And in November, Ellen Warberg called her from the SOS/HR office. Ginny had been thinking about her job a lot lately. She missed working, and traveling for them, but the job was no longer compatible with her responsibilities for Blue, nor her relationship with Andrew, which was growing day by day, and seemed to be headed in a serious direction, which had taken them both by surprise.
Ginny assumed that Ellen had called her in to discuss her next assignment, and Ginny knew that she would have to turn it down.
“I want you to know,” Ellen said seriously, as they sat facing each other across her desk, “that I’m retiring. I want time to do some projects, and travel for myself. I spent years doing what you do, and I’ve been at this desk now for five years, and I think it’s long enough. I wanted you to be the first to know, because I would like to suggest you as my successor, to take my job. I think you’d be great at it, and I don’t think being in the field nine months a year, halfway around the world, is what you want right now, so maybe this would work for you,” she said hopefully, thinking she’d have to talk Ginny into it. Ginny wanted to jump up and hug Ellen. It was the perfect solution to the problem that had been tormenting her for months. She didn’t want to quit, but she couldn’t do her job anymore. But she could do Ellen’s. It was tailor-made for her, and she knew the needs and style of SOS/HR inside out.
“I’d love it,” Ginny said, beaming at her, looking as though she’d just won the lottery. Ellen came around her desk and hugged her then, and told her she would be leaving on the first of January. It was perfect in every way. And Andrew and Blue were thrilled when she told them that night. Her days as a nomad had come to an end. They confirmed her new position two weeks later as the director of SOS/HR’s main office in New York. It was a prestigious job with a salary to match. She and Ellen had a quiet lunch to talk about it, and she gave Ginny great advice.
After lunch, Ginny went to pick out the Christmas gift she’d been planning for Blue. She bought him a piano and knew it would be the most exciting gift possible, better than a Ferrari. He had wanted his own piano all his life. He was doing well at school, and was preparing for his first recital in December.
It started snowing as she walked home, and it reminded her of the time almost a year before, when she had flown in from Africa one night before the anniversary date she had dreaded, and a boy named Blue had changed her life forever, and she had changed his, and Andrew had helped them. It all seemed like a miracle to her now.
Chapter 20
Blue’s fifteenth birthday was the most important one of his life. It was a double celebration. Becky, Alan, and their children had flown in from L.A. And that morning, the entire family and Andrew went to court with Blue, where a Family Court judge asked Blue Williams if he wished to be adopted by Virginia Anne Carter, to which Blue responded solemnly “I do,” and then he asked Ginny if she wished to adopt Blue Williams, and she said she did. And Andrew O’Connor was the attorney of record. It felt almost like a wedding, which Andrew and Ginny were contemplating as well. But this was Blue’s day.
Ginny kissed him when the judge pronounced them mother and son. He had thought about taking her name, but decided he liked his own, which was fine with her. And after the brief ceremony, they all went to 21 for lunch. Later they had dinner at a Japanese restaurant Blue loved. And that night after dinner, they all went back to the apartment, where Blue played the piano and they all sang, and he and Lizzie kept teasing each other about being cousins. He was playing all her favorite songs. Andrew followed Ginny out to the kitchen and kissed her. They turned back to look at Blue for a minute. He had never looked happier. He had finished his first year at LaGuardia Arts and done well, and was getting ready for another recital in September. And Ginny would be there, not in Afghanistan or Africa. Those days were over.
Old stories had ended. New ones had begun. The pain of old memories had begun to dim. New bonds had formed. And new lives had risen from the ashes of old ones. The phrase “beauty for ashes” seemed apt for all of them. And Ginny reminded Blue that “nothing is impossible” almost every day. Blue and Andrew believed her and had found that it was true.
To my Beloved Children,
Beatie, Trevor, Todd, Nick,
Samantha, Victoria, Vanessa,
Maxx, and Zara,
Life is made up of special moments,
moments of joy, or of sorrow, of great
good fortune, incredible thoughtfulness,
moments you never forget, and that impact
an entire lifetime, moments you treasure.
May all your special moments be precious,
happy ones, change your life in fortunate ways,
and turn out to be great blessings.
May your impact on others be kind,
theirs on you always loving,
and may you always, always know
and remember how infinitely I love you,
with all my heart, now and forever.
With all my love,
Mommy/d.s.
By Danielle Steel
BLUE • PRECIOUS GIFTS • UNDERCOVER • COUNTRY • PRODIGAL SON • PEGASUS • A PERFECT LIFE • POWER PLAY • WINNERS • FIRST SIGHT • UNTIL THE END OF TIME • THE SINS OF THE MOTHER • FRIENDS FOREVER • BETRAYAL • HOTEL VENDÔME • HAPPY BIRTHDAY • 44 CHARLES STREET • LEGACY • FAMILY TIES • BIG GIRL • SOUTHERN LIGHTS • MATTERS OF THE HEART • ONE DAY AT A TIME • A GOOD WOMAN • ROGUE • HONOR THYSELF • AMAZING GRACE • BUNGALOW 2 • SISTERS • H.R.H. • COMING OUT • THE HOUSE • TOXIC BACHELORS • MIRACLE • IMPOSSIBLE • ECHOES • SECOND CHANCE • RANSOM • SAFE HARBOUR • JOHNNY ANGEL • DATING GAME • ANSWERED PRAYERS • SUNSET IN ST. TROPEZ • THE COTTAGE • THE KISS • LEAP OF FAITH • LONE EAGLE • JOURNEY • THE HOUSE ON HOPE STREET • THE WEDDING • IRRESISTIBLE FORCES • GRANNY DAN • BITTERSWEET • MIRROR IMAGE • THE KLONE AND I • THE LONG ROAD HOME • THE GHOST • SPECIAL DELIVERY • THE RANCH • SILENT HONOR • MALICE • FIVE DAYS IN PARIS • LIGHTNING • WINGS • THE GIFT • ACCIDENT • VANISHED • MIXED BLESSINGS • JEWELS • NO GREATER LOVE • HEARTBEAT • MESSAGE FROM NAM • DADDY • STAR • ZOYA • KALEIDOSCOPE • FINE THINGS • WANDERLUST • SECRETS • FAMILY ALBUM • FULL CIRCLE • CHANGES • THURSTON HOUSE • CROSSINGS • ONCE IN A LIFETIME • A PERFECT STRANGER • REMEMBRANCE • PALOMINO • LOVE: POEMS • THE RING • LOVING • TO LOVE AGAIN • SUMMER’S END • SEASON OF PASSION • THE PROMISE • NOW AND FOREVER • PASSION’S PROMISE • GOING HOME
Nonfiction
PURE JOY: The Dogs We Love
A GIFT OF HOPE: Helping the Homeless
HIS BRIGHT LIGHT: The Story of Nick Traina
For Children
PRETTY MINNIE IN PARIS
About the Author
DANIELLE STEEL has been hailed as one of the world’s most popular authors, with over 650 million copies of her novels sold. Her many international best sellers include Precious Gifts, Undercover, Country, Prodigal Son, Pegasus, A Perfect Life, Power Play, Winners, and First Sight, and other highly acclaimed novels. She is also the author of His Bright Light, the story of her son Nick Traina’s life and death; A Gift of Hope, a memoir of her work with the homeless; Pure Joy, about the dogs she and her family have loved; and the children’s book Pretty Minnie in Paris.
daniellesteel.com
Facebook.com/DanielleSteelOfficial
@daniellesteel
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