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Carrie blushed at the praise "People tell lanced at her watch "Oh, no I hope you’ll forgivesaid as Carrie turned away

"Goodbye, darling," Catherine called after her "We’ll see you and Jason Sunday for dinner"

When she was gone, Catherine looked at Greg She’d always known this ain, but now that she had, she wasn’t sure what to do or what to say

Greg seeave a quick nod

"Would you care to sit down?" he asked, then offered her a shaky sive out on me"

Catherine didn’t feelled her to a sidewalk café, and when the waiter appeared, he ordered coffee for both of theh she norar to help her recover fro asked after a moment of stilted silence

"A brother…I…had a boy seven months after you left," she said

"You kept the baby?"

"Yes"

"You raised him?"

"Yes"

"Alone?"

Shewith the memory of the hardships she’d endured in those early years--the long hours, the hard work, the sleepless nights "I…ed after a while, "and a year later Larry adopted him"

"So I have a son"

"No," Catherine told hiical father of a child A wonderful youngyou Without your ever knowing hi Stupid"

"Afraid," Catherine added softly "We both were"

"But you weren’t the one who ran away"

Catherine’s laugh ry "I couldn’t I was the one carrying the baby"

Greg briefly closed his eyes "I regret what I did, Catherine I wanted to knohat happened, but was afraid to find out"

"I know"

He looked at her then, as if he found it difficult to believe what she was saying

Catherine glanced away "It happened a very long tio"

"I’m so sorry" He choked out the words, his voice raith emotion

"Don’t say it," she whispered

His face revealed his doubt, his confusion

"You don’t need to apologize, Greg I forgave you years ago You didn’t realize it at the tiift in Edward He was a wonderful child and a joy to my parents, who helped me raise him those first few years"

"You moved back home?"

"Until the baby was born Then Moe"

"It must have been difficult for you"

"It was" Catherine wasn’t going to lesaid "After your father"

Catherine nodded, surprised he’d re asked, sounding alry that she didn’t harbor some deep resentment toward him It was as if he expected her to punish hiht then and there

"I had to forgive you, Greg, before I could get on with my life After a while, the bitterness was more than I could endure I had to leave it behind, and once I did, I discovered a true freedom Soon afterward, I met Larry We’ve been married for twenty-seven years now"

"But I don’t deserve your forgiveness"

"That’s not foryou was easy, because it wasn’t When I first heard you’d left, I refused to accept it I read your letter over and over--even though I couldn’t take it in I was convinced you’d be back All you needed was ti out I told ht…but I had a rude awakening"