Celia's Puppies by Claudia Hall Christian Page A

“Blane’s acupuncture and herbs are the miracle. Most of my
bandages are off. The drains are out.”
    Delphie gave a slight nod.
    “ You seem blue, Delphie,”
Jacob said. “Is all this chaos too much? You’ve been caring for all
these kids. Are we taking too much from you?”
    “ The children are a joy,”
Delphie said.
    “ Clients?” Jacob
asked.
    Delphie shook her head.
    “ Come on, Delphinium. It’s
me. Your Jakey. What’s going on?”
    “ I miss your
mother.”
    Delphie sat down in a wing back chair next
to him. He held out his left hand which she took. They sat for a
moment contemplating the fire.
    “ When you were… on the
other side...” Delphie started then stopped. She turned from the
fire to look at him.
    “ Delphie?”
    “ Your mother missed
everything. She wanted so badly for you and Jill to get together.
She loved Mike so much. She wanted Val and Mike to live their
happily ever after. And Katy? She reminds me so much of Celia. She
has her light and her temper.”
    “ Yeah,” Jacob said. “I
don’t see it. When I look at her, I see Trevor’s dark eyes on her
happy, bright face. The volunteers at the zoo said she looked just
like Mom.”
    “ Maybe that’s it.” Delphie
nodded as if she could see what the zoo volunteers meant. “I love
Katy, just love her and I only met her a week ago!”
    Delphie wiped her eyes. They watched the
fire.
    “ Your mother would have
adored that child. All of the pain, all of the work, all of the
worry, and she missed the best part.” Tears dropped from Delphie’s
eyes. “She should be here. She made all of this happen.”
    “ You do her a disservice
to think she’s still not making this happen,” Jacob
said.
    Delphie nodded.
    “ Did you see her?” Delphie
asked.
    Jacob nodded.
    “ Did she...”
    “ She misses you, Dad, and
us,” Jacob said. “She said you, Dad and she belonged together like
me and Jill, me and Val, Val and Mike, and Jill and Mike. That’s
what I remember. The four of us. The three of you.”
    “ Does she
know...?”
    “ About you and Dad?” Jacob
asked. “She isn’t upset or jealous. I think she loves both of you
so completely that your relationship makes more sense to her than
to either of you. Mom is… such a great being, so loving, so kind. I
think all of that couldn’t be held in by a physical
body.”
    Delphie cried in earnest at his words. Jacob
sat holding her hand and watching the fire. After a few moments,
her tears began to slow.
    “ I usually feel so close
to her, but since you were injured... It’s like she’s mad at me
that I let you get injured or...”
    “ She’s been with me,”
Jacob said. “I’m... Well, I’m not as well as I look.”
    Embarrassed by her display of sadness,
Delphie wiped her eyes. She drained her tea cup.
    “ Why don’t you go and talk
to her?” Jacob asked. “She’s right here.”
    “ Thanks,” Delphie said.
“Can I get you more tea?”
    “ I’d love some, but I can
get some myself. Go talk to Mom,” Jacob said. “I didn’t tell you
anything you don’t know.”
    Delphie gave a slight nod.
    “ Do you think of me as a
kind of parent?”
    “ You’re my Delphie,” Jacob
said.
    “ Sam said you and Val were
always our kids – mine, Celia’s and Sam’s. I...”
    “ That’s true,” Jacob
said.
    “ So Katy’s mine too? I’m
her...”
    “ Grand-Delphie,” Jacob
said.
    Delphie smiled.
    “ Love you,
Jakey.”
    “ Love you too.”
    Delphie went to the door of the room. She
stopped for a moment at the door. Turning to look back into the
room, she was about to ask another question. Deciding against it,
she went to her room to ask Celia instead.
    ~~~~~~~~
    Tuesday night — 7:30 P.M.
     
    “ Uncle Mike? When does
Mommy come home?” Katy asked.
    “ You just asked that,
sweetie,” Mike said.
    He and Katy had spent the night playing
Legos, laughing and watching cartoons. He was giving her a
bath.
    “ Before I go to sleep,”
Katy said. “Like always. Except