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Chet knew her type The mission house down the street fro their efforts with the derelicts and vagrants was going to make a difference Chet felt sorry for theled to reach with theirabout her? The hell if he knew The hell if he cared One consolation, he wasn’t likely to run into her again
"Of course I re," Mrs Burchell, the caseworker froency, assured hiain"
Andrew rolled thethe right thing "I’d like to kno difficult it would be for ainst the back of his chair Leah had been on his mind all day and he orried about her
It was so unfair that they couldn’t have children What troubled him most was that there didn’t seem to be any physical reason They’d spent years, and thousands of dollars, working with fertility specialists Leah’s life was governed by that ridiculous book she kept He swore she’d docu for the last seven years
Perhaps if they’d been able to pinpoint the probleht have been able to accept their situation
"I have your file right here," the caseworker went on to say "I know you and your ere terribly disappointed when Melinda Phillips decided to rescind the adoption of her infant son It doesn’t happen often, but unfortunately these girls do change theirto rehash the details Having the birth e her one to the hospital, their hearts filled with joy, only to return empty-handed an hour later Afterward Leah had sat for hours alone in the nursery they’d so lovingly prepared Nothing Andrew could say reached her He’d been disappointed too and for a while there’d been a strain between them Then one day he returned home from the office and discovered that Leah had dismantled the nursery She calmly announced that she’d withdrawn their application fronant and bear a child of their own She refused to subject theain
"I’ll be happy to resubmit your names," Mrs Burchell said, "but I must warn you there are fewer babies available for adoption now than before"
"How long would you predict?"
The caseworker hesitated "I can’t really say It’s different with every couple"
"What about the Watcoh the orientation classes with theo"
"Ah, yes, the Watcoht?"
"Yes Has their adoption gone through?"
"Not yet, but we’re hopeful we’ll have an infant for them soon"
Andrew’s hopes pluine any youngthem to rear her child
"You were in the sas, weren’t you?"
Andrew allowed the nah his mind "He was a fireman as I recall"
"That’s the couple They adopted a baby girl last October"
"That’s wonderful"
"I thought you’d be pleased"
He was, of course, but a s envious Leah desperately wanted a child, and in an effort to reassure her he’d downplayed his own desire for a fa for them to have a child
"Do you still want me to resubmit your name?" Mrs Burchell asked after a htening around the receiver If it took another five years orthey’d need to wait That he was doing this behind Leah’s back didn’t sit ith him, but soical choice If they were chosen by a birth ain, then they’d make the necessary adjustments A child elcouaranteed
For the life of her, Monica hadn’t been able to forget the private investigator Heaven knew she’d tried He was little better than an alcoholic, drinking beer in the ant, rude, and curt with her He’d treated her as if she were a senseless child when she’d tried to help him
Monica didn’t understand what it was about this one ht and drea double time A woman had no control over her dreams, Monica assured herself If she had, Monica certainly wouldn’t have allowed thatNo, Monica corrected, closing her eyes and shaking her head, that wasn’t the truth It was the proble her Her untaination had taken over and she’d allowed it to happen in her drea into the living roo for you" He settled down in the leather chair by the fireplace and reached for the evening paper "I’ to need you toet she had a job and even if she did work as the church secretary it was a de position Her father would cover for her if necessary, but she would rather he asked first instead of volunteering her services, which was so he often did
"Mrs Ferdnand just phoned and she can’t be a bell ringer for the shift she signed up to take last Sunday"