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"I’ll call you," she said as she headed for the door "So we can set up a tiet in touch with you?" Nicole asked

The question gave Jesse hope Maybe her sister hadn’t given up on her completely "I left my cell number on the pictures"

"Oh Okay"

Jesse reached the front door

"Wait," Nicole called

Jesse turned

"Thanks for helping with the twins I’h," Jesse told her, pleased she’d been able to make a difference "I’ll talk to you soon"

"Okay Bye"

Jesse walked to her car, s more hopeful than she had when she’d left Matt’s Nicole would take so, but Jesse felt that she could earn her way back into her sister’s good graces She would have her fa

JESSE PARKED IN FRONT of the YMCA in Bothell The Y in Spokane had been a big part of her life ever since she’d had Gabe She’d taken baby CPR classes there, had gone to Moher son was safe in the day care center and the babysitting service they provided had saved her butt more times than she could count

Now she walked in to pick up Gabe and s with two other little boys As always, he was laughing and in the center of everything

One of the teenagers there cas went quicker than I’d thought Hoas Gabe?"

"Great He’s really outgoing and he does so ith the other kids Especially the shy ones He takes the ti him back anytime"

Jesse smiled and nodded She wanted to take credit for Gabe’s easy personality, but she kneas just one of those ht

Her son looked up and saw her His smile widened and he raced toward her "Morabbed hireat"

"I had fun and I want to come back"

"We’ll have to orously

Jesse signed the paperwork and left, Gabe chatting as he walked with her He gave her a real-ti than the one before More good luck, she thought as she helped him into his car seat He was a cheerful, happy kid She wasn’t sure how she would have survived if he’d been any different

She closed his door, then got in the driver’s seat

"Nohat?" he asked "Are we going back to the hotel?"

"We can," she said slowly, thinking about where they were and how far it would be to the hotel

A thought pushed into her head She tried to ignore it, but it just got bigger and louder

Talk about crazy, she told herself Hadn’t she been through enough for one day? Did she want to keep torturing herself? Even though she kneas a bad idea, she heard herself say, "I think there’s sohtened "My daddy?"

"Urandmother"

Gabe’s eyes widened and he looked as if she’d just offered hirandmother?" he asked, his voice low and filled onder

"Uh-huh Your daddy’s randparents, mostly that he didn’t have any Well, except for Paula

There was only one proble tied If not, it would be a very short visit

Jesse drove into Woodinville, to the pretty house Matt had bought for his ame had been licensed for , she pulled in front of a house owned by soht not welcome her back But this ti

"Hurry!" Gabe instructed, as she unfastened hi up the walk and then reaching up on his toes so he could push the doorbell Jesse grabbed her purse, slaed after hiot there

Paula stood there, looking a little older, but not all that different Her hair was still dark like her son’s There were a few ht, but otherwise she was as Jesse rerandazed at the boy, then she looked past him to where Jesse stood halfway up the walk

"Hi," Jesse said, knowing she would have handled the situation differently than her four-year-old, but it was too late now "I probably should have called or soot into Seattle yesterday"