iron skillet on the stove, and the scent of peppers and onions filled the room.
“Drove to Wichita to deliver it.” Beth sniffed, and her stomach turned over in eagerness. “And commissioned a second piece, this time with the cardinal in a lilac bush.”
Mom sent a quick glance over her shoulder, her eyebrows high. “A second piece? That’s great! A lilac bush. With those tiny flowers, that should be a challenge.”
Beth flicked the stack of pages on the table with her thumbnail. “I’ll probably find a piece of mottled lavender glass, maybe with some texture, to emulate the petals. I’ll have to play around with it.” She hoped she’d have time to play around with it.
“Sounds fun.” Mom slipped a lid on the skillet and waddled to the sink. The added girth around her middle stole her usual grace, and her ankles seemed thick.
Beth frowned. “Are your feet swollen?”
Mom tipped forward, tucking her skirt against the underside of her extended belly to look at her own feet. She straightened with a soft laugh. “Oh, that’s not so bad. Sometimes my ankles seem to disappear, and my toes stick out in all directions.”
A stab of worry struck. “Did you do that when you were carrying me?”
Mom paused for a moment, sending Beth a crinkly smile. “Now, honey, you have to remember I’ve aged a bit since you were born.”
Despite herself, Beth smiled. Never would she have imagined becoming a big sister at twenty-one. She teased, “Yes, I guess it’s a good thing you have all your brothers and sisters, Henry’s brothers and sister, plus their assorted offspring to give you a hand.”
Mom tipped her head, one black ribbon trailing down her neck. “And you?”
Beth shrugged, looking at the contract. A band seemed to constrict her heart. “With all of them, you don’t really need me.”
A hand descended on Beth’s shoulder, bringing her attention around. “Beth, you realize these babies can never replace you, don’t you?”
The tenderness in Mom’s eyes brought the sting of tears. Beth sucked in her lips, gaining control, before she answered. “It’s just that everything is so different, Mom. So many changes ... Sometimes it’s hard to stay on top of it all.”
Mom went back to the stove, turned the dial, and joined Beth at the table. She took Beth’s hand, stroking her knuckles with her thumb. “You realize you don’t have to stay on top of it all alone, don’t you? You can ask God for help, and He’ll answer every time. As for other helpers, you have Henry and me, and Andrew.”
At Andrew’s name, an image of him hunkered over the worktable, redoing her drawing instead of constructing suncatchers, flashed through Beth’s mind. She jerked her hand free.
Mom frowned. “Beth?”
Beth shook her head. “I appreciate having you and Henry, and of course I know God is there for me. I’m still learning how to lean on Him, but I do know He’s there. But as for Andrew...” She puffed her cheeks and blew out a breath. “I must not be a very good judge of character when it comes to men. They let me down every time.”
“What has Andrew done?”
“Oh, nothing much. Just ignored my direction to put together suncatchers for the show in Salina and spent his time reworking a drawing he had no business reworking.” Beth attempted a glib tone, but she heard the sharp undercurrent.
Mom’s face pinched. “I’m sure his motivations were good.”
Beth bounced from the chair, marching to the stove to stir the contents of the skillet. “Just like Mitch’s motivations were good when he illegally ‘collected’ antiques for our boutique?” Vegetables and chunks of chicken caught the fury of the wooden spoon before she clanked the lid back in place. Facing her mother, she crossed her arms. “No, I’m better off working alone. That way, things get done the way I want them done without any misunderstandings or deceptiveness.”
Her gaze fell on the contract, which lay on the table. Her heart
“Drove to Wichita to deliver it.” Beth sniffed, and her stomach turned over in eagerness. “And commissioned a second piece, this time with the cardinal in a lilac bush.”
Mom sent a quick glance over her shoulder, her eyebrows high. “A second piece? That’s great! A lilac bush. With those tiny flowers, that should be a challenge.”
Beth flicked the stack of pages on the table with her thumbnail. “I’ll probably find a piece of mottled lavender glass, maybe with some texture, to emulate the petals. I’ll have to play around with it.” She hoped she’d have time to play around with it.
“Sounds fun.” Mom slipped a lid on the skillet and waddled to the sink. The added girth around her middle stole her usual grace, and her ankles seemed thick.
Beth frowned. “Are your feet swollen?”
Mom tipped forward, tucking her skirt against the underside of her extended belly to look at her own feet. She straightened with a soft laugh. “Oh, that’s not so bad. Sometimes my ankles seem to disappear, and my toes stick out in all directions.”
A stab of worry struck. “Did you do that when you were carrying me?”
Mom paused for a moment, sending Beth a crinkly smile. “Now, honey, you have to remember I’ve aged a bit since you were born.”
Despite herself, Beth smiled. Never would she have imagined becoming a big sister at twenty-one. She teased, “Yes, I guess it’s a good thing you have all your brothers and sisters, Henry’s brothers and sister, plus their assorted offspring to give you a hand.”
Mom tipped her head, one black ribbon trailing down her neck. “And you?”
Beth shrugged, looking at the contract. A band seemed to constrict her heart. “With all of them, you don’t really need me.”
A hand descended on Beth’s shoulder, bringing her attention around. “Beth, you realize these babies can never replace you, don’t you?”
The tenderness in Mom’s eyes brought the sting of tears. Beth sucked in her lips, gaining control, before she answered. “It’s just that everything is so different, Mom. So many changes ... Sometimes it’s hard to stay on top of it all.”
Mom went back to the stove, turned the dial, and joined Beth at the table. She took Beth’s hand, stroking her knuckles with her thumb. “You realize you don’t have to stay on top of it all alone, don’t you? You can ask God for help, and He’ll answer every time. As for other helpers, you have Henry and me, and Andrew.”
At Andrew’s name, an image of him hunkered over the worktable, redoing her drawing instead of constructing suncatchers, flashed through Beth’s mind. She jerked her hand free.
Mom frowned. “Beth?”
Beth shook her head. “I appreciate having you and Henry, and of course I know God is there for me. I’m still learning how to lean on Him, but I do know He’s there. But as for Andrew...” She puffed her cheeks and blew out a breath. “I must not be a very good judge of character when it comes to men. They let me down every time.”
“What has Andrew done?”
“Oh, nothing much. Just ignored my direction to put together suncatchers for the show in Salina and spent his time reworking a drawing he had no business reworking.” Beth attempted a glib tone, but she heard the sharp undercurrent.
Mom’s face pinched. “I’m sure his motivations were good.”
Beth bounced from the chair, marching to the stove to stir the contents of the skillet. “Just like Mitch’s motivations were good when he illegally ‘collected’ antiques for our boutique?” Vegetables and chunks of chicken caught the fury of the wooden spoon before she clanked the lid back in place. Facing her mother, she crossed her arms. “No, I’m better off working alone. That way, things get done the way I want them done without any misunderstandings or deceptiveness.”
Her gaze fell on the contract, which lay on the table. Her heart
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