll show you some exercises now, if you like. Unless you want to go to Veronica’s house? Your mother said it would be all right as long as I checked with Veronica’s mother first.”
“I can see her at school tomorrow. I have a keyboard in my room.”
“Great. Lauren, what are your plans?”
“I’ve got math homework. I can do it down here at the table while Samantha sings. Her screeching won’t bother me if you keep the door shut.”
Melissa ruffled Lauren’s curly hair. “We’ll keep it down to a dull roar. Come and get me if you need help with your homework.”
Melissa and Samantha rose to leave the room, but Lauren called after her, “Melissa, don’t you think you should pick up your things? Mom says we have to keep Uncle Richard’s house neat.”
Melissa glanced at her scattered trail from the doorway to the sofa. “You’re right. Hey, who is the grown-up here?” Reaching down, she grabbed Lauren’s sides and tickled her until they both dissolved into a fit of giggles.
From the doorway of his office just off the family room, Richard listened with amazement and a measure of pride to the way Melissa handled his nieces. She might believe she didn’t have what it takes to be a mother, but he had to disagree. She was selling herself short. She certainly seemed to have a knack for dealing with kids.
Perhaps she would change her mind and keep her baby.
With a self-deprecating shake of his head, he stepped back inside his office. He had no business having an opinion on the subject one way or the other. That was Melissa’s decision.
He returned to his desk. Picking up the phone, he placed the call he had been thinking about making when he’d heard the girls come home. On the second ring his friend picked up.
“Melbourne Adoption agency, Jake Melbourne speaking.”
“Jake, this is Richard McNeil.”
“Richard, it’s good to hear your voice. How are you?”
“I’m fine, Jake. Have you got a few minutes?”
“For you, always.”
“I have a young woman who is considering placing her child for adoption and I was wondering if you could handle the placement.”
“Of course. You know we always have dozens of couples on our waiting list.”
“The young woman is a friend and I want to make sure things go smoothly. I’d like to stay involved, if that’s okay.”
“I understand. Why don’t I send over our information packet, a photo album of couples and their ‘Dear Birth Mom’ letters? That should give your friend an idea of how we operate.”
“Sounds good.”
“Has she been to see a doctor recently?”
“I don’t think so. She’s only just arrived in town.”
“She should do that first. We often send our girls to Dr. Kathy Miller. I can set up an appointment. She makes a point of seeing patients from us on short notice.”
“That would be fine. Let me know when and I’ll see that she gets there.”
“Audrey was saying just the other day that we haven’t seen you in ages. Why don’t you come over for dinner one of these nights?”
For the first time since their wedding three years before, Richard found himself looking forward to spending time with his best friend and his wife. The pain of losing Audrey to Jake had faded to a dull ache over time, but it seemed his wounded heart was truly healed, at last. When had that happened?
After Melissa came back to town, he realized with a sense of wonder. He said, “I’d like that. Tell Audrey I said hello and give her my love.”
Tuesday morning, Melissa called a cab as soon as the girls were out the door to school and arrived at work a few minutes early. Throughout the morning, she filed reports, answered phone calls and ran errands. A little after noon, Ed Bradshaw stopped at her desk.
“Melissa, I need this file taken over to Central Tennessee University right away. Felicity is doing a story on a new program there and she needs this information for her interview with the dean.”
“I’m sorry, Mr. Bradshaw, but I don’t have a car.”
“I don’t have anyone else I can send right now. Take a cab and charge it to the office.”
“Yes, sir.”
File in hand, Melissa gladly escaped from her desk and enjoyed the ride out to the univers
ity. Stepping out of the cab in front of the campus’s main building, she took a deep breath of the crisp fall air. The private college with its ivy-covered brick building and spacious lawns was a much better place to spend the afternoon than inside her cubicle.
Students with books clutched in their arms crisscrossed the green grass. Others were seated on benches and walls taking advantage of the lingering warmth of the day. The tall oak and sycamore trees that dotted the grounds had begun losing their colorful leaves in gentle cascades as the breeze stirred them.
With the help of a friendly receptionist, she was able to locate Felicity Simmons in a small waiting room outside the dean’s office. Besides being a beautiful and intelligent woman, as well as a fine reporter, Felicity also happened to be engaged to Melissa’s brother, Chris. Not knowing how much, if anything, Chris had shared about her situation, Melissa approached her with some trepidation.
“Miss Simmons, I’ve brought the file you need.”
Felicity swept her reddish hair back and looked up from her notepad. Her bright smile instantly set Melissa at ease.
“Melissa, how nice to see you. Chris told me you were back, but I haven’t had time to stop by and say hello.”
“I’m the one who should be apologizing. I haven’t yet said congratulations on your engagement. Chris is a fortunate man.”
“Thank you. Sit down, please.” She gestured toward a brown leather chair beside hers.
Eager to stay away from talk of the family, Melissa asked, “What story are you covering?”
“The university is opening a new work study program for single parents. Since this is a private college, the program will begin as a two-year pilot. After that, I understand the plan is to reevaluate and see if they can make it a permanent part of the curriculum. It will take a long-term financial commitment from the school, but the women that qualify will be able to attend classes for free or at a very reduced fee while they work here.”
“That’s wonderful.”
“It is. So many young women aren’t able to continue their education because of the high cost of college. Their only option is to stay in a low-paying job because it puts food on the table. This program is aimed at breaking the cycle of poverty for them.”
“So this is just for single mothers?”
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