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Natalie’s heart pounded as Matthew picked up on the first ring.
“I’m with Carrie,” she rushed out, wanting to ease his worry as quickly as possible. “We’re at the zoo.”
Matthew’s breath whooshed out over the phone. “The zoo? She’s okay?”
“She’s fine. I found her at the giraffe exhibit. They have a big screen set up as Zoie is about to be born. She wanted to be here.”
“Thank God.” He disconnected the call to notify his family that he’d found Carrie.
“Is he mad?”
Staring at the child, Natalie nodded. “You gave him a bad fright. He loves you very, very much.”
Carrie nodded, then looked uncertain. “I make his life,” she paused, sounding out the word, “complicated.”
Which must be part of what she’d overheard with his conversation with his sister.
“Don’t worry about that now, okay? Your Uncle Matthew would do anything for you, Carrie. He wants you to have the very best in life.” Carrie nodded as if she understood what Natalie was saying, but Natalie wasn’t sure the child did, or even could at her young age. “Why didn’t you just wait and ask him bring you to the zoo after preschool?”
“It might have been too late. I might have missed Zoie being born!”
Unsure what to say, Natalie hugged the little girl, then sat down on the pavement next to her to watch the screen along with the dozens of others who were there. When Carrie scooted next to her, Natalie automatically pulled her into her lap and wrapped her arms around her. Carrie laced their fingers and leaned back against her as if it was the
most natural thing in the world.
This, Natalie found herself thinking again. She wanted this.
Was that why she’d run from the hospital? Because of how much she wanted Matthew and Carrie as her own? Because of how it had hit her, scared her?
On the big screen, they watched as little Zoie came into the world, and cheers sounded from all around. Natalie and Carrie cheered right along with the others.
Carrie cocked her head, grinning up at Natalie with a look of pure awe. “That was amazing.”
It was.
Sharing the moment with Carrie had been amazing, too.
She might have said more, but her phone rang.
“Where are you? I can’t spot you in this crowd.”
Helping Carrie to her feet first, Natalie stood, spotted Matthew and waved.
“There. I see you.”
He disconnected the call.
Carrie’s hand slipped into hers. “I don’t want to leave until Zoie takes her first step! Make Uncle Matthew promise!”
“I’m not sure I can stop him.”
Carrie looked up at her with big, trusting eyes. “Just ask him to stay and he will. He’d do anything for you.”
Natalie wasn’t so sure.
“Carrie.” Matthew scooped the child into his arms, hugged her close, kissed the top of her head. “I have never been so scared in my whole life.”
“Sorry,” came the muffled reply.
