don’t know who is, but it isn’t me.”
“Why would Rhonda maintain such a lie?”
“I wish I knew. I wish that you believed me.”
His father’s frown deepened. “You come to my door with another child born out of wedlock and ask that I believe you are innocent?”
“I knew there’d be no point going through this again. Look, Joy needs a stable family life. She hasn’t had that. I can’t give it to her. I’m hoping you can. I know it’s asking a lot, but will you consider raising her?”
His father was silent so long that Caleb started to think the whole trip had been for nothing.
“You think her life will be better, will be happier, with us but without you, her father?”
Leah had asked him the same thing. “I hope so.”
“Where is the child’s mother now?”
“I have no idea. She went out to smoke a cigarette and never came back. I turned the city upside down looking for her.”
“Then you understand a little of what we felt when you left.”
Facing the truth was hard. Caleb saw his actions in a different light now. “I admit I didn’t go about leaving in the best way, but I felt it was my only option.”
Ike banged his hand on the table. “Running away from a problem never fixes it.”
“Some problems can’t be fixed!” Caleb struggled to control his temper. This was his father. Ike deserved respect.
“Can’t I leave you two alone for ten minutes without an argument starting?” Caleb’s mother asked from the doorway.
“It wasn’t an argument,” Ike said gruffly.
She gave him a sympathetic look. “We all need a good night’s sleep. In the morning, things will look different.”
No, they wouldn’t, but Caleb didn’t say that. Ike rose from the table and went through the door that led to their living room and their bedroom beyond.
Maggie came and stood in front of Caleb. “I am so pleased that you are here. I’m glad, too, that you have brought this child with you.”
“I didn’t know what else to do. I didn’t come back to make trouble.”
She laid a hand on his cheek. “All of life is made up of bits of happiness and bits of trouble. In between, there is prayer and hard work and if we are blessed, sometimes wondrous joy. This is the way of the world.”
“All struggle and no reward,” he said dryly.
“Our rewards come in God’s own time. You need rest. I see how weary you are. I made up the bed in your old room. Joy is waiting for her nightclothes in the bedroom over the kitchen.”
“Thanks.” Without central heat, the room over the kitchen was always the warmest one on the second story. He picked up their bags and started toward the stairs.
“Caleb?”
He glanced over his shoulder, waiting for his mother to say more. She hesitated, then said, “Don’t be too hard on your father. He doesn’t know how to bend without breaking. The two of you are more alike than you think.”
He nodded. “I was wrong not to keep in touch. A card once a year wasn’t enough, was it?”
Tears filled her eyes. “It wasn’t enough, but it gave me joy every Christmas to know that you were all right and thinking of me.”
“I’ll do better in the future. I promise.”
A frown creased her brow. “You will not be staying?”
He heard the pain in her voice, but she deserved the truth. “Only for a while.”
Tears filled her eyes. She dabbed at them with the corner of her apron. The last thing Caleb wanted was to upset her. “I’m sorry. I came because I want the two of you to raise Joy. I know what I’m asking won’t be easy. I will help financially, so you don’t have to worry about that. I have a good job, but it takes me away from home a lot. I may even be leaving the country soon.”
Maggie shook her head. “It is not about the money.”
“I know that. Will you consider my request?”
“How long can you say?”
He noticed she hadn’t given him an answer. She wouldn’t. It would be his father’s decision.
“Until I’m certain that this is
“Why would Rhonda maintain such a lie?”
“I wish I knew. I wish that you believed me.”
His father’s frown deepened. “You come to my door with another child born out of wedlock and ask that I believe you are innocent?”
“I knew there’d be no point going through this again. Look, Joy needs a stable family life. She hasn’t had that. I can’t give it to her. I’m hoping you can. I know it’s asking a lot, but will you consider raising her?”
His father was silent so long that Caleb started to think the whole trip had been for nothing.
“You think her life will be better, will be happier, with us but without you, her father?”
Leah had asked him the same thing. “I hope so.”
“Where is the child’s mother now?”
“I have no idea. She went out to smoke a cigarette and never came back. I turned the city upside down looking for her.”
“Then you understand a little of what we felt when you left.”
Facing the truth was hard. Caleb saw his actions in a different light now. “I admit I didn’t go about leaving in the best way, but I felt it was my only option.”
Ike banged his hand on the table. “Running away from a problem never fixes it.”
“Some problems can’t be fixed!” Caleb struggled to control his temper. This was his father. Ike deserved respect.
“Can’t I leave you two alone for ten minutes without an argument starting?” Caleb’s mother asked from the doorway.
“It wasn’t an argument,” Ike said gruffly.
She gave him a sympathetic look. “We all need a good night’s sleep. In the morning, things will look different.”
No, they wouldn’t, but Caleb didn’t say that. Ike rose from the table and went through the door that led to their living room and their bedroom beyond.
Maggie came and stood in front of Caleb. “I am so pleased that you are here. I’m glad, too, that you have brought this child with you.”
“I didn’t know what else to do. I didn’t come back to make trouble.”
She laid a hand on his cheek. “All of life is made up of bits of happiness and bits of trouble. In between, there is prayer and hard work and if we are blessed, sometimes wondrous joy. This is the way of the world.”
“All struggle and no reward,” he said dryly.
“Our rewards come in God’s own time. You need rest. I see how weary you are. I made up the bed in your old room. Joy is waiting for her nightclothes in the bedroom over the kitchen.”
“Thanks.” Without central heat, the room over the kitchen was always the warmest one on the second story. He picked up their bags and started toward the stairs.
“Caleb?”
He glanced over his shoulder, waiting for his mother to say more. She hesitated, then said, “Don’t be too hard on your father. He doesn’t know how to bend without breaking. The two of you are more alike than you think.”
He nodded. “I was wrong not to keep in touch. A card once a year wasn’t enough, was it?”
Tears filled her eyes. “It wasn’t enough, but it gave me joy every Christmas to know that you were all right and thinking of me.”
“I’ll do better in the future. I promise.”
A frown creased her brow. “You will not be staying?”
He heard the pain in her voice, but she deserved the truth. “Only for a while.”
Tears filled her eyes. She dabbed at them with the corner of her apron. The last thing Caleb wanted was to upset her. “I’m sorry. I came because I want the two of you to raise Joy. I know what I’m asking won’t be easy. I will help financially, so you don’t have to worry about that. I have a good job, but it takes me away from home a lot. I may even be leaving the country soon.”
Maggie shook her head. “It is not about the money.”
“I know that. Will you consider my request?”
“How long can you say?”
He noticed she hadn’t given him an answer. She wouldn’t. It would be his father’s decision.
“Until I’m certain that this is
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