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"No, but he isn’t the one who’s pregnant"

"I know, Lisa is Or was it Kim? I don’t remember and really it doesn’t matter Don’t you see? Godher plan or if he was, he didn’t feel nearly as enthusiastic He held her gaze and said gently, "Sweetheart, you’re not thinking straight"

"I am," Carol insisted "It makes perfect sense Can’t you see? My brother has fathered a child he doesn’t want He told nancy was a shock to Lisa, too--or Ki a child as a result of their affair Rick toldbirth control"

"Yes, but--"

"I know it all sounds very sudden, but I honestly feel this baby was no accident This is our baby"

Doug’s sigh echoed through the bedroom "Honey…"

"The baby’s related to er’s child"

"And you think Rick will agree to this?" Clearly Doug had his doubts

"Agree?" she repeated, laughing again "I think he’d leap at the chance to escape child support payments Furthermore, I want to assure him that neither one of us will ever tell Ellie that this baby is his biological child We’d give him our word on that, wouldn’t we?"

"Yes, sure"

"If he ever gets back together with Ellie, he can rest assured that our lips are sealed"

"What about the baby’s mother?" he asked "She has so about that," Carol said "She’s going to have to take several weeks off work and we should be willing to co lifted his shoulders in a halfhearted shrug "I suppose we could o back to work to help pay for whatever she wants"

"That isn’t a good idea"

"Why not?" Carol protested Already he was objecting to her plans and it was crucial that he feel as certain about all of this as she did

"You can’t go back to work for just a few e, it has to be with the understanding that you only intend to work a set aht, but that didn’t thwart her hopes--or her plans "I’ to do whatever it takes to make this adoption work Just promise you’ll support me"

"Honey, you knoill"

"This baby is ours I can feel it into convince hi closed his eyes and she couldn’t tell what he was thinking He was afraid--she was, too--but the certainty that this was how things were meant to be overshadowed her fears

"You’re afraid we’re setting ourselves up for disappoint nodded "I hate to see you put yourself through this What if it’s another dead end?"

"I’ about that, don’t you think?" Despite Doug’s concern, she was convinced her brother would like the idea

"Should I call Rick, or do you want to do it?" Doug asked

Joyfully, Carol tossed her ar in the " She still hadn’t heard fronancy By now, he would have received froe Carol realized he purposely hadn’t called or written her He wouldn’t knohat to say and it was easier to ignore her pain Her brother tended to take the route of least resistance, which was so she hadn’t learned about hi asked and without waiting for a response, he slid down and pulled the sheet and comforter up to his ears

Carol felt herself slip froot under the covers, too, burying her head in the pillow Doug was on his side and she cuddled against hih she was, her head sith thoughts of this child and what the adoption would bring to their lives The old proverb was right: God never closes a door without opening aThat as wide open She’d just had to stand in front of it for a few e She finally understood what should have been obvious all along

CHAPTER 36

ALIX TOWNSEND

A lix du machine, added soap and inserted quarters into the proper slots She had enough shirts from rock bands and concerts to last her a full teeks With the old-lady underwear Jacqueline had insisted on buying her, Alix now had the same number of panties as she did T-shirts