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Both Jamie and the nurse hurried out of the cubicle. The little boy began to fret in his cradle, and Anna couldn’t resist picking him up to soothe him.
She wouldn’t...couldn’t have her own child. The nieces and nephews she’d gained when she’d married had never really belonged to her and, along with their parents, had just melted away again after the divorce. And this little one was only hers for a few short moments, before Jamie or the nurse returned. But he didn’t know that, all he knew was the reassurance of being held by someone.
‘Hey there, sweetheart. Everything’s going to be all right.’ She cooed the words at him, and he seemed to respond to her voice.
Everything was very far from being all right. An abandoned baby who faced painful medical procedures. It seemed such a cruel twist of fate when Anna would have done anything to have her own child. She felt tears well in her eyes, and blinked them away quickly.
She rocked the baby boy in her arms, singing to him quietly, and his eyes began to close. He was so peacefully unaware of everything that was going on around him.
She could put him back into his cradle, now, but somehow it seemed wrong to do so, as if holding him might add just a drop more love to a life that already needed all the love it could get. When Jamie returned, she was still holding the little boy, the notes untouched. He glanced at them and then looked at her.
‘Everything okay?’
‘Oh. Yes...’
Jamie finally managed a smile. ‘They smell so good, don’t they? My sister always had a battle on her hands, getting me to hand her newborns back...’
He shot her a speculative look and when Anna failed to answer he seemed to decide that he needed to delve a little further. ‘This little man tugs at the heartstrings.’
Anna’s heartstrings were close to snapping. And she’d forgotten to really take in that new baby smell. It was too late now, and it was just one more loss to contend with.
‘What’s his name?’ She asked the question before she’d really thought about it, and Jamie shook his head slowly. Of course. They didn’t know.
‘He’ll be staying here for a little while, while his foster care is arranged. I dare say the nurses upstairs will be giving him a name.’
He took the baby from her arms, and Anna tried not to notice the way his face softened. Jamie’s green eyes seemed to be cutting into her heart more painfully than usual. He put the baby back into the cradle, stopping to gently stroke his cheek with one finger.
‘I really appreciate your time, thank you.’
‘No problem. I’ll just write my recommendations up and then I’ll be on my way.’ Anna decided that everything would go a bit faster if she did them outside, where she couldn’t be distracted by either Jamie or the baby. She picked up the notes and headed for the door of the cubicle.
‘Anna...’ Jamie’s voice behind her sounded suddenly strained.
‘Yes?’
‘How is he?’
There was no need to ask who he was talking about. Jamie wasn’t as unconcerned about his brother as he seemed.
‘He’s fine, Jamie. I saw him this morning and he’s settling in well.’
Jamie nodded. ‘Thanks.’
Nothing else. No indication that Jamie would come to see his brother, and no message. But she’d done all she could and it was time to take a step back now, and let Jamie work things out. And she did have to get back to the clinic.
Anna turned, getting the distinct impression that Jamie was watching her as she walked away.
* * *
Five o’clock. She should be going home, but Jon hadn’t had a visitor all day. Anna decided to pop in and see how he was, but when she looked in his room he wasn’t there. She found him up on the roof of the building, huddled in a heavy leather jacket and a scarf. As she walked towards him, he slid the headphones he was wearing down around his neck.
‘Aren’t you cold?’ An autumn chill was beginning to set in and the evenings were drawing in.
‘Nah, I’m good. I like it up here.’ Jon tapped his finger on the book in his lap. ‘I have plenty of company.’
Music and books. They were wonderful company but didn’t replace a family. Anna wondered where Jamie was, and what he was doing.
‘You contacted him, didn’t you?’ Jon was looking at her keenly.
