Chapter 8

Cody took the paper bag from the girl at the drive-through window and handed it to Hailey. “This wasn’t what I had in mind when I asked you out for dinner,” he said.

“This is fine. Besides, I needed that walk far more than I needed a big dinner.” She unwrapped a straw and slipped it into his soda. Their eyes met as he took it from her.

“So did I,” he said softly.

“What’s your next step with the painting? Are you going to try tracing it? Paige and I just assumed that this was one your mother had sold before she died, but. . .wow, this is intriguing. How many were stolen? What if this led to the—”

Cody grabbed her left arm and stopped her hamburger in midair. She was holding it in both hands, lifting it to her mouth after each sentence, but hadn’t yet taken a bite. “Eat, girl! You need your strength to keep up with that mouth of yours!”

Hailey took a bite and tried to look indignant as he winked at her.

“Actually, you voiced the very thoughts that were going through my head. Not that they were moving through my head quite as fast as they were coming out of your mouth. . . .”

“Would you like to wear this pickle on your tie tonight?”

“No, thank you.” He held out his hand, palm up. “But I will put it over my eye so we match!”

His laughing eyes turned back to the road until something warm and wet dropped onto his hand. “Yecchh!” He reached for his napkin.

“Don’t ever tempt me again, Dr. Worth.”

“Touché. But don’t think for a minute that this is the end of it!”

She grinned wickedly. “Not for a minute.”

“Seriously, now.” He looked at her arched eyebrow and shook his head. “Seriously, I need to get details from Dad. Would you like to stop over for coffee before I take you home tonight—if it’s not too late?”

“I wouldn’t miss it, Sherlock.”

They finished eating in silence; then Hailey drained the last of her soda and asked, “Do you have any idea what to expect at this meeting?”

“None whatsoever. It’s a service organization, a group of philanthropists looking for good causes, I guess. Dad said they were described in an editorial in one of the Madison papers as ‘a loose-knit organization of semiwealthy bleeding-heart liberals.’”

Hailey laughed.

“Anyway, I think you and I are the whole program. I was planning on giving some background on the Sparrow Center, then introducing you, and then I’ll do a wrap-up when you’re done, listing our needs and such, begging for money if they seem receptive. Nervous?”

“Not really. I had an uneventful night at work last night, so I had some time to review. Your dad sent a pile of information with David yesterday, and I have all my school notes and obstetrical and pediatric nursing books here. I made copies of some handouts that might be helpful.”

“Great. I’m sure you’re more prepared than I am. I feel like a bit of a hypocrite, acting like an expert on something I’ve only been a part of for a few weeks.”

“Just don’t tell anyone your real job at the center is painting walls. It might destroy your credibility!”

Cody laughed. “I had lunch with Dad and David yesterday.” He patted the yellow legal pad at his side. “I picked their brains and took lots of notes, and I’ve got a display in the trunk with pictures of the building, but I’d feel more at ease if this were a Christian group we were addressing. The general public hasn’t always been supportive of this project. Dad got some pretty frightening threats when they first started.”

“I know. But we’re talking about children!”

“Not everyone’s focus is on the innocent victims. I guess the attitude is ‘Why should I be responsible for their mistakes?’ Some of the outcry was about bringing ‘that kind’ of people into the community. The original plan for that land was a huge condominium complex. There were some people who stood to gain a lot of money from it, so I guess you can’t blame them.

“Of course, a lot of the animosity comes from people who don’t realize that the center is all privately funded. They assume it’s coming out of their pockets. I just don’t know what to expect from this group. Let’s just pray we appeal to their compassion.”

Hailey looked apprehensively at the modern brick building to her right as Cody turned into the parking lot. “But we could be walking into the lions’ den.”

“Could be!” He smiled and winked again. “We’ll just have to ask God to shut their mouths!” He parked the car and turned to face her. “Let’s pray before we go in.” He took her hand and held it lightly. “Dear Lord, we don’t know what to expect tonight. We just put ourselves in Your hands. Please guide our words, and we pray that You’ll be glorified by our actions.” He squeezed her hand as he said, “Amen.”

