“Four years old! My granddaughter is four too.”
And on and on.
Martin’s eyes were on Corinne.
“Hi, Martin,” she said. “How are you?”
Dying inside. “Well. And you?”
“We survived.”
“Praise the Lord. Been praying for you.”
“I know.” She smiled.
“You do?”
“Angelina told me.”
“You’ve been to see her?” Martin wondered when she came into town.
“Stayed in their RV last night,” Corinne said.
“Pete didn’t say a thing.”
“It was all last-minute. Agent Tanaka dropped me off in Key Largo, and I went to see Pastor Butler right away. We stayed at his house for a few days. He told me that Pete and Angelina got married, moved up here.”
“So you called Angelina.”
“She still kept her old number.” Her hands were on the stroller handlebar.
“I drove the kids up last night, and we slept all morning.”
“I’m sure Pete and Angelina were happy.”
“I came to see you, Martin.”
Martin felt dizzy. “Say that again?”
And she did.
Martin wanted to give her a hug, but the stroller stood between them. Corinne walked around the stroller, and lifted the edge of a baby blanket. A cap covered the baby’s head. The baby was still sleeping.
“Very cute. Boy or girl?” Martin asked.
“Boy. Liam. I named him after my father, whom they tell me is in heaven now,” Corinne said quietly.
Martin wondered what it felt like for Corinne not to know her own parents. Even though Mom had died while Martin was in high school, at least he had some memories of her. Dad had left them years before, but returned when Martin and his sister were adults.
Corinne never knew her biological parents.
“Liam is eight months old now,” Corinne added.
“Already?” Wow. Martin reached for her hand. “You look great.”
“For a single mother with two kids?”
“I mean… I don’t know what I meant.”