Route 66 Reunions (41 page)

Cindy stuck out her chin. “Nope. I love pink.”

“We were glad she got her own bedroom.” One of the girls filling the doorway spoke up. She added in a loud whisper, “No one else could stand this much pink.”

Another said, “Good thing she’s having a girl. This room would ruin a poor little baby boy.”

Sarah laughed before the teasing got out of hand. “Actually, the room is lovely, Cindy. I think the sun coming through the window is intensifying the color. Your room is neat and clean and I know that’s your job, so don’t let anyone sway you from your choices. You’re doing great.”

She looked at the other girls. “You all are. I’m glad to see you settling in here and making a home during what I know is a difficult time.”

“You had a baby when you were in high school, right?” Cindy asked.

Sarah nodded. “Yes, I gave my son up for adoption to a wonderful couple.”

“How do you know they were wonderful?” one of the girls asked. “Did you know them?”

“No, but I met them and their son a few months ago.”

“Their son?” Cindy looked skeptical. “You mean your son?”

Sarah smiled. “He was my son until they came to the hospital and took him. He’s their son now. I’ve spent some time recently with all three of them, and as much as I’ll always love him and consider him my baby, he’s made a place with his parents. I can see how close they are. How much he loves them and how much they love him. I’m a special friend now, and that’s the way it should be.”

“Wow!” Cindy shook her head. “I don’t know. My mom wants me to give my baby away. She even had a social worker come and talk to me. She never said anything about me seeing her later on. I figured that was it. Once you gave your baby away, you never saw her again or knew anything about her.”

“The people could be mean to her, and you’d never know.” Some of the girls murmured among themselves.

“That’s true.” Sarah moved toward the door. “Why don’t we go downstairs and talk where it isn’t quite so pink?”

The girls’ laughter eased the tension. She led the way. “I don’t know a lot about adoption. All I do know is my own experience, but you can certainly ask your social worker about open adoption. That’s where you have a say in choosing parents for your child. See if you have the option of meeting the adoptive parents before you make your final decision.”

They settled in the parlor with Sarah on the sofa and two girls on either side of her. For a moment, she sat quiet, as the memory of her last time in the room rushed into her head and slammed against her heart. As if looking at a silent movie, she saw Kevin with his hand against Vickie’s or Valerie’s or whoever’s back.

“How do you choose?” The girl’s question intruded, and Sarah blinked to clear her mind of the memory she needed to forget.

“Um, home studies are done on prospective families and their homes. You should be allowed to look through the ones the social worker has picked. They get so many for each baby, you can’t go through them all. They said there were fifty applicants for Trey. There would have been many more, but only people in a certain area were allowed to apply.”

As the girls asked questions, Sarah tried to answer from her limited knowledge. She was glad when Darlene came in and told them the hamburgers were ready.

“It’s so pretty out, we thought you would like to eat on the patio in back.” Darlene laughed at the enthusiastic response as the girls stood and headed toward the kitchen.

Sarah was glad to leave the parlor, where Kevin’s memory lingered like a foul odor. But when she walked into the kitchen, he again intruded as she remembered that night he’d surprised her with the house. They’d inspected the kitchen and every room. Hand in hand, they’d walked through the large Victorian. Her eyes burned, and she welcomed the evening breeze keeping them dry as she forced herself to eat and enjoy her time with Darlene and the girls. As the sun sank in the west, she left the warmth of their friendship and went home alone.

After a quick shower, Sarah curled up on her bed with her Bible and called Trey. When he came to the phone, he said, “Sarah, hi. Is everything all right there?”

She glanced at the clock and saw it was almost ten o’clock. “Yes of course. I’m sorry. I just now noticed the time. I won’t keep you.” She gave a short laugh. “Mostly, I guess I just wanted to hear your voice. Make sure you’re all right. I didn’t think. It’s Friday night, and you might not have been home.”

“Speaking of that…” Trey sounded distracted. “Why don’t I give you my cell phone number. Then it doesn’t matter if I’m home or not. I don’t know why I didn’t do this before now.”

