A Home for Hannah by Patricia Davids

Author:Patricia Davids [Davids, Patricia]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Christian Fiction, Romance
Publisher: Steeple Hill
Published: 2012-07-02T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nine

Miriam gave Hannah a kiss on the top of her head before laying the baby in her crib late Monday morning. She had slept for five hours during the night and Miriam was feeling like a new woman after that much sleep. Ada, stirring a kettle of soup on the stove, said, “You are taken with her, aren’t you?”

“Who wouldn’t be? She’s so precious.”

“Ja, I feel it, too. The love for a child is a powerful thing.”

“I know I said I wouldn’t get too attached to her, but it’s already too late.” Hannah was firmly embedded in her heart. Giving her up was going to hurt terribly.

Ada came and wrapped one arm around Miriam. “She has crept into my heart, too.”

“I think we made a mistake trying to keep her until her mother came back. All we did was set ourselves up for a big heartache.”

“Heartaches are part of life, child. God brought this baby to us for a reason. We can only pray that He shows us His will.”

Miriam’s cell phone rang. She stepped outside on the porch to answer it to avoid her mother’s disapproving glare. It was Dr. Zook on the other end.

“Miriam, I need you to bring Hannah into the office today.”

A knot of worry formed in Miriam’s stomach. “Why?”

“We need to repeat some of her blood tests. I’m afraid her MSUD screen has come back positive.”

“MSUD? Hannah has Maple syrup urine disease?” Miriam sank onto the porch steps. Bella came from beneath the porch and sat beside her.

Dr. Zook said, “Let me stress that this may be a false positive. We need to double-check before we assume the worst.”

“How often do you have a false positive?”

He hesitated, then said, “Not often but it does happen. I’m sorry to worry you but there is treatment now for this disorder if the test is correct.”

“Treatment, but no cure.”

“I’m afraid not. We’ll repeat the test to be doubly sure, but in the meantime, you’re need to make a formula change right away. We have cans of a special powdered formula that you can start using today.”

“I’ll be there as soon as I can.” Miriam closed her phone and stared at nothing. Her beautiful little baby might have a genetic disorder that in worst-case scenarios could lead to mental retardation and complete paralysis of her body, even death. The unfairness of it overwhelmed her.

Wasn’t it enough that Hannah’s mother had given her away? Why did God laid this burden on a helpless child? She wrapped her arms around Bella and burst into tears.

An hour later, she helped her mother out of the car and lifted Hannah from her car seat. As they approached the front door of the clinic, Nick’s SUV spewed gravel as he turned into the parking lot and pulled up beside them.

He jumped out of his vehicle and slammed the door. His hair was still damp and he had one missed button on the front of the shirt. “Dr. Zook just called me.

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