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Jack parked next to Cliff’s vehicle Before he’d even turned off the engine, Olivia had opened her door "How’s everything?" she asked anxiously as she stepped out of the car

"We have a baby girl"

Olivia brought her hands together and pressed them to her heart "I’m so pleased And Mary Jo?"

"Was incredible"

"You delivered the baby?"

"Not exactly But I was there"

Being with Mary Jo had brought back so many memories of her own children’s births Me that beautiful, perfectly for of womanly power She remembered it all

"If not you, then who?" Olivia asked

"Mack McAfee The other EMT, Brandon, was there, too, but it was Mack who stayed with Mary Jo, who helped her through the worst of it By the time I arrived, the baby was ready to be born"

"I’m sure she was happy to see you"

Mary Jo had been, but she hadn’t really needed Grace; she and Mack had worked together with a sense of ease and mutual trust

Grace al very private The communication between Mack and Mary Jo had been--she hesitated to use this word--spiritual It was focused entirely on the birth, on what each needed to do to get that baby born Grace felt ht about it

"Grand an excruciating racket

Grace covered her ears "Gently, Tyler, gently"

Tyler frowned as he looked up at her "I was playingabout the little druerly "It’sthat he went pa-ruain

"It doesn’t say he beat the drum like crazy until baby Jesus’s o next door and play"

Tyler laughed "No"

"Okay, try iton the dru to the ear

"Lovely," Grace told her grandson

"Can I play for the ox and the la they kept ti, Tyler raced away to show his cousins what he’d learned and to serenade the aniested to Olivia and Jack

"We should head home," Jack said His arm rested protectively on Olivia’s shoulders

"I just wanted toturned out well," Olivia explained "Do you think I could see Mary Jo and the baby for a few minutes?"

"I don’t see why not," Grace said with a smile

The tomen left the men outside to chat while Grace led the way up to the small apartment Brandon Hutton sat on the top step with hisout paperwork He shifted aside and they skirted around hi in the doorway to the bedroom "Would it be okay if Olivia came in to see the baby?"

"Of course That would be fine," Mary Jo said

When they walked into the bedroo her baby in her arms

"Oh, my," Olivia whispered as she reached the bed

"She’s so tiny"

"She didn’t feel so tiny a little while ago" Mary Jo looked up with a co birth to an elephant"

"It orth it, though," Olivia said and tenderly ran her finger over the baby’s head "She’s just gorgeous"

"I never would’ve believed how much you can love such a tiny baby" Mary Jo’s voice was filled onder "I thought my heart would burst with love when Mack put her in my arms"

"Do you have a name for her?" Grace asked

"Not yet I had one picked out, but now I’ht"

"I was thinking the saaze fell lovingly on the child "When I was first pregnant…I was so embarrassed and afraid, I prayed God would just let ift"

Grace had felt that hen she discovered she was pregnant with Maryellen all those years ago It was shortly before her high school graduation; she’d been dating Dan Sherain She’d dreaded telling hi her parents

For weeks she’d kept her secret, embarrassed and ashanancy as an unexpected gift, and the moment Maryellen was placed in her are of love The birth hadn’t been easy, they never really were, but as soon as she saw her daughter, Grace had recognized that every minute of that pain had been worth the outco to Mary Jo, "please don’t hesitate to call"

"Thank you That’s so kind"

Olivia turned to Mack, who hovered in the background "Are you taking her to the birthing center in Silverdale?"

He nodded "We’ll be leaving in about ten minutes"

"Then I won’t keep you," Olivia said "I’ll stop by sometime tomorrow afternoon," she promised Mary Jo

"Oh, please don’t," Mary Jo said quickly "It’s Christet in touch soon Anyway, I’ll be with

"Mary Jo?" Grace asked in alaroodness!"

"What is it?" Mack’s voice was equally worried

"My brothers," Mary Jo said "They never showed up"

"That’s true" The entire matter had slipped Grace’s mind "Mary Jo’s brothers were due here--" she checked her watch "--three hours ago"