~*~
Megan alternated between praying and crying. After twenty-four hours of confinement in her house, she felt as if she’d burst if she didn’t do something. In desperation, she went to the grocery store and shopped for food she didn’t feel like eating. The phone rang before she’d been home ten minutes. “Megan, I think you’d better sit down.”
“What’s wrong?” Megan dropped her groceries on the table, groped for a chair, and sank onto it. “Is Mom all right?”
“Mom’s fine.” Shelly let out a rush of air. “Randy called Derek. It seems he and his dad are moving to Columbia.”
“Columbia?” Only twenty-two miles away. That wasn’t far. Just far enough to put Randy in another school district and another Cub Scout pack. Far enough to keep him away from Megan.
“It’ll be all right, though.” Shelly’s voice, meant to soothe, grated against Megan’s nerves. She wanted everything to return to normal. Nothing would ever be right again.
“I’m fine, Shelly. I’ll talk to you later.”
“Megan, wait. Don’t go all crazy on me.”
“I won’t.” Megan pinched the bridge of her nose. “I said I was fine. I am. It’s no big deal. I’m hanging up now.”
“All right. I’m sorry, sis.”
Megan stared at the phone in her hand. How had this all happened? She wasn’t surprised, though. As soon as Scott found out who she was, he ran and took Randy away just as she’d known he would.
A tiny spark of anger grew the longer she sat and thought about Scott running from her. He wouldn’t get away with this. For nine years she’d dreamed of finding her son and now she had. If Scott had his way, she’d never see him again. The more she thought of her situation, the angrier she became.
She grabbed the phone book and flipped to the yellow pages. Her finger stabbed the name John Waldon listed under Attorney at Law. She punched his phone number into her phone, and before she could change her mind, had set an appointment in two days. If Scott wanted to play dirty, she would show him the meaning of the word.
~Seventeen~
Megan parked down the street from the lawyer’s office. Last night had been the longest of her life. She glanced at the time on her cell phone. Twelve fifty-five. Her appointment was for one o’clock. She climbed from her car and stopped. This couldn’t be happening. Scott’s truck hugged the curb directly in front of the old, three-story building that housed John Walden’s office.
She’d forgotten Scott and her lawyer were close friends. Defeat weighed heavy against her chest. She turned and fell back into her car. Her hands trembled as she dug through her purse for the keys. How could he do this to her? What was he telling Mr. Walden? That she was a crazy woman who thought his son was hers? He’d lost no time in getting to the lawyer first after Shelly told him.
Her finger touched the cool metal of her key ring, and she yanked it from a bed of tissues, papers, pencils and cosmetics. Her hand shook, so she couldn’t insert the key. Lord, please, what am I supposed to do? Give up my son without a fight? Don’t ask that of me. Please, don’t.
The keys slipped from her fingers and dropped to the floorboard. What next? She couldn’t even make a quick getaway, which she needed to do before she exploded. Or before Scott came out and saw her. She reached for the keys.
And peeked over the dash. Randy ran down the steps of the building with Scott close behind. Megan’s heart slammed. Time ceased to exist. Scott filled her mind while her soul wept. How could so much love remain in a shattered heart? Yet she loved Scott still with every shard and broken piece.
Randy ran to the truck and climbed in. Scott got in the driver’s side. Neither looked her way. Did they feel the ache of loss that burdened her? Randy looked happy. He didn’t need her. He didn’t know she was his mother, but he should.
Resolve began to grow inside. Randy needed to know the truth. Why should she give in so easily? So Scott had told the lawyer to ignore her plea, that didn’t mean she had to buckle under and give up her rightful place as Randy’s mother. Surely she had some legal rights even ten years later.
Scott’s truck moved into the flow of traffic and disappeared around the corner. Megan dropped her keys back inside her purse. She stiffened her back, opened the car door, and got out. John Walden was about to hear her side of the story. He might be Scott’s friend, but he had to uphold the law.
