"Genevieve! It is a pleasure to see you again," she says, rising from her chair, a smile pasted upon her lips.      "Oh Melinda, how are you?" the woman says, reaching over and giving her a hug. The warmth and compassion in her voice is genuine. Melinda hugs her back awkwardly.      "I'm doing very well," she responds. She makes an effort to kneel down in front of the stroller where a cooing baby is looking up at her. "And who is this little one?"      Genevieve beams. "This is our pride and joy, Byron Samuel." She bends over and runs a hand lovingly over his forehead.      "He's beautiful," Melinda says in response. 'He looks so much like Wayne,' she thinks, shivering a little at the thought. It is even more evidence to support why they can't be together.      "I'm so glad I ran into you, Melinda. I've thought of you often. And I know Wayne misses you. You spent a lot of time together."      Melinda doesn't respond. She just nods her head and smiles.      "I was wondering if you'd like to come to our yearly Halloween party. You can bring a guest if you'd like, but I would love to have you there. And I know Wayne would be pleased to see you as well."      "Oh!" Melinda says, surprised. "Well I-I'm not sure if I'll be able to make it…" She trails off.      "Please try, Melinda," Genevieve says.      Melinda nods her head. "I'll let you know. I'll tell Wayne either way as soon as I check my schedule." She notices a frown wrinkle Genevieve's forehead, and realizes that she hadn't known that Melinda was a member of Wayne's class. "He's the head of the student interns," she explains quickly. "I saw him last night."      "Of course!" Genevieve says, smiling once again. "He hadn't told me that he saw you. Of course I haven't seen much of him lately. He's been so busy with the clinic during the day and then preparing for his class each evening… It's the life of a physician's wife, I'm afraid," she says, laughing a little.      Melinda smiles in response and glances over at her desk. She is anxious to look at that book again, the one that may contain the answers she's been looking for.      Genevieve notices. "I'm sorry, Melinda. I can see I interrupted you," she says gesturing to the piles of books on the table. "Do let me know if you can come to the party. I would so love to have you."     "I'll do that, Genevieve," she says. "It was great to see you again."      "Likewise. Take care of yourself."      With that she walks away, pushing the baby stroller through the room and out the library door. Melinda sits back down in front of her book. Of all the people to see… She shakes her head in disbelief. 'If only she knew,' she thinks to herself, feeling absurdly guilty. 'If only she knew that I was in love with her husband…' The thought seems to tear at her heart.      She closes her eyes for a moment, in an effort to regain her composure. She opens them again and stares at the book in front of her. Her concentration is broken, but she forces herself to focus. She skims over the page that contains the name and realizes that she is reading a birth record from Parklawn Hospital. "Father: Francis M. Gardenia, 14 Willow Drive, Barrington. Mother: Evelyn R. Gardenia, 14 Willow Drive, Barrington. Jessica M. Gardenia, 8 pounds, 9 oz. Dated July 23, 1982."      She reads the register over and over, letting the information sink in. Did this mean that she had a sister out there? A stepmother? She gets up and rushes to the photocopier in the corner. In a few moments the machine glows in front of her and spits out the precious information. She hurries back to her desk and arranges the books into a neat pile. The next step is finding 14 Willow Drive.      "I just hope he still lives there," she says aloud.      Her meeting with Genevieve Tithing is all but forgotten