“Sure.” The massive turnout of picketers, a cooperative effort by a number of churches, had elicited more than a few comments on today’s program—but it was impossible to tell from this woman’s tone where she stood on the issue.

The caller didn’t leave her guessing for long.

“I get that people have a right to protest peacefully, but I think it’s terrible to subject women already under stress to more grief. Abortion is a personal decision, and it’s nobody’s business but the woman’s.”

Out of the corner of her eye, Eve caught a movement in the sound booth.

She looked over.

Brent Lange was standing behind Ryan.

Her heart missed a beat as he lifted a hand in greeting.

“Hello? Are you still there?”

At the caller’s query, she forced herself to refocus. This topic was important and required no less than her full concentration despite the very distracting man standing ten feet away who was watching her every move.

She swiveled her chair to eliminate the appealing view in the sound booth. “Yes. I’m here. And I have to disagree with you. The woman isn’t the only one affected by her decision. So is the unborn child.”

“It’s not a child until it’s born.”

“So you agree with late-term abortions?”

“Umm . . . up to a point.”

“What point?”

“Well . . . after the baby could live on its own outside the womb, it would be wrong to abort it.”

“No baby can live on its own outside the womb. Even full-term babies have to be fed and changed and clothed and sheltered from the elements.”

“That’s not what I mean. They should be able to survive with basic care.”

“So you’re saying a premature baby who requires medical intervention isn’t really a baby, and we’re under no obligation to help him or her live.”

“No. I’m not talking about that either.” Frustration etched the woman’s words. “I mean earlier than that, when it’s just a mass of cells—that’s not a baby.”

Since the caller wasn’t able to defend her original position, she was shifting gears.

Typical.

“Again, I have to disagree. Did you know a baby’s heart begins beating one month after conception—before most women realize they’re pregnant? At six weeks, brain waves can be detected. By week ten, the baby has fingers and toes, and all essential organs have formed. So when is this child not a baby?”

“Look . . . you’re making this more complicated than it has to be. A woman has a right to decide whether to have an abortion. I mean, it’s her body.”

“That’s not quite true, either. While the baby is inside her body, it has distinctive DNA. He or she is a unique individual from the moment of conception.”