~*~
“Miss McGinnis, how are you?” Mr. Walden nodded at the two chairs facing his desk. “Please, sit down.”
Megan sank into the closest chair. Ten years had passed, but the memory of her visit to this office hadn’t. For a moment, she became that same frightened college student. Only she wasn’t the same, and now she intended to right the wrong of that first visit.
The older man’s smile seemed sincere. “What can I do for you today?”
Megan took a deep breath. “Almost ten years ago I came here with my mother to see you. You arranged an adoption for my baby.”
“Yes, I remember.” Again he smiled as if to encourage her.
She let her breath out and took another.
~*~
After dropping the house key off at John’s office, Scott promised to get back with him later about renting the house. A roomy three-bedroom ranch in the suburbs seemed nice enough. The rent was reasonable and the neighborhood appeared clean and respectable. Moving here would cut his driving time and distance to work.
On the down side, Randy would have to go to a larger school, and he’d have to make new friends. Randy would miss Derek. But some things couldn’t be helped.
“Dad?”
Scott glanced across the cab at his son. “Yeah.”
“Are we going to move into that house?”
“I’m thinking about it. Don’t you like it?”
Randy shrugged. “It’s okay, I guess. Does Megan know we’re moving?”
“Not that I know of.”
“What will she think when she finds out? I don’t think she wants us to move away.”
Scott gripped the steering wheel and tried to keep his voice calm. “Randy, it isn’t any of Megan’s business what we do.”
“Are you mad at Megan?”
Was he mad at Megan? Scott analyzed his feelings. Yeah, probably. But mostly he was hurt. She’d used him. She’d taken his love, yet it meant nothing to her. All she cared about was Randy. But Randy was his son, and Megan McGinnis couldn’t have him.
When he didn’t answer, Randy spoke again. “Dad, if Megan did something bad maybe you should forgive her.”
Forgive her? Randy didn’t understand. How could he forgive someone who had used him to come between him and the most precious person in his life?
“Dad?”
“Yes, Randy.”
“My Sunday school teacher said we’re supposed to forgive people when they do bad things to us. The Bible says we’re supposed to forgive seventy times seven times. We figured that out, and it’s four hundred and ninety times. Megan didn't do that many things wrong, did she?”
Scott’s breath lodged in his throat. He coughed and did what any normal parent would do. He covered for himself.
“No, of course not. And you’re right, Randy. But this thing between Megan and me is different. You don’t need to worry, though. I’ll work it out.”
Different? In what way? She’d pushed her way into his life to steal his son. The first day they met popped into his mind. He’d asked her to build a fire for him so he could cook breakfast. She invited him to services on the beach. The boys were the ones who wanted to go swimming.
She mentioned Randy joining Scouts, but she hadn’t forced the issue. Randy wanted to, and Scott agreed because he saw Scouts as an opportunity to be with Megan. To get to know her better. From there on he’d encouraged their growing friendship every chance he got.
The more he thought about everything that had happened in the past few months, the clearer he saw things. Megan hadn’t chased him, and she’d never tried to claim Randy. What be
tter way to have done that than to marry him? Yet she refused even when doing so broke her heart. Everything pointed to her innocence, and he felt worse by the minute. She refused because, if she loved him like she said she did, she’d had no choice. She couldn’t marry him without telling him who she was unless she wanted to live a lie.
Scott shook his head. Talk about being between a rock and a hard place. Megan’s actions started making perfect sense. Love for her swelled within. She was Randy’s mother, and he was Randy’s father. Every child needed a mother and father. It wasn’t as if they were competing for the same position. Like pieces of a puzzle, his jumbled thoughts fell into place. He turned onto the highway leading north. He’d go straight to her house and tell her how he felt. She’d resist at first. But if she loved him, she’d see this as best for everyone.
He drove past the Banner Hills city limits sign eager to confront Megan. As he turned toward her house, Randy straightened and looked out the window. “Where are we going?”
