seaweed. “Happy, leave that alone.” He turned on the log where they were sitting and looked directly into Dannilynn ’s blue eyes. “I’m sure peo ple have already asked you this, but don’t you think you should tell your m om ?” He rubbed her hand and then grasped it tightly, wanting to do more, but not sure he should .
She shook her head and frowned . “ Will you take me home now , Ben?”
He nodd ed and they walked back to the car . She looked into the back seat and wrinkled her nose when the Doberman leapt into the car . “H appy really need s a bath. I think he r olled in more than rotten seaweed.”
“Will you help me? He doesn’t like being bathed , and he’s so big .”
“ Sure .” They drove to the clinic and used the groomer’s room and equipment to wash the big dog, dry him off, and put him back into his run.
On their way to Danni ’s house, Ben put his arm around her. “I’m going to miss you at the clinic when you take off for school. You’ re coming to work tomorrow, aren’t you?”
“Of course. I need all the hours Joe l will pay me for.” She rubbed her hand against his cheek b efore leaving the car, looking at him with a quirky little smile. “You better shave extra close tomorrow . I hear d that Mrs. Learman ’ s coming in and she won’t let anyone but you check old Schotsie.” She laughed at him when he tried to grab her hand.
“Pastor Peter, could I talk with you?” Danni held her breath , hoping that he wouldn’t be too busy.
“Certainly, Dannilynn . Do you want to talk now or in my office?”
“In your office. I c an be there in a few minutes if you have time.”
His voice was welcoming. “ I always have time for you .”
When she arrived at the parsonage, the pastor escorted her into his office and shut the door.
“So, you’re going back to school soon ?”
She nodded. “I was wondering. D o you know people who want babies, but who aren’t able to have them?”
“You mean people want ing to adopt a child? ”
She nodded.
“As a matt er of fact, I do. I usually suggest that couple s go through an adoption agency so they are prepared and know what can happen. That’s what the Hartman s did about eighteen months ago . Perhaps you saw them when they brought their baby to church? I think you were singing in the choir when their little girl was baptized.”
She nodded.
“Do you know someone with a baby she wants to give up for adoption ?”
“I’m not sure, I was just wondering how it happens.” She couldn’t seem to stop opening and closing her fists , her heart thudding in her chest. C an he tell it ’s me ?
“The short answer is the pregnant girl signs papers giving up her rights—and if the father is known, he does, too. T hen the adoption agency does an assessment of the parents who want a child. They match the baby to the family and after the birth, the adoptiv e parents have to wait a while. I t used to be many weeks, but now i t’s usually just a few days. T hen they come to the agency and the baby is given to them. After a while, the adoption is finali zed and the baby becomes theirs to love and raise as their own.”
“Oh.” She waited. “What happens to the real mother of the baby?”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, does she ever get to see the baby after the adoption?”
“Not always . Some couples are okay with occasional contact and a few are opting for what’s called open adoption. Some birth mothers write letters t o their babies, to be read to them when they are old enough to understand . B ut often , the birth mother never sees the baby again. Legally, it’s not her baby anymore. ”
The pastor peer ed at her with a kindly expression. “ Dannilynn , you’ re asking the sam e questions women ask who are thinking of giving their baby up for adoption. ” He paused before asking, “ A re you pregnant?”
She bowed her head, and nodded. “You won’t tell my folks, will you?”
“Our conversation
She shook her head and frowned . “ Will you take me home now , Ben?”
He nodd ed and they walked back to the car . She looked into the back seat and wrinkled her nose when the Doberman leapt into the car . “H appy really need s a bath. I think he r olled in more than rotten seaweed.”
“Will you help me? He doesn’t like being bathed , and he’s so big .”
“ Sure .” They drove to the clinic and used the groomer’s room and equipment to wash the big dog, dry him off, and put him back into his run.
On their way to Danni ’s house, Ben put his arm around her. “I’m going to miss you at the clinic when you take off for school. You’ re coming to work tomorrow, aren’t you?”
“Of course. I need all the hours Joe l will pay me for.” She rubbed her hand against his cheek b efore leaving the car, looking at him with a quirky little smile. “You better shave extra close tomorrow . I hear d that Mrs. Learman ’ s coming in and she won’t let anyone but you check old Schotsie.” She laughed at him when he tried to grab her hand.
“Pastor Peter, could I talk with you?” Danni held her breath , hoping that he wouldn’t be too busy.
“Certainly, Dannilynn . Do you want to talk now or in my office?”
“In your office. I c an be there in a few minutes if you have time.”
His voice was welcoming. “ I always have time for you .”
When she arrived at the parsonage, the pastor escorted her into his office and shut the door.
“So, you’re going back to school soon ?”
She nodded. “I was wondering. D o you know people who want babies, but who aren’t able to have them?”
“You mean people want ing to adopt a child? ”
She nodded.
“As a matt er of fact, I do. I usually suggest that couple s go through an adoption agency so they are prepared and know what can happen. That’s what the Hartman s did about eighteen months ago . Perhaps you saw them when they brought their baby to church? I think you were singing in the choir when their little girl was baptized.”
She nodded.
“Do you know someone with a baby she wants to give up for adoption ?”
“I’m not sure, I was just wondering how it happens.” She couldn’t seem to stop opening and closing her fists , her heart thudding in her chest. C an he tell it ’s me ?
“The short answer is the pregnant girl signs papers giving up her rights—and if the father is known, he does, too. T hen the adoption agency does an assessment of the parents who want a child. They match the baby to the family and after the birth, the adoptiv e parents have to wait a while. I t used to be many weeks, but now i t’s usually just a few days. T hen they come to the agency and the baby is given to them. After a while, the adoption is finali zed and the baby becomes theirs to love and raise as their own.”
“Oh.” She waited. “What happens to the real mother of the baby?”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, does she ever get to see the baby after the adoption?”
“Not always . Some couples are okay with occasional contact and a few are opting for what’s called open adoption. Some birth mothers write letters t o their babies, to be read to them when they are old enough to understand . B ut often , the birth mother never sees the baby again. Legally, it’s not her baby anymore. ”
The pastor peer ed at her with a kindly expression. “ Dannilynn , you’ re asking the sam e questions women ask who are thinking of giving their baby up for adoption. ” He paused before asking, “ A re you pregnant?”
She bowed her head, and nodded. “You won’t tell my folks, will you?”
“Our conversation
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