Her Valentine Family by Renee Andrews Page A

had a son and then asking him to sign up for coaching duty. It was nearly funny, if it would only be that easy.
    â€œAre you thinking that Daddy will find us soon?” she asked, trying to use Nathan’s own terminology to describe what was bound to happen in the next few days.
    â€œYep.”
    â€œMe, too,” she whispered, and Nathan smiled broadly.
    â€œWhen?”
    â€œI’m thinking he’ll find you in the next few days,” she said. Then she thought about the other part of this equation, the one Nathan didn’t know about yet. “And Nathan, do you remember when you told me you’d like a little brother or sister?”
    â€œYes!” he said, letting go of the paper in his excitement at the possibility. The sheet flittered off the bed to land on the floor.
    Jess decided to wait about picking it up. This was more important. She cupped her palms beneath Nathan’s face and looked into those excited green-gold eyes. “Well, when your daddy finds us, he may bring you a little sister with him.”
    â€œReally?” he asked. “Cool!” He moved his head away from her hands and peered past her to the floor. “Mama, get that for me,” he said, then thought about what was missing in that request and added, “Please.” He pointed to the paper on the floor. “And I need a color.” He paused, grinned. “Please.”
    Jessica handed him the paper and then withdrew a box of crayons from his nightstand drawer. “You want a crayon?”
    â€œYeah, a red one.” The paper had already started curling back up on the ends, and he worked to flatten it back out. Jessica grabbed the David and Goliath book that was still on the nightstand from when her father read him the story and placed it in Nathan’s lap. Then she put the paper on top of the hard surface so it’d be easier for him to color…whatever he planned to color.
    â€œWhat are you doing?” she asked.
    â€œYou’ll see.” He continued trying to make the sides of the page lay down, but they continued curling up.
    Jessica flattened her palms on the page and pushed them to the edges so she could hold the paper in place for her son.
    â€œThanks,” Nathan said, placing the crayon next to the daddy figure on the paper. Then he shook his head, mumbled, “Nope” and moved the crayon to the other side, beside his Nathan figure. When he was done, there was a new, smaller figure added to the scene. A small, circular head and two string legs formed a child to Nathan’s left. Mommy on the right, little girl on the left. And Daddy still on the far side.
    Jessica didn’t like the feeling she got from that.
    â€œWhy did you put her there?” she asked. “By you?”
    â€œBecause,” Nathan said, “I’ll have to teach her stuff.”
    She smiled. “Yes, you will.”
    He picked up the crayon box and frowned. “What’s wrong?”
    â€œI don’t know what color of hair she has.”
    â€œYellow,” Jess said. “I believe she has yellow.”
    He nodded, grabbed a yellow crayon and put a puff of yellow hair on top of the little girl.
    â€œVery nice,” she said.
    â€œNow,” Nathan said, when he’d determined the piece was done. “It’s just like Ms. Hannah said.” He handed her the yellow crayon, and Jess slid it back into the box, then put the crayons away.
    â€œLike Ms. Hannah said?” she asked.
    â€œThis side is Abraham’s family,” he explained, turning the page for her to see the preprinted paper that he’d colored in class. He turned the page again and smiled. “And this one is mine.”
    Jessica blinked a few times to keep the tears at bay. The image was nice, except for the daddy being on the other side of the page. Maybe soon Nathan would see them all together.
    Please, God, let it be that way. Nathan wants a real family.
    And so do