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"Is she here, Dr Therrian? In Simmons' Mills?"

He shook his head And she felt it all slipping away again, the search that she thought would be a simple one

"Do you knohere she is?"

He shook his head no

"Dr Therrian," Natalie said, knowing she must leave, that she had already exhausted hi to repeat it, to o, and you can sleep

"She ca to have a child You delivered ements for the adoption Afterward she went away; she isn't here in Simmons' Mills anymore But the name of the woman who isas she spoke and nodding Suddenly his head turned, and he was shaking his head in disagree

Winnie Bailey had appeared in the doorway and was , Dr Therrian?" she asked "What part of it did I get wrong?" She leaned close to him, and he spoke softly to her, but with firmness

"Julie Jeffries was not a woman," he said "She was a child She was fifteen years old"

19

SO WHAT'S the big deal? Natalie asked herself as she walked back along the ht find out so you didn't want to know It could have been worse Fifteen-year-old girls get pregnant all the time

I just have to revise my vision of my mother, that's all Natalie kicked a pebble across the sidewalk, like a child, and answered herself

Don't kid yourself You're really bugged by what he told you You wanted your mother to be someone noble, not a dumb scared kid

I don't knohat I wanted It's just that it took me by surprise I don't knohat I think about it

You're mad That's what you think You're o, and that's about the stupidest reaction you could have

I'

And you're disappointed in her

No, I' about that poor old

Julie Jeffriesdeal She should have thought of that before she started screwing around

Ha! You arefor a kid to do She really loused up her life Mine too

You're the one that loused up your life By co people, just to find out things that would break your heart

Knock it off My heart's not broken No way

Then why are you crying?

I'm not

And Natalie wiped the tears from her face with the back of her hand, took a deep breath, and walked through Si the kids ride their bikes down the ht air As Julie Jeffries had

20

"MRS TALBOT, I'ht if that's okay"

"Certainly, dear Did Clarence give you the information you needed?"

"Yes, sort of He's a nice man Your plant is on his sill"

"Oh, lovely You did mention it to him, didn't you, that it was I who sent it? Sometimes those nurses just throay the cards, I think"

"Yes," Natalie lied "He was very pleased"

Anna Talbot sighed with pleasure, and leaned forward to adjust the television

"I' out for some lunch now, and then to the library I'll be back later"