WEDNESDAY, MAY 17 – That Wednesday morning and afternoon, Amy, Susan, and Bobbie had their appointments with the school nurse, Mrs. Simpson, and with Glenn Jamison at Morningside Church. They received Mrs. Simpson's advice for Amy to have an abortion, as quickly as possible. And they heard Glenn's advice for Amy to have the baby, whom God had created, and then to seek an adoption.
That afternoon, Bruce McKinney came by Richard's office and proposed that Richard co-guarantee along with three other individuals a $500,000 loan for his company at the bank, until the Tomlinson deal closed. Richard was intrigued by the prospect of earning an additional $50,000 for just signing his name, and he promised his friend Bruce that he would give him an answer in a day or two.
Late that afternoon, after most of the attorneys and staff had gone home, Richard walked down to Court Shullo's office. “Have you got a minute for a ‘what if’?” Richard asked, standing outside Court's door.
“Sure, sure, Richard,” Court answered. “I was getting tired of reading motions and countermotions anyway,” he smiled.
Taking a seat across from Court, Richard said, “As both a lawyer and a Christian, I'd like your advice on a proposition one of my long-standing clients and friends made to me today.” And Richard described for Court the background of the McKinney and Smith deal with Patrick Tomlinson, and the attractive proposition Bruce McKinney had made to him that afternoon about co-guaranteeing their company's loan at the bank.
Court listened attentively and made several notes while Richard spoke. When Richard finished, Court thought for a few moments and then replied, “Let me respond as best I understand the situation, first as a Christian and then as a lawyer.” Richard nodded his approval.
“Have you ever read Proverbs?” Court asked Richard.
Richard shook his head and said, “I guess I've read one or two isolated extracts, but never the whole book in the Bible.”
“Well, most of Proverbs was written by Solomon, David's son, proclaimed by both God and man to be the wisest ruler Israel ever had,” Court said. “There are, by the way, thirty-one chapters, and you could do worse than reading one chapter each day of the month, repeated for about six months. But anyway, the point for now is that some large number of times—I forget exactly how many, but it must be three or four—Solomon writes in the course of these thirty-one chapters that a wise man never guarantees a loan for someone else. I try to take note of everything written in the Bible, but I figure that when something is repeated over and over again, it's for a reason. And I bet if you ask any of our attorneys in civil litigation, you'll find that a great part of their work today is created by the fact that so few people have heeded that advice.
“So that's my spiritual input. As a lawyer, it seems to me that you could be putting yourself in a position where you could have a terrible conflict if, God forbid, something negative started happening to this deal. I mean, could you readily give McKinney sound advice, if you had not only our fee, but an additional, personal $50,000 of financing riding on the outcome?”
Richard listened attentively to all Court had to say, his chin resting on the tips of his upturned fingers. When Court finished, Richard smiled and said, “I really appreciate your advice, Court. You've done exactly what I asked. And tonight I think I'll try for the first time doing something Bob Meredith tells me he wishes he had begun doing years ago: I'm going to ask my wife her opinion.”
“Sounds good to me,” Court smiled. “And let me know if anything changes, or if I can help you in any other way.”
Richard nodded, smiled back and said, “And now we both need to go home to our families. That's an order from your senior partner, Court. But thanks for being here.”
Ever since the weekend events after the prayer breakfast, Janet had been moved to respond to the changes that she had so visibly seen in Richard. She started by trying to think of ways to be home more of the time. And ways that each of them could become more involved in the other's interests. Driving home that afternoon from work, she thought she might have hit upon such an opportunity.
After dinner that night, as Richard rinsed the plates and she loaded them in the dishwasher, Richard said, “When we get finished, I'd like to ask your opinion about something.”
“That's fine,” replied Janet. “Because I wanted to ask you something too.”
Settled in the den while the kids worked on their homework upstairs, Richard again described for Janet the history and the proposal from Bruce McKinney. Janet listened and interrupted him several times with short clarifying questions.
