Chapter 45
So many bad memories at this hospital—starting with the loss of Vera’s father over twenty years ago. It was just after they had upgraded and built a new wing, and her father was brought in for heart surgery, which was successful, but an infection set in quickly afterward. Then he was gone. Too soon.
Her mother’s grief had scared her. Her own grief had shaped her life in ways she was only beginning to understand now, as a mother, and staring at midlife without a partner. Fear. Death. It had all shaped who she was. But even though she was alone now, Vera was finding it not so bad. What was she afraid of? Actually, she liked being alone. Of course it would be easier if Bill were sharing her life with her. But it wasn’t worth the sacrificing of herself.
She held on to the baby she was carrying, felt its heat, smelled its newness. Nameless child. Motherless child. Fatherless. What kind of life would she have?
Vera looked at the doctor, who came toward her with a smile. A nice guy. But he wasn’t the father of this baby. Nor was she the mother.
Yes, she hated this hospital. And she hated giving the baby back to the doctor and the staff there. She had no blood tie to this child. Still, her heart broke as the doctor took her from her arms. Suddenly they felt cold and empty.
“Is it okay if I visit from time to time?” she asked the doctor, holding back tears.
It wasn’t her baby, she told herself. Her own child was with Beatrice today. But still, once she became a mother, her heart seemed to open even more to children and babies. She knew the love that each child brought into the world. We are born with such a capacity to love. What happens to us?
“I don’t see why not,” the doctor said, smiling, revealing deep dimples on either side of his mouth.
“What will happen to her, Dr. Green?”
“Call me Eric, please,” he said. “And I don’t know. Once we figure out who the father is, things might start to fall into place. The mother’s family appears to not want the baby. The police are still looking over the security tapes, and the DNA tests are still pending.”
“I hate the thought of her going into the system,” Vera said. She handed him a business card. “Can you call me if you get a chance, if there’s a break in the case? Or . . .”
He read the card. “So you’re a dancer.”
“Sort of. Now I teach. Have my own studio,” she said. “Speaking of which, I better get going. Nice chatting with you.”
“Likewise,” he said, flashing a smile.
Wow. Was he a handsome man. Why hadn’t she noticed that earlier this morning—or before? What a beautiful, strong jawline he had and the warmest brown eyes. She was certain he was the same doctor who operated on her mother last year.
She worked her way through the long, shiny-floored corridor and hit the elevator button. She should probably take the steps, but she was in a hurry. And she was teaching two dancing classes this morning. That would be plenty of exercise.
The elevator doors opened, and a couple of Mennonites exited. The woman didn’t look her way at all. The young man looked at her and smiled. His blue eyes met hers right before he exited. Now, where had she seen him before?
She finally made it to her car through the maze of cars in the parking lot and glanced in the back at the infant car seat. It was a good thing she’d kept that. She sat behind the wheel and thought about her lesson plans as she drove to the studio.
The man in the elevator had left her with an uneasy feeling—but where would she have run into him before, and why? She switched on the radio and kept driving.
As she drove, she thought over the course of events this morning and wondered if Bill was still sleeping it off on her couch. She hoped he’d be gone by the time she returned. She briefly thought of Tony and wondered how he was doing, feeling a twinge of longing. It would be another few weeks before she could get up to the city to see him. He had promised a special evening, which aroused her curiosity.
She walked into her studio, thinking of Tony, the baby, and the Mennonite man she saw on the elevator, and remembered. Aha. He was the young man who had helped change their tire the day they were up in Jenkins Hollow. What was his name again? She suddenly felt sick. Luther. His name was Luther.