“To see Megan.”
Scott grinned across the cab, and Randy jabbed his fist into the air. “Yes! Does that mean you’re going to forgive her?”
“Nope.” Scott chuckled and noticed how good it felt. “I decided there’s nothing to forgive. Sometimes, grownups make mistakes just like kids do. Megan and I both made some mistakes. It’s time to set things right.”
“Are you going to marry her?”
Scott laughed aloud at that. “How old are you?”
“Almost ten. So are you?”
“We’ll see.”
Scott stopped the truck in front of Megan’s house. Her car wasn’t in the driveway, and the front door was closed. He rang the bell and knocked on the door several times. She wasn’t home.
Randy seemed as disappointed as Scott felt.
“Don’t worry about it, son.” Scott consoled him. “We’ll catch her later and get this whole mess straightened out. How about we go grab a bite to eat and take it home with a video?”
“Okay.”
When they pulled into their own driveway, Randy looked at Scott. “Dad?”
“Yeah.”
“We aren’t going to move to Columbia now, are we?”
Scott stared out of the windshield for a moment before he answered. “No, I don’t think so.”
“Good, ’cause I don’t want to.”
~*~
“I’ve found my son, Mr. Walden. I know who adopted him and I’d like to sue for visitation rights.”
John Walden stared at Megan, his eyebrows lifted. “Would you mind revealing the name of the couple who you believe has your child, Miss McGinnis?”
Megan inwardly smirked. Couple, my eye. He knows Scott is widowed. She spoke with a calm voice. “Certainly not. The man who has my son is Scott Landis. He lives in Banner Hills. I believe you know him.”
John sank back against his chair as the breath left his body. Megan would have laughed out loud if she hadn’t been so in control. She waited for his next move.
When he finally spoke, his voice was quiet. “Yes, Scott Landis is a good friend of mine. I know him and Randy well. I realize Randy is adopted and is the same age as the child you gave up for adoption. I’m curious, why would you think Randy is that child?”
Megan smiled. He couldn’t talk his way out of this. “Your close friendship with Scott. Why wouldn’t you place a child with a friend? Randy’s birthday is August twenty-nine, which is the same as my baby’s. Randy has my coloring—fair hair and brown eyes. And he has several interests very similar to his birth father’s, specifically his interest in medicine.”
“Amazing.” John rested both elbows on the arms of his chair with his fingers steepled in front of him. “So many coincidences and only one wrong.”
His comment jolted Megan. No way would he get by with trying to discredit her findings. She kept her voice calm, although she wanted to scream. “And which one do you believe is wrong?”
John shrugged. “The birthdate. You’re right Randy’s birthday is in August, but the date isn’t the twenty-ninth. Randy was born on the seventh of August.”
“The seventh?” Wind rushed from Megan’s lungs.
John nodded. He reached into a drawer in his desk. He rummaged around and pulled out an envelope. “I’m going to do something that isn’t usually done. In this case, I think it’s necessary.”
Megan watched him with curiosity. The envelope he held had an airmail label with a foreign stamp on it. He pulled the contents out.
“This is from some very good friends of mine. Ten years ago, they lived here in Columbia and went to the same church I do. Actually, our church sponsors them as our missionaries to Chili.”
He looked at Megan with a steady gaze. “They had no children and desperately wanted one. When you came to me, I saw the chance to make their dream come true. They were thrilled when I told them I had found a baby boy for them.”
A chill crept up Megan’s spine. Could she have been wrong? A heavy weight settled inside. Silently, she willed him to hurry and say without doubt that her son was now with this couple.
He opened a hand-written letter and pulled out several snapshots. “I get a letter from them about once a year. They usually include some pictures of their son, David. David is the baby you gave up for adoption.”
He spread the pictures in front of her. Megan picked one up and stared at a little boy with dark hair and brown eyes. The cleft in Jason’s chin had been repeated in David’s. She picked out familiar features in his face and even in the cowlick on the back of his head. A tremble started in the middle of her body and spread to her hand. Her heart pounded a steady, hard rhythm. She put the picture back with the others and picked up another.
