The Surgeon's Surprise Twins by Jacqueline Diamond Page B

unflattering gray-brown, it seemed to Bailey that her eyes had more spark and she held her shoulders straighter.
    They went into the counseling room, where Bailey sat on the frayed love seat while Renée took a folding chair.Aside from a few more chairs, the only other furniture was a child’s table with paper and markers set out.
    â€œHow’s your week been?” Bailey asked.
    â€œThanks to you, I had an epiphany,” Renée announced with a smile.
    An epiphany? What did that mean exactly? Bailey recalled a church holiday, but she doubted that was what Renée meant. “Oh?”
    â€œI decided to try on wigs to help me choose a color and style,” the older woman said, smoothing down a pocket flap on her cargo pants. They were a lot more interesting than the outdated polyester ones she’d worn a week ago, Bailey mused.
    â€œGood idea,” she prompted.
    â€œI walked into this wig and hat shop. There were two other women there and it took me about thirty seconds to realize they were both cancer patients.” Renée paused a moment. “Here I am fretting about lacking a purpose in life, and these women are fighting to survive. To them, a wig didn’t mean a new hairstyle, it meant a way to feel normal while undergoing chemotherapy.”
    â€œThat was quite a revelation.” Bailey hadn’t expected Renée to have such an emotional experience over a simple change in hair color.
    â€œAs I said, I had an epiphany. It put my whole life into perspective. That’s what I wanted to ask you about.” Renée leaned forward, purpose blazing in her face.
    Bailey had a sudden urge to run and fetch Eleanor, who was a lot older and more experienced. “I don’t know much about putting life in perspective,” she admitted. “I’m kind of confused about mine at the moment.”
    â€œOh, not that!” The older woman chuckled. “I meant about volunteering at the hospital. They do use volunteers, don’t they?”
    â€œAbsolutely.” Relieved, Bailey gave her the name of the auxiliary coordinator who did the training and scheduling. “You could work in the gift shop or reception desk, assist visitors, take flowers and gifts to patients. Stuff like that. Our volunteers make everyone’s life easier.”
    â€œI’d like to do that.” Renée nodded vigorously. “I’m going to sign up next week. You’ve given me a future worth looking forward to, Bailey.”
    â€œWow.” That was unexpected. She didn’t feel as if she deserved credit, but there was another area in which she might be able to help. “What about finding your son? I have a friend who’s a detective. I could ask Patty to make inquiries.”
    Renée didn’t hesitate. “No, thanks. Since my epiphany, I’ve decided to quit being so selfish. If my son wishes to find me, I’ve posted enough information to make that easy. If he doesn’t, I’d only be intruding.”
    â€œDo you think kids have some special psychic connection to their birth parent?” Bailey asked. “I’ve been wondering about my own situation.”
    The other woman considered for a moment. “Emotionally, whether we feel a bond depends on our personality and maybe the family we grew up in. Your baby is going to be raised by relatives, so he or she won’t be left guessing about where he came from. But I suspect everybody’s different.”
    â€œThanks.” Although it was ironic that her client was counseling her, Bailey appreciated it. “You might want to sign up as a peer counselor here at the center, too. You have a natural talent.”
    â€œOne new enterprise at a time. But I’ll keep that in mind for later.”
    Happy to see Renée embark on a new course, Baileyshook hands with her. “This isn’t goodbye. I’m sure I’ll see you around the medical center.”
    â€œWe could