The Dance Begins by Diane Chamberlain Read Free Book Online Page A

divorce. The longer I practice law, the more I dislike it. But that is for another conversation.
    “We’re pretty active,” I tell Patti. “We hike and camp and bike. We spend a lot of time at the beach in the summer. We both surf.”
    “It’d be fun to share all that with a kid,” Aidan says. I imagine I feel excitement in his hand where it presses against mine.
    Patti turns a page in her notebook. “Tell me about your families,” she says. “How were you raised? How do they feel about your decision to adopt?”
    Here is where this interview falls apart, I think. Here is where my lies begin. I’m relieved when Aidan goes first.
    “My family’s totally on board,” he says. “I grew up right here in San Diego. Dad is also a lawyer.”
    “Lawyers coming out of the woodwork around here.” Patti smiles.
    “Well, Mom is a retired teacher and my sister Laurie is a chef,” Aidan says. “They’re already buying things for the baby.” His family sounds perfect. They are perfect. I love them—his brilliant father, his gentle mother, his creative, nurturing sister and her little twin boys. Over the years, they’ve become my family, too.
    “How would you describe your parents’ parenting style?” Patti asks Aidan.
    “Laid-back,” Aidan says, and even his body seems to relax as the words leave his mouth. “They provided good values and then encouraged Laurie and me to make our own decisions. We both turned out fine.”
    “How did they handle discipline?”
    “Took away privileges, for the most part,” Aidan says. “No corporal punishment. I would never spank a child.”
    “How about discipline in your family, Molly?” Patti asks, and I think, Oh thank God, because she skipped right over the “tell me about your family” question.
    “Everything was talked to death.” I smile. “My father was a therapist, so if I did something wrong, I had to talk it out.” There were times I would have preferred a spanking.
    “Did your mother work outside the home as well?” Patti asks.
    “She was a pharmacist,” I say. She might still be a pharmacist, for all I know. Nora would be in her mid to late sixties now.
    “Are your parents local, too?” Patti asks.
    “No. They died,” I say, the first real lie out of my mouth during this interview. I have the feeling it won’t be the last.
    “Oh, I’m sorry,” Patti says. “How about brothers and sisters?”
    “No siblings,” I say, happy to be able to tell the truth. “And I grew up in North Carolina, so I don’t get to see my extended family often.” As in, never. The only person I have any contact with is my cousin Dani, and that’s minimal. Next to me, I feel Aidan stiffen ever so slightly. He knows we’re in dangerous territory. He doesn’t know exactly how dangerous.
    “Well, let’s talk about health for a moment,” Patti says. “How old were your parents when they passed away, Molly? And what from?”
    I hesitate. “Why does this matter?” I try to keep my voice friendly. “I mean, if we had our own children, no one would ask us—”
    “Honey,” Aidan interrupts me. “It matters because—”
    “Well, it sounds like your parents died fairly young,” Patti interrupts, but her voice is gentle. “That doesn’t rule you out as a candidate for adoption, but if they had inheritable diseases, that’s something the birth parents should know.”
    I let go of Aidan’s hand and flatten my damp palms on my skirt. “My father had multiple sclerosis,” I say. “And my mother had breast cancer.” I wish I’d never told Aidan that particular lie. It might be a problem for us now. “I’m fine, though,” I add quickly. “I’ve been tested for the…” I hesitate. What was the name of that gene? If my mother’d actually had breast cancer, the acronym would probably roll off my tongue with ease.
    “BRCA,” Patti supplies.
    “Right.” I smile. “I’m fine.”
    “Neither of us has any chronic problems,” Aidan says.
    “How do you