Free Protecting Her Child by Debby Giusti Page A

might be her legal heir.
    Eve had given his father money. Wasn’t that the answer the rich always provided? Fix a problem with their wallets.
    At least she’d done something, his voice of reason whispered.
    But it hadn’t been enough then, and it wasn’t enough now to right the wrongs of the past.
    Â 
    Meredith stood on the front porch looking for a glimpse of Pete’s car. So much for her plans to leave while he was at the Institute. The baby quilt she’d painstakingly stitched over the last few months was too precious to leave behind.
    She’d abandoned so much already.
    Abandoned . The word hit her with force.
    Destructive. Intimidating. Extracting every shred of self-worth she’d worked so hard to build, like a powerful tsunami when the waters pulled back from the shoreline. She grasped the door, waiting for the incoming wave that always followed. With it would flow the fear and memory of her cries for help as, once again, she was that little girl locked in the darkness.
    The baby moved in her womb, forcing her back to the present.
    Meredith looked through the doorway into the house and saw the sunlight filtering through the large Palladian windows.
    Light not darkness.
    God is the light of the world.
    The infant she carried—her child—was her hope for the future.
    She had to move forward.
    Setting her jaw with determination, Meredith stepped over the threshold and walked toward the light.
    She found Sheila clearing the lunch dishes and hastened to gather the rest of the plates and silverware off the table. “The least I can do is help. You’ve been so kind.”
    The older woman’s smile stretched across her oval face. “This house is far too large and too lonely for one woman. Having you here has brightened my day to say the least.”
    They carried the dishes into the kitchen and loaded the dishwasher. Once the task was completed, Sheila rinsed her hands in the sink and wiped them on a paper towel.
    â€œIt’s been good reconnecting with Pete. I haven’t seen him in a number of years.”
    â€œHe said he knew your son.”
    Sheila nodded. Her smile turned poignant. “Brice and I visited the estate often. Eve seemed so happy back then, despite the disease.”
    â€œWhen did you first learn Brice had VHL?”
    â€œWe were at the beach.” Sheila leaned against the counter. “I noticed a knot on his back. The doctor said it was probably nothing, but he sent us to a specialist just to be sure.”
    Sheila stared out the large windows that lined one wall of the kitchen. A hummingbird fluttered outside, its narrow beak drawing sugary nectar from a feeder.
    â€œWhen he was little, Brice was as energetic as that hummingbird. Turns out he was just as fragile. Eventually, his eyes were affected. Slowly, progressively, his vision faded until he could see nothing except the very brightest light.”
    A squirrel skittered down a giant oak, frightening the hummingbird, which drew back from the feeder and flew away.
    â€œI called Brice my shining star.” Sheila rubbed her hands over her crossed arms. “Funny the names we mothers call our children.”
    Meredith thought of the words she used for her child: precious one, buttercup, sweet pea.
    â€œI never thought the light of my life would be extinguished so early.”
    Sheila shook her head as if shaking free of the memories. “But we were talking about Pete.” She forced a smile. “Eve always considered him the son she never had.”
    â€œI didn’t know their relationship was that close.”
    â€œ Was is the key word.” The older woman pulled in a breath. “Pete should be the one to tell you, but of course he won’t. He’s too private. Probably too proud. But I’ve seen the way he cares for you, Meredith.”
    Her hand grasped the countertop. She hadn’t expected Sheila’s comment or the warmth that fluttered through