can't..." Sam and the children were both going.
"Are you okay? There's nothing else going on? Ellen said you seemed strange at the store."
No surprise there, either that Ellen had told her or that Gail had rushed right over here to see what she could find out, and, granted, to help if she could. "Look, just forget it. It's been an odd day, but I'll be fine. And thanks for the meal."
"Of course."
Because there was nothing Rachel could say to dampen her sister's optimism, she finally gave up trying and accepted the hugs, the good wishes, and the prayers, and then Gail went home to feed her own family.
Chapter 6
On the third day of Christmas, Rachel's father showed up to watch the Christmas parade with them and to stay for dinner, something he did at least once a week.
"Hi, Daddy," she said, kissing him on the cheek.
"How's my baby girl?" he said in his big booming voice. He was sixty, a retired insurance agent who was almost always happy, if a bit lost since her mother died, and he still called her his baby girl. Her whole life, he'd lavished her with love.
"I'm fine," she said.
"That's not what I hear."
"Oh?" she asked, not surprised. "Ellen?"
"I may have talked to your sister. And I wanted to see this one," he said, coming closer until he could see Grace's face, which was pressed against Rachel's shoulder. "Now there's a beauty for you. Almost as beautiful as you were when you were a little thing."
"Do you want to hold her?"
"Well, I guess I could do that. Your arms are probably tired by now."
Actually, they were. She wasn't used to having a baby in her arms for any length of time. She passed Grace off to her father, who made himself at home in the rocking chair in the corner and settled in to fussing over the sleeping baby.
A minute later, Zach came bursting down the stairs at full speed, practically skidding down the last three but somehow not landing in a heap on the floor. Rachel held her breath and managed not to yell. He'd scared her half to death. He walked right over to her father and said, "Hi, I'm Zach."
"Hi," her father said, "I'm Frank. I'm Rachel's father."
"Whatcha doin'?"
"Getting acquainted with your sister."
Zach wrinkled up his nose and said, "She's not much fun to play with. She can't do much of anything yet. She can't even walk."
"Oh?" her father said, the sides of his mouth crinkling into a smile.
"I can do lotsa stuff," Zach bragged.
"I'll bet you can."
"I'm gonna watch the Christmas parade later. San'a's comin'. Right here!"
"Zach, he's coming past the house. He's not stopping or coming inside, remember?"
Zach frowned. "But I gotta talk to him."
"We will. Just not tonight, okay?"
"Okay." He turned back to her father, obviously disappointed. "Wanna see my cars?"
Her father agreed, handing over the baby and letting Zach take him by the hand and lead him from the room. They seemed to be the best of buddies when she glanced into the room twenty minutes later on her way to the kitchen to set the table for dinner.
A few minutes later, her father came into the kitchen. "That's some boy."
"Isn't he?"
"They seem to be taking this well. When I heard what they'd been through... Well, I wondered what you were getting yourself into, little girl."
"They're good kids," she said.
"I can see that for myself, and I'm proud of you for taking them this way."
"Oh, Daddy." Rachel stopped in the middle of setting the table. He just didn't know how bad things had been, how badly she'd handled it all. If Miriam hadn't barged in with the children two days ago and shamed Rachel into taking them, she'd still be sitting here lost in her own misery. He didn't even know about Sam yet. He was going to be so worried about her and so disappointed.
"It's a good thing you're doing," he said.
"No, I'm not," she told him. "Everyone's said that, too, how kind we're being, how generous, but the truth is, they're helping me much more than I'm helping them, because they've finally made me see
"Are you okay? There's nothing else going on? Ellen said you seemed strange at the store."
No surprise there, either that Ellen had told her or that Gail had rushed right over here to see what she could find out, and, granted, to help if she could. "Look, just forget it. It's been an odd day, but I'll be fine. And thanks for the meal."
"Of course."
Because there was nothing Rachel could say to dampen her sister's optimism, she finally gave up trying and accepted the hugs, the good wishes, and the prayers, and then Gail went home to feed her own family.
Chapter 6
On the third day of Christmas, Rachel's father showed up to watch the Christmas parade with them and to stay for dinner, something he did at least once a week.
"Hi, Daddy," she said, kissing him on the cheek.
"How's my baby girl?" he said in his big booming voice. He was sixty, a retired insurance agent who was almost always happy, if a bit lost since her mother died, and he still called her his baby girl. Her whole life, he'd lavished her with love.
"I'm fine," she said.
"That's not what I hear."
"Oh?" she asked, not surprised. "Ellen?"
"I may have talked to your sister. And I wanted to see this one," he said, coming closer until he could see Grace's face, which was pressed against Rachel's shoulder. "Now there's a beauty for you. Almost as beautiful as you were when you were a little thing."
"Do you want to hold her?"
"Well, I guess I could do that. Your arms are probably tired by now."
Actually, they were. She wasn't used to having a baby in her arms for any length of time. She passed Grace off to her father, who made himself at home in the rocking chair in the corner and settled in to fussing over the sleeping baby.
A minute later, Zach came bursting down the stairs at full speed, practically skidding down the last three but somehow not landing in a heap on the floor. Rachel held her breath and managed not to yell. He'd scared her half to death. He walked right over to her father and said, "Hi, I'm Zach."
"Hi," her father said, "I'm Frank. I'm Rachel's father."
"Whatcha doin'?"
"Getting acquainted with your sister."
Zach wrinkled up his nose and said, "She's not much fun to play with. She can't do much of anything yet. She can't even walk."
"Oh?" her father said, the sides of his mouth crinkling into a smile.
"I can do lotsa stuff," Zach bragged.
"I'll bet you can."
"I'm gonna watch the Christmas parade later. San'a's comin'. Right here!"
"Zach, he's coming past the house. He's not stopping or coming inside, remember?"
Zach frowned. "But I gotta talk to him."
"We will. Just not tonight, okay?"
"Okay." He turned back to her father, obviously disappointed. "Wanna see my cars?"
Her father agreed, handing over the baby and letting Zach take him by the hand and lead him from the room. They seemed to be the best of buddies when she glanced into the room twenty minutes later on her way to the kitchen to set the table for dinner.
A few minutes later, her father came into the kitchen. "That's some boy."
"Isn't he?"
"They seem to be taking this well. When I heard what they'd been through... Well, I wondered what you were getting yourself into, little girl."
"They're good kids," she said.
"I can see that for myself, and I'm proud of you for taking them this way."
"Oh, Daddy." Rachel stopped in the middle of setting the table. He just didn't know how bad things had been, how badly she'd handled it all. If Miriam hadn't barged in with the children two days ago and shamed Rachel into taking them, she'd still be sitting here lost in her own misery. He didn't even know about Sam yet. He was going to be so worried about her and so disappointed.
"It's a good thing you're doing," he said.
"No, I'm not," she told him. "Everyone's said that, too, how kind we're being, how generous, but the truth is, they're helping me much more than I'm helping them, because they've finally made me see
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