“We could really use the $50,000, for several specific projects we've talked about together in the past, as well as maybe for a getaway for the family. But it means that I have to personally sign for a big loan, although there will be other guys joining me and the downside risk should be very minimal. What do you think?” Richard finally asked.
As Court had done, Janet took a few moments to think before answering. “We've lived next to Bruce and Diane for years, and we've always enjoyed doing things with them. They've got four cute little children who keep Diane busy all the time. I've always liked doing things with them, Richard, but I've never thought that Bruce had very much business common sense. I mean…I don't know…it's something about his eyes or the way he's always buying the newest of everything. I can't exactly explain it, but I wouldn't want you—and therefore our family—to risk any money, if the outcome we need depends largely on Bruce.”
Richard smiled, almost chuckled. “Well, that's the same sort of scientific investment advice that Bob Meredith told me Anne gives to him! But he also says that she's right virtually all the time. He even told me that it's a Christian principle that husbands should always listen to their wives on issues such as this, that God has given you a sense that we men don't have! Now, I haven't had time to check that out myself, but it sounds as if you and Anne ought to open an investment advisory firm!”
Janet smiled as well. “Anytime, dear. I've thought you've done some crazy things in the past, but I didn't want to say anything. But if you ask, I'll definitely tell you…And now, if that's settled, I've got something to ask you.” Richard nodded in agreement. “As we've talked about before, in nine days the network and our station are going to conduct the test of the ‘911 Live’ concept here. I took your advice—as long as we're thanking each other for advice—and told Bill Shaw that we didn't think it was good, particularly for Connie and me, to ride around with the emergency vehicles. So he and Tom Spence are going out in a police car, while Connie and I will watch from the control room. I wondered if you would like to join us that night at the station, and then you and I can go out for dinner afterwards? The next day we're all going with the Bryants to their mountain home, but we shouldn't be out too late.”
“I think that sounds like a great idea,” Richard smiled. “Let's plan on it.”
THURSDAY, MAY 18 – The next morning, Richard called Bruce and told him that, despite the attractiveness of the offer, Richard just did not feel it was the right thing for him to do. In his explanation, he primarily cited the potential for a legal conflict of interest, and he thanked Bruce for the opportunity.
“But you may soon not have a client or a business to have a conflict with,” Bruce told Richard, obviously disappointed. “If we don't get this loan, I don't know if we're going to make it. And one of the other potential guarantors has already declined. If you back out, Richard, it could kill our company.”
Richard did not like the escalation of his own implied responsibility for the culmination of many years’ past problems. “Now, Bruce,” Richard responded, “I think that's a bit of an exaggeration. You're my client, neighbor, and friend. I've helped you every step of the way with Tomlinson, and will continue to do so. But I've got to help you as your attorney, not as an investor in your firm, which I would essentially become if I guaranteed your loan. I understand you're disappointed, but I didn't create the situation you're in. I'm here to help you work it out, but not in that way.”
“OK, OK.” Bruce backed off on the telephone. “I understand. I'll try to ask someone else, and if I need papers drawn up, I'll give you a call. Thanks for considering it.” And he hung up without saying goodbye.
SATURDAY, MAY 20 – That warm Saturday afternoon, Susan had challenged Janet to a tennis game, and the men decided to have a game as well. So all four of the Sullivans walked down to the courts at the park in the middle of Devon Drive.
Between sets, when Janet and Susan were sitting and watching Richard and Tommy play, Susan said, “Now, Mom, don't freak! I'm not asking for me…but we've been studying in biology, and I wondered what you think about abortions.”
Janet looked closely at Susan, trying to read her expression, to see if it really was about her. She could only see an honest question—one that Janet had not exactly expected, however.
“Well, if you had asked me that question a few weeks ago, I would have said that women definitely have the right to choose what's best for their bodies. But now, after going to church and Sunday school for a couple of weeks and considering all that has happened to your father and seeing how he has changed, I have been led to reconsider a belief I've held for a long time, about God. Something has changed your father, and he believes that it's God. And I must say that everything I've seen and heard so far supports that.
