“Nate keeps his speakers turned up to jet engine level. It’s not hard to put two and two together.”

“Yeah, I suppose not,” David said, trying to smile. “And I need to thank you. You know, the idea you gave Nate about Courtney. The horse.”

“It was a hit with her?”

“I wish you could have seen her face. I mean, you can see it through the camera, but being there was . . . It was like those videos of pets that get lost and then make their way back to their owners. Courtney just hugged that thing and put it on her bed and kept staring at it.”

Reese didn’t respond. She began to pace the porch.

“Reese, she is the cutest kid. It’s so bizarre to see someone that you’ve never met, that you never even knew existed, and they look so similar to you.”

“So now you have a full sister and a half sister?” Reese said, her voice sounding unconvinced of David’s excitement.

“Yeah.”

“Isn’t that kind of weird?”

“It is weird. But you know, it’s also kind of awesome. I just assumed I was an only child.”

Birds sang in the trees and provided the soundtrack that filled in the pauses of their conversation.

“So what now? Will you still see your biological family?”

“The Coltons are my family. But if everyone’s okay with it, we’ll definitely keep up with each other.”

Reese put her back against one of the columns and thought a moment. David didn’t want to come on too strong and scare her away, but he also didn’t want to shrink back from the truth of his story. He breathed a quick prayer.

“I’m not sure it’s always like that,” Reese said. She turned and sat on the top step and crossed her arms again.

What to say? He had no idea what she was going through inside. And yet he did. There was another life growing there. And he remembered his prayer for the baby.

“Yeah, maybe not,” he said, sitting on the top step too. “But I can tell you that I’m so glad she got off that table. I’m so glad that I’m here. Reese, I was at that abortion clinic nineteen years ago, in her womb. And she let me live. You know, I can only thank God for that. There’s already so much death. You could give life. Life that is already inside of you.”

Reese glanced at David. She rocked back and forth as if in pain, and her brow furrowed as if he couldn’t understand the turmoil inside.

After a moment, David sighed. “Listen, if you and Craig aren’t ready, there are many, many men and women out there who are ready to be parents. Just like mine.”

Reese looked away.

“Look, I don’t mean to pressure you, but would you at least think about it?”