"I had this client, Jessica." I tilt her head up so she's looking directly at me. "He was an older man. He died recently."
"I'm sorry," she says it without an ounce of pretense. There's compassion woven deeply into it.
I nod in response. "He had two granddaughters."
"Are they young?"
"Your age," I offer. "They're both in their twenties."
She smiles at the gentle reminder of the gap in our ages. "They're not old like you?"
I wink at her before I pull my brows together in mock anger. "No. They're not old like me."
"I'm sorry they lost their grandfather."
"He loved them both very much even though he wasn't their grandfather by birth." I want this to sound gentle and I want it to bring her comfort.
"What do you mean?" She cocks her head to the side. "They were adopted?"
"He was their foster father." I kiss her forehead lightly. "He never formally adopted them, but he took them in and cared for them when their mother died."
"They were a family," she says with understanding in her eyes.
"Two nights ago when I came home you were on my laptop." I gesture behind me with my hand. "I know you closed it when you heard me come through the door."
She doesn't show any surprise at all. "Yes. I was looking at something."
I pull in a heavy breath. "You were reading about her."
Her eyes fill with tears. "I was." She nods quickly. "I wanted to know more."
"What did you learn?" I push because I have to. I need her to share. I don't want her to carry the guilt of this around with her forever.
"Her name is Jenna." She closes her eyes tightly as tears stream down her face. "She loves horses."
"She's beautiful," I offer. I had to close my office door after reading the article that popped up on my laptop screen when I opened it after Jessica went to bed. It was a profile of the Governor's family. An entire paragraph was dedicated to Jenna Lane. She's a beautiful blonde haired, blue eyed six-year-old girl. The little girl bears an unmistakable resemblance to Jessica.
"She looks like me." A ghost of a smile trails over her mouth. "She's pretty."
"She's beautiful." I whisper into her forehead. "She's really beautiful."
She nods through the tears. "She's happy."
I thought the same thing as I read the article. The smile on her face was filled with pure joy. When the reporter who wrote the piece asked what Jenna's favorite thing was she responded that it was her younger brother. She's part of a family who loves her deeply and unconditionally. "I felt that too."
"I just wish I could see her once." She fights to hold back the tears. "I never got to hold her or hug her or anything."
The words tear through me. I had no idea the baby was taken from her that quickly. "I'm sorry. I wish I could change that."
"She's where she belongs." Her shoulders tremble was she says the words. "She's part of their family now."
"She is," I whisper back. Jenna is part of their family and Jessica is mine.
Chapter 22
"Will you marry me?"
I almost fall out of my chair. "What did you say?"