“So if there is a God,” Janet continued, bouncing the racquet on the fingers of her free hand, “then we need to listen to Him. And there is apparently some pretty strong evidence in the Bible that God is opposed to abortion.
“I know you went to lunch with your friends and were not in the main service on Sunday, but Michael Andrews preached a great sermon. I think we told you a little bit about it. The sermon was not really about abortion, but he used it to illustrate some points. They made me stop and think. For example, he said that elevating individual convenience over life is going against God, and will undoubtedly lead us as a society to more and more problems in the future. And he pointed out how college enrollment has dropped off dramatically because of all the babies who would have been born, had abortion not been legalized in the early 1970s.
“Anyway, as I said, if you had asked me earlier, I would have said that abortion is just an individual woman's right to decide a personal matter about her own body. But now, in just the past few weeks, I've had to grapple with some new thoughts.” Janet sighed and slowed down. She looked toward Richard, playing tennis with Tommy, then she continued.
“You see, as you've heard me say so many times in the past, all those thoughts and decisions came from a belief that there was no God. Or at least that He doesn't become involved in our personal lives. But seeing with my own eyes what has happened to your father, hearing the same story from people like the Merediths, and listening to teaching from men like Michael Andrews, I'm simply forced to say that perhaps there is a God. And perhaps He does act daily in our lives. And if that's the case, then I'm going to have to rethink my stand on abortion because, like all individual decisions, it has to fit within God's larger plan. And I guess I can't imagine that getting rid of unborn babies fits into God's plan.”
There was a long silence between mother and daughter, as Janet continued to look toward Richard, then turned. “We certainly did get off on a serious subject for a tennis match!”
Susan returned her smile. “Yeah, I guess so.” As much as her mother's words, Susan appreciated her mother's honesty in sharing her uncertainty and her thought process. It made Susan feel good that her mother could trust her with these very personal thoughts.
“So you see,” Janet concluded, picking up their can of tennis balls, “you cannot get a simple answer from me right now, because I don't have one. But 1'm working on it. Or perhaps it's better to say that God is working on me. Anyway, I'm thinking about it. Maybe you should ask your father. By the way, why do you ask?”
“Oh, nothing,” said Susan, picking up her own racquet.
That Saturday evening, while Bobbie and Susan went on dates with Thomas and Drew, and Tommy went to their school's junior high spring dance, Amy had dinner with Billy and discussed with him what she had learned about abortion and adoption. By the end of the meal, feeling that she could just not imagine having a baby as a high school senior, she agreed with Billy that she should have the abortion and promised to schedule it for the following Friday.
Then on Sunday morning, she and her parents left and drove ninety miles south of their city to celebrate her grandmother's birthday. As they had backed out of their garage, they waved at the Sullivans, who were apparently on their way again to Morningside Church.
SUNDAY, MAY 21 – Amy's grandmother lived in a beautiful old two-story home on the outskirts of a small and once-thriving farm town. Her grandfather had been one of the two bankers in the town, and he had built a nice home on a large corner lot, from which her grandmother had always grown what seemed to Amy to be an amazing variety of fruits and vegetables, which she canned and gave to her three children and six grandchildren.
This was her grandmother's first birthday since her grandfather's death. Amy knew it was an issue for her father, his older brother, and his older sister, that their mother should move from her large home to more modest surroundings. Among her father's generation, that subject would be the main topic for discussion on the large veranda, and in the comfortable kitchen.
Amy had not seen several of her cousins for quite a while. She was looking forward to being with them again in the large home, which was filled with memories for her of Christmases and of summer vacations when she was a little girl. But she was not prepared for her cousin Catherine, the daughter of her father's older brother. Catherine was seven years her senior—and very pregnant with her second child.
