SWEET ANTICIPATION (18 page)

“We could get fairly accurate results right now, but to be absolutely certain, it would be better to wait. DNA tests take even longer , and of course, no test can prove who the father is, just who the father isn’t. After all of the thirty-four steps are performed, about 99.6 percent of all men are excluded. Then we have to compare other characteristics that the child might have inherited, including physical appearance. But as long as the probability is above ninety percent, most courts will accept that man as the natural father.” Dr. Reese paused and peered at Lauren over the top of his glasses.

“Lauren, you know how much I care for you. I brought you into this world and I’ve watched you grow into a beautiful young woman. I’ve been with you through your heartbreaks and now, your greatest achievement, this baby. And I haven’t tried to hide my respect and affection for Jordan. I can’t tell you how happy I’ve been to see the two of you getting to know each other and becoming close. I was hoping that you and he would get married before the baby was born and put an end to all the custody and paternity issues. But since you haven’t, I need to know how you want us to handle the birth certificate.”

“I’ve been thinking about that, too, and to be honest, I really don’t know what I want to do,” she answered and gave an uncertain shake of her head.

“Usually when an artificial insemination is involved, we put Medical Records Sealed next to the space asking for the father’s name. But in your baby’s case, since there is some uncertainty about whether or not Jordan might be the father, I need to find out if you’ve decided to leave it as an artificial insemination or acknowledge Jordan. Keep in mind that once it has gone into medical records, it is very difficult to change.”

“Could I think about it some more and let you know tomorrow?”

“Yes, but the hospital must have the information before you check out. By the way, have you thought of a name for your little daughter?”

“I had been planning on naming her Joanna after Johnny, but that hardly seems appropriate now. Dr. Reese, you know how much Johnny wanted this baby, but if it’s possible, I believe that Jordan wants her even more. Or at least he did when he thought she might be a boy. He told me that he’s not disappointed, but I don’t know if I believe him. Without a son, Jordan’s family name will die out.”

“So Jordan will just have to keep trying.”

“But you see, that’s part of the problem. He can’t because—well, let’s just say it’s not likely.”

“As I said before, I was really hoping the two of you would get together. Both of you need a family to love,” Dr. Reese commented and gave her hand a friendly pat. “Think about it.”

“I’ve thought of little else.”

“Good. Let me know what you decide to place on the birth certificate.”

“Right now I’m trying to decide whether I like Melanie or Elizabeth better. Melanie Nelson sounds kind of pretty,” she mused. “Or Melanie Daniels.”

“Either one sounds good, but I can’t help you decide on something as important as that.”

They both knew there was much more to her uncertainty than simply the baby’s first name. Lauren had the unusual problem of selecting the last name, also, and that was proving to be the most difficult decision.

“In a few minutes the nurse will come to take out your IV and then, young lady, I want you to get up and take a brief walk around the room. If you feel up to it, you can go as far as the nursery, but don’t overdo it. You’re weaker than you realize.”

“How long do I have to stay in the hospital?”

“You make it sound as if you’re in jail or something,” he retorted with pretended dismay. “Aren’t the nurses treating you well?”

“They’ve all been terrific. But you know what I mean. I can’t wait to get little Melanie home to her own room. It’s very difficult to relax here, and I think they’re trying to starve me to death.”

“I have you on a soft diet for today. By tomorrow, though, you should be ready to eat real food.”

“Oh, goodie,” she said without enthusiasm. “That means I can look forward to pudding and soup for lunch.”

“I’ll tell the nurse to put a couple of packages of crackers on your tray,” he joked as he walked toward the door. “And to answer your other question, I think you can plan on going home Tuesday or Wednesday, depending on how well your Melanie is doing.”

“Thanks, doc. And make that four packages of crackers,” she called after him, “and a diet cola.”

“No carbonated water yet. It’ll give you gas,” he answered just before he left the room.

“Gas,” she grumbled in disgust. “I’m dying for a cola and he says it’ll give me gas. Compared to my other pains, that would be a minor discomfort.”

“What are you muttering about?” Jordan asked as he walked through the open doorway.

Lauren brightened as soon as she saw him. “Would you go down to the cafeteria and get me a nice cold diet cola? Make it an extra large with lots of ice.”

“You’d be sorry because it would give you—”

“Don’t tell me,” she groaned. “I already know. You doctors are all alike.”

“We just want our patients to be comfortable and get well fast. How about a nice cold glass of milk?” he teased, smiling at her disgruntled expression.

“Never again. I’m no longer pregnant and I don’t have to drink another ounce of milk for the rest of my life if I don’t want to.”

“Then maybe this will make you feel better,” he said, drawing a potted plant from behind his back.

“An orchid plant,” she exclaimed, her eyes lighting up as she tried to shift to a more comfortable position so she could see it better. “It’s gorgeous. Look at all the different shades of pink that are on that one bloom. Oh, thank you, Jordan. That was so nice of you to remember.”

“I’m glad you like it. It was nothing,” he said, shrugging off her appreciation, but secretly he was pleased that he had found something she liked this much.

“What was nothing?” asked Rita, who walked into the room in time to hear the end of the conversation.

“Hi, Rita. Come look at the beautiful orchid Jordan brought me. Wasn’t that sweet?”

“It was very sweet,” Rita answered after she gave the plant an admiring inspection. “But it definitely wasn’t nothing. Can you imagine how difficult it must be to find an orchid plant in the city of Houston on a Sunday?”

