protective of her sister, and she wished she could continue her conversation with Lydia in private. Margaret wouldn’t take kindly to her upsetting Lydia.
“Hello, Libby,” Margaret said, as she put her purse inside the small office. She returned with a mug of coffee.
Lydia finished with her customer and almost immediately someone else stepped into the store. Hesitating, Libby wondered if it might be best for her to return another time. Then she decided it was now or never—otherwise she might lose her courage.
Lydia seemed to feel the same way because she asked her sister tohelp the next customer. “Libby and I are having a bit of a talk here. Could you cover for me?” she asked.
“Sure thing.” Margaret set aside her coffee and headed to the front of the store.
“Okay,” Lydia said, reclaiming her seat. “You were about to say?”
Libby inhaled and briefly closed her eyes. “Dr. Stone asked to speak with me because after meeting the girls in the elevator he was convinced one of them is pregnant.”
“What?” Lydia’s shock echoed through the store.
Margaret stopped short and so did the woman she was helping.
“Everything all right back there?” Margaret asked.
“It’s fine,” Lydia murmured. Her eyes held Libby captive. “This is a joke, right?”
Libby shook her head. The sick feeling in the pit of her stomach returned. “I wish it was.”
“Is … is it Casey?”
“I don’t know if it’s her or Ava.” She wanted to slap Phillip for not being clearer. He had assumed she would remember the girl on his right, or was it her right? Her gut reaction told her it was Ava, just from the way the girl behaved, but she couldn’t be sure. She almost said so but changed her mind. She simply didn’t know.
Lydia had gone pale. She brushed the soft brown hair off her forehead and held her hand there. “Brad caught Casey trying to sneak out of the house the other night … it wasn’t the first time. We don’t know where she goes and she won’t tell us.”
Libby’s stomach twisted into a giant knot. Maybe she was off base. “What about Ava?”
“She’s a sweet girl and all, but from what I’ve seen of her grandmother, well, let’s just say the living situation isn’t ideal. It could be her.”
“Dr. Stone said that Casey or Ava might not even know about her condition.”
“How can he tell? Really, it’s only speculation, right?” Lydia seemed to be clinging to the possibility that it wasn’t true and this was all a big mistake.
Her shock and disbelief mirrored Libby’s own response when Phillip had approached her. Surely this was pure speculation, misguided concern, or misunderstanding. The girls were both so young and naive. Pregnant? At thirteen? It shocked and angered her. Still, Libby couldn’t ignore what she knew, couldn’t pretend he was off base. He was the physician, not her.
“I’m not entirely sure how he knew. Dr. Stone didn’t say, but he was concerned enough to approach me. I wish I could explain this further … Phillip … Dr. Stone and I only spoke for a few minutes before he was called away for an emergency. I haven’t seen him since to ask.”
Perhaps it would have been better to wait, but this entire matter had weighed so heavily on her mind that Libby couldn’t ignore it any longer. Ever since her meeting with Phillip, she’d slept fitfully.
Lydia’s hands started to shake. If Libby knew her better she would have reached across the table and gripped hold of the other woman’s forearm. She wanted to comfort her, to offer Lydia reassurances, but she had none to give.
“Why did he bring this to you?” Lydia asked.
“He assumed the girl was my daughter.”
“Oh.”
The bell chimed as the customer left the store. Within seconds Margaret joined them.
“What’s going on back here?” she demanded.
Libby left it up to Lydia to respond.
Lydia glanced blankly up at her sister and remained silent. “Something I need to look
“Hello, Libby,” Margaret said, as she put her purse inside the small office. She returned with a mug of coffee.
Lydia finished with her customer and almost immediately someone else stepped into the store. Hesitating, Libby wondered if it might be best for her to return another time. Then she decided it was now or never—otherwise she might lose her courage.
Lydia seemed to feel the same way because she asked her sister tohelp the next customer. “Libby and I are having a bit of a talk here. Could you cover for me?” she asked.
“Sure thing.” Margaret set aside her coffee and headed to the front of the store.
“Okay,” Lydia said, reclaiming her seat. “You were about to say?”
Libby inhaled and briefly closed her eyes. “Dr. Stone asked to speak with me because after meeting the girls in the elevator he was convinced one of them is pregnant.”
“What?” Lydia’s shock echoed through the store.
Margaret stopped short and so did the woman she was helping.
“Everything all right back there?” Margaret asked.
“It’s fine,” Lydia murmured. Her eyes held Libby captive. “This is a joke, right?”
Libby shook her head. The sick feeling in the pit of her stomach returned. “I wish it was.”
“Is … is it Casey?”
“I don’t know if it’s her or Ava.” She wanted to slap Phillip for not being clearer. He had assumed she would remember the girl on his right, or was it her right? Her gut reaction told her it was Ava, just from the way the girl behaved, but she couldn’t be sure. She almost said so but changed her mind. She simply didn’t know.
Lydia had gone pale. She brushed the soft brown hair off her forehead and held her hand there. “Brad caught Casey trying to sneak out of the house the other night … it wasn’t the first time. We don’t know where she goes and she won’t tell us.”
Libby’s stomach twisted into a giant knot. Maybe she was off base. “What about Ava?”
“She’s a sweet girl and all, but from what I’ve seen of her grandmother, well, let’s just say the living situation isn’t ideal. It could be her.”
“Dr. Stone said that Casey or Ava might not even know about her condition.”
“How can he tell? Really, it’s only speculation, right?” Lydia seemed to be clinging to the possibility that it wasn’t true and this was all a big mistake.
Her shock and disbelief mirrored Libby’s own response when Phillip had approached her. Surely this was pure speculation, misguided concern, or misunderstanding. The girls were both so young and naive. Pregnant? At thirteen? It shocked and angered her. Still, Libby couldn’t ignore what she knew, couldn’t pretend he was off base. He was the physician, not her.
“I’m not entirely sure how he knew. Dr. Stone didn’t say, but he was concerned enough to approach me. I wish I could explain this further … Phillip … Dr. Stone and I only spoke for a few minutes before he was called away for an emergency. I haven’t seen him since to ask.”
Perhaps it would have been better to wait, but this entire matter had weighed so heavily on her mind that Libby couldn’t ignore it any longer. Ever since her meeting with Phillip, she’d slept fitfully.
Lydia’s hands started to shake. If Libby knew her better she would have reached across the table and gripped hold of the other woman’s forearm. She wanted to comfort her, to offer Lydia reassurances, but she had none to give.
“Why did he bring this to you?” Lydia asked.
“He assumed the girl was my daughter.”
“Oh.”
The bell chimed as the customer left the store. Within seconds Margaret joined them.
“What’s going on back here?” she demanded.
Libby left it up to Lydia to respond.
Lydia glanced blankly up at her sister and remained silent. “Something I need to look
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