An Offering of Hope

by Greenwood Muir, Diane

  "What do you mean?"

  "Well, she plans to spend the afternoon in the nursery at the hospital. I'm certain the nurses will talk to her about how to care for the child. She is going to bond with that little girl. It's her daughter. You do understand that she did nothing wrong, that the child was stolen from her …"

  "Polly," Marion said, interrupting her before she built up a head of steam. "We've been in touch with Deputy Hudson. As it is, there is no reason to stand in the way of Lexi taking her baby girl home. She's been through enough these last few months. The last thing these two need is to be separated any longer. We have to finish paperwork and have her sign documents, but after that, their lives are their own."

  Polly felt the air leave her body in a rush. Then she remembered to breathe. "Just like that?"

  "Just like that. Our main job is to keep families together."

  "She didn't feel as if that was what your counselor was implying."

  Marion laughed. "Ah well, that's why this woman works for us. She's a tough woman, but she reads people better than anyone I know, other than you. She saw a scared young woman who had done nothing wrong, and yet her world crumbled around her in the very worst way. When I explained that Lexi had landed on your doorstep, Donata’s face actually lit up with a smile, something we don't see very often. You have a reputation for taking care of your charges, both young and old."

  "Lexi will be relieved. I'm relieved, but how does this woman know me?"

  "The next time you speak with your friend, Agnes Hill," Marion said, "ask her if she remembers Donata Mallinger."

  "Okay?"

  "Donata's grandmother worked for Agnes years ago when Donata was just a little girl. Agnes stepped in and made sure that Donata had food and clothing when her father was killed in a farming accident. Her mother lost everything. The farm, their home, everything. She killed herself not long after that. But Agnes was there and held Donata and her grandmother together until they came out of their grief. We know more about you down here than you realize."

  "You know, Agnes is a treasure," Polly said.

  "Is she still caring for little Cassidy?"

  "Several times a week. Those two have a fascinating relationship. They adore each other. I'll be sure to ask Agnes about Donata, though. Thank you for telling me."

  "She is a wonderful woman."

  "I learn more about her all the time. Thank you for taking my call. Lexi needs good news today. Send an email whenever you want to schedule a visit."

  "Will do. Thank you, Polly."

  Polly sat back and closed her eyes, thankful for a respite, though she had no idea how they were going to handle adding a baby to their household. It was only last week when her family gathered their resources to open a bedroom for Lexi. She could go out and buy everything necessary for the baby - a crib, baby clothes, all the things that had been given to Cat at her shower last weekend. And no, she wasn't about to ask Cat to share her beautiful new gifts.

  She called another number.

  "Hello, Polly," Marie Sturtz said. "How are you?"

  "I'm fine, Marie. I need help and I don't know what to do."

  "About what, dear? Anything I can do; you know I will."

  "It's Lexi, the young woman who moved into our home last weekend."

  "What about her? Do you need someone to sit with her?"

  "No, she's bringing her baby home tomorrow or the next day."

  Marie laughed out loud.

  "You're laughing at me."

  "You don't do things halfway, do you, sweetheart?"

  "I guess not. I'm at a complete loss. What do I need? Where do I even begin?"

  "You realize your friends would pull together another baby shower in a heartbeat, don't you?"

  "I don't want to do that. Lexi knows no one in town. We need to figure this out without embarrassing her. She has enough going on."

  "She certainly does. The baby could probably sleep in a bassinet until you find a proper crib. You need baby clothes and diapers. Well, Polly, you need everything."

  "I'd like her to be able to purchase cute clothing for her own baby, but the daily wear stuff, what should I do about that?"

  "I’ll ask Jessie what she kept. There are babies growing up all over Bellingwood and mothers who desperately want to share their excess clothing."

  "A bassinet? A crib? What else do we need?"

  "Let me make a few calls and see what I can come up with. I'll get Betty to work with me. Can I call you later?"

