Two Weeks: A Novel (Baxter Family Book 5) by Karen Kingsbury

Author:Karen Kingsbury [Kingsbury, Karen]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Howard Books
Published: 2019-04-09T05:00:00+00:00

15

Elise waited till Tuesday afternoon to visit the lawyer. Cole had a baseball game in Indianapolis that day. He wouldn’t be home till eight or later. Already Elise had spoken by phone with the man—Alan Green.

“I want to place my baby for adoption,” Elise had said during their call. She used the wording from the lawyer’s website. A girl didn’t give up her baby. She placed the baby in an adoptive home. Elise liked that. It was something she could do for her baby. More intentional.

The attorney sounded kind and patient. “You’ll have time to change your mind.” His tone was warm, like the way she pictured the gentle waves on some distant Caribbean shore. “It’s important that this is your decision, Elise. Only yours.”

She explained that she had no way to get to his office. Her aunt and uncle didn’t know about the baby and she had no one else. Of course she wouldn’t think of having Cole or his mother take her. Like Mr. Green had said, this was a choice she had to make on her own.

So the attorney had arranged for Helen, his secretary, to pick up Elise this afternoon, at the park across the street from school. Her stomach had hurt all day. She was sure about her decision, but that didn’t make it easy. Elise was waiting in the meeting spot near the park entrance when she felt something sudden and fluttery.

Like butterfly wings on the inside of her stomach.

At first she thought maybe it was hunger pains. But then it happened again and Elise gasped. It was her baby! The doctor had said she’d be feeling it move soon. So that’s what this had to be. As if her baby were crying out to her, Don’t place me somewhere else. Please keep me.

Tears stung Elise’s eyes. Or maybe the baby was saying something else. Thank you for doing this. My life will be wonderful with the right parents.

Elise wasn’t sure which to believe, but she chose the second one. Yes, that was it. Her baby was thanking her. What sort of life would she give a newborn? When all she wanted was to get to New York City and start her own life?

At the exact right time, a gray-haired woman pulled up and rolled down her window. “Elise?”

“Yes.” She felt instantly comfortable. “Thank you.”

Elise couldn’t remember what they talked about on the ride to the lawyer’s office on the other side of Bloomington. All she could think about was the life inside her. The very real life. Moving and stretching and reminding her of the truth.

Her baby would be here all too soon.

Mr. Green was younger than Elise had expected, and his whole attitude very compassionate. He and his secretary sat at a long wooden table across from Elise. Between them were four large scrapbooks. Adoptive parent profiles, the attorney had told her.

“Let’s start with that one.” He leaned forward and pointed to one of the books. “Those are parents waiting for a baby.

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