Catherine was, of course, the main topic of conversation among the women. Amy's mother and her Aunt Lois doted over their niece whenever they were together. Amy found it difficult to escape the almost continuous conversation on childbirth and on young children. Once Amy was present when her own father was very complimentary of Catherine and told her how fine she looked in her modern, good-looking maternity dress. I wonder what they would say to me in six months, Amy wondered, if we were back here for Thanksgiving—and I were the one in the maternity dress?!
For Amy, the effect of being with Catherine for that entire day was one of simultaneous attraction and repulsion. Her cousin seemed so happy, even with the increased inconvenience in her seventh month of pregnancy. Amy had never noticed it before, but it really was true that pregnant women had a special “glow.” And Catherine seemed so maternal to her, shepherding her two-year-old around his great-grandmother's home.
Amy thought about the life growing inside of herself, and she longed to share her secret with Catherine. She asked her as many questions about being pregnant as she could, without seeming to be too intently interested. Catherine was a walking advertisement for pregnancy and childbirth. Several times during the day, Amy found herself warming to the possibility of actually carrying the baby to full term.
But then she reflected upon Catherine's older age, her college education, her seemingly loving husband who was a well paid engineer, and then voices inside her brought Amy back to what it would be like to be an unwed eighteen-year-old mother, with no high school education and a dismal future.
Amy spent the entire day on an emotional roller coaster. And driving home with her parents, she was glad that she had made her decision to have the abortion, if only to end the uncertainty and the emotional swings within her.
At youth group that Sunday morning, Glenn Jamison reminded the kids about the movie to which they were all invited that afternoon. He also announced that the church had hired a new director for the junior high ministry, a young lady named Carrie Wagner, whom he had known for several years. “Carrie will be joining us late in the summer, after she graduates from college and has a bit of a vacation. We're really looking forward to having her here to concentrate on working with those of you in junior high.”
As they were leaving the room after the meeting, Glenn asked Tommy if he would like to join him some morning that week for an early breakfast, before Tommy had to be in school. Tommy, obviously happy to be asked, told Glenn he would certainly like to go.
“Great. I'11 give you a call tomorrow afternoon to set it up. OK?” Then, turning to Bobbie and Susan, Glenn motioned them aside in the hallway.
“Has your friend Amy come to a decision yet about her baby?” he asked.
The two girls looked at each other, and then Bobbie responded, “Not that we know of. She and Billy were going out for dinner last night, but then she had to go to her grandmother's this morning, and we haven't talked with her. I've been praying for her and for the baby. Obviously she has to make a decision soon, and we'll let you know.”
“Please. My wife and I have been praying, too, that she will choose adoption.”
After Susan prepared for bed that evening, she picked up the novel she was reading and climbed into bed as usual. Then, thinking for a moment, she closed the book, placed it on her night table, stepped out of bed and, for the first time, knelt in prayer. The long exposure to Bobbie's faith, the last three weeks in church, the conversation the day before with her mother, and Bobbie's comment that morning that she had been praying for Amy, all led Susan to this new position, on her knees, bowing her head to her heavenly Father.
She had little experience and no training in how to pray, but her heart was sincere and her agony for her friend was very real. She asked God for His help and His blessing, that Amy would choose the right path, for her, whichever that was. And she prayed that neither Amy nor any of her other friends would have to go through such an experience again.
Nepravel, who happened to be next door, running up the voices of Doubt, False Teaching, and Selfishness, to bolster Amy's decision in favor of abortion, was angered to see two streams of light going up from the Sullivans’ house and being answered immediately by more brilliant streams from heaven to earth, each attacking and diminishing his hard work on the voices of deception inside the teenager. Because of Susan's prayers, added to the others building up on Amy's behalf, Nepravel had to spend extra time at the Bryants’ home, further slowing him down in his regular rounds. And further making him nervous about the possible appearance of one or more angels at Amy's abortion.
