she’d overcome this. Knew too that she’d be going home as soon as someone fixed her up.
~*~
Wats was sitting on the deck when his dad joined him. Late last night, a guard from the prison, someone he’d gone to school with, had called him directly. His mother was dead, as was Penelope. Then this morning, he’d gotten a second call from him. Salma had killed herself like Christa had, chewing out her wrists and bleeding out. He hadn’t any idea if his dad knew or even wanted to know, so he told him about the baby he delivered last night.
“She’s so beautiful, Dad. And perfect. To me anyway. A head full of the reddest hair I’ve ever seen. Weighed in at nine pounds fourteen ounces.” Dad asked him if the mother was all right too. “The mother, only sixteen, left today without her. She knows, she told the head nurse, that she couldn’t care for her the way she’d need to be. Plus, her parents would only allow her to come home if she didn’t have the child with her.”
“Why do you suppose parents do that to their kids? I guess I can understand that a little. If the child is promiscuous, I guess. I’m not even sure that is a good enough reason. But they’d just put her in a spot that will change the course of her life and that of her parents.” He wondered if his dad was thinking of his own sister and confirmed that when he spoke again. “Holly needed us, and even though she was only a mile away, not one of us went to check on her. See if she was doing all right. I feel the worst about that, I think. Your mother is dead.”
“I know. All three of them are.” Dad nodded. “I’m thinking of adopting the infant. I’ve spoken to Rayne about it, and she’s going there now to see her.”
Dad looked at him so quickly that he thought something had happened. “Are you serious? I mean, yes, you are. You’re forever serious about things. I have learned a great deal about you in the— Are you going to make me a grandfather, Wats?”
“I have to wait on Rayne to approve. I don’t know why she’d not, but then, we’re just getting to know each other a little more each day. We have had plans to be married the last few days, but something is forever coming up.” He looked at his dad and saw that he was crying. “Don’t do that, Dad. If you start sobbing, we’re both going to be a mess when Rayne comes home, and that won’t be good. She’ll make fun of us.”
“She will at that.” Dad laughed, then looked out over the yard. “You’ll need to put in a fence in place for her when she’s able to play in the yard. I just realized that I don’t know a great deal about babies and children.”
“I only know them when they’re first born. After that, I’m a little lost. But I’m sure we’ll all do fine.” He heard someone in the house but didn’t say anything to his dad. They were having a nice talk, and he didn’t want anyone to ruin it for them. “My practice is up and running again. I told you about Rayne going to the hospital to work. She’s expecting to hear from the boards any day now. They’re sort of rushing it through so the nurses that took the test will be able to start working right away.”
“I know she’ll do well on the test. She’s one smart woman.” Dad laughed a little—it sounded sort of forced and sad. “I can still see her smacking around Tina. Best feeling I ever had concerning her. I know it’s not nice, but it is what it is, I suppose. I cannot wait to see you with a child in your arms. Any of you, for that matter. It’ll be like everything prior to that day will be erased away, and we’re starting anew. Does that make sense?”
He never got a chance to answer his dad. Rayne came out of the house with a bundle in her arms. When she started to come around and hand the baby over to him, he nodded toward his father. Nodding once, Rayne put their newest family member into his dad’s arms.
“Wesley, this is our daughter, Allison Jane Wilkerson. We’re thinking of calling her AJ for short.” Dad started sobbing when Rayne pulled the little