by Traci DePree
“If God can do it, so can you.”
“I only hope my father can do the same.”
AFTER THE GIRLS LEFT the next morning, Kate tidied up around the house. She and Angie had decided to break the news to her folks after church the next day. It wouldn’t be easy, but then, many necessary things weren’t.
A little after four o’clock, Paul arrived home. Kate heard his pickup pull into the driveway. He stomped in the front door and shucked his coat and fishing cap, hanging them on the coat tree that resided there.
Kate rose to greet him, but when she drew near, the smell of lake water and fish was overwhelming. She waved her hand in front of her nose. “What did you do, fall in?”
Paul grinned and kissed her on the nose.
Kate placed her hands on her hips. “Did you have fun?” she asked, teasing.
“We had a great time. You should join us next time.”
“I don’t think so!” She laughed.
“You should’ve seen Sam reel in this bass. He was sure it was a monster, the way it fought, but it was a tiny fish. I thought I’d fall out of the boat, I was laughing so hard.”
Kate smiled at him, truly glad he’d enjoyed his outing. And even more glad that he was home.
“How was your girls’ party?” he asked.
“Good,” Kate said. “I found out who Mouse is.”
“Who?”
“Angie Petzel.”
Paul paused as if trying to remember the girl. “The one with the nose piercing?”
Kate nodded.
He bent over to dig in the Styrofoam cooler he’d brought in with him. Standing, he offered a newspaper-wrapped gift to her. “I almost forgot. I got this for you. I’m sorry it’s a day late.”
Kate stared at it, stunned. Here she’d thought he’d completely forgotten. She pulled him into a quick hug and then started to open it.
“You might want to open it over the kitchen sink.”
Kate gave him a puzzled look. From the feel of it, Kate had a pretty good idea what it was—a nasty, smelly fish. But the expression on Paul’s face urged her to go along with him. So she took the oblong gift into the kitchen and carefully unwrapped it as Paul looked on. Sure enough it was a fish. She lifted questioning eyes to his.
“A fish?” she said, not sure how to react.
“For supper.” The grin on his face said there was more.
“Okay, out with it. What’s the deal with the fish?”
“Look inside it.” His grin went lopsided with mischief.
Kate’s stomach turned at the thought of looking into a stinky, slimy fish. She almost walked away, but curiosity held her. Finally, after taking off her wedding and engagement rings and setting them on the counter, she looked in the ribcage that had been cleaned out. Inside was another newspaper-wrapped item, though this one was much smaller. Kate pulled it out and raised an eyebrow at Paul. Kate slowly opened the package to reveal a dinner fork.
“A fork?” Kate said, not sure what to think.
“It comes with a supper at Le Peau’s in Pine Ridge and a bed-and-breakfast stay at the Stone Fort Inn in Chattanooga.”
Kate gasped, her eyes meeting Paul’s. Both places were renowned in the area.
Kate threw her arms around him, smelly or not.
“I thought you forgot,” she squeaked as tears came to her eyes.
“I could never forget the time I first fell in love,” he said.
“I love you, Paul Hanlon,” Kate said.
She kissed him. It was a kiss reminiscent of those they’d shared when their love was new.
KATE REQUESTED THAT ANGIE come by the house so they could chat before going together to tell her parents the news. The teen arrived at the Hanlons’ at one o’clock as Kate was still washing dishes from Sunday lunch.
“Sorry I couldn’t get here sooner,” she said, pulling out a chair at the oak table.
“You can help me do dishes,” Kate said. “Paul was too tired from preaching today, or it’d be his job.” She held out a towel for Angie. The girl laughed and joined her at the sink.
“So, why me and Paul?” Kate asked as she dipped a plate into the warm rinse water.
Angie shrugged. “Marlee and Anne told me about you. They said you were...cool.”
The description made Kate smile. If only her three grown children had been there to hear it.