MONDAY, MAY 22 – As she sat at lunch in their school cafeteria the next day, Susan was amazed by what she thought was the power of prayer. Amy announced to her two friends her final decision to have the abortion, and she told them that it was all set for Friday morning. Bobbie tried to argue, and tears formed in her eyes, as she considered whether she could join Amy at the abortion clinic. Susan, for her part, was amazed that God had already apparently answered her first attempt at a serious prayer, from only the night before, that Amy would choose the right path. That's amazing, Susan thought quietly to herself. Dad and Glenn Jamison are right The power of prayer seems to be incredible. I'm a little surprised that Amy has chosen abortion, but I'm glad that my prayer has been answered.
Tommy had now made it through two weekends without joining the older boys in “doing videos.” In one part of his mind, he knew that he was better off for not participating. But the pressure was building inside him again, from the visual images of the wildly pornographic videos, to the excitement of being with the other boys, to the voices of rationalization that Nepravel had spinning at a loud pace in him, countering as best Nepravel could the presence of a believing father in the family.
That Monday afternoon, Tommy really enjoyed the professional baseball game his father took him to as a special afternoon together. While the chasm between Tommy and his father had not closed, the distance had certainly narrowed over the last few weeks. His father had, in fact, consciously taken more time with him, in everything from homework to sports to just sitting for a while and talking together in the evenings. And something about his father's new openness and vulnerability, which Tommy could daily see coming from his father's new faith, actually made Richard stronger and more trustworthy in his son's eyes.
So the baseball game that afternoon was very enjoyable for both of them. Riding home in the car, they talked about how close Tommy had come to catching a high pop fly that bounced only three rows behind them.
But the pressure from the other side was also building and building in Tommy, and finally he asked his father, as they entered the interstate, “Dad, what do you think about homosexuals?”
“Why do you ask, son?”
“Like, you know, we studied homosexuality in our health class several weeks ago, and then two of them came in and talked to us about their lifestyles…and, I don't know…I just thought I'd ask you.”
“Well, I don't know. I guess I've never really thought about them much. They're obviously people just like us, some good, some bad. I've never really been able to figure out whether it's something caused by heredity or by environment or by friends, or what. But by coincidence I do happen to know what the Bible says about it, which I now believe is the best place to begin on any difficult subject like this, because I started on Paul's letters the other night, the first one, the one to the Romans.
“I had frankly never realized that the Bible specifically mentions homosexuality, but it does, in both the Old and the New Testaments. I don't remember exactly where, but I think it's near the end of the first chapter of Romans. It says that both men and women committed homosexual acts with each other and received a punishment inside themselves for doing so. I referred to the Bible notes on the subject, and they led me back to Deuteronomy, I think. There it again says that homosexuality is wrong and actually calls it an ‘abomination to God.’
“So, it looks like God is very much opposed to it, and, judging from the homosexuals I have known and the ones we see on television, if it really is an ‘alternative lifestyle,’ it appears to be a very unhappy one. They all seem to be angry or upset about something. And of course the AIDS epidemic has been devastating to the homosexual community, which is awful. So the Bible says it's an abomination. All of the homosexuals I know fit on a narrow scale from unhappy to angry—and AIDS is killing them at alarming rates. All in all, it doesn't sound like a very positive lifestyle!”
“No, it doesn't,” Tommy agreed. His father's arguments, which Tommy had never really heard before, made a lot of sense, and certainly gave him some reasons to pause and consider before joining his friends again.
TUESDAY, MAY 23 – Tuesday morning Richard received a call from Bruce McKinney. “Richard, is there any way you'll reconsider helping us out with that loan guarantee?” Bruce asked.
“Bruce, I really wish I could, but I just don't think it's possible, for several reasons. Why?” Richard answered.
“It's just not fair. We're so close to closing the Tomlinson investment, but we haven't been able to arrange a short-term loan with our bank, because we're loaned out. Only one of our prospects would guarantee the loan, which wasn't good enough for the bank. It's a real mess because we're about to run out of operating cash, and I just don't know what to do.”
