A Daughter's Trust

She’d like to see Uncle Adam. Her mother said he’d been talking some. And had been glad she’d come….

Rick’s Nitro pulled up the drive.

This was it.

Checking to see that Jake was fine in the swing, she picked up Carrie. Walked with her to the door, ready to greet the baby’s new family.

Just as she always did when turning over one of her charges. It didn’t take long. A few minutes max. The new parents were always eager to get this foster part of their lives behind them and start being a real family.

She had the door open by the time they got to the walk. Seeing Rick, Carrie started bouncing against Sue’s hip. The baby grinned and, as he approached, reached for him.

“Hi, princess, Daddy’s come to get you,” he said, holding out both arms to her.

Sue could see Sonia behind Rick. And Nancy, too.

She knew the ropes. Had played her part many, many times. Had it down pat.

But when Rick reached for his new daughter, Sue didn’t let the baby go.

SOMETHING WAS WRONG. Horribly wrong. One glance in Sue’s frantic eyes and he knew that he had to act.

“How’s my punkin’?” He continued to croon to the baby without missing a beat, holding on to Sue’s hand with his own, as if he’d meant all along to grab her hand, not to take the baby from her. Then, with his good arm around Carrie’s foster mother, and his other hand still at the baby’s bottom, he stepped back into Sue’s foyer.

She continued to look at him, pleading with her eyes. And he turned.

“Sonia? Mom? Do you care if we take a few minutes to ourselves, first? There’s something I need to discuss with Sue.”

Sonia blinked. Looked from him to Sue. And then she nodded. “Nancy and I can

have a cup of coffee and talk about ways she could volunteer at the agency, if that’s all right with you?” The counselor glanced at his mother.

“Of course.”

“We’ll be back in an hour,” Sonia said, and turned from the door.

Certain that what had just happened was highly inappropriate, Rick made a mental note to thank the counselor for putting humanity above her job. Obviously, the baby was safe. She was with two agency-approved caregivers.

And sometimes life was bigger than rules and regulations.

SUE HEARD RICK GET RID OF the others. She knew they were alone. And still she couldn’t release her grip on Carrie.

“Sue?” He led her to the couch. Sat with her, his arm still around her. One finger locked in Carrie’s grip. “Talk to me, sweetie.”

The baby, as though sensing that something monumental was happening, began to fidget.

“I…” Sue was going to give him her usual answer. An assurance that she was fine and could handle anything. She was Sue Bookman. The strong one. The family go-to girl. The one who needed her independence. Her space.

“Oh, God, Rick…” She started to cry. And then to sob. Ugly, wrenching bursts.

Rick reached for Carrie. “I’m not taking her away from you, I’m just moving her over to her swing so Jake doesn’t get lonely.”

She had to let the baby go. For Carrie’s sake. And Jake’s. The babies always came first.

Bereft without the little girl in her arms, Sue bent over, her arms around her middle, her head to her knees. With gut-wrenching sobs, she was drowning in the release of a decade of pent-up anguish.

The couch depressed beneath Rick’s weight. He rubbed her back, his voice soothing, though she wasn’t sure what he was saying. If he was saying anything besides promising her she wasn’t alone. Telling her he was there.

She cried until her ribs hurt, and kept on. Until she didn’t think she was ever going to stop.