Page 69 of No Offense

“Because men can suck,” said the nurse, whose nametag readCecile.

“Not my boyfriend.” Tabitha’s voice was firm. “He’s going to come pick us up, and we’re going to live on a boat and sail around the world and homeschool Cosette.”

“Is that what you’ve named her?” Molly asked, reaching up to touch one of the baby’s tiny pink toes. She couldn’t help it. The little foot was dangling out from beneath the baby’s blanket just a few inches away, looking so soft and sweet and innocent that Molly had to touch it. “Cosette?”

“Yes.” Tabitha had the dreamy look that all women got while nursing, Molly’s sister included. But Tabitha’s was especially pronounced, because she was a teenager thinking about the boy she loved. “FromLes Misérables. That’s my favorite book. Cosette knows tremendous hardship, but she’s a survivor, not a victim. I want my daughter to be just like her.”

“Not including the hardship, I hope.”

“Of course not!” Tabitha looked at Molly like she was crazy.

“Well, she’s so young, I doubt she’ll remember the rough start she got in life. I’m sure you and your boyfriend will give your daughter a wonderful upbringing. Has he called you?” Molly couldn’t believe she was sitting there, gentlyinterrogating the new mother while she was nursing. What was wrong with her? “I suppose you’re getting discharged soon.”

“Well, no.” Tabitha looked ever so slightly troubled. “But I mean, he’s busy.”

“Sure he is,” said Cecile in a flat voice.

“No, really, he is. He’s getting the boat. We talked about this. He said it would take a few days to get a good one.”

“You mean steal one,” said Cecile.

“It’s not stealing,” Tabitha insisted. “It’s wrong to own property or people.”

Molly exchanged a glance with the nurse, who was adjusting Tabitha’s IV. The nurse suppressed a smile and turned away. It was clear she’d heard Tabitha express similar sentiments.

Suddenly Molly understood why John had insisted that Tabitha was “bananas.”

But Molly had a different opinion. Tabitha wasn’t mentally ill. She was simply young... young, naive, and in love.

“Well, of course it’s wrong to own people,” Molly said carefully. “But you might feel differently if someone took something that belonged to you—if it was your boat, for instance.”

“Not if they really needed it,” Tabitha said, shaking her head. “I’d give anyone anything I had that they really needed. I’m happy to share all that I have with those who have less.”

“Yes, but what if what they took was Cosette?”

Tabitha’s arms tightened protectively around her daughter. “What are you talking about?”

“I’m talking about the fact that someone took your baby away from you. You weren’t okay with that, were you?”

“Of course not! But I’m talking about material things, not babies.”

“You said it wasn’t okay to own people.”

“I don’t own Cosette. She’s my daughter. I’d never let anyone take her away.”

Molly nodded. “Okay. I was just checking. Here, I brought something for you.” She rose and reached into her tote bag and pulled out the books, then handed both to Tabitha.

Tabitha gave the book of poetry only a fleeting glance, but she gasped at the picture book. “The Snowy Day! Oh my God, I used to have this book when I was a kid. It was my favorite. How did you know?”

“Everyone had that book when they were a kid,” Molly said. “It’s everyone’s favorite. It’s our most checked out book in the library, even though it’s never snowed once in Little Bridge. I think that’s why the kids here like it so much. I thought you might like to start reading it to Cosette.”

“Oh, I will.” When she was smiling, as she was now, Tabitha was a very attractive girl. “Thank you. Thank you so much, Miss Montgomery!”

It was on this scene—a rosy-cheeked Tabitha flipping through the pages of her favorite picture book as she nursed her newborn daughter, Molly and the nurse standing beside her bed—that a well-dressed man and woman walked in a few seconds later, wheeling suitcases behind them,bringing with them the unmistakable scent of air travel and money.

“Tabby?”the woman said, in disbelief, nearly dropping her suitcase.

Tabitha looked up from the book, and her jaw dropped in shock. “Mom? Dad?”