I walked around the table to where she was sitting and put my arms around her shoulders. “It’s OK, Amelia. It’s going to be OK. She doesn’t hate you. Let’s just wait to see what happens.”

Amelia continued to cry.

“It may be all right.”

CHAPTER TWELVE

It was clear that Lucia wanted to keep her baby. But it was hard to judge how greedy Ron was. On the off chance that Lucia and Ron came back, Lucia needed to know that Amelia had tried to bribe Ron. I felt mild guilt about my plan, but any child of Ron’s was likely to have long-term problems, with potential addiction issues, and make the Straubs miserable eventually.

I woke up on Thursday morning, drank two cups of coffee, and called Lucia. She sounded surprised to hear my voice.

“Amelia feels bad,” I said. “She said things she didn’t mean.”

“It’s OK.” Lucia spoke with finality, as if hoping to get off the phone quickly.

“She feels bad about both conversations.” I attempted a somber tone when I said the word both that would imply something untoward.

“Both?”

“The one at your house too.”

“Yes?” She sounded confused.

“You know…” I paused for four seconds. “That she had the conversation with Ron when you weren’t in the room. I mean, she knew he’d talk to you about it later. It wasn’t like she was trying to hide anything. It’s just … she doesn’t want you to think she was offering to pay Ron for the baby.”

There were a few seconds of silence.

“Excuse me?” Lucia’s voice came through the phone receiver clipped and high.

“Well … the fifty thousand…” I paused again. “It was a loan.”

“What are you talking about?” For the first time, I heard an edge in Lucia’s voice.

“She wasn’t offering to pay Ron for the baby,” I said.

I heard her breath come through the receiver. “Don’t call me again,” she said in a low, steady voice. She hung up the phone.

Lucia was gone from our lives for good. And opportunities were opening up for me.

On Friday I sent Amelia a text and asked if she’d like me to babysit.

Ten minutes later she wrote back. She said yes. She said yes.

I had barely survived the strain of the previous three weeks. I felt as though I’d been drowning and Amelia’s text was a life preserver tossed in my direction.

When I arrived at the Straubs’ house late that afternoon, Natalie answered the door. I’d missed Natalie terribly. The sight of her face fortified me.

She brightened when she saw me. Maybe she’d missed me too.

I kissed her forehead. “How are you, honey?”

I hung my down coat on one of several glass hooks in the hallway.