was another revelation she couldn’t fathom because she had no memory of it. Why would she be going to work when she’d just had a baby?
“That’s what I understand,” Jane informed her, “but I’ll leave that to your husband to explain. He should be back soon. I must say he loves you very much. It’s obvious to the staff that he would do anything for you.”
“I don’t want his solicitation.”
“Maybe not, but if you could put yourself in his place for a moment, you would understand-that he is as frightened as you are.”
“What does he have to be frightened about? He knows me.”
“That’s true, but he’s married to a woman who doesn’t know him. You’re treating him like you would anyone off the street because you can’t do anything else. How do you suppose you would feel if your positions were reversed and he wanted nothing to do with you?”
Diana bit her lip and turned her head toward the wall. The movement hurt the spot on the back of her head where they’d bandaged it. She didn’t like Jane reminding her that Cal Rawlins was in pain.
“If you want company, I’ll send one of the volunteers down to read to you or whatever you’d like.”
“No. I think I want to be alone now.”
“I’ll check on another couple of patients, then come back.”
“Thank you.” She fought more tears. “I’m sorry I’m behaving so abominably.”
“The fact that you can apologize for something that is beyond your control tells me that at heart you’re a very kind, sensitive woman who wouldn’t purposely hurt anyone.”
But am I? How does Jane know that?
When the door was shut, Diana reached under the bedsheet to feel her stomach. It was flat and smooth as silk. There were no pads covering a sore incision, which meant she hadn’t had a Cesarean section.
While she lay there, it came to her that she hadn’t given birth to her baby. She couldn’t have, or there would be all the normal signs!
Had she adopted it?
Nobody had said a word about anything.
Dear God. What was really going on?
For the first time since coming into the hospital, she was anxious to talk to Mr. Rawlins. He appeared to be the only person who could give her the answers she needed.
But would he be honest with her? How could she trust a perfect stranger?
Cal had barely entered his house to pack a bag for Diana when his cellular phone rang. He reached in his pocket and put it to his ear.
“Roman? I saw your name on the Caller ID.”
“I told you I’d touch base when I had something. You and I were right on.”
He gripped the phone tighter. “Go ahead. I’m listening.”
“I found a note tucked in the pocket of Diana’s dress, the one folded in the hospital bag. The paper has been ripped from a steno pad. The typed message reads,
“Dear Diana,
My boyfriend and I talked it over and decided we had to give up the baby because we can’t take care of it. A friend told me about you and how much you’ve been wanting one, so I brought him to your work. She says that you and your husband are the nicest people in the world, and that you would make the perfect parents. She also said you have a nursery all ready for a baby boy, and I want my boy to have the best of everything, so I’m giving him to you and nobody else. I’ve asked God if I’m doing the right thing and I feel really good inside about this. Please take care of him and love him. I wish we could, but we can’t. I’ll ask one more favor. Please take him to church so he can learn about God. I always liked church and I know that if you do that for him, the three of you will have a perfect life. Thank you very much. And one more favor. When he gets older, tell him we loved him too much to try and keep him.”
The simplicity, the poignancy, of the young mother’s words caused tears to prick Cal’s eyes. She loved her baby. It took amazing faith and courage to do what she did. What a hell of a situation. That note must have wrung Diana’s heart.
“Lord, Roman. This is incredible.”
“You can say that again. No doubt Diana’s compassionate instincts took right over. One look at the sick baby and she rushed him to the emergency room for treatment.”
Cal’s mind was leaping ahead. “If Diana were to read that note, it might help bring her memory back faster.”
“I agree. Before I can give it to you, I have to contact the police and let them know what we’ve learned. That note exonerates Diana from any wrongdoing and will be used as evidence.”
Roman had been reading Cal’s mind. Neither man had wanted to say anything earlier, but both knew the circumstances of Diana suddenly claiming a newborn as her own would look suspicious in the eyes of the law, regardless of her head injury.
Filled with relief that at least this much of the mystery was solved, Cal could concentrate fully on Diana. “I’m going back to the hospital in a few minutes and I’ll let them know what we’ve learned.”
“Good. In the meantime I’ll get started tracking down this young mother. She’s given us plenty of information, but I’m not so sure her boyfriend had anything to do with her decision. I wouldn’t be surprised if he disappeared on her a long time ago and she’s trying to save face. Nevertheless she’s friendly with someone who has a connection with the agency, otherwise she couldn’t have known about Diana and her desire for a baby.
“The girl is probably in her midteens. She may not have gone to a hospital for her delivery, but on the chance that she did, I’ll run a check on all the babies delivered within the last week. I’d like to find her. There are programs to help unwed mothers keep their babies.”
“What if she doesn’t turn up?”
“Then the baby will become a ward of the court and placed in foster care until it’s adopted.”
Adopted.
“What if—”
“I’m way ahead of you Cal. That’s why I want to conduct a thorough search for the baby’s mother. Some mothers regret their decision and come back for their babies, or cause trouble later on down the road.
“In this case the mother knows exactly where to come. The last thing an adoptive couple would want or need is to have the birth mother show up after the legal proceedings were concluded. But we’re getting way ahead of ourselves here, and I can’t guarantee anything.”
“I realize that. But if anyone can do the impossible, it’s you. Roman?” Cal’s voice was gruff with emotion. “I can’t thank you enough for being there.”
“Save it. Get back to your wife. We’ll stay in touch.”