“They said you’re always kind,” Angie went on, “and you aren’t afraid to get involved in people’s lives. I’ve seen some of the newspaper stories about how you help people.” She paused, then said, “I guess I thought if you were willing to help them, you might be willing to pray for me. There isn’t anyone at my church that I trust enough to tell. I haven’t exactly been the perfect Christian, and I felt that if someone like you was praying for me, God would be more likely to listen.”
Kate lifted the pot she’d been scrubbing and dipped it into the rinse water, letting it sink below the surface. Angie pulled it out and let it drip before starting to dry it with the towel.
“Is that what you think? That Christians are perfect?”
Angie shrugged. “Aren’t they?”
Kate shook her head. “There’s a big difference between perfect and forgiven.”
Angie thought about that for a moment. “I guess I can see that.”
“When you told your boyfriend”—Kate changed the subject—“what exactly did he say? Is there any chance he’d want to father the baby?”
Angie shook her head sadly. “He doesn’t want anything to do with the baby or with me. I told him that I didn’t want to marry him. I want to go to Parsons—I’ve always wanted to go there. Then he had the audacity to suggest that maybe he wasn’t even the father...I cared about him, you know?” She lifted the next pot out of the sink and dried it. “Last I heard, he was already dating someone else.”
Silence lingered between them. Kate placed the last washed dish in the rinse water and let the suds drain out of the sink.
“Have you given any more thought to adoption?” she ventured as she wiped the sink.
Angie nodded, though her eyes showed reservation. “I have. And I think in many ways it could be the right way to go. But until I talk to my folks, I can’t really say for sure.”
“Of course,” Kate agreed.
BY TWO O’CLOCK, everything was back in its rightful spot. Paul had woken up from his nap and meandered out to where Kate and Angie were.
“Are you ready for this?” Kate said as she placed an arm across the girl’s thin shoulders.
“Not really.”
“Do you want me to come with you?” Paul asked.
Angie shook her head. “No, thank you. My folks probably won’t even like having Mrs. Hanlon there. I don’t want them to think I told everyone in town but them.”
“Fair enough,” Paul said and offered a prayer before they left the house.
Angie led the way in her rusty Mustang with Kate following in her Honda. When they arrived, Angie pulled into the long driveway, and Kate parked her car in front of the brown split-level. She got out and met Angie at her car.
The girl was a nervous wreck. She twisted a piece of paper in her hands this way and that, and she kept sighing. They went to the front door, which Angie opened. Two of Angie’s younger sisters—Angie introduced them as Amy and Kris—were playing a board game in the living room.
Angie said, “Where are Mom and Dad?”
“In the kitchen,” Amy, who looked like a younger version of Angie, said. She watched them walk past—Kate could feel her stare—no doubt wondering what this stranger was doing in her house.
Mona and Ryan Petzel stopped talking when they came in.
“What’s going on?” Angie’s father asked, looking from his daughter to Kate.
“I’m Kate,” she said, reaching to shake hands first with Ryan and then his wife. “Angie asked me to come along because she has something to tell you.”
One of Angie’s other sisters meandered into the kitchen
. Angie turned to glance at her. Then she said, “Can we go talk somewhere else, like up in your bedroom?”
Mona and Ryan exchanged troubled looks. Kate felt for the couple, knowing the pain that was coming.
“Okay,” Ryan said, rising from his chair and leading the way to the second-story bedroom that was neatly decorated in cornflower blues and tan and had a country feel.
Angie sat on the bed while Mona and Kate took the wingbacked chairs by the bay window that overlooked the backyard. Ryan remained standing with his arms crossed over his chest. He shut the bedroom door.
“Mouse, is there something wrong?” Mona said, looking at her daughter. Kate smiled at the nickname.
“I’ve been wanting to tell you for a little while,” Angie began. She closed her eyes, and Kate sent up a prayer for courage. “I’ve been so afraid of how you’d react. And I’m so sorry for disappointing you...”
“Angie?” Ryan drew closer to his daughter, and she lifted her face to his.
“Dad, Mom, I’m pregnant.” She let out a staggered breath.
There was a long moment of silence. “You’re pregnant?” Mona moaned.
