And that blew Sybill’s carefully prepared speech all to hell. “I honestly don’t understand why people in this family won’t listen to, much less accept, a sincere apology for regrettable behavior.”

“Boy, if that’s the tone you use when you lecture,” Anna observed with admiration, “your audience must sit at attention. But to answer your question, I suppose we don’t because we so often indulge in what could be termed regrettable behavior ourselves. I’d ask you to sit down, but those are really lovely slacks and I have no idea what nasty surprises there are on any of the cushions.”

“I don’t intend to stay.”

“You couldn’t see your face,” Anna said more gently. “When he looked up at you, when he told you what he remembered. But I could see it, Sybill. I could see it was a great deal more than duty or responsibility or a valiant attempt to do what was right that brought you here. It must have crushed you when she took him away all those years ago.”

“I can’t do this again.” The burn of tears scalded the back of her eyes. “I just can’t do this again.”

“You don’t have to,” Anna murmured. “I just want you to know I understand. In my work I see so many damaged people. Battered women, abused children, men who are at the end of their ropes, the elderly we so blithely displace. I care, Sybill. I care about every one of them who come to me for help.”

She sighed a little and spread her fingers. “But in order to help them, I have to hold part of myself back, be objective, realistic, practical. If I threw all my emotions into every one of my cases, I couldn’t do my job. I’d burn out, burn up. I understand the need for a little distance.”

“Yes.” The painful tension drained out of Sybill’s shoulders. “Of course you do.”

“It was different with Seth,” Anna went on. “Right from the first minute, everything about him pulled at me. I couldn’t stop it. I tried, but I couldn’t. I’ve thought about that, and I believe, sincerely, that my feelings for him were there, just there, even before I met him. We were meant to be a part of each other’s lives. He was meant to be part of this family, and this family was meant to be mine.”

Risking the consequences, Sybill eased down on the arm of the sofa. “I wanted to tell you . . . you’re so good with him. You and Grace. You’re so good for him. The relationship he has with his brothers is wonderful, and it’s vital. That strong male influence is important for a boy. But the female, what you and Grace give him, is just as vital.”

“You have something to give him, too. He’s outside,” Anna told her. “Drooling over his boat.”

“I don’t want to upset him. I really have to go.”

“Running away last night was understandable and acceptable.” Anna’s gaze was direct, level and challenging. “Running now isn’t.”