Free Take Four by Karen Kingsbury

Wilmington walked in.
    “Andi…” he smiled. “How are you?”
    She started to answer, but then a sound which was more a cry than a laugh came from her. She must’ve looked like a wreck, her eyes red and swollen. “I’m fine.” She dabbed the tissue at her eyes and nose again. “I wasn’t ready for that…how clearly I could see him.”
    “It’s amazing.” He was a young doctor, mid-thirties, maybe. “This is the stage when a lot of young pregnant women rethink their decision to give a baby up for adoption.”
    “Do a lot of them change their minds?” Andi’s mom still had red cheeks and bleary eyes, but she was more composed now. “I think the reality of the little guy, how clearly we could see him…it caught us both off guard.”
    “Yes.” Dr. Wilmington leaned back against a nearby wall, unrushed in his response. “Lots of moms change their mind at this point. We believe the ultrasound is a helpful tool in guiding a woman to make the right choice. The decision best for her and her family, best for the baby.”
    “Do women…do the ones who give their babies up, do they regret it later?” Andi had never even wondered before. “From what you’ve seen?”
    “I’ll be honest, Andi. It’s a tough decision either way. It’ll stay with you all your life no matter what you do.” He crossed his arms, his expression thoughtful. “The young women with family support and a stronger faith handle their decision better—whichever way it goes.”
    Andi appreciated his answer, but she wanted more than that. “But do you think it’s possible to give…to give up a baby and feel at peace? Like it was the right decision?”
    “Absolutely.” The doctor smiled. “We’ve seen many beautiful adoptions happen over the years. Truly, it’s one of the bravestdecisions a young woman can make. That is, if she’s not ready to be a mother.”
    Suddenly Andi’s head was spinning, because maybe she was ready to be a mom. She was almost twenty, so she was old enough, right? And just because she wasn’t married and the timing wasn’t convenient, didn’t mean she shouldn’t step up to the responsibility. “It’s…a lot to think about.”
    “It is.” He reached for her chart. “That’s why we encourage our clients not to inform the adoptive family until a little later in the pregnancy. When the decision has been made and it’s one the birthmother has lived with for a while.”
    Andi let that idea sink in while Dr. Wilmington performed her checkup and looked over the ultrasound. Maybe she should call the adoption agency and ask them to wait before telling Luke and Reagan. At least a few weeks. The doctor finished his exam and crossed his arms, his eyes kind. “You and the baby are very healthy. Everything’s on schedule.”
    “Good.” Andi smiled, but all she could think was that something had changed in the past hour. The peace of mind she had about giving up her baby was no longer an assumed emotion. The images of her baby son had rocked her world off its axis, and Andi wasn’t sure how to right it again.
    On the way home Andi had planned to have her mother stop by the adoption agency. She wanted to show her the picture of the family, the one she’d chosen back on her first visit. But as her mom neared the driveway of the agency, she raised her brow in Andi’s direction. “Still want to stop?”
    Andi put her hand over her stomach. The baby was moving again, touching the underside part of her belly with those now familiar hands of his. “No…not today.” She couldn’t make eye contact with her mother. If she did, her mom would see right through her, at just how difficult the decision had become. Again her mom didn’t push, didn’t ask if Andi was sure or probe herabout why she’d changed her mind. The only answer needed was the one Andi held in her hand the rest of the way back home to Bloomington.
    The ultrasound photos of her son.

Five
    B AILEY COULD BARELY CONCENTRATE ON HER CLASSES that