CHAPTER 12Len
“Hello?”
“Margie. It’s me—” Len began at once, forgetting that she would not hear him.
“You have a collect call from Len Walters,” the operator interrupted him. “Will you accept the charges?”
“What? Yes. Of course.”
“Please hold the line.” There was a click as the operator hung up.
“Lenny? Are you there? What’s happened?”
“Hello, Margie.”
“Lenny, what is it? Is it one of the girls?”
“No. No,” he said quickly, to reassure her. “They’re both fine.”
“Then why are you calling collect? I mean, I don’t mind but . . .”
Len understood her agitation; he had called her collect only twice before, each time from the same hospital pay phone after the birth of Jessie, then Emma. Margie lived in St. Louis with her husband. She and Len had not seen each other since soon after Jess