❧

“Alcohol is the third leading cause of mental retardation in our country. One baby out of every 750 is afflicted with an identifiable constellation of abnormalities known as FAS, fetal alcohol syndrome. The major features of FAS include craniofacial characteristics such as a small head, a protruding forehead, slitlike eyes, and a narrow upper lip. Growth retardation and microcephaly are also common. The mean IQ in children born with FAS is about sixty-eight.

“Many more children, about one in every 125 births, suffer from a less severe set of problems which we call fetal alcohol effects. Their lifelong challenges may include learning disorders, attention deficit, and poor muscle control.”

Hailey paused a moment and swept her eyes across the room of thirty-some people, then fixed her gaze on a pleasant-looking elderly lady with blue-tinted hair in the middle of the audience. “What this means in terms of numbers is that each year in Wisconsin 70 to 80 babies are born with FAS, and between 150 and 200 more are in some way harmed by the effects of alcohol.”

She tried to judge the reactions on the faces in front of her as she went on to explain the long-term struggles faced by families and victims of alcohol-related birth defects. Then she went on to describe the effects of crack and cocaine on unborn babies.

“A cocaine baby loses the ability to orient to a human voice and face. In fact, the baby may become more irritable the more someone speaks to him or tries to mother him. You can imagine the feelings of frustration and inadequacy this creates in a mother, and the negative cycles that result. This is why our goal is to offer support and education for the entire family. By educating a mother, by encouraging her to stick with a drug treatment program while still maintaining as much contact with her child as possible, we can help establish and protect the precious bond between a mother and her child.” Hailey’s voice grew raspy on the last few words. She took a sip from the glass in front of her and continued. “We can help her break a cycle of poor choices and costly mistakes that may have existed for generations.”

There were several nods of agreement as she concluded. The elderly woman smiled at her. Hailey turned to Cody, who took over from there.

Coffee and Danish kringle were made available after the meeting. Cody and Hailey stood near the coffee urn answering questions as people milled about informally. The lady with the blue hair gave Hailey a hug. “God bless you, dear. I was so touched with what you said about helping those women break negative cycles. We can’t just support them; we have to show them how to change!”

The tall, balding man next to her scowled. “Oh, Margaret, cut the blarney! These programs don’t work—a month later they’re back on drugs and back making more babies that somebody has to pay for!” He turned to Cody and scowled again, then apologized to Hailey without sincerity. “I’m sorry, miss, but I just don’t see it. Children like that shouldn’t be allowed to come into the world in the first place! That’s the only way to break those cycles!”

The woman gasped. “Why, Howard!”

The man fixed his cold stare on Hailey. “You’re a nurse. There are ways they can tell about. . .abnormalities before birth. Abortion is perfectly safe and legal and should—”

“Howard! Murdering a helpless baby is not the answer to the mistakes of his parents!”

“Oh, Margaret, quit being dramatic!”

Ignoring the man’s comment, Cody nodded to the woman. “I agree. Abortion is never a solution.” He had more to say, but the veins in the man’s neck were bulging, and Cody was in no mood for an argument. He put his arm across Hailey’s shoulder to steer her away and was surprised to feel her shaking beneath his arm. He was even more alarmed to feel her stiffen as he drew her closer.

Half an hour later, Cody slid beneath the steering wheel and fastened his seat belt. “Well, only one lion in the group wasn’t too bad, huh? But people like that sure can get under your skin, can’t they?”

“Mm-hm.”

“On the whole I think everyone was supportive, don’t you?”

“Yes.”

“You did a great job. You really know your stuff.”

“Thank you. So did you.”

“Still up for a cup of coffee?”

“I think I’d better get home. It’s late.”

Cody stared at her in the dark, opened his mouth, and then changed his mind. “Yeah,” he said, “it’s been a long day.”