In most of them, David played with other children. One picture was of him with his parents in front of a birthday cake with nine candles. He looked nothing like them. His mother was a tiny blue-eyed blonde; his father’s hair was darker, but definitely not as dark as David’s. His eyes were also blue. In each picture, David’s smile told the story. Her son had a happy life. He looked well cared for and healthy. She saw from the photos he was loved.
Tears welled in her eyes and rolled down her cheeks. Not tears of regret or even hurt. They were tears of release. For the first time in ten years, her heart opened wide, and the bitterness she’d carried so long began to drain away.
John handed her a couple of tissues. She shook with sobs and wondered if she’d ever stop crying, but finally she did. She blotted her eyes. “Thank you so much for showing these to me.”
“Megan, I’m sorry you had to go through all of this, but I’m glad I could help. Would you like one of the pictures? Maybe the one with his parents?”
Megan took the offered picture from him and smiled through her tears. “Thank you. I needed to know.”
John stood when Megan did. He smiled. “Randy is a special boy, too, you know. He needs a mother in his life.”
“Yes, he does.” Megan left the building with the picture of her son clutched close in her hand. If she hadn’t been so obsessed with finding him, she could have been Randy’s mother. Scott would never want anything to do with her now, and she didn't blame him.
~Eighteen~
Scott carried the take-out lunch and rental movie to the living room. Randy followed with the soft drinks.
While Scott pulled sandwiches and fries from the bags, Randy pushed the button on the answering machine. Scott’s mother’s voice filled the room.
“Scott, honey, please pick up the phone. It’s your dad.”
Scott straightened and looked at the machine. Were those tears in her voice? He’d been afraid something would happen.
“We’re at the hospital now. Can you come?” Tension radiated from her voice. “He’s in intensive care. They don’t know if he’ll pull through. Scott, please come if you can.”
Scott grabbed the phone and punched in his folk’s number. When no one answered there, he called his sister’s cell phone. She answered on the secon
d ring. “We’re at the hospital. It doesn’t look good, Scott. If you want to see Dad, you’d better catch the next north-bound flight.”
Randy stood in the middle of the room watching, his eyes large. Scott needed reassurance as much as Randy did. “It’s all right, Randy. We’ll get there. Grandpa will pull through this.”
“Are you sure?” Randy’s voice sounded small and scared.
Scott pulled him into a one-armed hug. “Just pray and believe. That’ll do more good than worrying. Let me make one more call and then we’ll talk.”
He punched in a local number. “Pastor Turner? This is Scott Landis. I’ve got an urgent prayer request.”
After he hung up, Scott turned to his son. “How would you like to fly to Grandma’s?”
Randy nodded, his eyes still wide.
“Why don’t we eat while I make arrangements?”
Scott and Randy filled a couple of carry-on bags with enough clothing to last several days and headed for the truck.
~*~
Megan drove home to Banner Hills with mixed feelings. To know without doubt her son was healthy, well, and happy lifted the depression that had hovered over her head for nine long years.
During the half-hour drive, she cried and praised God for giving her this glimpse into her son’s life. She felt free where before she’d been bound by anger and worry. From the day of her baby’s birth, she’d worried about him. How could she know if he was loved and cared for? But now she did know, and with that knowledge came freedom and forgiveness. As tears poured down her cheeks, she found forgiveness for herself. At long last she was free to live her life the way she should. Now she could love Scott and Randy without guilt.
If only she could run into Scott’s arms and tell him everything she’d learned. But she couldn’t. Her impulsive stupidity had erected a barrier between them. How could she have ever thought Randy was her son? So he had blond hair and brown eyes. A lot of kids did. So what if his birthday was the same as her son’s? Or almost the same, she amended. Shelly was right. A lot of babies had been born during August.
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