hooked rug before it. The same dresser with the telltale gouge on top from when she had broken a small mirror and a piece of glass had scratched its mark.
Belinda unpacked the suitcases and hung her clothes in the closet. She arranged other items in the dresser drawers, careful to leave room for Drew’s things. She found herself humming softly as she stacked the last bit of clothing and shoved the suitcases under the bed.
After the good start and Clark and Marty’s acceptance of the new living arrangements, the transition turned out to be not as easy for any of them as Belinda would have hoped.
“I wonder if they have picked up a number of little idiosyncrasies since I left home, or if I just never noticed them before,” she noted in one of her frequent conversations with Virginia. “They do seem to have some strange ways of doing things. Little things. Things that shouldn’t matter, but I find myself getting annoyed.”
And she knew, by their expression and often their silence, that there were things she did that irritated Clark and Marty.
She had been right about one thing. They did need someone with them. She’d had no idea how much they now depended on one another. Her mother’s eyes were not as keen as they had been. Even with the reading glasses, her seams were not as straight and even. And her father, who seemed fairly steady once upright, had to have his wife’s help to get up from the chair. Belinda watched, her heart stricken, as her mother, her strength nearly spent, awkwardly tried to help lift her husband. On the third attempt they both tumbled into the chair. Marty eventually struggled back to her feet, but it was a moment before the two of them stopped their chuckling and were ready to try again. They made it that time. Belinda wondered how many times in the past they had gone through this little scene.
And Marty was very unsteady. She’d even tied a cord from the bed to the kitchen so she had something to hang on to as she walked. Belinda knew that the cord would not be strong enough to hold her should she fall. But it did give her a mea? sure of balance and confidence.
“I hadn’t known they were quite so needy,” Drew observed as they prepared for bed.
Belinda nodded, her eyes shadowed. “Even I didn’t know it was this bad.”
“Maybe after Christmas we’ll have to insist they move into town with us.”
She said nothing. She hated to think of the emotional toll it might take on all of them. She certainly had no intention of raising the question now. It was going to take all her physical and mental reserves to care for their needs and get ready for the coming wedding.
Everyone said it was the loveliest wedding ever held in their church. Francine was certainly the most lovely bride, Virginia was quick to agree. Dalton seemed to think so, as well. His eyes never left her face during the entire ceremony.
But it was Belinda who held Virginia’s attention. She looked drawn and pale in spite of her brave smile and her braced shoulders. She’s worn out , thought Virginia. Something is going to have to be done. She can’t carry on like this .
Virginia arranged a few “trades” with her mother, and Belinda would come to the Lewis farm for an afternoon with her grandchildren while Virginia took over the responsibilities with the Davises. They both knew Belinda was simply providing care for a different, much younger set of people, but she said it gave her a break and time with her beloved grandchildren.
It was well into the new year before a more permanent answer came—from a most unexpected source. No one—not a solitary family member—had even thought of such a solution to the problem. Belinda could still scarcely believe it herself when she excitedly told Virginia about it.
“He came for coffee. Mr. Simcoe. Sat right there in the folks’ kitchen—looking around as though sizing up the place—then I saw him give a little nod and he cleared his throat.
“ ‘We been good
Belinda unpacked the suitcases and hung her clothes in the closet. She arranged other items in the dresser drawers, careful to leave room for Drew’s things. She found herself humming softly as she stacked the last bit of clothing and shoved the suitcases under the bed.
After the good start and Clark and Marty’s acceptance of the new living arrangements, the transition turned out to be not as easy for any of them as Belinda would have hoped.
“I wonder if they have picked up a number of little idiosyncrasies since I left home, or if I just never noticed them before,” she noted in one of her frequent conversations with Virginia. “They do seem to have some strange ways of doing things. Little things. Things that shouldn’t matter, but I find myself getting annoyed.”
And she knew, by their expression and often their silence, that there were things she did that irritated Clark and Marty.
She had been right about one thing. They did need someone with them. She’d had no idea how much they now depended on one another. Her mother’s eyes were not as keen as they had been. Even with the reading glasses, her seams were not as straight and even. And her father, who seemed fairly steady once upright, had to have his wife’s help to get up from the chair. Belinda watched, her heart stricken, as her mother, her strength nearly spent, awkwardly tried to help lift her husband. On the third attempt they both tumbled into the chair. Marty eventually struggled back to her feet, but it was a moment before the two of them stopped their chuckling and were ready to try again. They made it that time. Belinda wondered how many times in the past they had gone through this little scene.
And Marty was very unsteady. She’d even tied a cord from the bed to the kitchen so she had something to hang on to as she walked. Belinda knew that the cord would not be strong enough to hold her should she fall. But it did give her a mea? sure of balance and confidence.
“I hadn’t known they were quite so needy,” Drew observed as they prepared for bed.
Belinda nodded, her eyes shadowed. “Even I didn’t know it was this bad.”
“Maybe after Christmas we’ll have to insist they move into town with us.”
She said nothing. She hated to think of the emotional toll it might take on all of them. She certainly had no intention of raising the question now. It was going to take all her physical and mental reserves to care for their needs and get ready for the coming wedding.
Everyone said it was the loveliest wedding ever held in their church. Francine was certainly the most lovely bride, Virginia was quick to agree. Dalton seemed to think so, as well. His eyes never left her face during the entire ceremony.
But it was Belinda who held Virginia’s attention. She looked drawn and pale in spite of her brave smile and her braced shoulders. She’s worn out , thought Virginia. Something is going to have to be done. She can’t carry on like this .
Virginia arranged a few “trades” with her mother, and Belinda would come to the Lewis farm for an afternoon with her grandchildren while Virginia took over the responsibilities with the Davises. They both knew Belinda was simply providing care for a different, much younger set of people, but she said it gave her a break and time with her beloved grandchildren.
It was well into the new year before a more permanent answer came—from a most unexpected source. No one—not a solitary family member—had even thought of such a solution to the problem. Belinda could still scarcely believe it herself when she excitedly told Virginia about it.
“He came for coffee. Mr. Simcoe. Sat right there in the folks’ kitchen—looking around as though sizing up the place—then I saw him give a little nod and he cleared his throat.
“ ‘We been good
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