approachable again.
“You look better. More in your element.”
Gloria gave her a wry grin in return. “I guess I know more about goats than little babies. At least I have more daily contact with them these days. Sorry I was such a pill earlier.”
Lori waved off her concern. “Don’t worry about it. Taking care of somebody else’s new baby isn’t easy. Taking care of your own is no picnic, but at least you finally get to the point where you knowwhat they’re trying to tell you. It’s a lot easier with the ones Tyler’s age, isn’t it?”
Gloria patted her windblown hair into place. “Definitely. I have to be honest and admit I’m more comfortable with the little guy than the baby. She’s beautiful, but I feel out of my league with her.” Gloria wrinkled her nose. “Oh, no, a sports analogy. I’ve been hanging around Mike too long.”
They both laughed over that. Lori had noticed that he used a lot of sports themes when he was trying to express himself. “Does Martin Properties have ball teams in the summer? If so, I know who the coach is.”
Gloria sat down with a bemused look on her face. “They haven’t in a couple of years. But that sure would be a great advertising thing, our name on the uniforms and such. And Mike would jump at the chance to play or coach.” She gave Lori a speculative look. “Any more good business ideas?”
Here was the opportunity she needed. Thanks, Lord , she breathed silently. “Well, to tell the truth, I do. One big idea, and I don’t know how you’ll take it.”
Gloria leaned back in her chair. “Try me. Mike says I’m a hard case to impress, but that’s because his ideas are kind of goofy sometimes. Business isn’t his strong suit. Something about you remindsme of myself when I was struggling to learn my husband’s business, back when it was just the two of us. I want to hear what you have to say.”
Lori felt incredibly blessed. Here was her chance to start truly providing for her family. And it had come about because Mikayla spit up on her surrogate grandmother. Yes, the Lord had a real sense of humor. She took a deep breath and started outlining her plan, sketchy as it was, to Gloria.
Now there were two formidable women. Mike walked into the kitchen where Gloria and Lori sat on opposite sides of the table. There were papers spread out between them in several arcs. A couple of his mom’s favorite yellow legal pads were thrown in for good measure and the manual to at least one software program. Why did this somehow feel like forces arrayed against him?
They were quite the forces, anyway. Lori talked in an animated fashion, one hand waving while the other held Mikayla up to her shoulder. She was so alive. Mike couldn’t imagine how she could face the world the way she did every day, blue eyes sparkling, ready to take on anything. In her circumstances he’d have a hard time getting out of bed.
Tyler sat at the end of the table away from the women, paying them little heed while he drew a complicated picture that seemed to require everymarker in the house. He had a smudge of green on his nose.
“This could work. How do you feel about preschool?” Mike heard his mother ask. Oh, great, Lori had sprung her plan to work in the office. And his mother thought it was a good idea.
“Fine, if there’s a good one nearby. Are there any in Friedens near the office that one of the churches runs? I’d love for Tyler to be in a church preschool at least once before kindergarten next year. Living as far out as we were, there wasn’t much choice but to stay home with him. Especially when I found out…about Mikayla.”
They both looked at the contented baby on her shoulder and smiled. Mike had to admit the squirt was growing on him. He still felt awkward around her, like his hands were the size of catcher’s mitts or something, but she was a sweet baby most of the time, and even smiled once in a while now.
“Great,” Gloria said. “Then maybe we can start
“You look better. More in your element.”
Gloria gave her a wry grin in return. “I guess I know more about goats than little babies. At least I have more daily contact with them these days. Sorry I was such a pill earlier.”
Lori waved off her concern. “Don’t worry about it. Taking care of somebody else’s new baby isn’t easy. Taking care of your own is no picnic, but at least you finally get to the point where you knowwhat they’re trying to tell you. It’s a lot easier with the ones Tyler’s age, isn’t it?”
Gloria patted her windblown hair into place. “Definitely. I have to be honest and admit I’m more comfortable with the little guy than the baby. She’s beautiful, but I feel out of my league with her.” Gloria wrinkled her nose. “Oh, no, a sports analogy. I’ve been hanging around Mike too long.”
They both laughed over that. Lori had noticed that he used a lot of sports themes when he was trying to express himself. “Does Martin Properties have ball teams in the summer? If so, I know who the coach is.”
Gloria sat down with a bemused look on her face. “They haven’t in a couple of years. But that sure would be a great advertising thing, our name on the uniforms and such. And Mike would jump at the chance to play or coach.” She gave Lori a speculative look. “Any more good business ideas?”
Here was the opportunity she needed. Thanks, Lord , she breathed silently. “Well, to tell the truth, I do. One big idea, and I don’t know how you’ll take it.”
Gloria leaned back in her chair. “Try me. Mike says I’m a hard case to impress, but that’s because his ideas are kind of goofy sometimes. Business isn’t his strong suit. Something about you remindsme of myself when I was struggling to learn my husband’s business, back when it was just the two of us. I want to hear what you have to say.”
Lori felt incredibly blessed. Here was her chance to start truly providing for her family. And it had come about because Mikayla spit up on her surrogate grandmother. Yes, the Lord had a real sense of humor. She took a deep breath and started outlining her plan, sketchy as it was, to Gloria.
Now there were two formidable women. Mike walked into the kitchen where Gloria and Lori sat on opposite sides of the table. There were papers spread out between them in several arcs. A couple of his mom’s favorite yellow legal pads were thrown in for good measure and the manual to at least one software program. Why did this somehow feel like forces arrayed against him?
They were quite the forces, anyway. Lori talked in an animated fashion, one hand waving while the other held Mikayla up to her shoulder. She was so alive. Mike couldn’t imagine how she could face the world the way she did every day, blue eyes sparkling, ready to take on anything. In her circumstances he’d have a hard time getting out of bed.
Tyler sat at the end of the table away from the women, paying them little heed while he drew a complicated picture that seemed to require everymarker in the house. He had a smudge of green on his nose.
“This could work. How do you feel about preschool?” Mike heard his mother ask. Oh, great, Lori had sprung her plan to work in the office. And his mother thought it was a good idea.
“Fine, if there’s a good one nearby. Are there any in Friedens near the office that one of the churches runs? I’d love for Tyler to be in a church preschool at least once before kindergarten next year. Living as far out as we were, there wasn’t much choice but to stay home with him. Especially when I found out…about Mikayla.”
They both looked at the contented baby on her shoulder and smiled. Mike had to admit the squirt was growing on him. He still felt awkward around her, like his hands were the size of catcher’s mitts or something, but she was a sweet baby most of the time, and even smiled once in a while now.
“Great,” Gloria said. “Then maybe we can start
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