Take Four (26 page)

K
EITH WAS GLAD
A
NDI DECIDED TO JOIN THEM
for the trip to the Flanigan’s tonight. Thanksgiving had been quiet—just the three of them—and had included a poignant discussion about how Andi was feeling, how the baby would be coming in little more than a month.

Not once since her time down at the lake that first morning of filming had Andi wavered in her decision to give her baby up. She had met with the adoptive mother and her two kids at an arranged meeting at the agency office. The woman’s husband was apparently in Los Angeles on business. Eventually Andi wanted her parents to meet the family she’d chosen. But that first time she had decided she wanted to be alone with her baby’s new family, so she could watch them interact and imagine her baby growing up a part of them.

The meeting had gone perfectly, according to Andi. That had been a few weeks ago, and Andi had been busy with school since then, but tonight she wanted to get out, wanted to see Bailey, and meet some of the Baxter family. Keith realized, as they parked out front and he and Lisa walked around back to get the deep dish apple pies, that Andi had never met most of the Baxters. She hadn’t gone to the Baxter Sunday dinner back when Chase and Keith were here filming
The Last Letter
, and though she’d been on the set, she barely remembered meeting Dayne’s wife and a few of the married Baxter girls.

“So many cars,” Andi carried the whipped cream. She looked pretty tonight. Her hair was still dark—she’d dyed it again, promising
sometime next spring she’d find her way back to blonde once more. She no longer seemed self-conscious about her belly. She hadn’t gained much weight, and from the back it was impossible to tell she was pregnant. She wore a long brown cardigan, brown leggings, and a white longsleeved shirt.

“The Baxters make for a lot of people.” Lisa laughed as she walked beside Andi. “I’m proud of you, honey. Coming out to night. I think you’ll be glad you did.”

“Me too.”

Keith walked a little behind the two women in his life, and he had to agree with Lisa. He was very proud of their daughter, of the way she’d embraced this baby and released it back to God all in the same season of life. But now that they were done shooting the movie, the reality was hitting him a little more every day. His daughter was about to have a baby boy, but it was a baby none of them would ever have the chance to know or love. Maybe tonight the three of them could talk to Luke and Reagan Baxter about the gift of adoption—the way Keith had imagined several months ago. That way they might all be more ready to give up the baby.

As they walked up the steps, Keith and Lisa both carrying the pies, Keith prayed again silently as he’d prayed many times.
Lord, give me peace about Andi’s decision. I was ready to love that little guy…I already had a place in my heart for him…please, Lord…just give me peace.

He barely finished the prayer as Jenny Flanigan opened the door and welcomed them inside. She hugged Andi for a long time and kissed her cheek. “You look beautiful, sweetheart.”

“Thank you.” Andi’s eyes glowed the way they had before her freshman year at Indiana university. “Where’s Bailey?”

“Inside with the rest of the gang.” Bailey’s mother smiled at Lisa. “Mmmm. Apple pies! You can never have too much dessert.”

“They’re still warm,” Lisa walked in. “Lead the way so we know where to put them.”

Andi waited, and the three of them walked down the short hallway to the Flanigans’ enormous kitchen. But as Bailey’s mom kept walking, Andi stopped suddenly and put her hand to her head.

“Honey…what is it?” Keith and Lisa passed their apple pies off to Jenny and Jim Flanigan and immediately gathered around Andi. Keith’s tone must’ve sounded his concern, because a hush fell over the kitchen. People pouring coffee and setting up the desserts turned to look at them. Keith barely noticed any of it, his attention completely on Andi. Her face was pale and her eyes wide. She was staring straight across the kitchen at…

A gasp sounded from the other side of the room, as Reagan Baxter—Luke’s wife—dropped the fork she was holding, her look as shocked as Andi’s. “What are…” her voice faded and she started coming closer. Luke joined her, looking from Andi to Reagan and back again.

“What’s going on?” His laugh sounded nervous, like he wanted to make sure everyone was okay before trying to figure out like the rest of them what was going on.

But at that moment Luke’s five-year-old son, Tommy, spotted Andi and yelled out loud, “Hey! I know you!” He smiled big and ran right up to Andi, who was still holding the whipped cream in her other hand, the one that wasn’t pressed to her forehead. As Tommy reached her, he looked up, his eyes sweet and full of charm. “Can I tell my brother ‘hi’?”

