Read Online Never Again Good-Bye by Terri Blackstock - Free Book Online
Authors: Terri Blackstock
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help me.”
A bubble of joy inflated inside her, joining the hope that had been growing all day. “Then we’ll tell her?” she asked.
He nodded and stepped back. “We’ll tell her,” he said.
Then he left her alone in the kitchen, as if staying there with her meant relinquishing too much more of himself.
A my had taken great pains to impress Laney in her choice of nightwear. She wore a long, pink flannel gown with long sleeves and a regal collar that Laney suspected would suffocate her if she stayed in it for long. The gown was obviously for winter, but it gave the little bright-eyed child a sense of royalty.
“You look like a little princess,” Laney told her when she sat down on the couch across from her.
“That’s what my mommy used to call me,” Amy said. “Princess.”
Laney’s eyes darted to Wes, but he was looking pensively at Amy.
“Will you stay until I go to bed and tuck me in?” Amy asked Laney.
Laney smiled and looked at Wes for approval. He nodded that it was OK. “Of course. I’d love to.”
Wes moved to the couch and pulled Amy into his lap. He wrapped his arms around her small waist and made her lean back against his chest. “Pumpkin, Laney and I want to talk to you about something. It’s important, and I want you to listen very carefully.”
Amy sat up on her father’s lap, her face serious. “OK.”
Laney felt a stir of emotion at the expression so close to fear on the girl’s face. Was that how he’d led in to telling her that her mother was dead?
“Do you remember when Mommy and I told you about how you were adopted?” Wes began.
Amy nodded. “I remember.”
He took a deep breath and looked at Laney again. “Well, we never talked much about the lady who was your mother before we adopted you, did we?”
Amy rubbed her nose and shook her head. “No. You said you didn’t know who she was and that it didn’t matter because I was yours.”
Wes paused a moment, as if he didn’t know how to go on. His gaze coasted to Laney, measuring her for the help he needed. It was there in her dark eyes, filling in strength where he had weakness, the way his wife had once done. Finally he turned Amy to face him in his lap, and he dropped his forehead against hers. “Well, I know who she is now, pumpkin. And I think it’s time you knew her too.”
Amy stiffened in his lap, a tiny frown clefting her brows. She drew back to look at him, as if she couldn’t believe until she saw it in his eyes.
Laney set a hand on Wes’s shoulder when she realized he couldn’t go on. He looked at her mutely, his groping expression inviting her to take it from there. She scooted closer to them, closer to the warmth the two of them exuded as a family, closer to the circle of love that was foreign to her. Struggling not to let the fierce emotion overwhelm her, she looked at her daughter.
“Amy, the other day when your daddy had me arrested in the park, it was because he saw me taking pictures of you. I didn’t mean any harm. I just wanted to see you. Ever since you were born and were taken away from me, I’ve wanted to see you.”
The worry lines on the child’s innocent face deepened, but she looked at Laney as if she still didn’t quite grasp what she was being told.
Laney arched her brows emphatically and struggled to make the words clear. “Amy, I’m your mother.”
Amy’s black eyes widened guardedly, and a flustered color traveled up her cheeks. “No, you’re not. My mother died.”
“But I’m your re—” She caught herself on the word real and tried again. “I was your first mother.”
The silence in the room was almost deafening, and the denial in the child’s eyes was piercing. Would she love her when she believed? Laney asked herself. Would she invite Laney to fill the void her mother had left? When Laney thought she could take the suspense no longer, Amy turned to her father, the only anchor she had in the world, and whispered, “Was she, Daddy?”
Wes squeezed
A bubble of joy inflated inside her, joining the hope that had been growing all day. “Then we’ll tell her?” she asked.
He nodded and stepped back. “We’ll tell her,” he said.
Then he left her alone in the kitchen, as if staying there with her meant relinquishing too much more of himself.
A my had taken great pains to impress Laney in her choice of nightwear. She wore a long, pink flannel gown with long sleeves and a regal collar that Laney suspected would suffocate her if she stayed in it for long. The gown was obviously for winter, but it gave the little bright-eyed child a sense of royalty.
“You look like a little princess,” Laney told her when she sat down on the couch across from her.
“That’s what my mommy used to call me,” Amy said. “Princess.”
Laney’s eyes darted to Wes, but he was looking pensively at Amy.
“Will you stay until I go to bed and tuck me in?” Amy asked Laney.
Laney smiled and looked at Wes for approval. He nodded that it was OK. “Of course. I’d love to.”
Wes moved to the couch and pulled Amy into his lap. He wrapped his arms around her small waist and made her lean back against his chest. “Pumpkin, Laney and I want to talk to you about something. It’s important, and I want you to listen very carefully.”
Amy sat up on her father’s lap, her face serious. “OK.”
Laney felt a stir of emotion at the expression so close to fear on the girl’s face. Was that how he’d led in to telling her that her mother was dead?
“Do you remember when Mommy and I told you about how you were adopted?” Wes began.
Amy nodded. “I remember.”
He took a deep breath and looked at Laney again. “Well, we never talked much about the lady who was your mother before we adopted you, did we?”
Amy rubbed her nose and shook her head. “No. You said you didn’t know who she was and that it didn’t matter because I was yours.”
Wes paused a moment, as if he didn’t know how to go on. His gaze coasted to Laney, measuring her for the help he needed. It was there in her dark eyes, filling in strength where he had weakness, the way his wife had once done. Finally he turned Amy to face him in his lap, and he dropped his forehead against hers. “Well, I know who she is now, pumpkin. And I think it’s time you knew her too.”
Amy stiffened in his lap, a tiny frown clefting her brows. She drew back to look at him, as if she couldn’t believe until she saw it in his eyes.
Laney set a hand on Wes’s shoulder when she realized he couldn’t go on. He looked at her mutely, his groping expression inviting her to take it from there. She scooted closer to them, closer to the warmth the two of them exuded as a family, closer to the circle of love that was foreign to her. Struggling not to let the fierce emotion overwhelm her, she looked at her daughter.
“Amy, the other day when your daddy had me arrested in the park, it was because he saw me taking pictures of you. I didn’t mean any harm. I just wanted to see you. Ever since you were born and were taken away from me, I’ve wanted to see you.”
The worry lines on the child’s innocent face deepened, but she looked at Laney as if she still didn’t quite grasp what she was being told.
Laney arched her brows emphatically and struggled to make the words clear. “Amy, I’m your mother.”
Amy’s black eyes widened guardedly, and a flustered color traveled up her cheeks. “No, you’re not. My mother died.”
“But I’m your re—” She caught herself on the word real and tried again. “I was your first mother.”
The silence in the room was almost deafening, and the denial in the child’s eyes was piercing. Would she love her when she believed? Laney asked herself. Would she invite Laney to fill the void her mother had left? When Laney thought she could take the suspense no longer, Amy turned to her father, the only anchor she had in the world, and whispered, “Was she, Daddy?”
Wes squeezed
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