  "If I don't answer, it's because I'm in a meeting, but I'll call you back. If you just tell me what I need to do, I can do it."

  "Your friend, Sal, will have some items to share. Check with her, too."

  "Okay. Thank you."

  Lexi came out into the waiting room and walked over to Polly.

  "I need to go. Lexi is here now. Thank you, Marie."

  "You can always call me, dear. I'll do whatever I can."

  Polly slid her phone back into her pocket. "How are you?"

  "The doctor says I'm doing very well," Lexi said. "She wants to see me again in two weeks."

  "That's good news. I have more good news."

  Lexi peered at her, hope in her eyes.

  "I spoke with Mrs. Tally. They aren't standing in the way of you taking your baby home. There will be paperwork to sign because of all that has been going on, but as soon as the hospital releases your daughter, the two of you have a lot of life ahead together."

  Lexi stood in place, still and silent. Then she shook herself and rushed into Polly's arms. "I can't believe this. Thank you."

  Polly held her close while she cried.

  "Can I go back to her now?"

  "Of course," Polly said. "If you don't mind, I’ll drop you off. I have some errands to run."

  "Do you care how long I stay?"

  "Not at all. Deputy Hudson would like you to be available when Rebecca makes that call this afternoon, but then you can go right back. You can stay all evening, and someone will come get you later tonight so you can sleep in your own bed."

  "I'd rather stay with her."

  "If the hospital will let you stay, we'll do that. Whatever you want, we'll make it happen."

  "I can't believe this. It's going to work out."

  "One of the errands I'm running this afternoon is getting a phone for you. You should be able to contact us when you need us."

  "Oh, and I can look online for my friend and get her information again. What am I supposed to tell everyone? I've been offline for so long."

  "I suspect you'll have quite a bit of communication to manage," Polly said. "Tell me what we can do for you and we'll take care of it. But remember to be judicious about what you say until this entire thing is over. Your friends are going to beg you for information. Can you hold back until Deputy Hudson tells you it's okay to talk about it?"

  Lexi nodded. "I think so. I can just tell them that I went away to have my baby and I lost my phone."

  "That's the simple answer."

  "I know," Lexi smiled at Polly. "I can't believe this is nearly over."

  "And just this morning …"

  The girl squeezed Polly. "You're right. I was impatient."

  "No. That's not it at all. For me, this is when I realize how important the words of that old song are."

  "What song?"

  "Count your blessings, name them one by one. Count your blessings, see what God has done." Polly smiled as she took Lexi's hand and they headed out to the car. "I know it sounds old-fashioned, but it's too easy to let the good moments get swallowed up by ugliness. We expect our lives to be good, so we forget to recognize blessings for what they are. Then we get frustrated and angry when something bad creeps in and disrupts our lives. You've had a whole slew of bad things happen to you over the last six months. There wasn't any time to find the good, but here we are, looking for the good."

  "And it's going to be there, isn't it," Lexi said.

  Polly nodded. "Yes."

  "I'
m sorry I haven't been able to help your family these last two days. I planned to do so much. You have to be missing out on your work. How are you doing that?"

  "I have good people who work for me," Polly said. "My family … our family is very good at filling in when necessary. They'll wear out, but until then, they'll step up. That's when I call on my friends."

  "How do you do that?"

  "What?"

  "Have so many people in your life that you can count on? When I think about the friends in Iowa City who will be worried about me, it's only two people."

  Polly waited for Lexi to climb into the passenger seat. "I believe in my friends. I trust them. I guess I've been very fortunate."

  "Friends are hard work sometimes."

  "Oh, Lexi, you're not kidding," Polly said with a laugh."

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  "Visiting a baby would make this day perfect," Rebecca said. "Can we go?"

  Polly didn't know what to say. How did this girl manage to throw stress off so easily? They'd just been through a tension-filled hour as Tab, Anita, and Aaron drilled Rebecca on how to handle the phone call she was making to a potentially fake adoption agency. Aaron had been in touch with the Polk County sheriff and Ankeny police department and Rebecca was prepared with a meeting location and time for early this evening. They wanted to pick these people up as soon as possible.