“That does sound bad, Bruce.” Richard could hear the agony in Bruce's voice. Closer to home, he could imagine that his legal fee for his work on the Tomlinson matter might now be in jeopardy. “I'll call Marty Tsongas again for the latest reading on the estate settlement, and I'll try to hurry him up. Perhaps you should try another bank.”
“OK. Let me know what Marty says. As you know, banks are all about the same, and I don't hold out much hope for a loan. But I'll make a few calls,” Bruce concluded and said goodbye.
As Richard rode down the elevator to a luncheon appointment that Tuesday, he noted that it had been exactly two weeks since his meeting with Kristen to break up their relationship. He had had no further contact with Kristen, which he knew was the right thing to do. But he was still concerned about her, and he imagined that he would call her again after more time had passed.
But more to the point, during these past two weeks he had also lived in constant but slightly decreasing fear of a telephone call from Kristen to Janet. Every evening when he returned from work, and every time Janet had answered the phone at the house, he worried that Janet would confront him with news that might end their marriage. He knew in his mind and in his heart that he was finished with Kristen. More importantly, he knew he had been born again after the prayer breakfast, and that he was a new man. And he hoped Janet recognized the differences in him. But he also knew it would be impossible for her not to be devastated by news of what he had done, and he frankly didn't know what to do. Every day he suffered through the agony of whether he should take the initiative and tell Janet, or hope that Kristen would calm down, that it would all blow over, and that Janet would simply never know.
Bob and Anne Meredith had shared his anxiety when they left the garage at Kristen's apartment that day. Anne had told him that if she were Janet, she would never want to know. Bob had said Richard might feel better if he told Janet all that had happened and asked for her forgiveness—but he also understood the risk to their marriage. They had finally suggested that Richard talk to Michael Andrews about it, when the two of them met.
Richard had called the office at the Morningside Church on the Monday morning following their first visit. The church secretary, who had been very helpful, explained that for the next two weeks Reverend Andrews had an unusual schedule of conferences. Unless it was an emergency, she asked that their meeting be arranged near the end of the month. Richard had of course agreed, and he looked forward to meeting with Reverend Andrews on the following Wednesday. In the meantime, he continued to keep his marriage in his nightly prayers, asking God for His blessing and His mercy.
“Hello.”
“Peter, hi. This is Kristen. How are you?”
“Kristen! I'm just great. How are you?”
“I'm OK…OK. Listen, I was thinking that I need a break, and I might use some of my frequent flyer miles and come out to San Francisco for the weekend. Are you going to be there?”
“Sure. Absolutely. When are you planning to arrive?”
“Well, I thought I would catch an early flight on Friday morning, so I can arrive in time to do some shopping. I'm sure I could be there for lunch, if you'll be free.”
“That sounds great. Some friends and I were planning to go sailing in the bay on Saturday afternoon. Would you like to join us?”
“Yes. That would be great. I'll bring some sailing clothes. Listen, Peter. Can you recommend a decent hotel that's not too expensive?”
“Well…why don't you just stay with me?”
There was a pause on the line, and Peter held his breath. “I…uh…that sounds great. Are you sure it will be no trouble?”
Peter smiled. “No trouble at all. Call me when you know your flight information, and I'll meet you downtown at the airport express terminal.”
THURSDAY, MAY 25 – Susan had wavered on whether or not to talk to her father about abortion. After the discussion with her mother on Saturday afternoon, she had meant to ask her father the same question, in order to help Amy. But then on Monday at lunch Amy announced her decision, and for the next few days Susan decided that the issue was closed.
But now that it was Thursday evening and she would secretly be going with Amy to the abortion clinic in only a few hours, she changed her mind again and decided that she would like to know what her father thought. So after dinner she picked up her biology book as a cover and joined her parents in the den, where her father was looking through a legal brief, and her mother was reviewing the last month's local news ratings.