“I don’t want to bother you, Trey. I mean, what if I call when you’re out with your friends? You wouldn’t want that.”

He chuckled. “I doubt you could interrupt anything important. You don’t call often, so when you do, I want to be sure to answer. Here’s my number.”

Sarah grabbed a pen and paper from her nightstand and wrote down the numbers. “Okay, I got it.”

“I want yours, too.” He listened for her number and then said, “I text a lot, so that’s good, too.”

“Great, I’m a whiz at texting.” Sarah laughed with him. She didn’t know what to say next. Then she noticed the Bible she held in her arms as if it were Trey. “I’ve been reading my Bible. I’m in Ephesians now. I guess I’m skipping around.”

“That’s cool. I do that a lot, too.” He hesitated before saying, “I think God’s been talking to me lately. I mean, I’m going to college this fall, but maybe after that I’ll go to seminary.”

Sarah sucked in an extra dose of air. “You mean…?”

He laughed. “Yeah, I mean preaching. As a pastor. I’m not rushing into anything. But when God calls, we need to answer.”

“Yes, that’s true.” For some reason tears welled in Sarah’s eyes, and she couldn’t stop them from rolling down her cheeks. Thankfully Trey couldn’t see her. “I’m so proud of you, Trey.”

They talked for a few minutes more and then hung up. She lay back on her bed and stared at the ceiling while silent tears ran over her temples, wetting her hair. An unexplained longing for her mother filled her heart. Talking to Trey brought Kevin close yet left her feeling empty and alone. Mom’s home-cooked meals and chocolate chip cookies would go a long way toward filling the void in her life. And Dad, too. She missed his hearty laughter and warm hugs. Amanda’s family always held a Fourth of July cookout in their backyard. Would Amanda come this year?

With more enthusiasm than she’d approached anything in weeks, Sarah sat up and reached for her cell phone. California time was two hours earlier, but Amanda should be home now.

“Hello?”

“Hi, Amanda?” Her voice sounded as if she were just across town. “You sound so good.”

Amanda laughed. “I am good. In fact, I feel like celebrating. Classes are over for the summer, and I have only one more semester to go. If you hop a plane you should be here in what? Two hours? By morning?”

Sarah’s laughter felt good. “Oh, I wish I could. I’m so proud of you. It’s been a long, hard road, hasn’t it?”

“Yes, but I’m getting there.” After they talked a bit, Amanda said, “God’s been so real in my life lately. I plan to be home over the Fourth, Sarah, and I want you there. I talked to Tessa, too. She’s coming with her husband and kids. I want to see both of you.”

“I’ll be there on the Fourth.” No question in her mind now. She was going home.

After church Sunday, Kevin again shared dinner with his boss’s family at the country club. Afterward, he and Valerie changed into casual clothing so they could play tennis. They met at the courts, and he took the racket she handed him.

“I haven’t played since college. You may have to help me out.” He grinned at her. “Or maybe we could call it a draw since all the courts are taken.”

She laughed. “Not a chance. We’re playing doubles. Follow me.”

Her white shorts and sleeveless white shirt set off the golden glow of her skin and contrasted to her dark hair. At least she wouldn’t be hard to look at across the table every morning. He caught up with her, and they walked together to the far court where another couple batted a ball across the net. They didn’t appear to be playing a game and stopped at Kevin and Valerie’s approach.

“Hey, you made it.” The woman ran to Valerie for a quick hug. Her partner strolled across the court to shake Kevin’s hand.

“Dave Walker.” He introduced himself.

“Kevin Nichols.” Kevin looked at the man, who appeared only a few years older. “I’ve heard your name. You’re in real estate, aren’t you?”

“That’s right.” Dave grinned. “You should know. I can’t believe how many times you’ve snatched a good deal out from under my hand. You’ve got the instinct to know when to hold and when to let go. That’s something you can’t learn, my friend. It’s a God-given talent.”

Kevin saw sincerity in the other man’s eyes. “Interesting way to put it. I’ve never thought much about what I do other than it’s a gamble. Sometimes it pays off. Occasionally it doesn’t.”

