Читать книгу The Doctor's Baby - Cindy Kirk, Cindy Kirk - Страница 11

July stared at the birth certificate application the nurse had left for her to fill out. Apparently she had to complete and turn it in before she was dismissed.

The section asking for her information had been easy. The field for the baby’s name was completed without hesitation. She’d had almost five months—since she’d first learned she was carrying a boy—to decide on his name. But it was the section asking for the father’s information that had stopped her cold.

How could she put David’s name on the application before she’d told him Adam was his son? Still, she couldn’t bring herself to write the word that had been on her own birth certificate.

She’d found hers the summer she’d turned thirteen, stuffed inside a drawer. Though her mother had always maintained her father could have been any one of a number of men, July had thought she was exaggerating. But when she’d seen “unknown” on that birth certificate, her dreams of a father one day appearing on a white horse to rescue her had disappeared like a puff of smoke.

July took a deep breath then let it out slowly. She picked up the pen, still unsure. Unlike her mother, there was no doubt in July’s mind about Adam’s father. But what if David got hold of the certificate? Or some staff member noticed his name on the application and mentioned it to him?

The form was still incomplete when the door creaked open and the social worker stuck her face in the room. “Can I come in?”

“Certainly,” July said.

“I’m sorry about the delay.” The brunette’s heels clacked loudly on the shiny linoleum as she hurried across the room. “I didn’t think I’d be so long.”

“No worries.” July dropped the pen, thankful for the diversion. “I’m still waiting for Dr. Fisher to stop by and release me.”

“What are you working on?” Lexi asked.

“The birth certificate application,” July said, trying not to sigh.

Lexi’s gaze dropped to the form, taking in the part still not completed. “It can be hard to decide what to put there. At least it was for me.”

“You have a child?”

“Addie is seven.” Lexi’s perfectly painted lips curved up in a slight smile. “It might sound corny, but she’s the light of my life.”

It didn’t sound at all corny. Though her son was only a day old, July understood. She returned Lexi’s smile.

“Does her father live in Jackson?” From a previous comment July knew the social worker wasn’t married, but that didn’t mean the guy wasn’t in her life.

“Drew lives in Columbus, Ohio,” Lexi said matter-of-factly. “He’s not involved at all.”

“Is his name on her birth certificate?” The minute the question left her lips, July wanted to call it back. Though the social worker had been forthcoming about her personal life, the question was way too personal.

“It is.” Lexi took a seat in the chair by the bed with a gracefulness July envied. “I considered leaving it off. After all, once he found out I was pregnant he didn’t want anything to do with me.”

“Yet you put his name on her birth certificate.”

“Drew is her father and him being a jerk doesn’t change that.” Lexi spoke matter-of-factly, without a hint of emotion on her face. “Putting ‘unknown’ would have been a lie. And I didn’t want Addie’s life to start off with a lie.”

July leaned back against the pillow and considered the words. She’d never thought of it that way. But that’s what she’d be doing if she left David’s name off the birth certificate.

“One of my concerns is that Adam’s dad is from Jackson,” July found herself admitting. “I don’t want anyone knowing that he’s my baby’s father.”

Lexi’s expression turned serious. “I can assure you that the hospital places a high emphasis on maintaining confidentiality. This application will immediately go into an envelope and be mailed.”

Yeah, but who puts it in the envelope?

Lexi must have sensed July still wasn’t convinced because she leaned forward and placed a hand on her arm. “If you like I can take care of it myself. No one else will see it.”

July cocked her head. “How about you? Will you look?”