their growing family, Leah paced near the playpen. Esther rolled around on the blanket and began to cry. “Take her to the front room.” Leah pointed at Lillie. “Where’s Mary? She’s supposed to be helping you.”
With another glance at Annie, Lillie cuddled Esther to her shoulder. “I’ll get her.” She disappeared through the doorway.
“You’re gone all day. You’re gone all the time now. We have our hands full here.” Leah sank onto the bench. She did look tired. “Who is she?”
“A guest.”
“For how long?”
“I’d rather talk to Luke about it.”
“Luke? Luke doesn’t do the cooking and the cleaning and the caring for the children around here.”
“No, but he is the head of this household.” Luke’s baritone reverberated through the room. He tromped into the room, his shirt soaked with sweat and his face ruddy from the sun. “What’s going on here? Mary and Lillie are outside trying to keep a little girl in a pink shirt from eating the sunflowers by the front step. It looks like she may have wet herself.”
Leah folded her arms and leaned back, the look on her face a challenge.
Annie swallowed hard and moved toward her brother. “They’re living in a van. They need a place to stay, Luke. I couldn’t let that little girl spend another night in the backseat of a van. Not in this heat.”
Luke’s eyes closed for a brief moment, then opened. “No, you couldn’t.”
“That’s all you have to say? You don’t think we have enough mouths to feed?” Leah stood, her hands planted firmly on her hips. “That I don’t have enough cooking and cleaning and washing to do?”
“Annie did the only thing she could. She offered help to a woman and child in need.”
Knowing Leah’s habits, Annie figured the confrontation would last about one minute. When Leah figured out Luke wouldn’t budge, she’d give in to his place of leadership in the house. “You don’t even know who she is.”
Luke backed away from the accusing finger his wife waved at him. “I don’t need to know.”
“Her…she’s with the man who robbed the bakery.”
“So she exercised poor judgment in her choices of company.”
“I’m sure she was in on planning the armed robbery.” Leah’s voice rose. She rubbed her stomach as if it hurt. “She could be a bad influence on the children.”
“We don’t know what she may or may not have done. It’s neither here nor there. She needs a place to stay, and the children have to learn to reject worldly ways. If they’re never exposed to these things, how will they learn?”
“You take everyone’s side except mine.”
Annie couldn’t take it anymore. “I’ll take care of her and Gracie. I won’t let them be a burden to you, Leah. I’m sorry I didn’t ask first, but her need was so great, I couldn’t bear it.”
“When will you take care of them? On the two days you’re not at the bakery? That leaves me with the other five. If only you could see the need in your own home as clearly.”
Leah brushed past her and left the room without a backward glance. Annie turned to Luke. “Charisma’s an adult. She can help out, and she will take care of her child. She can babysit the little twins.” She moved closer to her brother. “I’m sorry to add to your burden.”
“My shoulders are wide, but Leah is worn out. You need to help her more, as I said last night.”
“I will.”
Starting right now. She rushed to the kitchen. Charisma wasn’t in the room. She’d probably heard the argument and slipped out the back door. Annie longed to go look for her, but she didn’t dare. She stirred a pot of navy beans. Leah had forgotten to add the bacon. She pulled a slab from the refrigerator and set a skillet on the stove. “What did the bishop say about moving from wheat to cattle?”
Luke poured a tall glass of water and downed half of it before he answered. “He listened to everyone’s thoughts on it and said he would confer with the deacons.
With another glance at Annie, Lillie cuddled Esther to her shoulder. “I’ll get her.” She disappeared through the doorway.
“You’re gone all day. You’re gone all the time now. We have our hands full here.” Leah sank onto the bench. She did look tired. “Who is she?”
“A guest.”
“For how long?”
“I’d rather talk to Luke about it.”
“Luke? Luke doesn’t do the cooking and the cleaning and the caring for the children around here.”
“No, but he is the head of this household.” Luke’s baritone reverberated through the room. He tromped into the room, his shirt soaked with sweat and his face ruddy from the sun. “What’s going on here? Mary and Lillie are outside trying to keep a little girl in a pink shirt from eating the sunflowers by the front step. It looks like she may have wet herself.”
Leah folded her arms and leaned back, the look on her face a challenge.
Annie swallowed hard and moved toward her brother. “They’re living in a van. They need a place to stay, Luke. I couldn’t let that little girl spend another night in the backseat of a van. Not in this heat.”
Luke’s eyes closed for a brief moment, then opened. “No, you couldn’t.”
“That’s all you have to say? You don’t think we have enough mouths to feed?” Leah stood, her hands planted firmly on her hips. “That I don’t have enough cooking and cleaning and washing to do?”
“Annie did the only thing she could. She offered help to a woman and child in need.”
Knowing Leah’s habits, Annie figured the confrontation would last about one minute. When Leah figured out Luke wouldn’t budge, she’d give in to his place of leadership in the house. “You don’t even know who she is.”
Luke backed away from the accusing finger his wife waved at him. “I don’t need to know.”
“Her…she’s with the man who robbed the bakery.”
“So she exercised poor judgment in her choices of company.”
“I’m sure she was in on planning the armed robbery.” Leah’s voice rose. She rubbed her stomach as if it hurt. “She could be a bad influence on the children.”
“We don’t know what she may or may not have done. It’s neither here nor there. She needs a place to stay, and the children have to learn to reject worldly ways. If they’re never exposed to these things, how will they learn?”
“You take everyone’s side except mine.”
Annie couldn’t take it anymore. “I’ll take care of her and Gracie. I won’t let them be a burden to you, Leah. I’m sorry I didn’t ask first, but her need was so great, I couldn’t bear it.”
“When will you take care of them? On the two days you’re not at the bakery? That leaves me with the other five. If only you could see the need in your own home as clearly.”
Leah brushed past her and left the room without a backward glance. Annie turned to Luke. “Charisma’s an adult. She can help out, and she will take care of her child. She can babysit the little twins.” She moved closer to her brother. “I’m sorry to add to your burden.”
“My shoulders are wide, but Leah is worn out. You need to help her more, as I said last night.”
“I will.”
Starting right now. She rushed to the kitchen. Charisma wasn’t in the room. She’d probably heard the argument and slipped out the back door. Annie longed to go look for her, but she didn’t dare. She stirred a pot of navy beans. Leah had forgotten to add the bacon. She pulled a slab from the refrigerator and set a skillet on the stove. “What did the bishop say about moving from wheat to cattle?”
Luke poured a tall glass of water and downed half of it before he answered. “He listened to everyone’s thoughts on it and said he would confer with the deacons.
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