“How could you have done this to us?” Ryan said, his words a hiss, and his face growing red. “You were raised better.”
“I’m sorry, Dad.”
“How long have you known?” he said to Kate with a hint of accusation in his tone.
“Angie told me about it Friday night,” Kate said truthfully.
“How far along are you?” Mona said to Angie.
Ryan paced to the window, shaking his head.
Angie pulled her gaze from him to her mother. “Almost three months,” she said.
“Three months,” he repeated. “It’s that Todd DeBoer kid, isn’t it?” He turned to look at her.
Angie nodded mutely.
“I told you that boy was no good,” he said to his wife. “We’ve been too lenient with her. We both knew that he was trouble. I can’t believe you would do this, Angie. What kind of an example is this for your sisters?”
“I know, Dad.”
“You know, you know!” he was practically shouting. “It’s not just your sisters either. The kids at church look up to you. You’ve thrown it all in the trash.” He turned to pace the room.
Mona dabbed her eyes with a tissue. “It’s my fault,” Mona moaned. “If I’d been home more, maybe I would’ve known what was going on with—”
“Is he going to marry you?” Ryan interrupted.
Angie shook her head. “He doesn’t want to have anything to do with me or the baby.”
“Isn’t that just perfect? He gets my daughter pregnant, but it doesn’t affect his life at all. He can just go his merry way.”
Kate felt the man’s pain.
“What about your future?” he went on. “You had a scholarship! What’s to become of that?”
“Honey,” Mona said, lifting teary eyes, “what are you going to do?”
“I don’t know, Mom. I don’t know.”
Angie sighed, and he turned on her. “You think your actions only affect yourself? They affect all of us, young lady. Who do you think will end up raising your baby? Us? If it’s you, you can forget having a career. Everything you make at that ice-cream parlor will go to buying diapers and baby food. And it isn’t fair to ask your mother to raise your child. After all she does for you!”
“Ryan,” Mona began.
“No, Mona. We’re not taking away the consequences of her choices. We just can’t.”
“But we can forgive her,” she said.
Kate couldn’t have been more thankful for Mona’s words of wisdom.
“This isn’t about forgiveness. I haven’t even begun to think about forgiveness. I’m looking at this practically, Mona.”
He turned back to Angie. “Do you know how selfish this is of you?”
Angie nodded. “I do. If I could undo it, I would.” Her voice was small, sincere.
Her father’s face relaxed a fraction.
“I just hope someday you’ll be able to forgive me,” Angie said.
Mona looked over at Kate. “What do you think we should do?”
The question was earnest, and Kate thought for a long moment before answering.
“I know you’re disappointed. I would be too if I were you. And I know you love your daughter.” She glanced at Angie, whose eyes welled with silent tears. “I think that’s where I would start, just letting my daughter know that I still love her and that I’ll help her figure out what to do.”
Mona dabbed at her eyes, and Kate patted her hand.
“We do love you, Mouse,” Mona said. “I know I’ve been busy with your sisters and church...I’m sorry you didn’t feel you could tell us before.” She moved to her daughter and held her.
“I’m sorry, Mom,” Angie murmured. “I’m so sorry.”
Ryan seemed glued to his spot, though he watched his wife and daughter. Kate knew he was struggling. Yet she hoped eventually he’d be able to forgive.
IT WASN’T EXACTLY a sense of joy or even relief that Kate felt when she left the Petzel home. The days ahead of the family would be difficult ones, but at least Angie had made that first critical step.
Kate kept thinking about the Lewises. She prayed she’d get a green light soon to tell Kim and Chad that there was a baby for them.
That night there was a message in Kate’s in-box from Angie.
Dear Mrs. Hanlon,
I want to thank you for being there today. It was so hard. I can’t imagine how I would’ve survived without you as my moral support.
We told my sisters. I hadn’t thought that I had any more tears in me, but I was wrong. I feel like I really let them down; they look up to me. I told them I was sorry and that I want to be a good example. I only hope they can make better choices in their lives than I have. You’ve taught me that I can be forgiven. I’m so glad for that. It helps me to know that my life isn’t over.