“Feast or famine, huh?”

Kevin laughed. “That pretty much sums it up.”

Dave lowered his voice and glanced toward the women, who had walked away talking. “If you ever get tired of operating on your own, come see me. I’m in construction as well as real estate, and I need a salesman.” He pulled a business card from his pocket and handed it to Kevin. “If you can do what I think you can, I’ve got a place for you at a good salary plus commission.”

Kevin took the card and stuck it in his pocket. The salary Dave mentioned was more than what he made at Parker’s but less than a partnership would be.

He shook Dave’s hand again. “Thanks. I’ll think about it.”

“Hey you guys.” Valerie waved her racket over her head. “We came to play tennis. Girls against guys. Think you can handle it?”

“Oh, that sounds like a challenge.” Dave slapped Kevin on the shoulder. “Come on, buddy. Let’s show them what they’re up against.”

“You bet.” Kevin fell into step with Dave, who pointed his racket toward the girls.

“By the way, the pretty blond with Valerie is my wife, Suzy Walker.” He called out, “Suzy, this is Kevin Nichols.”

“Yes, I know.” She smiled at Kevin. “Valerie’s already told me about him. I’m glad to meet you, Kevin.”

“Glad to meet you, too, Suzy.” Kevin grinned at her as he walked past to take his place across the court from the women.

“Ooh, I love your fiancé’s dimples.” Suzy’s soft comment, carried by a gentle breeze, had surely been meant for Valerie’s ears alone.

Kevin bristled at Valerie’s assumptions but chose to ignore the misunderstanding. The challenge had been issued. He just hadn’t decided how to respond. Next week he’d be in Indiana, and after that he would spend the Fourth of July weekend with Trey. Maybe he’d be able to sort his feelings out then. Valerie deserved no less than an honest answer to the question he hadn’t asked, but she seemed to be answering anyway. Soon enough he would confront her with his decision, whether she liked it or not.

S
arah’s Saturday at her folks’ place in Litchfield brought her closer to those she seldom saw. She attended church Sunday morning with her entire family. She enjoyed seeing how her brother’s children had grown since their last visit.

When the service ended, she and Amanda met outside with a warm hug. “It’s so good to see you.”

Sarah laughed. “We live too far apart. Why don’t you move closer?”

Amanda’s frown didn’t hide the amusement in her eyes. “I should move? Hey, this works both ways, you know.”

Sarah sighed. “I know and sometimes I’m tempted. Listen, I’ve got to go. My folks are waiting to go to Grandma’s. Have you heard from Tessa?”

“Yes, she and her family will arrive late tonight. We won’t see her until tomorrow, but we’ll have a long talk then. We’ll spend the entire day together—the three of us.”

“I’m counting on it.” Sarah stepped away. “I’ve got a family reunion this afternoon, or I’d sneak over today. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Monday, July the Fourth, Sarah lifted her face to a gentle, cooling breeze that helped offset the hot summer sun already warming the Davises’ backyard. After inhaling the tantalizing aroma of grilled hamburgers, she let herself into the kitchen and deposited her cake on the table.

“Sarah’s here.” Amanda, looking like a teenager with her reddish brown hair up in a ponytail, skillfully sidestepped two of her parents’ neighbors to share a hug. “What took you so long?”

“This cake.” Sarah pushed her cake against another dish. “Where’s all this food coming from? There’s no room for more.”

“My boys aren’t complaining.” Tessa appeared beside them after waiting for a path to clear. “Do you always invite the entire town though? I can’t remember this many people.”

“Maybe because it’s been ages since you showed up.” Sarah hugged Tessa.

Amanda said, “The three of us together. This is great. The way I wish we could be all the time. We started out here in Litchfield together, then scattered from Chicago to Amarillo to Los Angeles. Yet in our separation we have grown closer than we might have been if we’d stayed right here seeing each other every day. What we hold in our hands often becomes commonplace, while we value most that which we work for the hardest. I think that’s the way our friendship is. I value you, Sarah, and you, Tessa. So much.”