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Gloria went into her kitchen, filled a glass and brought it to the living room Joni had taken a seat on her sofa When she handed her the tumbler, she saw that the other woman’s hand shook visibly

Joni took a slass "Chad doesn’t know I’m here"

Gloria would have been surprised if he had

"He toldby later today His shift doesn’t end until five, so he won’t be here until alht… I hoped maybe the two of us could talk before he arrived"

"Okay" Gloria tried to look relaxed, but the tension between her shoulders held her rigid

"I understand Chad told you about us?"

"He did" Gloria didn’t elaborate

"He told me about you, too"

Gloria nodded

"And about the baby," Joni added

"He’s going to be a good father," Gloria said He’d been so caring and thoughtful, and made it clear howforward, Joni put her glass on the coffee table, taking a moment to position a coaster first Now that her hands were free she didn’t seem to knohat to do with them She clasped them in her lap and stared down at the carpet

"Do you love him?" Gloria asked She wanted to knohere the other woman stood before they continued this aard discussion

Joni looked up and her eyes filled with tears "I’led to maintain her poise "I’m afraid I do, too," she ad to tell the other woman how she felt about Chad, but couldn’t tell hinize the depth of her feelings Now it ht be too late

"You’ve hurt hiret what happened"

"The baby, too?" Joni asked

"No," Gloria answered "I’ll never regret the baby"

Her answer , it appeared to affect her even ly "I… Chad loves the baby That’s all he talks about e’re together, and I suspect he loves you No, I don’t suspect I know he does"

Gloria wasn’t sure how to respond "Chad and I an, feeling she needed to explain "I’d just lost my adoptive parents I was an only child and they were both only children, so I had no one No aunts, no uncles, no cousins No family We… Chad and I felt an immediate physical attraction and, well…"

Joni looked away and see the view outside theThe Bremerton shipyard showed clearly in the distance, with the ainst the backdrop of aand forced herself to focus on her guest "I’m not sure why you’re here," she said

"I came because I need to kno you feel about Chad"

"Does it reat deal" Joni picked up the water glass and took one long s "I knohat I have to do now" She set the tumbler down in a decisive movement

"And that is?"

Joni wiped the tears froit," Gloria repeated "But…you just finished telling me that you’re in love with him"

"I am…but I know the odds and they aren’t in ive birth to his son I care enough about hi the other wo Joni’s cheeks told her sheI need froather her cooodphysician I just hope you appreciate what you’ve got If you don’t, trustto do her best to steal hiht well be me"

Gloria flattened her hand over her heart "I don’t knohat to say"

"Then don’t say anything Reain, you can’t clai for her purse she walked to the door

Gloria followed her "You really love him, don’t you" It was a statement rather than a question

"More than either of you will ever realize It’s only because I love hi this for you or the baby I’ this for Chad Just make him happy"

"I…will"

The apartment seemed to vibrate with the shock of Joni’s declaration Gloria stood by the door, hardly able to absorb what had happened Chad loved her She’d sensed that he did, even though he’d kept his distance, emotional and otherwise, since their last breakup

Chad showed up at the apartment three hours later Thankfully that meant she’d had tis

"Hi," he said as he came in He appeared ill at ease, not quite hio Christ in a tree and decorating it while she was pregnant She guessed that his offer was really an excuse to see her again Not that she was co; she welcomed any and every opportunity to be with hi for a tree today?" he asked "I’m not in the mood"

"That’s fine We can do it another ti into the night Lights blinked out at sea

"Is everything okay?" she asked, wondering if he’d lost a patient He took any death personally, especially a child’s

"I had a visitor this afternoon," he said

Gloria walked toward hi into the darkness "Interesting, because I did, too"

"Anyone I know?"

"Joni"

Chad nearly dislocated his neck as he jerked toward her "Joni came to see you?"

Gloria clenched her hands and nodded "She needed the answer to an important question"

He waited for her to continue

It took Gloria a e to explain "She came to ask me if I was in love with you"