“Dad, I asked Mom this question on Saturday, and she suggested that I ask you. We've been studying childbirth in biology, and I wondered what you personally think about abortion?”
Richard put down his brief and glanced at Janet, who returned his look without changing her expression. For a second he thought to himself, First Tommy and homosexuals on Monday, now Susan and abortions on Thursday. Suddenly there sure are a lot of questions! But then the thought occurred to him, Maybe that's what Ben Fuller and others have meant about being the “spiritual head of the family.” I don't know. But here goes.
To Susan, who had taken a seat in an armchair next to him, he said, “Well, legally, abortion is of course the law of the land, and so I would have to defend any woman's right to have one. And I recognize it's a very difficult subject. But recently, from reading God's Word and praying and listening to men like Michael Andrews, I've come to a new recognition of how important it is, both for us individually and for our nation, to try to follow God's will for us. And, Susan, I cannot imagine that God wants us to kill defenseless, unborn babies in their mothers’ wombs.”
“But how do you know that they are really babies? Our biology teacher has insisted that we call them ‘fetuses.’”
“Well, as your mother may have told you, a couple of weeks ago, Michael Andrews gave a sermon on the future of our country, and he mentioned abortion as one of the ‘watershed’ issues, like slavery was before our Civil War. The sides now being drawn on this fundamental moral issue, unfortunately, allow for little compromise. And he mentioned that in the Psalms…I took some notes and I can look up the exact reference for you…it mentions how God ‘knits us together in our mother's womb.’ That indicates to me that God thinks of us as individuals, created by Him, whether we are born yet or not.” Susan listened silently and waited for him to say more.
“And then, I've been reading through some literature Court Shullo gave me from the Foundation for the Family. It was started by a medical doctor, Samuel Morris, ten years ago, as a nonprofit organization to support the role of the family in our nation. The article I read corresponded with my reading in the Gospels over the past few weeks. It pointed out how in the first chapter of the third Gospel, the author/doctor, named Luke, described when Mary visited her cousin, Elizabeth. They were both pregnant, but Elizabeth was further along in her term. He writes that John, who was the unborn baby in Elizabeth's womb, jumped when Mary spoke. Now Luke was a doctor, but he did not write that the ‘fetus’ in Elizabeth jumped. He was inspired by God to write that the ‘baby’ jumped.
“I haven't done an exhaustive study of biblical references on this subject, but it would be great if you would do it, and we could talk about it again. I guess the bottom line is that I think they're living babies from the moment of conception, simply because God already knows us. He must agonize over the millions and millions of these babies who are killed every year throughout the world. I wonder how long He can let it go on, frankly, before He does something.”
Susan said in a low voice, looking at the floor, “I never thought of it that way.”
“Nor did I,” Janet added from across the room. Smiling, she said to Richard, “In most ways living with you has become easier since God got hold of you that morning, but in a few ways it has become more difficult. I have to think more.”
“Well,” Richard smiled and put his hand on Susan's knee, trying to break the sadness of his last statement. “Let me tell you this. I assume that you ask this question not about yourself, but rather for your biology class. But let me tell you that if, God forbid, any of your friends or acquaintances ever become pregnant, we have many, many wonderful couples who are desperate for babies and who have asked our law firm to help them find a healthy little boy or girl. So if anyone ever asks you, please let her know that we can arrange for all of the mother's medical expenses to be paid and for the baby to find a very nice home.”
“Really? I had no idea your law firm could do that,” Susan said, obviously surprised.
“Yes, of course. In fact we have a young attorney, Kathy Thomas, who does little else but arrange such adoptions. She's a fine young woman, and she does a very good job of matching the right couple with the right mother.”
Susan smiled and thanked her father, wishing that she had asked him her questions before the abortion was arranged, when she first learned that Amy was pregnant. And she made a mental note that her father might be a reasonably good source of information in the future as well. But she didn't feel she could call Amy and talk about what she had just learned, since it would reopen the painful decision that her friend had already made.