NO ENGAGEMENT RING

Chapter 20

The widowed sisters were ecstatic to welcome Clare into their home, even if Clare was

not displaying any kind of gratitude. After the first service, the Garricks were more than

willing to drop Hannah off at the hospital.

"Are you sure you don't want us to wait with you?" they asked for the umpteenth time.

"Yes, I am," Hannah answered gently. "I don't know exactly what time the doctor is

going to get here. Besides, I already made arrangements with Meredith to fetch us. But thank

you."

Reluctantly the Garricks left but not before she disappeared into the hospital. Hannah felt

a swell of love for her future in-laws. They were really such caring people. Unsure how long

she would have to wait, she made her way to Clare's ward.

Eventually, they were out of the hospital and Meredith deposited them on the widowed

sisters' doorstep, then left, not wanting to intrude. It was scary enough for Clare, she excused.

Now, Hannah accompanied them on a tour of the house and Clare's room which was

upstairs with the other bedrooms. Hannah spent most of the afternoon at the house, getting to

know both sisters and making Clare as comfortable as possible. The widows provided them

with a mouth watering lunch and plied them with refreshments throughout the day. At least it

was the one thing Clare was grateful for, Hannah noted.

Luke arrived in the evening to take Hannah home. With a promise to visit the next day

and a hug, Hannah left a wary Clare behind. There was nothing Hannah could do so she

prayed that Clare would start to feel comfortable almost immediately.

After school, the next day, Hannah paid a visit to Clare. She was glad that Clare was not

sulking too much. Both Caroline and Denise were more than adequately equipped to handle

Clare, reassuring Hannah that these things took time but eventually, Clare would learn to trust

them. Hannah didn't doubt that the sisters would be able to get Clare to trust them and others.

They were such wonderful ladies.

Hannah spent the evening with the three of them, getting to know Clare's story. She even

got dinner, although she didn't want to intrude but Clare had shown her neediness to have

Hannah there, forcing Hannah to stay. It was already seven when they were done and Hannah

wondered how she would get home. Calling Jonathan would not be very wise in light of

keeping their relationship a secret. She didn't want to bother Luke as she knew he and

Meredith were going out that night.

As if she had prayed, the doorbell rang. It was Jonathan! He had come to see how

everything was going. Though, she was very happy to see him, Hannah had to hide her

reaction from the rest of group, wondering how Jonathan managed to school his features so

easily. For if he was surprised to see her there, he didn't show it.