exhilarating, a truly spectacular event in Margaret’s existence.
She knew labor and delivery weren’t easy on a woman; she’d been there to see Maddy’s struggles. But after holding that precious baby in her arms, Margaret had understood why a woman would willingly undergo such pain.
As she rolled into the McKennas’ yard and parked, Maddy waved to her from the kitchen window.
Margaret waved back. She hurried out of the cold and wind and onto the back porch, automatically slipping off her coat, hat and gloves.
“Margaret!” Maddy said, opening the back door for her. “I’m so glad to see you.”
Maddy had a way of making everyone feel welcome and… special, and Margaret wasn’t immune to her enthusiasm.
“This is a wonderful surprise,” Maddy went on.
“I’m not interrupting anything, am I?” Margaret was careful to avoid making a pest of herself. Jeb and Maddy hadn’t been married long and there was the baby, too. Maddy was her closest friend, and she didn’t want anything to disrupt their bond.
“This is perfect timing. Jeb’s out with the herd and the baby’s napping. How about a pot of tea? The water’s already on.”
“Sure.” She didn’t really want tea, but it was one of the rituals of their friendship.
A few minutes later, Maddy carried a steeping pot of tea into the living room and Margaret dutifully followed.
“How have you been?” Maddy asked. They’d spoken on the phone at least once a week, and Maddy always asked that question.
Margaret knew it wasn’t her health Maddy was referring to, but her life now that her father was gone. She shrugged, saying what she usually did. “All right, I guess.” After a moment’s reflection, she continued, “A dozen times a day I find myself thinking I need to talk to Dad about this or that. When I realize I can’t ever ask him anything again, this…this feeling of emptiness comes over me.” She pressed her hand to her heart. “Some days don’t seem as bad as others, but there are days I don’t think I can go on.”
“It takes time.”
Margaret knew that. “I’m doing what you suggested the day of the funeral and that’s to remember how fortunate I was to have him as long as I did. His life was a blessing to a lot of people.”
“I said that?”
Margaret nodded. “Maybe not in those exact words.”
Maddy poured the tea and smiled in amusement. “Sometimes I sound so wise, I astonish myself.”
“You are wise—you understand about people. Actually that’s the reason I came over,” Margaret said, sitting back on the sofa and cradling her mug with both hands. She paused, hesitant to proceed.
Maddy said nothing, her expression quizzical.
“Matt Eilers stopped by last week to offer his condolences.”
Maddy added a spoonful of sugar to her tea. “He’s a little late, don’t you think?”
“He apologized for that,” Margaret said, quick to defend him. She took a deep breath. “When he was ready to leave, I walked him out to his truck….”
“And?” Maddy seemed to sense something important had happened because she gazed steadily at Margaret as she waited for her to go on.
“Well, before he left—” she paused a second time “—now, I don’t want you to misjudge him…I realize Matt isn’t one of your favorite people.”
“I don’t dislike him,” Maddy assured her.
“But you don’t trust him.”
Maddy stirred her tea with no comment, then said, “I can be fair. You’d better tell me.”
Margaret was dying to do so. “Oh, Maddy, he kissed me and it was just as wonderful as I dreamed it would be. At first, I didn’t know what to think, since it was such a surprise and all. He started to open his truck door, then turned back, took me by the shoulders and out of the blue, he kissed me!”
“He kissed you,” Maddy repeated in a low voice.
“Yes, and Maddy, oh Maddy, it was wonderful! ”
“I’m sure it was….”
“I realize every other woman in the entire universe has more
She knew labor and delivery weren’t easy on a woman; she’d been there to see Maddy’s struggles. But after holding that precious baby in her arms, Margaret had understood why a woman would willingly undergo such pain.
As she rolled into the McKennas’ yard and parked, Maddy waved to her from the kitchen window.
Margaret waved back. She hurried out of the cold and wind and onto the back porch, automatically slipping off her coat, hat and gloves.
“Margaret!” Maddy said, opening the back door for her. “I’m so glad to see you.”
Maddy had a way of making everyone feel welcome and… special, and Margaret wasn’t immune to her enthusiasm.
“This is a wonderful surprise,” Maddy went on.
“I’m not interrupting anything, am I?” Margaret was careful to avoid making a pest of herself. Jeb and Maddy hadn’t been married long and there was the baby, too. Maddy was her closest friend, and she didn’t want anything to disrupt their bond.
“This is perfect timing. Jeb’s out with the herd and the baby’s napping. How about a pot of tea? The water’s already on.”
“Sure.” She didn’t really want tea, but it was one of the rituals of their friendship.
A few minutes later, Maddy carried a steeping pot of tea into the living room and Margaret dutifully followed.
“How have you been?” Maddy asked. They’d spoken on the phone at least once a week, and Maddy always asked that question.
Margaret knew it wasn’t her health Maddy was referring to, but her life now that her father was gone. She shrugged, saying what she usually did. “All right, I guess.” After a moment’s reflection, she continued, “A dozen times a day I find myself thinking I need to talk to Dad about this or that. When I realize I can’t ever ask him anything again, this…this feeling of emptiness comes over me.” She pressed her hand to her heart. “Some days don’t seem as bad as others, but there are days I don’t think I can go on.”
“It takes time.”
Margaret knew that. “I’m doing what you suggested the day of the funeral and that’s to remember how fortunate I was to have him as long as I did. His life was a blessing to a lot of people.”
“I said that?”
Margaret nodded. “Maybe not in those exact words.”
Maddy poured the tea and smiled in amusement. “Sometimes I sound so wise, I astonish myself.”
“You are wise—you understand about people. Actually that’s the reason I came over,” Margaret said, sitting back on the sofa and cradling her mug with both hands. She paused, hesitant to proceed.
Maddy said nothing, her expression quizzical.
“Matt Eilers stopped by last week to offer his condolences.”
Maddy added a spoonful of sugar to her tea. “He’s a little late, don’t you think?”
“He apologized for that,” Margaret said, quick to defend him. She took a deep breath. “When he was ready to leave, I walked him out to his truck….”
“And?” Maddy seemed to sense something important had happened because she gazed steadily at Margaret as she waited for her to go on.
“Well, before he left—” she paused a second time “—now, I don’t want you to misjudge him…I realize Matt isn’t one of your favorite people.”
“I don’t dislike him,” Maddy assured her.
“But you don’t trust him.”
Maddy stirred her tea with no comment, then said, “I can be fair. You’d better tell me.”
Margaret was dying to do so. “Oh, Maddy, he kissed me and it was just as wonderful as I dreamed it would be. At first, I didn’t know what to think, since it was such a surprise and all. He started to open his truck door, then turned back, took me by the shoulders and out of the blue, he kissed me!”
“He kissed you,” Maddy repeated in a low voice.
“Yes, and Maddy, oh Maddy, it was wonderful! ”
“I’m sure it was….”
“I realize every other woman in the entire universe has more
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