face. “That’s something you need to ask your father,” she said in a starched voice.
Roy lowered the paper, stared into the kitchen, then resumed reading. He’d been at it a solid hour. Gloria assumed he’d read it from front to back twice over by now. The Tuesday editions were often the skimpiest of the week.
“Roy doesn’t seem to be in the mood to talk,” Gloria said. The fact that she’d only recently come into their lives had left her with an incomplete picture of Roy and Corrie’s relationship. She wasn’t sure how they handled disagreements. Her adoptive parents had been both verbal and demonstrative, arguing often and loudly. Roy seemed restrained, which might come from his training as a cop, while Corrie was the more voluble. This was the first serious argument she’d encountered; its duration surprised her.
“I saw Mack a few days ago,” Gloria said, making conversation. She hoped to put her mother at ease. If Corrie relaxed, perhaps she’d let down her guard and Gloria could get to the bottom of this.
“You did?”
“Yeah. He dropped off a baby name book and another couple of books on pregnancy. One of them I hadn’t heard of. Apparently it’s hot off the press.”
“Mack brought you books?” Corrie asked, then answered her own question. “Oh, they must be from Mary Jo.”
Gloria didn’t think so. “These looked brand-new. The spines hadn’t even been cracked.”
“Have you read them?”
“I’ve finished with the pregnancy books. Did you know the baby’s heart is already beating? Incredible, isn’t it?”
“Incredible is right.”
“Any news from Linnette?” Gloria knew her sister was overdue by a few days.
“She’s ready to have this baby anytime. My suitcase is packed. As soon as we hear from Pete, I’m heading to the airport.”
That explained why Corrie was cooking up a storm. She’d be joining her daughter and helping with her grandchild. She probably intended to freeze most of the meals she was preparing.
“Will you…” Gloria wasn’t sure she could find the courage to ask.
“Will I what?”
“Help me?”
“Gloria, of course I will!” Corrie said.
“I…I haven’t made any final decisions yet,” Gloria was quick to add. “I still might give the baby up for adoption. I was adopted into a loving home and I’d want my baby to know the same love I received from my adoptive parents.”
“Of course you would.”
Roy dropped the paper and let it rest on his lap. “The laws have changed since you were adopted, Gloria. These days the father has legal rights.”
It embarrassed Gloria to think about Chad. She’drather keep him out of the picture, although that was neither practical nor ethical. Sooner or later she’d have to contact him….
Her father continued to look at her as if anticipating some response. “I don’t need to put the father’s name on the birth certificate,” she eventually said.
“Don’t you?” He arched both brows with the question.
“I could say the paternity’s unknown.”
“Yes, but is that fair to the father or your child? What if the baby has a medical issue at some point in his or her life and needs that information? Not only would you have cheated the father but also the baby. It’s something to think about.”
“Yes, it is,” Gloria murmured. And she had thought about it. In fact, she’d thought about little else.
Roy’s gaze locked with Corrie’s.
Corrie whirled around and yanked open the refrigerator door. “You had to bring that up, didn’t you? It wasn’t enough that you went behind my back but you—” She stopped abruptly.
Roy vaulted out of his chair with a speed that shocked Gloria.
“I’d like to remind you that I didn’t go behind your back. You, on the other hand,” he began, then floundered for words and finished with, “did.”
Gloria stared openmouthed at the two of them. “What in the world are you talking about?”
“Nothing.” Roy sat back in his recliner and
Roy lowered the paper, stared into the kitchen, then resumed reading. He’d been at it a solid hour. Gloria assumed he’d read it from front to back twice over by now. The Tuesday editions were often the skimpiest of the week.
“Roy doesn’t seem to be in the mood to talk,” Gloria said. The fact that she’d only recently come into their lives had left her with an incomplete picture of Roy and Corrie’s relationship. She wasn’t sure how they handled disagreements. Her adoptive parents had been both verbal and demonstrative, arguing often and loudly. Roy seemed restrained, which might come from his training as a cop, while Corrie was the more voluble. This was the first serious argument she’d encountered; its duration surprised her.
“I saw Mack a few days ago,” Gloria said, making conversation. She hoped to put her mother at ease. If Corrie relaxed, perhaps she’d let down her guard and Gloria could get to the bottom of this.
“You did?”
“Yeah. He dropped off a baby name book and another couple of books on pregnancy. One of them I hadn’t heard of. Apparently it’s hot off the press.”
“Mack brought you books?” Corrie asked, then answered her own question. “Oh, they must be from Mary Jo.”
Gloria didn’t think so. “These looked brand-new. The spines hadn’t even been cracked.”
“Have you read them?”
“I’ve finished with the pregnancy books. Did you know the baby’s heart is already beating? Incredible, isn’t it?”
“Incredible is right.”
“Any news from Linnette?” Gloria knew her sister was overdue by a few days.
“She’s ready to have this baby anytime. My suitcase is packed. As soon as we hear from Pete, I’m heading to the airport.”
That explained why Corrie was cooking up a storm. She’d be joining her daughter and helping with her grandchild. She probably intended to freeze most of the meals she was preparing.
“Will you…” Gloria wasn’t sure she could find the courage to ask.
“Will I what?”
“Help me?”
“Gloria, of course I will!” Corrie said.
“I…I haven’t made any final decisions yet,” Gloria was quick to add. “I still might give the baby up for adoption. I was adopted into a loving home and I’d want my baby to know the same love I received from my adoptive parents.”
“Of course you would.”
Roy dropped the paper and let it rest on his lap. “The laws have changed since you were adopted, Gloria. These days the father has legal rights.”
It embarrassed Gloria to think about Chad. She’drather keep him out of the picture, although that was neither practical nor ethical. Sooner or later she’d have to contact him….
Her father continued to look at her as if anticipating some response. “I don’t need to put the father’s name on the birth certificate,” she eventually said.
“Don’t you?” He arched both brows with the question.
“I could say the paternity’s unknown.”
“Yes, but is that fair to the father or your child? What if the baby has a medical issue at some point in his or her life and needs that information? Not only would you have cheated the father but also the baby. It’s something to think about.”
“Yes, it is,” Gloria murmured. And she had thought about it. In fact, she’d thought about little else.
Roy’s gaze locked with Corrie’s.
Corrie whirled around and yanked open the refrigerator door. “You had to bring that up, didn’t you? It wasn’t enough that you went behind my back but you—” She stopped abruptly.
Roy vaulted out of his chair with a speed that shocked Gloria.
“I’d like to remind you that I didn’t go behind your back. You, on the other hand,” he began, then floundered for words and finished with, “did.”
Gloria stared openmouthed at the two of them. “What in the world are you talking about?”
“Nothing.” Roy sat back in his recliner and
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