Shining Stars

Chapter 8

"One grande coffee, no fancy stuff and..." Brian looked to Christine.

"A tall mocha latte, skim milk, extra whip cream, please."

Order collected the two friends moved back outside to finish their walk back to the Taylor Building. "I'm sure everything will work out with Marie," Christine said, picking up where they had left off. "If there's anything I can do..."

"Thank you, dear, but right now there's very little we can do. If we try to talk to her she'll shut us out forever. But thank you, for your offer." Tucking her mittened hand under his arm he patted it gently.

"You're always doing so much for this world, Christine. Your charities are known everywhere. Everyone wants an invitation to your Annual Charity Dinner; it's the hottest ticket in town when the time comes. I've always wondered why I keep getting invited. I'd never even met you before I got that first invitation, what's it been? Five years now?"

"You had met me, you just didn't remember," she replied, her voice growing soft. He could hear a touch of sadness in it and wondered at it. "When I turned twenty one the courts were ordered to turn over the records of my adoption and my parents death. I was looking at the hospital record from my time there after the accident and yours was the signature of the charts. You were the doctor who helped me after the train wreck."

Brian stopped in his tracks and stared down at the woman standing next to him.

"I had no idea."

After a moment they kept walking.

"I still remember that accident. It was a bloodbath. So many people were dead or dying. One of the nurses had a little girl in her arms and was rocking her. She... you... were crying, I found out that you had just been told your parents were killed. You were so young you had no idea what that meant, but you were crying so everyone assumed you did. I noticed that your foot was a little blue so I checked you out. Turns out you were crying because you were in pain."

"It was broken. I remember that."

"Yes. I set it again and wrapped you up in a cast. After that you were asleep because of the medicine. I never saw you again. But that was twenty-four years ago. Why didn't you say anything before now?"

"It was in the past. I knew you cared for children, I'd seen you at other charities, and I wanted to thank you for it. I just never quite knew what to say." Christine smiled at him. "Silly, I know."

"No, not silly. It was a difficult time for you, I'm sure."

"It was, but thankfully I don't remember much of it. And I have my parents now so I have everything I need. I'm rather lucky I guess. To be loved by two sets of wonderful parents, one that gave me life and the other that saved my life. Not many kids can lay claim to that and too many don't even have half of what I had."

Brian looked at her from the corner of his eyes, his heartstrings tugging when he heard the love and conviction in her voice. He was in awe of the woman walking next to him. "With you on their side, they'll get what they need." Needing to change the topic to something a little more cheery he looked at her cup and noted, "You haven't even taken a sip yet. Better drink up before it gets cold."