nod. His head down, he wiped his eyes.
They finished the rest of their meal in silence. He kissed Ben and Emily goodbye. "Remember to watch out for Miss Livy today."
" I'll take good care of her Pa," Ben assured him, "I promise."
" Me too, me too," Emily hopped up and down.
John knelt in front of her. "Yes, you too Angel." He kissed her on the nose before heading outside to work.
Livy could smell her breakfast before Ezekiel came through the door. The steaming plate looked appetizing, and she was famished.
" Mornin', ma'am. Me and the young'uns came to bring you your breakfast."
She hadn't seen Ben and his sister, and peered around the black man to see where they were.
" They went to pick you some flowers," he answered.
Touched by their thoughtfulness, a knot formed in her throat. Ezekiel set the tray on her lap, and she smelled the bacon and eggs. "Mmm, I think you out did yourself Ezekiel," she said.
His hand swatted the air. "Ah, ma'am, don't go sayin' stuff like that."
" It's true, and I can't wait to eat all of it." She smiled up at him, the gesture coming easier to her.
The girl ran into the room. Ben arrived at a much slower pace. Both carried handfuls of daisies, lilacs, and roses.
" Here, Miss Livy," Ben said, extending his hand to pass her the flowers.
" Thank you," she said, smiling at Ben as she took them. "I love flowers."
" We figured so."
" Here, here." Emily held out her hand, petals falling from her bouquet.
She took them. "Thank you." She glanced at her for a moment.
" Pa says we should keep you company. I can read ya a story?" Ben piped up.
" That would be lovely."
" Be right back," Ben yelled as he ran out of the room.
" I'll be back in a few hours with your lunch," Ezekiel told her before leaving the room.
John 's daughter crawled up beside Livy and plopped right next to her. She didn't want her here, not after the night she had filled with dreams of Emma, deciding to eat her breakfast and ignore her. Ben came back a few minutes later, carrying three books in his hands.
" What did you bring?" she asked him.
" I brought The Adventures of Tom Sawyer , 20,000 Leagues under the Sea , and Pa's favorite, the Bible."
She shook her head. "Not the Bible. Pick one of the other ones instead."
" How come not the Bible? Pa says there are plenty of neat stories in here," Ben asked, holding up the heavy book.
" I don't want to hear from the Bible."
" But why?" he asked again.
" Because I don't believe in it, that's why." Her cheeks reddened.
" Oh." Ben placed the book on the table beside her bed and sat staring at the other two, until he decided on Tom Sawyer.
She listened as Ben sounded out the first paragraph before he gave up and with glowing cheeks, asked her to read it out loud instead. For the rest of the morning and well into the afternoon, she read to Ben and his sister the adventures of the legendary Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. She stopped reading when Ezekiel brought their lunch, and when Shorty came to examine her knee.
She had been able to keep a tolerable distance away from the girl, who now lay fast asleep at the end of the bed. Ben was in the chair beside her in a deep slumber. She placed the book on her lap and yawned.
She took the cloth Ben had gotten for her off of her swollen knee. She stared at her inflamed limb and thought it appeared worse than it felt. Blue and purple, her leg throbbed every so often. The scratch on her face had scabbed, and her nose was still the same―tender to touch. Having banged it three times in the last week didn't help much. She was sure it would be crooked the rest of her life because of it.
The sun shining through her bedroom window warmed her, and she wanted to get out of bed and go outside. But Shorty had said she couldn't try walking until tomorrow. John was making her a pair of crutches to help her get around. She'd have them this evening. She was excited to be able to get out of bed. Livy's stomach fluttered when John's
They finished the rest of their meal in silence. He kissed Ben and Emily goodbye. "Remember to watch out for Miss Livy today."
" I'll take good care of her Pa," Ben assured him, "I promise."
" Me too, me too," Emily hopped up and down.
John knelt in front of her. "Yes, you too Angel." He kissed her on the nose before heading outside to work.
Livy could smell her breakfast before Ezekiel came through the door. The steaming plate looked appetizing, and she was famished.
" Mornin', ma'am. Me and the young'uns came to bring you your breakfast."
She hadn't seen Ben and his sister, and peered around the black man to see where they were.
" They went to pick you some flowers," he answered.
Touched by their thoughtfulness, a knot formed in her throat. Ezekiel set the tray on her lap, and she smelled the bacon and eggs. "Mmm, I think you out did yourself Ezekiel," she said.
His hand swatted the air. "Ah, ma'am, don't go sayin' stuff like that."
" It's true, and I can't wait to eat all of it." She smiled up at him, the gesture coming easier to her.
The girl ran into the room. Ben arrived at a much slower pace. Both carried handfuls of daisies, lilacs, and roses.
" Here, Miss Livy," Ben said, extending his hand to pass her the flowers.
" Thank you," she said, smiling at Ben as she took them. "I love flowers."
" We figured so."
" Here, here." Emily held out her hand, petals falling from her bouquet.
She took them. "Thank you." She glanced at her for a moment.
" Pa says we should keep you company. I can read ya a story?" Ben piped up.
" That would be lovely."
" Be right back," Ben yelled as he ran out of the room.
" I'll be back in a few hours with your lunch," Ezekiel told her before leaving the room.
John 's daughter crawled up beside Livy and plopped right next to her. She didn't want her here, not after the night she had filled with dreams of Emma, deciding to eat her breakfast and ignore her. Ben came back a few minutes later, carrying three books in his hands.
" What did you bring?" she asked him.
" I brought The Adventures of Tom Sawyer , 20,000 Leagues under the Sea , and Pa's favorite, the Bible."
She shook her head. "Not the Bible. Pick one of the other ones instead."
" How come not the Bible? Pa says there are plenty of neat stories in here," Ben asked, holding up the heavy book.
" I don't want to hear from the Bible."
" But why?" he asked again.
" Because I don't believe in it, that's why." Her cheeks reddened.
" Oh." Ben placed the book on the table beside her bed and sat staring at the other two, until he decided on Tom Sawyer.
She listened as Ben sounded out the first paragraph before he gave up and with glowing cheeks, asked her to read it out loud instead. For the rest of the morning and well into the afternoon, she read to Ben and his sister the adventures of the legendary Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. She stopped reading when Ezekiel brought their lunch, and when Shorty came to examine her knee.
She had been able to keep a tolerable distance away from the girl, who now lay fast asleep at the end of the bed. Ben was in the chair beside her in a deep slumber. She placed the book on her lap and yawned.
She took the cloth Ben had gotten for her off of her swollen knee. She stared at her inflamed limb and thought it appeared worse than it felt. Blue and purple, her leg throbbed every so often. The scratch on her face had scabbed, and her nose was still the same―tender to touch. Having banged it three times in the last week didn't help much. She was sure it would be crooked the rest of her life because of it.
The sun shining through her bedroom window warmed her, and she wanted to get out of bed and go outside. But Shorty had said she couldn't try walking until tomorrow. John was making her a pair of crutches to help her get around. She'd have them this evening. She was excited to be able to get out of bed. Livy's stomach fluttered when John's
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