Page 49 of Two Weeks
At first she thought maybe it was hunger pains. But then it happened again and Elise gasped. It was her baby! The doctor had said she’d be feeling it move soon. So that’s what this had to be. As if her baby were crying out to her,Don’t place me somewhere else. Please keep me.
Tears stung Elise’s eyes. Or maybe the baby was saying something else.Thank you for doing this. My life will be wonderful with the right parents.
Elise wasn’t sure which to believe, but she chose the second one. Yes, that was it. Her baby was thanking her. What sort of life would she give a newborn? When all she wanted was to get to New York City and start her own life?
At the exact right time, a gray-haired woman pulled up and rolled down her window. “Elise?”
“Yes.” She felt instantly comfortable. “Thank you.”
Elise couldn’t remember what they talked about on the ride to the lawyer’s office on the other side of Bloomington. All she could think about was the life inside her. The very real life. Moving and stretching and reminding her of the truth.
Her baby would be here all too soon.
Mr. Green was younger than Elise had expected, and his whole attitude very compassionate. He and his secretary sat at a long wooden table across from Elise. Between them were four large scrapbooks. Adoptive parent profiles, the attorney had told her.
“Let’s start with that one.” He leaned forward and pointed to one of the books. “Those are parents waiting for a baby.”
Elise opened the book. The first page held the photo of an older couple. A quick glance told her that they had raised their two children. Now they were hoping to have another baby or two. A quote beneath their photo said:We loved being parents once, so we want to be parents again. Before we’re too old.
“Hmmm.” Elise turned the page. Then she flipped through a few others. Every page held the profile of a couple waiting for a baby. “There’re... so many.” The idea of choosing one was suddenly overwhelming.
“Take your time.” Mr. Green stood. “I have a phone meeting in the other room.” He looked from Elise to his secretary. “Helen will stay with you. In case you have any questions.” He paused. “There is one couple I’d like to recommend.”
Elise was grateful. How was she supposed to pick the right parents? She could be here all week and not have time to read all the profiles. “Yes.” She remembered to breathe. “I’d like that.”
Mr. Green walked around the table and stood beside Elise. Then he turned to the last pages in the book. “Here.” He pointed to a profile. “I have a special feeling about this couple. How about you start with them?” He stepped back and headed for his office. “I’ll be back in half an hour.”
“Thank you.” Elise stared at the photo. The couple looked young and happy. They both had blond hair and warm blue eyes. The husband looked a little like Cole Blake, the way Cole might look ten years from now. The longer she studied them, the more they almost looked familiar. From somewhere inside her heart, Elise felt a connection take root. She looked to the top of the profile.
Aaron and Lucy Williams.
Nice,Elise thought. She’d always liked the name Lucy. She lifted her eyes to Helen. The woman was working on a file of papers. “Have you met them? This couple?” She tilted the book so the secretary could see the profile. “Aaron and Lucy?”
“Yes.” Helen smiled. “They were in the other day. I like them a lot.”
Elise nodded. She kept reading the couple’s profile. Lucy was a nurse in a maternity ward. Elise smiled. The woman would definitely be great with babies. And Aaron was an administrator at the same hospital. Right here in town.
A thought hit Elise. Maybe she had seen them before, during her time volunteering at Bloomington Hospital. Maybe that’s why they looked familiar.
She kept reading. The couple had been trying to have a baby for ten years. Praying and trusting God that one day a child would come. They were foster parents and had lost several babies who were almost theirs. And Lucy had given birth too early to a baby girl who didn’t survive.
Tears stung Elise’s eyes.Why, God? Why do I get pregnant from a guy like Randy? And here this poor couple has been trying forever to have a child?Nothing about that was fair. She looked at their picture again and ran her finger lightly over their faces. These two would take care of her baby. Elise had no doubt.
She studied their photo, their eyes. What sort of life would her baby have with them? In the side notes Lucy was quoted saying she would stop working if they had a baby. She believed in being a full-time mom—at least at first. Elise smiled. That meant the baby inside her would be loved and doted on. The best kinds of private schools and... Suddenly she remembered Cole’s declaration the other day. The main thing her baby needed was parents who loved Jesus. At the time he’d been thinking he would be the dad. Tears blurred her eyes. But she smiled despite the sadness. She would never forget the outlandish offer of Cole Blake.
And even though he wasn’t going to be her baby’s father, he was right about Jesus. Her mom had raised her to know faith in Christ, to memorize Bible verses and sing songs about God. Yes, she had walked away. But she was on her way back.
Which reminded her. Later today she would call her mama and come clean about the baby. They would talk about Elise’s decision to place the baby for adoption and after that her mama would cry and Elise would apologize. Then finally she would tell her the good news. She was going to Easter Sunday church with Cole’s family. She was coming home to Jesus, home to what was true and right and good.
She certainly wanted the same for her baby.
Again she looked over Aaron and Lucy’s profile. They wrote about their faith and trust in God. There was a quote from Aaron that read:Sometimes it’s hard to believe the Lord really hears us, that He cares if we have a baby. But even now I believe He does care. He sees us and He has a plan for us.
He has a plan. Yes. Elise wiped the tears from her cheeks. Peace flooded her heart. She didn’t need to look at the other profiles. She had found the parents for her baby. And as she made the decision, she felt the fluttering in her belly one more time. She gasped. She was actually feeling her baby move!
Helen set her paperwork aside and turned to her. “Is everything okay, dear?”
“Yes.” Elise stood just as Mr. Green entered the room again. She turned to him and felt a smile fill her face. “You were right about that couple.” She handed the book to the attorney. “They’re the ones. Aaron and Lucy Williams.”
