Waiting for a Miracle by Jennifer Wilck

Author:Jennifer Wilck [Wilck, Jennifer]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Hanukkah;Winter; Adoption; Big City; Businessman; Cautious; Child; Children; Contemporary; Death; Diverse; Family; Following Your Heart; Foster Parent
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Published: 2019-10-18T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Four

“You’re sure you don’t want to take a chance with Benjamin?” Kate asked her at the gym the next day.

They cycled next to each other, facing the huge, floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Fifth Avenue. Sweat poured down Rachel’s face as she increased her speed and incline on the stationary bike.

“As much as I want to, I can’t risk it. Too many things could go wrong.”

Kate shook her head. “What a shame. What about your foster parent plan?”

“I signed up last night for an orientation session in January, and I’ve put together some of the legal documents I need.”

“Do you get to choose the age or background of the kids?”

“I’m not sure. I’ll find out more at the orientation.”

“What about adoption? Would that interest you?”

“Possibly. I know I usually live by the seat of my pants and rarely plan ahead, but I’ve wanted a child for a long time, and I want to get it right. This time, I’m taking it slow.”

Kate reached across and squeezed Rachel’s arm. “You’ll be a great mom. Your students adore you. You’re perfect.”

“I don’t know about perfect, but I know I can’t afford to do anything to mess it up.”

Including dating a student’s father.

She climbed off the bike, legs like jelly, showered, waved goodbye to Kate outside of the gym, and walked the few blocks to her apartment. A large envelope was taped to her door. With a frown, she pulled it off, unlocked her door and walked inside. Opening the envelope, she gasped.

It was another picture from Jessie. There was a large menorah with nine lit multi-colored candles. Pink dreidels surrounded the menorah. And in the background were three people—a man, a woman, and a child. From the hair color, Rachel could identify the people—Benjamin, Rachel, and Jessie. Across the top of the page, Jessie wrote Happy Hanukkah. Along the bottom, she’d written, “Love Jessie.”

She stared at the “and Benjamin” written beneath Jessie’s signature in a firm, masculine hand.

****

The next day, Benjamin checked his phone and frowned. Rachel still hadn’t called. He wasn’t sure what he expected. After all, Jessie drew the three of them all the time. His daughter loved her teacher, so it wasn’t unusual. But this was the first time he’d put his name on it, too.

When Jessie wanted to make Rachel a Hanukkah card, he’d thought it was a great idea.

“Daddy, you need to sign it, too.”

He’d paused. She’d written “love.” Maybe it was time to let her know he was interested if Rachel hadn’t gotten the hint from his kiss. But a kiss could be accidental. Was his an accident? He hadn’t thought about kissing her ahead of time. If anything, his thoughts were occupied with Rachel’s plans to foster a child, how her plans would change her life, and how those changes would affect his daughter. But desire overtook him, the kiss necessary and natural as breathing, at least to him. So what did it mean?

It meant he wanted to venture outside of the box he’d built for him and Jessie.

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