Love Comes Home (16 page)

“You do think it’s awful. So does Mike.” Evie sighed. “But what’s wrong with a woman having a career? Tell me that.”

“Babies need their mommies. You’ll feel different once you have the baby and hold him.”

“Not him. Her.”

“How can you know that?” Kate looked at her with curiosity.

“I know I don’t know the first thing about little boys. Maybe I can figure out a baby girl, and a girl will be so much more fun to dress.” She dried the spoons and carefully stacked them in the utensil tray in the drawer.

Kate laughed. “You’ll have a boy and you’ll love him so much you won’t let any of us hold him. You’ll have a conniption fit when Tori tries to take him fishing the way she does Samantha, because you won’t trust anybody else to watch him as well as you do. You’ll nearly spoil him to death, but thank goodness, a little sister will come along before you completely ruin him.”

Evie rolled her eyes at Kate. “You are out of your mind. It’s going to be awhile before I try this again. You’ll change your tune about how wonderful it is when you start looking like you swallowed a watermelon seed.” Evie made a face. “That’s what crazy old Graham told me the last time I came home.”

Kate smiled as she washed the knives. “That’s a seed I want to swallow.”

She hadn’t told Evie about her suspicions of maybe already having that seed growing inside her. She wanted to be sure.

And now as she leaned against her porch post, she looked to the west, toward Louisville. Her child and Evie’s child would grow up together. Playing here in Rosey Corner. Exploring Lindell Woods together. Letting Aunt Tori bait their hooks. Perhaps fussing like sisters. Maybe being terrified of Fern appearing out of the gloaming the way Kate and her sisters were as kids.

In fact, at that very moment she spotted Fern across the field behind the house. On her way to the woods. The woman had to wander, perhaps searching for her more. Could it be that every person always wanted more the way Evie said she and Kate did? Even Tori, in spite of Evie saying all she wanted to be was a wife and mother. That could be her more right now. She needed more to happen to be a wife again.

Kate stared out at the field. Fern climbed over the fence
and disappeared into the trees. Fern needed her solitude. Tori seemed to need that solitude now too. She slipped off to Graham’s pond every time the sun warmed the day the slightest bit. While Kate hated to think about it, she had to wonder if Tori wanted to shut out the world the way Fern did.

Clay Weber was in love with Tori. The man’s longing for Tori was almost palpable, but she would barely give him the time of day. Samantha loved him and ran to him with her arms stretched up every time she saw him. That seemed to make Tori want to push him out of her path even more. He was a good man. A perfect solution to Tori’s need for more, but love couldn’t be orchestrated. Kate sighed.

Evie was right about her. She did want to fix the world and make everybody happy. Especially her sisters. She wanted Evie to embrace becoming a mother. She would. Already Kate could see a different look on Evie’s face when the baby moved inside her. Kate was so ready to feel that quickening of life. A smile slid across her face. That would be worth tossing a few breakfasts.

Since she was thinking on fixing the world, what else could she want? Tori to fall in love again. Not to forget Sammy, but to open her heart to new love. Then there was Lorena. Her little sister was growing up. Soon she might have her own heartaches. Perhaps she already did. Kate remembered the snow family they made at Christmas. Lorena was right. No matter how much she loved her family now, she couldn’t block out her first family.

Lorena treasured the memory of her mother’s love and her promise to someday come back for her. That was why she said her name every night.
My name is Lorena Birdsong.
Her name was her connection to the mother whose memory was fading in Lorena’s mind.

Kate leaned her head against the porch post. She’d been glad when the snow family melted away after Christmas. Lorena’s eyes were too sad when she looked at the shrinking mounds of snow.

Right now, Lorena would be at school in Edgeville. Fourteen. Beautiful without trying. With a natural voice that got stronger the more she sang. A church in Edgeville had asked Lorena to sing at their services a few Sundays ago. Kate and Jay had taken her.

Lorena sang all the time at their church, but seeing how her voice reached out and grabbed the attention of a congregation that wasn’t all family and friends opened Kate’s eyes to the passion Lorena had for singing.

Jay had felt it too. On the drive back to Rosey Corner, he said, “Wow, Birdie. Someday I’ll get to say ‘I knew her when.’”

“When what?” Birdie said, although it was obvious she knew what he meant.

“When you were just a curly headed little kid who sang at her sister’s wedding.”

“I didn’t sing at your wedding,” Lorena said.

“But you did at Evie’s. You and Kate both. Remember? That sweetheart song.” Jay reached over to squeeze Kate’s hand. “Made me want to have a sweetheart.”

Lorena burst out singing right there in the car. Then they were all singing, even Jay, though he was a little off pitch. That made Lorena laugh and lean her head on Kate’s shoulder. She was happy with them. She was. And she’d be ecstatic when Kate told her about the baby.

First Kate had to tell Jay. Tonight. She’d make a pie to
celebrate her news. It didn’t matter that the very thought of pie made her queasy again. Jay would like the pie. She wanted him to be happy too. She wanted him to be as happy about the baby as she was. He would be. Of course, he would be.

But when she opened the refrigerator to see if she had enough milk for the pie, her stomach flipped and she had to run back out on the porch. Some things were better about being in the family way than others.

17

A
re you sure?” Jay asked Kate.

When he had gotten home from work, candles were on the table. Already lit. More telling, she had a glow brighter than the candles. Something was definitely up.

After she sliced the pie, she reached across the table and took his hand. Even before she said anything, her news was plain on her face. He was going to be a father. And though he was expecting them, the words still slammed him right in the chest and made it hard to breathe for a few seconds.

“I’m sure,” she said.

He managed to whisper, “A baby.”

Kate giggled like a little girl, happiness bubbling up out of her. “You’re happy, aren’t you?” She looked at him, her heart in her eyes.