“So I had to take a little drive to Baytown,” Jordan admitted. “There’s an elderly couple there who have about half a dozen greenhouses filled with the prettiest orchids you’ve ever seen. Lauren, you’ll have to go there with me as soon as you get better. You won’t believe what bizarre hybrids they have raised. They had some miniature orchids that were the size of a pinhead and have to be looked at through a magnifying glass. And did you know that orchid plants are much hardier than most people realize? They grow all over the world, and under the right conditions they can live for over one hundred years.”

Lauren and Rita exchanged bemused glances. “Who is this man who looks and sounds like Jordan Daniels?” Lauren asked with a mischievous smile. “It can’t really be Jordan because he doesn’t know a stamen from a stem.”

“Or a petunia from a begonia,” Rita added.

“Okay, ladies. Give me some slack here,” Jordan cut in. “I’ll admit that I was a real greenhorn when it came to flowers the first time I walked into your shop. But don’t forget that I’ve put in quite a few hours working with your plants and learned a lot. I’ve always thought raising flowers was a feminine hobby, but now, after seeing all those different varieties of orchids, I can understand why people get so involved with them. Someday I’d like to try my hand at producing the perfect bloom.”

“Uh oh. It sounds like we have a budding fanatic on our hands.” Lauren rolled her eyes expressively. “I wonder if it’s wise to let a scientist loose in a greenhouse.” Turning back to Rita, she asked, “Did you stop by the nursery and see Melanie? Isn’t she beautiful? Was she crying or sleeping?”

“Yes…yes…and sleeping like an angel,” Rita answered the questions in order. “So you’ve decided to name her Melanie? That’s a very pretty name. But what happened to Joanna? I thought you had decided on that name.”

“I had, but she just looks more like a Melanie. What do you think, Jordan? Do you like the name?”

Jordan was trying not to read too much into her decision not to name the baby after her husband, but he couldn’t help but be encouraged. Maybe she was trying to tell him that she was ready to accept him and his opinions concerning the child.

“Yes, I think Melanie is as beautiful and feminine as she is,” he answered, but as he exchanged a long, searching look with Lauren, he hoped she saw the
Thanks for not naming her after Johnny
written clearly in his eyes.

“All I can say is that you’d better relax and enjoy being pampered while you’re here in the hospital because as soon as you take Melanie home, you won’t get another good night’s sleep for weeks,” Rita said prophetically.

“A
S SOON AS
your father and I return from our vacation, I want you and Melanie to come to Corpus for a nice long visit. You’ve done wonders with the shop, but you shouldn’t let it tie you down so much. Do you realize we haven’t seen each other since last Christmas? I miss all the mother and daughter talks we used to have.”

Lauren watched her mother’s nimble fingers maneuver the long needles around the fluffy strand of cotton-candy-pink yarn that was gradually evolving into a baby blanket. “You know how important it is that I make the flower shop a success. It’s the only income Melanie and I have. I’ve been wanting to drive down to see you and Dad, but the weekends are always my busiest days. Maybe after I’ve tied up a few loose ends around here, Melanie and I will be able to get away for a couple of weeks.”

Darlene gave her daughter a questioning glance and let her knitting drop into her lap. “By loose ends, are you referring to that nice young man who drops by here every evening in time to give Melanie her six o’clock bottle?”

“Jordan?” Lauren asked evasively.

“Of course, Jordan. He’s the only man other than your father that I’ve seen around here lately. Lauren, is there something going on between the two of you? You haven’t told me a thing about him. Where does he work? He’s not married to someone else, is he? Where did you meet him?”

“Mother!” Lauren exclaimed. “Slow down. I’m still recovering from having a baby and I’ve been too busy trying to get my business going to have time for many extracurricular activities. Besides, don’t forget that Johnny has been gone only a little over a year and a half. It’s too soon to start thinking about another man.”

“Oh, pooh! It’s been almost two years and that’s plenty of time to grieve and let go. I like Jordan and he seems to genuinely care for you and the baby. I would feel a lot better if I knew you were involved with someone who could take good care of both of you.”

Lauren sighed and tried to decide where to begin. She had put off telling her mother the whole story in the hope that there would be some sort of happy ending to add to it. But regardless of the closeness she and Jordan had shared or the talks they had had, everything was still as unsettled as ever. Maybe her mother could offer some sort of solution. When Lauren was a little girl, it had always seemed to help to talk her problems over with her mother, and even though both women were a little older and this problem was a lot worse, perhaps her mother could come through once again.

Shifting into a more comfortable position on the sofa, Lauren began, “It’s sort of complicated, but it all started over nine months ago when I decided to go ahead with the artificial insemination.” An hour later, she had confided all her fears and doubts, as well as the attraction she felt for Jordan. Through it all, Darlene listened attentively, occasionally interrupting with a question or remark, but offering no advice.

“And next week Jordan will be traveling to Washington, DC to apply for an extension of his grant and to begin the patent process on his discovery. Actually, a person can’t patent a medicine, but he can patent the chemical formula or the manufacturing process that makes his experiment a success. My concern is that he will insist on getting Melanie’s blood tests performed before he goes so that he can use her as proof.”

“That would be awful for you and her,” Darlene agreed. “Can’t you talk him out of it?”

“I’m afraid to bring the subject up at all. I know how important his research is to him. What I don’t know is if Melanie means more to him for herself or because she might be living proof of his theories.”