“Oh, so that’s where we are now? Fine. You want the truth? Here it is. Your precious mother practically begged me to help get rid of that clingy little nobody who had her perfect son all tied up. She even paid me well to become your wife.”
“And yes, it was satisfying watching your little sweetheart cry and run out of town. Getting you to the altar wasn’t hard either. All it took was enough expensive liquor.”
“I knew your sense of duty would do the rest. At first the whole thing amused me. Then you got boring. And since we’re being honest, I cheated on you plenty. So if you’re looking for a faithful wife, you picked the wrong woman.”
Eugene stared at her. “You’re a piece of work. And I spent years too busy earning money to notice what kind of person you were.”
“But what you and my mother did to Natalie—I will never forgive. You wrecked two lives. Do you understand that? I’m moving out tonight. My attorney will be in touch.”
Eugene moved into a rental apartment that same week. The quiet there felt like relief. At the hospital, he took his first extended leave in two years and threw himself into sorting out Sophie’s legal situation.
While the paperwork crawled along, that county official finally pulled the right strings, and Katie was approved as Sophie’s legal guardian. She was allowed to take the child home on weekends, and Eugene decided to visit them himself. On the way, he filled the trunk with fruit, candy, and a beautiful doll with a real little stroller.
Katie’s farmhouse was roomy but badly in need of repairs. She was thrilled to see him. Thanks to his help, the thing she wanted most was finally happening. She hurried him inside, where a generous meal was already on the table.
It was simple country cooking, but it smelled wonderful: hearty soup, browned meat patties, roasted potatoes, and fresh sweet cheese pastries. Katie brought over a shy little girl. “Sophie, say hello to Dr. Gene. He’s the kind man who helped us be together.”
The child gave him an open, trusting smile and looked him over with curiosity. Then Katie introduced her mother. The older woman moved with difficulty because of severe joint pain and looked worn down by illness.
She thanked him warmly for helping with the guardianship. Eugene nodded politely, but he barely heard a word she said. His eyes were fixed on the child’s face.
She looked exactly like Natalie. The same expressive gray-blue eyes framed by long lashes. The same neat little nose. The same full mouth and quick smile. Even the thick, unruly hair was her mother’s.
He snapped out of it only when Sophie tugged at his jacket. “Dr. Gene, come eat! Don’t just stand there like a statue. Sit down. And later I can show you my drawings. I’m really good at animals.”
The meal had the kind of warmth he hadn’t felt in years. Eugene ate with real appetite and praised everything Katie had made. “This is terrific,” he said. “I can’t remember the last time I sat at a table like this with decent, kind people.”
“You’re an excellent cook,” he added sincerely. “Young, capable, and clearly the backbone of this household. Somebody would be lucky to marry you.” Katie blushed and looked down.
“Oh, stop,” she said. “My whole world is Sophie now. Right, sweetheart? Come here.”
“Soon all the paperwork will be done, and we won’t have to be apart. Honestly, I think she found me as much as I found her. Maybe there was a reason she climbed into our house that day.” She tickled the girl, and Sophie laughed and squirmed away.
After lunch came the gifts. Sophie was overjoyed with the doll and immediately began pushing the stroller around the house, completely absorbed.
And while no one was looking, Eugene quietly lifted a few strands of hair from the child’s sweater and sealed them in a small plastic bag. He intended to get a DNA test. Until he had the results, he said nothing to Katie or the child…
