“If you promise not to drop him,” her father cautioned.
She shook her head. “I won’t drop him. I promise.”
Erik sat Precious on the side of the bed then picked up the baby and placed him cautiously on her lap. He crouched down in front of her, just in case.
“Oh, boy.” Precious’ eyes shone with excitement as she cradled her tiny brother. “Wait till I tell Peter.”
Erik met Michelle’s eyes. A warm light passed between them before they gazed lovingly at their two beautiful children.
“Michelle?” Precious had one last question.
“Yes, Precious.”
“Can I call you Mommy?”
Michelle held her breath. She cast questioning eyes at Erik. He nodded his consent.
“Sure, baby. If that’s what you want.”
“Okay, Mommy.”
Michelle cried happy tears. The family circle was complete. She had two wonderful children and a devoted husband to love.
“See, Daddy, I told you babies came from kissing,” Precious said with a pulse-pounding certainty.
“What can I say, Muffin? You’re a lot smarter than me.”
Erik grinned with love and joy as he rose to his feet. He laced one arm around his wife, and the other around his children.
EPILOGUE
Four pairs of curious eyes peered out the window as tiny snowflakes trickled lazily down from the blue skies, making a thin white blanket on the lawn.
“Here comes that rich girl and her father again.” Angela was the first to break the silence as they watched the happy family emerge from the Mercedes and start up the walkway to the entrance of the center.
“The one who took our Michelle away,” said a little disheartened Malcolm who still thought the sun rose and set on Michelle’s brow.
“Yeah. Let’s take her out back in the alley and beat her up, make her eat snow,” said Clive who wanted so much to seem tough and strong, especially since the kids at his school teased him about his scarred face.
“Stop it, you fools. She ain’t that bad.”
Three pairs of disbelieving eyes turned to Jessica.#p#分页标题#e#
“You going soft on us, Jessie? You cuddling up to that rich girl now?”
“No way, guys.” Jessica thought fast and hard for a plausible explanation for her astute statement. She batted a combative eyelash. “I just learned how to use her to my advantage.”
The truth was that Jessica had grown to really like Precious. She wanted to protect her like a big sister, but she didn’t want the other kids to think she was soft. That was a ‘no-no’ around here.
“How?” asked Clive.
With an aura of supremacy, Jessica flashed the Barbie dolls she had gotten from Michelle when they had seen Precious at the mall. They still looked brand new. “Where do you think I got these? From cleaning-up-my-room money? All you have to do is be nice to Precious and Michelle will give you anything you want.”
“Oh, yeah,” chimed in Angela, with eager eyes. “I could use a new toy model space ship.”
“Yeah.” All the others murmured, neon dollar signs flashing brightly in their little, devilish eyes.
Just then the door opened and the LaCrosse family entered, bring with them a puff of the frigid New England winter air.
“Hi, Michelle. Hi, Precious. Hi, Dr. LaCrosse.” The children sang in rehearsed chorus, facetious smiles on their faces.
Michelle set the baby carrier on a metal desk, and removed the blanket from his sleeping face. She stroked his black curls. Erik made himself busy unfolding the playpen. Precious stood next to her father and watched the children dubiously, Bradie clutched tightly in her arms.
Finally, Erik turned to Michelle and placed a warm kiss on her upturned lips. “See you at five o’clock. We have dinner reservations at that new Italian restaurant.”
“We’ll be ready.” She smiled with sheer warmth and love. In a few days, they were taking the LaCrosse jet to the Seychelles Islands off the east coast of Africa where they would spend three warm weeks at the luxurious Hotel Andreas. It was their long overdue honeymoon. She would miss her children something awful, but she and Erik had never had time alone away from everyone and everything. The kids would be in good hands with Mrs. Hayes and their grandparents to take care of their every need.
Michelle’s smile widened. She couldn’t wait to tell Erik that he was going to be a father again. That shouldn’t surprise him. Not at the rate they’d been going at each other. They made love every chance they got—even in Erik’s office at the hospital, numerous times when he’d asked her to bring him lunch. After she’d returned home with the second picnic basket unopened, Mrs. Hayes had figured out that she wasn’t going to the hospital to eat. Well, she was going to eat, but not the delicious sandwiches the old lady prepared.