Andi touched the child’s head, and Keith saw tears fill her eyes. “Yes, Tommy.” She handed the whipped cream to her father, as her voice cracked. “You can say hi to him.”

Keith’s mind raced and he looked at Lisa, who shook her head as if to say she had no idea what was happening. If Tommy knew Andi, and if he knew the baby she was carrying was his little brother…then…Keith felt tears well up in his eyes too. It wasn’t possible. This…this was the adoptive family Andi had
chosen all on her own? Looking through a photolisting book? Luke and Reagan Baxter?

No one moved. No one seemed even to be breathing. Attention from everyone in the room was fastened on the miracle playing out before them. Tommy didn’t seem to notice. He hugged Andi and then put his hands on both sides of her belly. “Hi there, little brother. You can hurry up and be born, okay? Because me and Malin can’t wait to see you.”

Andi’s tears streamed down her face and she looked across the room at Reagan. “Your last name…is Baxter?”

“Yes.” Reagan made her way closer and took Andi in her arms. Tommy was still standing beside her, still rubbing Andi’s belly, still talking to his unborn baby brother.

“Okay? And guess what? We have a swing set and I can push you way high, and after that we can play baseball all day long even after dinner. Okay, little brother? After you learn to walk, okay?”

“This is the family?” Keith could barely speak the words. He looked at Andi. “Luke Baxter and his wife?”

“Yes.” A sob slipped from Andi’s lips and she laughed at the same time. “I had no idea…”

Tommy took a step back. “I’m glad you came for Thanksgiving.” He grinned at Andi again. “I was just thinking about my brother right before we got here.” He patted her stomach again. “Hurry up, baby.” Then he skipped off to be with his sister Malin.

The reality was just hitting them, and even still no one could believe what they were seeing. Luke joined his wife near Andi and hugged her. “All this time…I’ve been praying for the birthmother of our baby…and I’ve been praying for you, Keith’s daughter. But I didn’t know…” his voice choked up and he hung his head, shielding his eyes with his hand for a moment. “I was praying for the same person. How is it possible?”

Other Baxters were arriving, and as they did they joined
the circle in the kitchen, and the miracle began to spread from one person to another. Luke and Reagan were adopting Andi’s unborn baby boy. Most of them were meeting Andi for the first time, but they all knew Keith, and they certainly knew Luke’s connection with Jeremiah Productions.

Keith watched his daughter, at the center of the most amazing God moment he’d ever been a part of. He watched her laugh and cry, and he saw how Luke and Reagan embraced her, and suddenly he felt the very presence of God in this place. Moments ago he had wondered how he would handle the loss of this baby, how he could possibly see his daughter give birth, only to watch her give the child away. But now…God had answered his prayers in a way he never could’ve dreamed. There was nothing to fear, no reason to be sad for this grandchild he would never know. Everything was going to work out exactly like it was supposed to. They would know where the baby was, and that his life would be the most wonderful life ever. Because he would be in a place where any child would want to grow up.

Here, in the Baxter family.

I
T TOOK HOURS FOR THE COMMOTION
to die down, for Bailey and everyone else to fully grasp the possibility Andi had gone into a random Christian adoption agency and chosen, from a book of possible families, none other than Luke and Reagan Baxter. The Ellisons announced they planned to move to California early next year, and Andi was going with them. So while she was grateful to know the full identity of the adoptive family—and though she intended to keep somewhat in touch with Luke and Reagan—Andi confided in Bailey that she thought it best she’d be living in another state.

“It’s too confusing otherwise,” she said as she left that night. “But the way it is…God worked out every detail.” She thought
for a minute, her eyes filled with wonder. “The day I decided for sure that I wanted to give this baby up, I felt convinced that God already knew that he was supposed to be with this family.” She smiled. “Now I know why.”

Bailey was still in awe over those details as the last Baxter family member left that night. Because of the craziness of what happened with Andi and Luke and Reagan, only then did Bailey remember what was yet ahead tonight.

Her talk with Cody.

