undemanding presence in her life, a solid foundation. Mariel had always been able to turn to Granny for unconditional love and nurturing, two things Evelyn had dished out in short supply. Two things her father hadn’t cared enough to give her.
Love and nurturing. Two things Heath gave to the land and the lilies each day. The lilies were thriving under his tender care.
Mariel closed her eyes, wondering how it would feel to be in Heath’s arms, to let him love and nurture her in the same gentle way he cared about the land and the flowers.
“No,” she said, jumping up to toss the pillow back down on the window seat.
“My, my, what did that poor old pillow do to you?” Sadie said from the open door.
“Granny!” Mariel whirled to find her grandmother standing there with a tray. “What’s that?”
“Our dinner,” Sadie replied, bringing the tray to a round walnut-grained table by the bay window. “Dutch went into town to visit friends. Heath generally spends weekends on his own, working on that old cottage. So I guess it’s just you and me, kid. I made us peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches and some hot tea. And I have brownies and fruit for dessert.”
Mariel sat down on one of the high-backed green velvet chairs next to the small table. “Is this good for your diet?”
Sadie rolled her eyes, then poured tea from a petite silver pot. “The bread is whole wheat, the peanut butter is low-sodium, low-sugar. And the jelly is mostly pure fruit. The brownies are also low-fat. Made them with apple sauce instead of oil or lard. And there’s strawberries and bananas on the side.”
“You are behaving,” Mariel said, relief washing over her as she surveyed the silver tray of food. “Thanks fordinner, Granny. This reminds me of all the tea parties we used to have up here.”
Sadie handed her a floral china cup filled with steaming tea. “It’s green tea now, darling.” Then she sat up properly in her own chair like a true lady. “I thought you could use a tea party. You seem to be a tad confused and bewildered by all of this talk about my estate.”
Mariel reached for her grandmother’s hand. “I don’t like hearing you talk about dying, Granny.”
“Honey, we all have to die someday,” Sadie replied. “I don’t fear death. I know I’ll be going home to Christ.”
Mariel nodded. “You have such an assurance about that.”
“Of course. This life here on earth is just the beginning. I’ll be with Jonas again soon.”
Mariel took a bite of her sandwich, still amazed that her grandmother made the absolutely best peanut-butter sandwiches in the world, in spite of the low-fat content of this one. “Why do you suppose Mother never accepted faith the way you do, Granny?”
Sadie placed her cup of tea back on the matching saucer. “I’ve often wondered and prayed about that. I taught all of my children the same, took them to church each Sunday, tried to model a Christian life for them. But Evelyn was always headstrong and stubborn. As the years went by, she quit going to church, quit pretending to believe. Then of course, she met your father and that was that.”
“And I was the result of that, ” Mariel pointed out. “A mistake.”
Sadie grabbed Mariel’s hand back. “Honey, you were never a mistake. You have been a blessing to me.”
“But not to my own parents. I—I think Mother has always resented me. And it’s obvious my father never wanted me.”
Sadie sat silent for a minute, then said, “Your motherloved you—she still does. She just has a hard time expressing that love, after what your father put her through. And truth be told, I never liked the man, but I think she drove him away. She could never accept that he truly wanted to marry her. Vincent Evans was a weak man, but he did love your mother. He just couldn’t fight her any longer.”
Mariel hung her head. “And what about me? Did he ever really love me?”
“He loves you,” Sadie replied, a knowing smile on her
Love and nurturing. Two things Heath gave to the land and the lilies each day. The lilies were thriving under his tender care.
Mariel closed her eyes, wondering how it would feel to be in Heath’s arms, to let him love and nurture her in the same gentle way he cared about the land and the flowers.
“No,” she said, jumping up to toss the pillow back down on the window seat.
“My, my, what did that poor old pillow do to you?” Sadie said from the open door.
“Granny!” Mariel whirled to find her grandmother standing there with a tray. “What’s that?”
“Our dinner,” Sadie replied, bringing the tray to a round walnut-grained table by the bay window. “Dutch went into town to visit friends. Heath generally spends weekends on his own, working on that old cottage. So I guess it’s just you and me, kid. I made us peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches and some hot tea. And I have brownies and fruit for dessert.”
Mariel sat down on one of the high-backed green velvet chairs next to the small table. “Is this good for your diet?”
Sadie rolled her eyes, then poured tea from a petite silver pot. “The bread is whole wheat, the peanut butter is low-sodium, low-sugar. And the jelly is mostly pure fruit. The brownies are also low-fat. Made them with apple sauce instead of oil or lard. And there’s strawberries and bananas on the side.”
“You are behaving,” Mariel said, relief washing over her as she surveyed the silver tray of food. “Thanks fordinner, Granny. This reminds me of all the tea parties we used to have up here.”
Sadie handed her a floral china cup filled with steaming tea. “It’s green tea now, darling.” Then she sat up properly in her own chair like a true lady. “I thought you could use a tea party. You seem to be a tad confused and bewildered by all of this talk about my estate.”
Mariel reached for her grandmother’s hand. “I don’t like hearing you talk about dying, Granny.”
“Honey, we all have to die someday,” Sadie replied. “I don’t fear death. I know I’ll be going home to Christ.”
Mariel nodded. “You have such an assurance about that.”
“Of course. This life here on earth is just the beginning. I’ll be with Jonas again soon.”
Mariel took a bite of her sandwich, still amazed that her grandmother made the absolutely best peanut-butter sandwiches in the world, in spite of the low-fat content of this one. “Why do you suppose Mother never accepted faith the way you do, Granny?”
Sadie placed her cup of tea back on the matching saucer. “I’ve often wondered and prayed about that. I taught all of my children the same, took them to church each Sunday, tried to model a Christian life for them. But Evelyn was always headstrong and stubborn. As the years went by, she quit going to church, quit pretending to believe. Then of course, she met your father and that was that.”
“And I was the result of that, ” Mariel pointed out. “A mistake.”
Sadie grabbed Mariel’s hand back. “Honey, you were never a mistake. You have been a blessing to me.”
“But not to my own parents. I—I think Mother has always resented me. And it’s obvious my father never wanted me.”
Sadie sat silent for a minute, then said, “Your motherloved you—she still does. She just has a hard time expressing that love, after what your father put her through. And truth be told, I never liked the man, but I think she drove him away. She could never accept that he truly wanted to marry her. Vincent Evans was a weak man, but he did love your mother. He just couldn’t fight her any longer.”
Mariel hung her head. “And what about me? Did he ever really love me?”
“He loves you,” Sadie replied, a knowing smile on her
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