and everything else is just sort of floating on by you.”
Matt looked at Caitlin with a very smug expression. She rolled her eyes heavenward.
The addition of Caitlin, Matt and the couple with them on the elevator completed the group waiting in the lobby to go to dinner, except for a missing Elizabeth Kane.
Despite their jet lag everyone was in fine spirits and the chatter was lively and quite loud.
Marsha and Bud joined Caitlin and Matt and the four agreed they were looking forward to a meal that was not airplane food. Marsha reached up and swiped her thumb over the left edge of Matt’s top lip.
“You should have freshened your lipstick before you came down here,” she said, laughing merrily. “I just removed the last dab. I mean, hey, either wear it or don’t, whatever floats your boat.”
To Caitlin’s amazement and delight, an embarrassed flush crept up Matt’s neck and onto his face.
“Marsha,” Bud said, chuckling, “give Matt and Caitlin a break, would you? It’s none of our business if they… Well, it’s just none of our business.”
“Of course it isn’t,” Marsha said. “But that doesn’t mean I can just cancel being snoopy.”
“Changing the subject now,” Bud said. “I wonder what’s keeping Elizabeth?”
As though she’d heard her name being called, Elizabeth emerged as the elevator doors swished open, and hurried across the lobby to join the others, glancing at her watch when she finally stopped.
“Only ten minutes late,” she said, “but I’ll still apologize for keeping you waiting. I was making my usual telephone call to Dr. Yang in Nanjing to confirm our plans. He’ll notify the director of the orphanage that we’re on schedule and good to go. Dr. Yang will leave a message for me at our hotel in Nanjing informing me of the time the vans will arrive to take us to the orphanage so you can meet your daughters.
“As you’ve been told, you’ll have about an hour’s visit with them tomorrow, then take them with you the next day when we go back to the orphanage to get them.” She paused and laughed. “Uh-oh, there’s no tissue box to pass around and some of you are getting weepy. Let’s head for the restaurant before we flood this lobby.”
Darkness had fallen and more neon lights had come alive when the group left the hotel and began the walk to the restaurant. The name Las Vegas was heard several times from the various conversations taking place.
Caitlin replayed in her mind the moment when Marsha had wiped the lipstick from Matt’s lips and couldn’t curb her smile. She should be totally mortified, she thought, but she wasn’t. Matt had been so endearingly embarrassed, she’d wanted to give him a hug and tell him not to worry about what anyone might be thinking about the telltale clue, and to remember that he was the one who had said that new daughters were the main focus of the entire group, not the doings of Caitlin Cunningham and Matt MacAllister.
Elizabeth was greeted warmly when they arrived at the restaurant, and they were soon settled at a large round table with a lazy Susan in the middle.
Three waitresses appeared and began to place steaming hot, intriguing-appearing offerings of food on the turntable. Plates were soon piled high with the fragrant food, and they dug in.
“Did Dr. Yang say anything about the babies, Elizabeth?” one of the women asked. “Anything at all?”
“Only that they would be ready and waiting for you to see and hold them,” she said, smiling.
“Oh-h-h,” the woman said. “I can hardly wait. I hope the hours between now and then pass quickly. This is torture.” She smiled at her husband. “Just think, Bill. Tomorrow we meet Emma Lin. Tomorrow.”
“Yep,” he said, matching her smile. “In the meantime, eat your dinner.”
“Tomorrow,” Caitlin whispered, staring into space.
Excited chatter erupted around the table centered on the wondrous event that would take place the next day. Matt leaned close to Caitlin so only she could hear him.
“Tomorrow,” he said, smiling at her when she met his gaze. “You’ll meet your daughter. You’ll hold her, look into her pretty eyes and know if she’s Mackenzie or Madison. It will be one of those life-changing memories that will be etched in your mind forever.”
“Yes,” Caitlin said softly.
“And you know something, Caitlin? When I realize that I’ll be right there to witness it all, I can honestly say there’s no place else on this earth I’d rather be.”
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