  Lexi listened to the call and at the first sound of the woman's voice, she nodded. That was a voice she'd never forget.

  Rebecca was quite the little actress, alternately weeping and injecting frustration and anger into her voice. She worked that call until even Polly wondered if she might be pregnant and in need of an escape from her terrible parents.

  When the call was finished, Lexi seemed to relax, though she was still worried about the other girls who had been held by Austin Wheeler. No one had found them yet.

  Henry hadn't come to Boone this afternoon. He was stuck at a job site. When things fell apart, it usually went from bad to worse. What should have been a simple plumbing repair in the basement of a house he was remodeling ended up flooding everything. He'd be there until later this evening, cleaning up the mess. She texted him to let him know that Rebecca had done well, and it was over. He still hadn't replied. That didn't bode well.

  "We’ll take a few minutes to meet her," Polly said.

  "Have you decided on a name yet?" Rebecca asked Lexi. "You don't have to keep the name that other couple gave her." She leaned forward and tapped on Polly's shoulder. "Do you know what happened to them? They didn't get arrested or anything, did they? It wasn't kidnapping when that Austin-guy took the baby to them. They have to be really sad that the baby they thought they were going to raise wasn't theirs to keep."

  Lexi took in a breath.

  "I'm sorry, Lexi. It's not your problem or your fault," Rebecca said. "I'm just blathering away. I do that when I'm nervous or excited. Don't I, Polly? So, do you know anything about them? Did Deputy Hudson tell you where they're from?"

  "I don't have those answers," Polly said.

  "They're going to help identify the kidnappers," Lexi said. "Sheriff Merritt says that if they cooperate, I'll only have to identify the Mortens from behind a mirror. They were pretty upset, but they're also mad because they lost so much money."

  "At least they're helping and not trying to do something stupid, like sue for custody."

  "He said they feel awful. They're nice people."

  "They should have involved a lawyer," Rebecca said. "Always involve a lawyer. Right, Polly?"

  Polly just smiled and shook her head. "At least we don't have to worry about their issues. We have enough of our own." She turned into the parking lot at the hospital and stopped Lexi before she got out. "Rebecca, snag that package behind my seat."

  "Oh," Rebecca exclaimed. "You got a phone! Lexi, you're almost back to the real world."

  Lexi smiled and her eyes filled with tears again. "I feel like I'm crying all the time."

  "You're hormonal," Rebecca said. "Remember? Baby hormones?"

  Lexi smiled and shook her head. "Thank you for this. I promise I'll pay you back. I will pay you for everything you've done for me. I don't know how long it will take, but I owe you my life."

  "Polly would tell you not to worry about it," Rebecca said.

  Polly lifted her eyebrows.

  "Well, you would. It isn't like they're really rich, because they have their money spread out in all these different businesses …"

  "Rebecca," Polly chided. "Stop now."

  "Okay, but she'd tell you that money isn't the most important thing in life. It's taking care of other people. For her and Henry, having money just means they can take care of more people. Am I right?"

  "It's not about the money," Polly said. "Rebecca is right. We're here for you. We'll do what we can to help you get back on your feet."

  "You needed some hope," Rebecca said. "That first day I met you, I thought you were like fifteen years old. You were so scared and upset. But now look at you. You had the courage to come listen to my conversation with the Mortens and you are getting ready to bring home your baby girl. Seriously, Lexi. What are you going to name her? We can't keep calling her the baby."

  "When I sat and held her this afternoon, I thought a lot about it," Lexi said. "I want to name her Gillian. Gillian Rebecca."

  "No way," Rebecca said. "After me?"

  Lexi smiled. "You and Polly. I couldn't name her Polly. That name is already too big in town. But your last name is Giller. I softened the ‘g’ and came up with Gillian."

  "It’s a beautiful name," Polly said. "Thank you."

