“Wow. It’s so cool to finally know that. Do you still talk to him?”
“No, I haven’t seen him since before you were born.”
“Oh. Can you tell me his name?”
“Jimmy.”
“Were you guys together for long?”
“No, it was a short-lived thing, and he was away at college by the time I found out I was pregnant with you.”
“Did he know about me?”
“He did.” Amanda tried to think of how to answer Stella’s unspoken question. “We were both really young and not in any way prepared to take care of a baby.”
“I understand.”
“We wanted to do what was best for you, but you should know that giving you up broke my heart. I was never the same afterward.”
Landon squeezed her shoulder.
Amanda leaned into him, closing her eyes to absorb the blow that hit like it had just happened five minutes ago rather than twelve years. That was the downside of feeling everything after being numb for so long.
“Thank you for telling me that,” Stella said. “I’ve had so many questions about where I came from and stuff. It’s good to know.”
“I’ll always tell you anything you want to know, if I can.”
“Are you married?”
“Nope.”
“Do you have a boyfriend?”
Amanda raised her head off Landon’s shoulder and glanced at him.
He nodded.
“I think maybe I do.”
Stella laughed. “You’re not sure?”
“It’s kind of new still. We haven’t really put labels on it yet.”
“What’s his name?”
“Landon.”
“That’s a nice name.”
“He’s a nice guy.”
“Is he cute?”
Amanda laughed. “I think so, and so does every other woman in the town where he lives.”
Landon scowled playfully at her.
“So it’s like that, huh?”
“He tells me he’s become a one-woman kind of guy lately.” Amanda wasn’t sure if she was saying too much or if it was appropriate to share such things with a twelve-year-old, but she was determined to be honest with her.
“That’s the best kind of boyfriend to have. My mom tells me not to date boys who need all the girls to like them. She said the good ones only like one girl at a time.”
“Your mom is very wise.”
“What should I call you?”
The sweet, innocent question tugged at Amanda’s heart. “How about Amanda?”
“That would be okay with you?”
“Of course.”
“Okay.”
“Could I ask you something?” Amanda said.
“Sure.”
“How would you feel about living in Vermont? When the time comes…”
After a brief pause, she said, “I suppose that would be okay.”
“It’s only a few hours from where you live now. I could take you there to see your friends any time you wanted.”
“That’d be cool. We only moved here last summer, but I have a couple of new friends. What’s it like in Vermont? I haven’t been there.”
“It’s so pretty here. There are mountains and trees and beautiful streams that freeze in the winter.”
“Are you from there?”
“No, I’m from St. Louis, Missouri, originally. I came to Vermont for work, and I’ve fallen in love with it.”
“Where do you work?”
“I work for a company that sells products to stores, and I go around training their sales teams on how to sell our products. I also go to a lot of trade shows every year, but I’m changing jobs so I don’t have to travel so much.” Amanda prayed Stella wouldn’t ask about the products she represented.
“Are you changing jobs because of me?”
“No. I’m doing it for me, but it’ll be better for you, too.”
“What’s your new job going to be?”
“I’m still working that out, but I promise I’ll provide a stable, comfortable home for you when you need it. And in the meantime, I’ll do anything I can to help you through this difficult time.”
“It’s really nice of you to be so cool about all this. I’m sure it was a surprise to get my letter.”
“It was the best kind of surprise to hear from you, but I’m very sorry about the circumstances.”
“Yeah, me, too. Well, I guess I ought to go take a shower and finish my homework.”
“It was really nice to talk to you. Can we do it again soon?”
“Sure.”
“Call me any time you want on this number, and let me give you my cell number. The service isn’t great in this town, but I’ll call you back as soon as I can if I miss your call.”
“Wait, the cell service is bad in your town?”
“It is. Is that a deal-breaker?”
“It may be,” Stella said, laughing.
Her laugh was the best thing Amanda had ever heard. “Believe it or not, you do get used to it.”