Night Whispers - Leslie Kelly [37]
“What do you need me to do?”
“Actually, I really need help putting this stuff in some kind of order. I had several rolls of film developed, and I’ve listed the subjects in my journals. Could you match the rolls with the notes? It would be a big help.”
Kelsey sat on the sofa and picked up a packet of pictures. “I can do that. Are these pictures going to be in the book?”
He wryly shook his head. “No way. This is a collaborative effort. The publisher has professional photographers, graphic artists, even other writers for certain sections. These are just for my notes…and my memories.”
Mitch surreptitiously watched Kelsey work. Her tawny hair swung forward, covering her cheek, and he took advantage of the moment to drink her in with his eyes. This “friends” thing was playing havoc with his peace of mind. He grinned, teased, talked about his trip and answered her endless questions, carefully hiding the fact that he wanted to strip off her fluffy sweater and lick her collarbone.
“Who are these children?” she asked.
Glad she’d distracted him from his wandering thoughts, Mitch glanced at the photos she held. Gazing at the eager faces, he smiled. “These are China’s little angels. They’re the unwanted ones. The baby girls who’ve been abandoned and are raised in state homes.”
Mitch saw a frown cross her face. Her shoulders drooped as she sat cross-legged on the floor, next to the sofa.
“Oh, of course, I remember reading your articles in the Baltimore paper a few months ago. These are the girls who are suffering because of China’s one-child policy. Now I understand why there are no boys,” she said softly.
“You don’t usually see boys in these places unless they’re ill or handicapped.” Mitch set the pictures on the table. “Boys are a valuable commodity in a land where parents are punished for having more than one child. If a couple has no son, there’s no one to support them in their old age. Baby girls are found abandoned every day, and they’re usually taken directly to an orphanage. Officials seldom even try to find out who they belong to.”
“How could parents do that to a child?” Kelsey asked in dismay.
“Chinese parents love their children as much as we do, Kels. They’re in an untenable situation, and are forced to do something morally repugnant to survive. I’m sure most Chinese mothers mourn the loss of their daughters all their lives.”
Kelsey stared at the pictures on the table, captivated by the faces, the bright-eyed optimism of the beautiful little girls.
“Your articles helped them, you know,” she said softly. “I read that there has been a recent surge in foreign adoptions.”
He nodded. “That makes it worthwhile. Believe it or not, I even thought about it myself while I was there. For the first time in my life I thought long and hard about becoming a father, even though I’d never believed that would happen.”
Kelsey quickly looked up at him. “Why not? I’m sure you’d be a great father. What kid wouldn’t want a dad who knows how to hot-wire a car?”
He shook his head, chuckling, and replied, “I’ve come a long way from those days. It’s funny when you think about it. I grew up resentful as hell toward my parents, and ended up a lot like them…a little introverted, a little selfish. I travel all the time. I’m not cut out for home, family and kids. The only times I ever felt a family connection were when I was staying with your parents.”
She gave him a sour look. “You sure were around enough to be a Logan!”
“To me, you were like a television show from the fifties that I could step into and pretend I was part of for a little while. But I never felt I was really one of you.”
She stared at him, knowing what he said was true. Mitch had always been a little removed from them, always prepared for the rug to be pulled out from under him. At first it was evident in his rebellion, later in his self-imposed isolation.
“Anyway,” he continued,