I asked my folks about adoption, but it’s hard. Especially for Mom, knowing she’ll never know her grandchild. But I’ve thought about adoption a lot, and I do think it’s the best option.
Mouse
Chapter Twenty-Six
Kate, Paul, Chad, and Kim pushed their plates away and sat back in their seats. They’d decided to meet at the Bristol instead of at the Hanlons’ for that night’s session. The restaurant, on the first floor of the Hamilton Springs Hotel, was empty save for their table by the window that overlooked a pond, with the valley and rolling hills beyond. Kate desperately wanted to tell them about Angie. She just needed the right opportunity.
At their previous session, Paul had given the Lewises an assignment to go on an old-fashioned date, from Chad planning it ahead of time, with surprises for Kim throughout the night, to the kiss on the front porch at the end.
“So,” Paul said, “how was your date?”
Kim smiled at her husband. “It was so romantic. Chad packed a picnic basket. We went to the park and ate, then he pulled out paper and paints, and we made a kite. It was so much fun.” She grinned broadly.
“Did you fly it?” Kate asked.
“Of course,” Chad said. “It was a pretty good kite if I do say so myself.” He squeezed his wife around the shoulders. “I forgot how good it felt to date her.”
“Making the effort to plan time together shows thoughtfulness and appreciation,” Paul said simply. “Women eat it up.”
They all laughed.
“So,” Paul said, sitting back, “what else...?” He looked from Kim to Chad.
Kim glanced nervously at her husband, then she said, “Well, we wanted to ask if you’ve found another couple to lead the youth group?”
“No,” Kate said with a glance at Paul.
“Would you like to volunteer for the job?” Paul asked.
Chad smiled encouragement at his wife as she said, “We had an awesome time at the car wash, and we got to talking about it. It’s not that I didn’t enjoy working at the Faith Freezer
Program, but our hearts are really with kids, you know?”
“We would love to have you take over for Max,” Paul said. “Are you sure? It’s a lot of work.”
“Well, we can’t make it a permanent position, considering the next tax season is right around the corner,” Chad said, “but we will volunteer often. Then maybe someone else can take over when my workload gets hectic again.”
Kim was smiling. “There is something else,” she said, reaching for her husband’s hand. She took a deep breath. “We’ve decided to adopt.”
“We’ve been talking it over,” Chad added, “and we think you’re right. Maybe God wants us to go this route. I know it’d make Kim happy.”
It’d make Kim happy. Kate paused at the comment, trying to decide what he meant by it.
But Kim picked the conversation up from there. “It’ll make both of us happy. We still haven’t given up on the idea of having biological kids. Maybe we’ll be like the Andersons once we adopt.” She turned to Kate. “I went on that Web site you told me about that had the pictures of the waiting children—toddlers and even teenagers. It about broke my heart. We’d want an infant, though.”
“Actually,” Kate began. “There is a girl I wanted to tell you about...”
Kim sat forward in her chair. “What do you mean?”
“She’s been e-mailing me for the past few weeks. She’s eighteen, unmarried, and pregnant.”
“She wants to give us her baby?” Kim’s tone rose in enthusiasm.
“That’s what we want to talk to you about,” Kate said. “She’s a sweet girl, but she isn’t ready to be a mother.”
“Who is she?” Kim said. “Is she from Copper Mill?”
“She’s a senior at Copper Mill High School. She’s a very special girl, gifted in art and sewing. She has a scholarship to Parsons New School for Design in New York City. You should see the clothes she designs.”
“She told you she wants to give her baby up?” Chad asked.
Kate nodded.
“How far along is she?” Kim asked.
“Almost three months. Her baby is due in October.”
“Do you know anything about the father?” Chad asked.
“I don’t know much about him other than he’s in college and plays football...and he isn’t interested in being a father. But if you want to meet her, I’m pretty sure we could arrange that.”