After dessert, he and the boys had gone to the den where they were playing Wii Olympics. Bailey wandered toward the back of the house until she could hear her brothers’ voices, laughing and playfully bragging about who was faster in the sprint event. She reached the doorway and leaned against it, watching them. Cody wasn’t actually playing. He was watching from a beanbag in the corner of the room. Rather than his usual way of joining in and becoming one of the kids, he was quiet, a distant look in his eyes.

“Cody?” She stepped into the room, quiet enough that her brothers didn’t notice her. “Wanna talk?”

He didn’t smile.

Later on, when she would look back on this night, she would remember that detail. After waiting all afternoon and evening to talk to her, when the time finally came for them to be alone, he didn’t show even the hint of a smile. He pulled himself up and walked toward her. Taking her hand, he led her from the room and out the nearest door—a second front door at this end of the house.

“You cold?” He stopped just outside and looked at her, ready to go in if she needed anything.

“Not yet.” She wondered if he understood the double meaning in her answer. “What is it, Cody? Why do I feel like this isn’t the talk I thought it would be?”

He eased her into his arms and held her close for a long time,
the warmth of his body promising her everything was going to be okay. It had to be okay. What possible reason could he have for wanting a sad talk with her? She rested her head on his chest and listened to the steady thud of his heart. The faint smell of his cologne made her head swirl, and she lifted her chin just enough so he could hear her. “Don’t let go, Cody. Please…don’t ever let go.”

No answer came from him, but he tenderly stroked her lower back, in no hurry to release her. After a minute, he pulled away and led her down the long covered porch toward the main front door. Halfway there they sat in their favorite porch swing. Only then did Bailey begin to shiver. He offered to get a blanket, but she didn’t want one. The cold she was feeling couldn’t be helped by a blanket, but only by the knowledge that no matter how much time had passed, nothing between them had changed.

“Can I ask a question?” Her teeth rattled a little. She wanted to bring this up and get past it.

“Ask me anything.” He didn’t break eye contact, wouldn’t look away from her. Like after so much time he couldn’t get enough of her eyes.

She felt the same way, and she had to turn her eyes to the starry sky so she could remember what she wanted to say. “A month ago…you texted me, but it wasn’t for me.” She met his eyes. “It was for a girl named Cheyenne.” Her heart pounded. “Is that…is she what this is all about? Why you’ve stayed away?”

“No.” His answer came almost like a cry. “Absolutely not.” He was embarrassed by what he’d done, she could see that. “She was going to marry a buddy of mine. He died in Iraq. My friend’s mom had a big dinner, and she was there.” He sounded like he was rambling, rushing to clear himself. “I’m sorry about the text…I was probably thinking about you.”

She nodded, but she didn’t feel any warmer. His answer still left doubts in her mind, but she believed him. Cheyenne wasn’t the problem. He still wasn’t saying anything, so she took the lead,
her mind racing. “If this is about Brandon, there’s nothing between us.” She brought one leg up onto the swing so she could face him. “Nothing at all.”

Cody turned a little so he could see her, too. “This isn’t about Brandon.” A sigh came out with his words, and Bailey noticed something else—a finality in his eyes. Finality and love and longing all mixed together. Whatever he was about to tell her, clearly his mind was made up. He reached for her hand.

“You’ve avoided me for the last two months. Every time I called or texted.” She tried not to think about how wonderful his fingers felt between hers. “Did I do something to make you mad?” There were tears in her voice, and Bailey struggled to keep her eyes dry. “If I did, maybe you could tell me. Because this…this silence is more than I can—”

“Bailey.” He didn’t blink, didn’t look away. “I’m moving to Indianapolis.”

Moving where?
Her mind spun, her stomach suddenly sick. She shivered harder and his words come at her in a series of jumbled letters. It took a few seconds for them to reassemble in her mind so they made even the slightest sense. “What?” She withdrew her hand from his and folded her arms tight at her waist. “Why…why would you do that?”

“I accepted a coaching job at a new Christian high school there.” He smiled, but it did nothing to take the edge off the sadness in his eyes. “I’ll be the head coach.”

Bailey wasn’t sure what to say or do or how to handle the feelings storming her heart. Cody was leaving? Was that what he was telling her? She fought the urge to stop him from talking, forbid him to say another word. Of course he wasn’t leaving. They had just found their way back together. He couldn’t go. She wanted to run as fast as she could so he couldn’t tell her he was serious. “You already have a coaching job. Here. In Bloomington.”