break.
CHAPTER EIGHT
The weather turned nasty just as soon as I
entered Parley's Canyon, and it almost made me turn around and wait for a
better day. We had all heard repeatedly the story of Charity's flight from our
home in Bethel City, Arizona, when she hit a patch of black ice during a
Wyoming blizzard and almost died. If it hadn't been for Russ seeing her car fly
into an arroyo, she might have frozen to death before anyone found her. However,
I was so anxious to see my baby that I just kept going, albeit at a very
conservative speed.
The drive that normally took five hours
stretched to seven before I came out from under the storm clouds and traveled
the last fifty or so miles on dry pavement. When I pulled into the parking
area, Amber, Charity and Janet all tumbled out the door and ran to the car,
exclaiming over my late arrival.
"Yeah, it was kind of scary, but I
just drove slow and here I am," I smiled.
"It was a fight to get Gracie down for
her nap," Amber said. "She kept saying, 'mommy will be here soon' and
refusing to go to sleep until she saw you."
"Aw, I'm sorry I disappointed
her."
"Better to disappoint her a little bit
and get here in one piece," Charity offered. That was when Janet realized
they had all rushed out without coats into the freezing Wyoming winter.
"You girls all get into the house,
before you catch your death," she said.
Distributing piles of Christmas gifts and
my luggage among the four of us, I obeyed Janet as quickly as possible. After
stowing the Christmas gifts under the tree, which was already nearly buried in
gifts, we rejoined Janet in the kitchen for hot chocolate and cookies. I was
starving, since I hadn't stopped for a meal in the treacherous weather.
"You never let us know what's going on
with you," complained Amber. "What's new?"
"Well, I seem to have a
boyfriend," I said. If I had revealed that I was carrying a ticking time
bomb, it would have made less of an impact. Amber squealed, Charity clapped her
hands together and Janet declared, "I swan!" It was her most fearsome
oath, a country version of 'I swear'.
I was spared the immediate need to tell
them all about it by Russ's arrival in the kitchen, looking for coffee.
"Hi, Janey," he said grinning.
"You've had these gals in quite a tizzy. What took you so long?"
"Oh, a little whiteout blizzard is
all," I said, winking at him. He turned white, which made me sorry for
teasing him.
"Don't ever joke about that," he
said. He reached for Charity, and pulled her to his side. She was within a
couple of months of delivering their second child, and he looked at her as if
she were the most precious jewel on earth. I realized then what both of my
relationships on campus were missing. I had way more lust than I needed, and
not enough love.
As soon as I had warmed up, I went quietly
into our room to check on Gracie. She was sleeping in a tangle of blankets, her
face flushed, and her blonde curls framing her face like a little angel.
Against my better judgment, I touched her and of course, it woke her up. I braced
myself for a meltdown, but my little sweetheart lit up at the sight of me and
held out her arms to for me to pick her up.
Reveling in the sensation of her sweet,
warm body resting heavily in my arms, I carried her over to the rocking chair
where I'd rocked her for hours when she was a little baby. I knew there
wouldn't be many more chances, as a big girl of three knew when she was being
treated like a baby.
Amber found me there when she came in,
carrying her little boy who had just awakened from his nap as well. It was so
cute to watch them interact. Enoch was only a couple of months younger than Gracie
was, but because of the tendency for girls to become more vocal earlier, Gracie
was quite the little mama when she fussed over Enoch. Now, though, she wanted
to tell him all about my arrival.
"Enoch, my mommy's here," she
said in her lisping voice.
"Mommy?" He replied looking at
his own.
" My mommy, she
CHAPTER EIGHT
The weather turned nasty just as soon as I
entered Parley's Canyon, and it almost made me turn around and wait for a
better day. We had all heard repeatedly the story of Charity's flight from our
home in Bethel City, Arizona, when she hit a patch of black ice during a
Wyoming blizzard and almost died. If it hadn't been for Russ seeing her car fly
into an arroyo, she might have frozen to death before anyone found her. However,
I was so anxious to see my baby that I just kept going, albeit at a very
conservative speed.
The drive that normally took five hours
stretched to seven before I came out from under the storm clouds and traveled
the last fifty or so miles on dry pavement. When I pulled into the parking
area, Amber, Charity and Janet all tumbled out the door and ran to the car,
exclaiming over my late arrival.
"Yeah, it was kind of scary, but I
just drove slow and here I am," I smiled.
"It was a fight to get Gracie down for
her nap," Amber said. "She kept saying, 'mommy will be here soon' and
refusing to go to sleep until she saw you."
"Aw, I'm sorry I disappointed
her."
"Better to disappoint her a little bit
and get here in one piece," Charity offered. That was when Janet realized
they had all rushed out without coats into the freezing Wyoming winter.
"You girls all get into the house,
before you catch your death," she said.
Distributing piles of Christmas gifts and
my luggage among the four of us, I obeyed Janet as quickly as possible. After
stowing the Christmas gifts under the tree, which was already nearly buried in
gifts, we rejoined Janet in the kitchen for hot chocolate and cookies. I was
starving, since I hadn't stopped for a meal in the treacherous weather.
"You never let us know what's going on
with you," complained Amber. "What's new?"
"Well, I seem to have a
boyfriend," I said. If I had revealed that I was carrying a ticking time
bomb, it would have made less of an impact. Amber squealed, Charity clapped her
hands together and Janet declared, "I swan!" It was her most fearsome
oath, a country version of 'I swear'.
I was spared the immediate need to tell
them all about it by Russ's arrival in the kitchen, looking for coffee.
"Hi, Janey," he said grinning.
"You've had these gals in quite a tizzy. What took you so long?"
"Oh, a little whiteout blizzard is
all," I said, winking at him. He turned white, which made me sorry for
teasing him.
"Don't ever joke about that," he
said. He reached for Charity, and pulled her to his side. She was within a
couple of months of delivering their second child, and he looked at her as if
she were the most precious jewel on earth. I realized then what both of my
relationships on campus were missing. I had way more lust than I needed, and
not enough love.
As soon as I had warmed up, I went quietly
into our room to check on Gracie. She was sleeping in a tangle of blankets, her
face flushed, and her blonde curls framing her face like a little angel.
Against my better judgment, I touched her and of course, it woke her up. I braced
myself for a meltdown, but my little sweetheart lit up at the sight of me and
held out her arms to for me to pick her up.
Reveling in the sensation of her sweet,
warm body resting heavily in my arms, I carried her over to the rocking chair
where I'd rocked her for hours when she was a little baby. I knew there
wouldn't be many more chances, as a big girl of three knew when she was being
treated like a baby.
Amber found me there when she came in,
carrying her little boy who had just awakened from his nap as well. It was so
cute to watch them interact. Enoch was only a couple of months younger than Gracie
was, but because of the tendency for girls to become more vocal earlier, Gracie
was quite the little mama when she fussed over Enoch. Now, though, she wanted
to tell him all about my arrival.
"Enoch, my mommy's here," she
said in her lisping voice.
"Mommy?" He replied looking at
his own.
" My mommy, she
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