“How could I be anything else?” His pie forgotten, Jay kissed her, then put his hand on her flat belly. Inside her, his baby was growing. A baby she already loved. It didn’t matter that there was nothing there to feel. Soon there would be. Soon he’d be a father.

“I’m so glad you’re happy.”

Her words poked him. He tried to ignore the tremble in his fingers as he gently smoothed down her hair. “Did you think I wouldn’t be?”

She looked up at him. “You did keep telling me not to be in such a hurry. To live in the moment.”

“The moments have been good. Very good.”

“I know. That’s why I thought maybe you didn’t want the moment to change.”

“Why would you think that?” He kissed her forehead and wished she’d been satisfied with his embrace and kiss. But that wouldn’t be Kate. She wanted to examine every word sometimes as if looking for worms under rocks.

“I love you, Jay, with all my heart. I believe we were meant to be together, but there’s a lot I don’t know about you.”

“And that I don’t know about you, but what I do know, I love.” Jay tapped her nose with his finger. He wasn’t ready to pick up the rocks of his past. Maybe someday, but not now with the news of his baby on the way fresh in his ears. He tried to ease away from her questions. “But we’ll have years and years together to find out all those things.”

“You already know everything there is to know about me. It’s all here in Rosey Corner. Family, friends, places I love.” She touched his cheek. “But you? You never talk about your family. You don’t talk about the war.”

“Some things are better forgotten.”

“But can you forget?”

“Not everything. Not every day. But right now, this moment, I can. A very happy moment.” He held her close and kissed her hair. He did love this woman so very much.

He was happy. He really was. The trouble was he was also
terrified. Absolutely terrified he wouldn’t be a good father. He thought of Sarge. Married with two kids. He tried to think about him at home in Michigan. Out of uniform. Going to work. Loving his kids. Doing what had to be done. Jay could do the same.

Kate breathed out a long sigh. “Do you hear music?”

He smiled with not the slightest tremble in his heart. This part of loving Kate had ever been easy. “I’ll always hear the music with you.” He held up his hand. She took it and they waltzed around the kitchen.

Kate laughed when they bumped into a chair. “We need a bigger kitchen.”

“Or a bigger dance floor.” He led her out the kitchen door into the backyard. The sun had already headed down to the other side of the world, leaving a rosy afterglow to mark its passing. The twilight air wrapped around them like a well-worn cloak while a chorus of tree frogs added to the music of their hearts. He’d dreamed of dancing with Kate like this as he huddled in foxholes. Dreams and prayers.

“Good that you haven’t forgotten how to dance.” Fern’s voice stopped the music.

“Fern like the plant.” Jay looked around at her. He had no idea how long she’d been there by the fence.

Enough light remained for him to catch the woman’s near smile as she inclined her head in acknowledgment of the memory of the first time she’d appeared out of the shadows to poke him with her words. “Jay like the bird.”

Jay kept his arms around Kate. The evening air was cool and he wanted to protect her from the chill. And from Fern.

“Yes, Fern.” Kate’s voice was soft. “You told us about the music. Do you remember?”

“You think I’m a doddery old fool who can’t remember what happened yesterday?” Fern snorted.

“I thought maybe you wouldn’t think it important enough to remember.” Kate stiffened against Jay. Bracing for the battle she and Fern always seemed to have when they talked.

Jay tried to head it off. “Good to see you haven’t forgotten how to sneak up on people, Fern.” He’d make the woman battle him this time, but instead she surprised him by making a sound that could have been a laugh.

“I don’t sneak,” she said. “People just don’t use their eyes. Or ears.”

“But you do,” Jay said.

“Remember Fern like the plant. Ferns grow in the shade. They don’t make noise even when the wind is blowing. Little things hide under them. They tell no secrets.”

“Secrets? Do you know secrets?” Jay narrowed his eyes to see her better, but the day was losing its battle with night. He couldn’t tell what was behind her words.

“Fern knows everything,” Kate said.

“Not everything, but enough.” Fern stared at Kate a moment before she turned away.

“Goodbye, Fern like the plant,” he called after her.

She looked back over her shoulder at them. He couldn’t see her face, but he could hear her plain enough. “Better keep on dancing before the baby bump gets big and keeps you apart.”

Kate pulled away from Jay to run after her. The woman’s words obviously surprised her. “How did you know?”

Jay followed Kate to the fence.

Fern kept walking, but again there was that sound that passed for her laugh. “You said I know everything.”

“You saw me.” Kate looked at Jay to explain. “Fern was
passing by in the field this morning when I lost my breakfast out on the porch.”

“So that explains that.” Jay put his arms around her again. She was shivering.

“I use my eyes.” Fern stopped then to look back at them. “I see that little sister too. Not the one that likes me, but the other one. The one that’s afraid. See her fishing.”

“Tori likes to fish,” Kate said.

“Too much. Could end up like me. Packing a fishing pole instead of a hatchet.” She held up the little ax she used to chop down cedars.

“No.” Kate spoke the word too loudly.

Jay tightened his arms around her. Her trembles now weren’t completely because of the night air.

Kate’s voice softened as she added, “She has Samantha.”

“But something could happen. Something can always happen.” Fern turned away from them to head on toward Rosey Corner.

“Good things too.” Kate seemed to push the words through the night after Fern.

This time Fern gave no sign of hearing.

Kate shivered against Jay again. He rubbed his hands up and down her upper arms to warm her. “That’s just Fern. She forgot how to be happy a long time ago.”

“I know.”

“But you haven’t. We haven’t.” He pushed cheer into his voice. The woman’s words had cast a pall over him too, because he knew it was true. Things did happen.

Kate turned toward the house. “What if she’s right? About Tori. Lately she seems to want to get away from us all.”

“Maybe because you keep pushing that Weber guy at her.”