We all chuckled.
Turning to face Jonathon, she asked, “You own your own construction company?”
“Yes, I do.”
“Caring for your child will not be a problem, Liberty. She or he will have every opportunity we can give them.”
With a slight grin, she glanced at her hands. Her cheeks turned pink. “I have to admit, my lawyer told me who your momma and daddy are, Waylynn, and I Googled them. You come from a very wealthy family. It makes me feel good knowing that you’re both driven and have family support. I know you can provide her with the things I can’t. At least not in the near future. Once I go to school and get my medical degree, I’ll be more…ready. For lack of better words.”
The only thing I could do was nod. “I think what you’re doing is very brave, Liberty. And it’s nothing to be ashamed of.”
She scoffed. “My momma and daddy don’t think so. They said I deserve to suffer with the baby since I was careless enough to get pregnant. He’s a good guy, the baby’s father. He’s just scared. He’s on a scholarship for football with Texas A&M.”
Liberty wasn’t supposed to tell us anything about herself. “That’s where I go to school.”
Jonathon’s face broke out into a smile. “That’s where I went.”
“I saw that!” she said.
Wringing her hands together, she seemed like she wanted to ask us something else.
“You can ask anything you want,” I said.
“Y’all are getting married?”
Jonathon and I looked at each other and smiled. “Yes.”
“And I can see the baby?”
I squeezed her hand. “Yes.”
“Can we tell her that I’m a family friend?”
“If that’s what you want. But Jonathon and I have already spoken about this, and we plan on telling the baby when she is older that she is adopted. And we’d love for you to stay a part of her world.”
Tears streamed down her face. “You mean, you’d tell her I’m her momma? And why I had to give her up so that she knows I did it for her?”
My eyes stung as I fought to hold my tears back. “Of course. If that is okay with you.”
Liberty stood and threw her arms around me. “I knew God would bring me the right couple to love and take care of my baby. I just never dreamed he’d bring me angels.”
Chapter Thirty-Three
Waylynn
Jonathon and I parked next to the line of cars outside my parents’ house.
“My folks are here,” Jonathon said with a chuckle.
I took a few deep breaths and faced him.
“I wish we could have more time to let this all soak in. I feel like we just found out we won the lottery, and everyone wants a piece of the pie!”
Chuckling, Jonathon nodded. “It’s a lot to take in. I know everyone is anxious. A lot has happened the last couple of months.”
“Does it feel like it’s too good to be true? That we’re going to wake up, and it’s all been a dream?”
He took my hand in his. “Yes. A little bit. But it’s not a dream, and I feel like this all happened for a reason. I mean, I hate that the option for you to carry a child has been taken from us, but if it hadn’t…”
“We’d have never met Liberty. And she would have given up her child to a couple who would probably never let her see the baby again.”
“Exactly. It’s meant to be.”
A tear trailed down my cheek. Jonathon brushed it away with his thumb. “You’re the most amazing woman I’ve ever met. When you told me you wanted Liberty to stay a part of the baby’s life, I had to fight to hold back tears. That’s such an unselfish gift.”
“She’s the one giving us the most amazing gift. If one mother is good…two has to be better, right?”
His hand slipped behind my neck, pulling me closer to him.
“I love you so damn much.”
My hand covered his. “I love you too.”
The knock on the window made both of us scream.
Amelia and Wade stood outside the truck. Well, Wade was standing there and my sister was jumping up and down like a crazy person.
We took a deep breath, exhaled, and said at the same time, “Let’s do this.”
I opened the door, and Amelia nearly pulled my arm out of socket.
“What happened? Why are y’all sitting out here in the car? What was the mother like? Did she like y’all? Are you getting the baby? Oh my God, why are you not talking?”
I replied, “Cool your tits, Meli. Christ Almighty, I can’t talk because you won’t let me get a word in.”
Wade shook Jonathon’s hand. “How did it go?”
We glanced at each other and smiled.
Amelia threw her hands in my face. “No! Wait! Don’t say it yet. I want you to say it in front of everyone!”
Grabbing my hand, she started pulling me behind her as she ran up the porch stairs.