Page 12 (1/2)

And then he added, “I arossly aware that not everyone is meant to be a parent And that children are co them to help them reach their potential I know, firsthand, that some parents can hurt their children and that the courts can’t always save them Or can only do so for certain periods of tiet a second chance And so on the circuo on And on But he stopped himself

“If you’d like to make an appointment to stop by my home sometime this weekend, I will let you inside for a short time”

He had to replay her words in his head before her offer hit home

“And only with the very fir that no matter what you think, this child is mine Not yours”

Okay Hell’s bells He was being given the road to recovery To at least soret “I understand”

“You have no say, no ownership, no rights to estion where my baby is concerned”

“I understand” But she didn’t seem to He didn’t want her baby He just wanted her to be a decent parent And finally felt free to start probing her background

“I didn’t ask Christine, but are you married?”

Which mattered only because her husband should then have a say about when he visited their home

“No”

No reason to feel any hint of relief there To the contrary, he’d rather his child have a two-parent home As he had So when one adult was ill or otherwise distracted by life’s responsibilities, there was another to step up Children’s needs didn’t wait around for convenient moments

“You live alone?”

“Yes”

“Is there a significant other in your life?”

“No” Her tone sharpened