own—with her to New York, to be their mother as she’d longed for all these weeks. Her hopes had rushed her forward in time to their happy home together—laughing at the breakfast table, teaching and guiding them throughout the day, seeing their faces every night before bed. How could she just shut off those hopes again despite the woman’s offer to take both? She kissed Shelby’s head and squeezed Bea tightly, breathing in the scent of their skin.
“Do you want to go back with me? You can still go if you want to, but…”
Moments of silent embraces passed. Then Shelby pulled back, wiping her tears on her pinafore. “Miss Cavanaugh,” she said softly.
Julia thumbed a straggling tear from her chin. “Yes?”
“You were right. We have to trust—” Shelby forced a smile.
“We have to trust that God picked my parents.”
Julia bowed her head and clasped Shelby’s hands in hers, gently rubbing the lines in her fingers. She knew she couldn’t be their mother. The idea faded as quickly as it arrived.
Shelby sniffed and weaved her fingers through Julia’s. “These folks seem like really nice people. They’ll make good parents for Bea. Maybe it’d be better for her to grow up here than in New York like I did. She could run around. It might be good for me, too”.
Bea’s wide blue eyes peered up at Julia and then shifted to her new parents, confused.
“Of course you’re right.” Julia caressed Shelby’s soft hair. “You’re so brave.”
“Bea brave, too.” Bea smiled.
Julia kissed her cheek and then stood, lifting Bea in her arms. Lord, take care of Your children. She walked to Elizabeth and handed Bea to the kind young woman.
Elizabeth’s eyes brightened and tears rimmed her lids. She touched Julia’s arm. “Thank you.”
“They’re both yours.” Julia placed a hand on Shelby’s back, urging her forward.
Shelby stood tall before her new mother, yet her eyes fell, nervous. “We’d be happy to come with you. I promise I’ll help take care of Bea.”
Elizabeth lifted Shelby’s chin. “We’d be honored to be your parents. You’re an unexpected gift, Shelby. Because of you, this day is even more wonderful than we first imagined.”
Julia glanced at a clock above the doorway. She had fifteen minutes to say good-bye and race to the depot. With determined yet shaky strength, Julia strode to the girls huddled next to Elizabeth and Abe. Kneeling down, she swooped Bea into her arms. “Be good for your new mama and papa.” Tears forced their way out, yet Julia fought to smile as she released her little charge. “Good-bye, Bea.”
Turning to Shelby, she took the girl’s face in her hands. She wanted to give her something, to somehow show her love. Then she remembered the pillowslip. She pulled it out of her bag and brushed off the dust from the train floor. A butterfly fluttering over a colorful rainbow decorated the slip. That’s what Shelby had been to her—an arch of color after the rain. Julia handed it to her.
“Thank you, Miss Cavanaugh.” Shelby flung herself against her in a tight hug.
“You’re welcome, my sweet girl.” Julia pulled herself away. “Never forget—” She pressed steepled hands to her mouth, like a child at prayer, then lowered them. “Never forget how much you mean to me.”
As if on cue, the train whistle sounded its fifteen-minute warning, and Julia ambled out the door and down the street, her heart breaking with each step.
She didn’t look back.
Guilt stabbed Isaac’s gut as he grabbed the saddle horn and swung onto his mare, Virginia. How could he have been so harsh to that woman who’d showed such strength and grace? In his mind’s eye, he saw the two girls wrapping their arms around her slim form after she’d offered to adopt them. Then, when she chose to place them in Abe and Elizabeth’s care, she’d put on a brave smile. Even though pain obviously boiled under the surface, her smile radiated comfort to those girls. How blessed
“Do you want to go back with me? You can still go if you want to, but…”
Moments of silent embraces passed. Then Shelby pulled back, wiping her tears on her pinafore. “Miss Cavanaugh,” she said softly.
Julia thumbed a straggling tear from her chin. “Yes?”
“You were right. We have to trust—” Shelby forced a smile.
“We have to trust that God picked my parents.”
Julia bowed her head and clasped Shelby’s hands in hers, gently rubbing the lines in her fingers. She knew she couldn’t be their mother. The idea faded as quickly as it arrived.
Shelby sniffed and weaved her fingers through Julia’s. “These folks seem like really nice people. They’ll make good parents for Bea. Maybe it’d be better for her to grow up here than in New York like I did. She could run around. It might be good for me, too”.
Bea’s wide blue eyes peered up at Julia and then shifted to her new parents, confused.
“Of course you’re right.” Julia caressed Shelby’s soft hair. “You’re so brave.”
“Bea brave, too.” Bea smiled.
Julia kissed her cheek and then stood, lifting Bea in her arms. Lord, take care of Your children. She walked to Elizabeth and handed Bea to the kind young woman.
Elizabeth’s eyes brightened and tears rimmed her lids. She touched Julia’s arm. “Thank you.”
“They’re both yours.” Julia placed a hand on Shelby’s back, urging her forward.
Shelby stood tall before her new mother, yet her eyes fell, nervous. “We’d be happy to come with you. I promise I’ll help take care of Bea.”
Elizabeth lifted Shelby’s chin. “We’d be honored to be your parents. You’re an unexpected gift, Shelby. Because of you, this day is even more wonderful than we first imagined.”
Julia glanced at a clock above the doorway. She had fifteen minutes to say good-bye and race to the depot. With determined yet shaky strength, Julia strode to the girls huddled next to Elizabeth and Abe. Kneeling down, she swooped Bea into her arms. “Be good for your new mama and papa.” Tears forced their way out, yet Julia fought to smile as she released her little charge. “Good-bye, Bea.”
Turning to Shelby, she took the girl’s face in her hands. She wanted to give her something, to somehow show her love. Then she remembered the pillowslip. She pulled it out of her bag and brushed off the dust from the train floor. A butterfly fluttering over a colorful rainbow decorated the slip. That’s what Shelby had been to her—an arch of color after the rain. Julia handed it to her.
“Thank you, Miss Cavanaugh.” Shelby flung herself against her in a tight hug.
“You’re welcome, my sweet girl.” Julia pulled herself away. “Never forget—” She pressed steepled hands to her mouth, like a child at prayer, then lowered them. “Never forget how much you mean to me.”
As if on cue, the train whistle sounded its fifteen-minute warning, and Julia ambled out the door and down the street, her heart breaking with each step.
She didn’t look back.
Guilt stabbed Isaac’s gut as he grabbed the saddle horn and swung onto his mare, Virginia. How could he have been so harsh to that woman who’d showed such strength and grace? In his mind’s eye, he saw the two girls wrapping their arms around her slim form after she’d offered to adopt them. Then, when she chose to place them in Abe and Elizabeth’s care, she’d put on a brave smile. Even though pain obviously boiled under the surface, her smile radiated comfort to those girls. How blessed
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