the top of the mountain, go three miles to the fork. Then veer to the left.” Mr. Fulton set his coffee on the counter and picked up a pencil and worn envelope. He flipped it over and started drawing a map on the back as he spoke. “Go about another hundred yards. It’s the first drive on the left after that.” He drew a big star at the end of a thin line and handed Emmalee the paper. “Hey, while you’re up there, why don’t you see if there’s a suit for Mr. Lane. If not, wegot some of those here too. Got them in black and dark navy. You mind checking for me? Unless you got plans to sew him a suit while you’re at it.”
“No, sir.” Emmalee hugged Mr. Fulton, squeezing the baby between them. “I’ll get on out of here and let you be.” Kelly squirmed and began to whimper.
“Let me get a good look at this little girl. She’s been so quiet, almost forgot she was there.”
Mr. Fulton lowered the blanket from Kelly’s head.
“You’re a sweet thing. Yes, you are. Such a pretty girl.” Emmalee had never heard Nolan gush over the baby like this. “Look at that head of hair. Our babies were born bald as cucumbers. This one here’ll be asking for pigtails before long.” Mr. Fulton’s tone grew soft. “I really mean it, hon, you two doing all right?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Runt said he and Mettie offered to help with the baby. Said they came to the hospital to tell you that but Nolan ran them off.”
Emmalee covered Kelly Faye’s head with the blanket. “Nolan said they wanted to take her home. Keep her as their own.”
“I don’t know anything about that,” Mr. Fulton said. “Runt didn’t get real specific, but I know how your daddy feels about charity of any kind. That’s why I’m telling you this in private. If you need anything, let me know. Nolan doesn’t need to know about it either.”
The baby’s fussing grew louder. Emmalee jostled Kelly Faye in her arms and rushed out the back door. The baby grew quiet in the cold morning air, and Emmalee pulled the blanket farther over Kelly Faye’s head.
“You keep that little thing covered up, Emmalee,” Mr. Fulton called after them. “You hear me? I don’t want her catching sick.”
Emmalee hurried down the paved drive. She settled the baby in the box in front of the pickup and pulled away from the funeral home. She headed straight for Old Lick, the strange smell of the mortuary lingering in her nose.
L EONA
O LD L ICK
1957
Leona never knew Curtis to worry about much of anything. His good nature had attracted her in the beginning. She called him solid and sweet back then. So when he stepped into the trailer with coal dust smeared on his face and a vacant look in his eyes, Leona understood it was bad news.
“The mine’s shut down,” Curtis told her straight out. Leona watched as her husband stood slumped against the kitchen counter, cradling a small savings book between his large, calloused hands. She closed her eyes but could feel Curtis staring at the dwindling numbers scribbled inside the tiny green book.
“Don’t go worrying, Ona,” he said and rubbed her pregnant belly. “I’ll find another job soon,” he added, pulling his wife into his arms.
Leona dropped her head against his chest. She heardhis heart beating, strong and steady. She had always hoped Curtis would find a better job someday, a safer job, one not thousands of feet below the earth’s surface. When they first married, she even dreamed of him joining the Teamsters Union and driving a big truck across the country. She watched him talking to the drivers who stopped to fill their tanks at the gas station near Kimball. She spied him admiring their shiny rigs, lolling around the pumps as the truckers chatted about destinations she could only imagine. Maybe, she thought then, she’d ride with him across the country, even dip her toes in the cool waters of the Pacific Ocean. But a baby was coming, and there was no time or money for dreams like that.
Curtis
“No, sir.” Emmalee hugged Mr. Fulton, squeezing the baby between them. “I’ll get on out of here and let you be.” Kelly squirmed and began to whimper.
“Let me get a good look at this little girl. She’s been so quiet, almost forgot she was there.”
Mr. Fulton lowered the blanket from Kelly’s head.
“You’re a sweet thing. Yes, you are. Such a pretty girl.” Emmalee had never heard Nolan gush over the baby like this. “Look at that head of hair. Our babies were born bald as cucumbers. This one here’ll be asking for pigtails before long.” Mr. Fulton’s tone grew soft. “I really mean it, hon, you two doing all right?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Runt said he and Mettie offered to help with the baby. Said they came to the hospital to tell you that but Nolan ran them off.”
Emmalee covered Kelly Faye’s head with the blanket. “Nolan said they wanted to take her home. Keep her as their own.”
“I don’t know anything about that,” Mr. Fulton said. “Runt didn’t get real specific, but I know how your daddy feels about charity of any kind. That’s why I’m telling you this in private. If you need anything, let me know. Nolan doesn’t need to know about it either.”
The baby’s fussing grew louder. Emmalee jostled Kelly Faye in her arms and rushed out the back door. The baby grew quiet in the cold morning air, and Emmalee pulled the blanket farther over Kelly Faye’s head.
“You keep that little thing covered up, Emmalee,” Mr. Fulton called after them. “You hear me? I don’t want her catching sick.”
Emmalee hurried down the paved drive. She settled the baby in the box in front of the pickup and pulled away from the funeral home. She headed straight for Old Lick, the strange smell of the mortuary lingering in her nose.
L EONA
O LD L ICK
1957
Leona never knew Curtis to worry about much of anything. His good nature had attracted her in the beginning. She called him solid and sweet back then. So when he stepped into the trailer with coal dust smeared on his face and a vacant look in his eyes, Leona understood it was bad news.
“The mine’s shut down,” Curtis told her straight out. Leona watched as her husband stood slumped against the kitchen counter, cradling a small savings book between his large, calloused hands. She closed her eyes but could feel Curtis staring at the dwindling numbers scribbled inside the tiny green book.
“Don’t go worrying, Ona,” he said and rubbed her pregnant belly. “I’ll find another job soon,” he added, pulling his wife into his arms.
Leona dropped her head against his chest. She heardhis heart beating, strong and steady. She had always hoped Curtis would find a better job someday, a safer job, one not thousands of feet below the earth’s surface. When they first married, she even dreamed of him joining the Teamsters Union and driving a big truck across the country. She watched him talking to the drivers who stopped to fill their tanks at the gas station near Kimball. She spied him admiring their shiny rigs, lolling around the pumps as the truckers chatted about destinations she could only imagine. Maybe, she thought then, she’d ride with him across the country, even dip her toes in the cool waters of the Pacific Ocean. But a baby was coming, and there was no time or money for dreams like that.
Curtis
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