Her face lit up, but the joy was gone really soon and replaced with concern. “Are you sure? It’s not like getting a dog, Dana.”

“I know that. You don’t have to insult my intelligence; I know what it would mean. But I’m healthy. We’re financially secure. There’s no real reason we can’t at least foster her for awhile, unless of course you don’t think we’re ready.”

“I think…well, I can’t say we have everything worked out yet…”

“Who does? She’s a baby who needs a home. She can’t control when she was born any more than we can. And I don’t think it matters, she’s not going to save our relationship or destroy it. She has nothing to do with it, we can work it out on our own if we need to. I’d like her to stay with us and you’re in love with her. I saw it,” I said.

Alice grinned, and I guess for once in my life I’d actually said the right thing. I was even surer of that when she turned around and looked down to where the baby’s incubator was. She gazed at the baby for a few minutes, then turned around and gave me a big hug. “Thank you so much.”

I grinned at the way she’d lit up. “Let’s take a few days and really think it over, okay? Just to make sure.” She kissed me and nodded, and we walked hand in hand back to where Helena was standing.

I thought Alice was going to ask her about it, but she didn’t get the chance. “I think it’s wonderful that you’re considering it,” she said to us, still looking into the incubator behind the wall of windows. “Would you like to get closer and really look at her? I was allowed into the room for a bit yesterday, I’m sure I can arrange that for tomorrow. This case is mine now, so I’ll pull as many strings for you as I possibly can. I can’t guarantee anything, but I’ll try.”

We thanked her and decided to go home and talk a little, not that I really needed us to. I knew that teeny tiny person was going to be a huge part of our lives.

**********

I only stopped talking then because the nurse came in to give Alice a sponge bath. It wasn’t Gemma this time, which was a little disappointing since I’d wanted to see how she was doing. Instead, I told Alice that I was going to go up to the cafeteria I’d used to sit in so many years ago and get myself some coffee while I waited for Shane and Jenny to send lunch over.