  Rebecca poked at Polly. "Cry or something. You know you want to. And if you're naming your daughter after Polly, I think she owes you at least a phone."

  Polly burst out laughing. "This is why I keep her around. Even when she does stupid stuff like calling a random person on the internet and pretending that she's a pregnant teenager."

  "I am a teenager," Rebecca said. "I could be pregnant."

  "Don't even go down that path with me." Polly wagged her finger at Rebecca. "Henry would have both our heads." She smiled at Lexi. "If there is one person in this world that he is overprotective of, it's Rebecca. I have a feeling that he'll do the same thing with Cassidy when she gets older. If Gillian is still in his life, he'll turn into a protective papa bear with her, too."

  "Let's go in and see Gillian," Rebecca said. "I want to take lots of photos so I can make something special. Is that okay?"

  Lexi smiled again. "It would be wonderful. Thank you."

  ~~~

  "Did you hear the nurse tell Lexi that Gillian will probably go home tomorrow?" Rebecca asked. "We don't even have a crib."

  "You might be surprised what has shown up at our house this afternoon," Polly replied. She was tired of this drive back and forth between Bellingwood and Boone. It was only about fifteen miles, but she'd lost track of how many times she'd made it today.

  "What do you mean?"

  "I talked to Marie earlier. She was going to see what she could come up with. Sal is dropping off a bassinet."

  "Oh yeah, she won't need that again for a long time. Seriously, Polly. I should switch rooms with Lexi. How is she going to fit herself and all her baby stuff in that room?"

  "Things will work out. Let's not make any more big changes for now."

  "What do you know?"

  Polly glanced at her daughter. "I don't know anything."

  "You act like you know something."

  "I just know that things will work out."

  "Why didn't Henry come to the sheriff's office today? Last night he was adamant that he'd be there."

  "He had a plumbing problem."

  "At home?"

  "No, Rebecca," Polly said, laughing. "At one of the job sites."

  "I hope it's not disgusting. He'll be really mad then. Do you think he's going to yell at me again?"

  "He didn't yell at you."

  "But he wanted to."
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  "Do you blame him?"

  Rebecca lifted a shoulder. "Well, no. It just made sense at the time."

  There was no arguing with a teenage mind sometimes. Polly patted her daughter's knee. "Little Gillian is awfully cute."

  "Oxymoron."

  "What?"

  "Awfully cute. It's an oxymoron. Two contradictory terms work together to make a figure of speech."

  "I know what one is. Why are you talking about it?"

  "I don't know. It just came into my head. Lots of things come into my head."

  "This is all exciting, isn't it," Polly said.

  "Did you see Gillian wrap her hand around Lexi's little finger? I thought I was going to die."

  "Hyperbole," Polly said.

  "What?"

  "An exaggerated statement that isn't literal."

  Rebecca snorted. "If she stays with us, we're going to have two babies in the house next spring."

  Polly pulled in a long breath. "I know."

  "You're not a baby person."

  "I can learn."

  "You're going to have to. We’ll be up to here," Rebecca held her hand in front of her forehead, "with baby stuff." She frowned. "We don't have any milk in the house."

  "How do you know that?"

  "Because I put it on the grocery list last night. I should have finished that thing and told Heath or someone to pick it up. I'm sorry, Polly. We all just expect you to take care of everything."

  "Well, I took care of groceries. We have milk."

  "When did you do that?"

  Polly sighed. "This afternoon. I dropped Lexi at the hospital, ran over to buy her phone, then made it to the grocery store right at the end of my pickup time. I rushed home, unloaded things, put food in the fridge and freezer and chased my tail back down to the sheriff's office. I was just glad that Cilla dropped you off."

  "She wanted to come in with me, but after yesterday, I figured that would get us both in trouble. I can't believe you did all that this afternoon."

  "At this point, neither can I. Maybe I'll sleep when I drive home with Lexi later tonight."

  "One of us can go get her."