Читать книгу: «Katie's Redemption», страница 2

Light flooded from the kitchen window. They must have moved more lamps into the room. Knowing he couldn’t help, he pick up his measuring tape and began marking sections of cedar board for a hope chest a client had ordered last week.

He didn’t need to concentrate on the task. His hands knew the wood, knew the tools he held as if they were extensions of his own fingers. His gaze was drawn repeatedly to the window and the drama he knew was being played out inside his home. As he worked, he prayed for Katie Lantz and her unborn child.

Hours later, he glanced out the window and stopped his work abruptly. He saw his mother hurrying toward him. Had something gone wrong?

Chapter Three

“You are so beautiful,” Katie whispered. Tears blurred her vision and she rapidly blinked them away.

Propped up with pillows against the headboard of her borrowed bed, she drew her fingers gently across the face of her daughter where she lay nestled in the crook of her arm. Her little head was covered in dark hair. Her eyelashes lay like tiny curved spikes against her cheeks. She was the most beautiful thing Katie had ever seen.

Amber Bradley, the midwife, moved about the other side of the room, quietly putting her things away. Katie had been a little surprised that the midwife wasn’t Amish. That the women of the district trusted an outsider spoke volumes for Amber. She was both kind and competent, as Katie had discovered.

When Amber came over to the bed at last, she sat gently on the edge and asked, “Shall I take her now? You really do need some rest.”

“Can I hold her just a little longer?” Katie didn’t want to give her baby over to anyone. Not yet. The joy of holding her own child was too new, too wonderful to allow it to end.

Amber smiled and nodded. “All right, but I do need to check her over more completely before I go. We didn’t have a lot of time to discuss your plans. Maybe we can do that now.”

Reality poked its ugly head back into Katie’s mind. Her plans hadn’t changed. They had simply been delayed. “I intend to go to my brother’s house.”

“Does he live close by?”

“No. Mr. Sutter said Malachi has moved to Kansas.”

“I see. That’s a long way to travel with a newborn.”

Especially for someone who had no money. And now she owed the midwife, as well. All Katie could do was be honest with Amber. She glanced up at the nurse. “I’m grateful you came tonight, but I’m sorry I can’t pay you right now. I will, I promise. As soon as I get a job.”

“I’m not worried about that. The Amish always pay their bills. In fact, they’re much more prompt than any insurance company I’ve dealt with.”

Katie looked down at her daughter. “I’m not Amish. Not anymore.”

“Don’t be worrying about my fee. Just enjoy that beautiful baby. I’ll send a bill in a few days and you can pay me when you’re able.”

The outside door opened and Nettie rushed in carrying a large, oval wooden basket. She was followed by Elam. He paused long enough to hang his coat and hat by the door, then he approached the bed. “I heard it’s a fine, healthy girl. Congratulations, Katie Lantz.”

“Thank you.” She proudly pulled back the corner of the receiving blanket, a gift from Amber, to show Elam her little girl.

He moved closer and leaned down, but kept his hands tucked in the front pockets of his pants. “Ach, she’s wundascheen!”

“Thank you. I think she’s beautiful, too.” Katie planted a kiss on her daughter’s head.

Nettie set the basket on the table, folded her arms over her ample chest and grinned. “Jah, she looks like her Mama with all that black hair.”

Reaching out hesitantly, Elam touched the baby’s tiny fist. “Have you given her a name?”

“Rachel Ann. It was my mother’s name.”

Nodding his satisfaction, he straightened and shoved his hand back in his pocket. “It’s a goot name. A plain name.”

Katie blinked back sudden tears as she gazed at her daughter. Even though they would have to live with Malachi for a while, Rachel would not be raised Amish as Katie’s mother had been. Why did that make her feel sad?

Amber rose from her place at the foot of the bed. “I see you’ve got a solution for where this little one is going to sleep, Nettie.”

“My daughter, Mary, is expecting in a few months. She has my old cradle, but a folded quilt will make this a comfortable bed for Rachel. What do you think, Katie?”

“I think it will do fine.” All of the sudden, Katie was so tired she could barely keep her eyes open.

“I will make a bassinet for her,” Elam offered quickly. “It won’t take any time at all.”

Overwhelmed, Katie said, “You’ve been so kind already, Mr. Sutter. How can I ever thank you?”

“Someday, you will do a kindness for someone in need. That will be my thanks,” he replied, soft and low so that only she could hear him.

Katie studied his face in the lamplight. It was the first time she had really looked at him. He was probably twenty-five years old. Most Amish men his age were married with one or two children already. She wondered why he was still single. He was certainly handsome enough to please any young woman. His hair, sable-brown and thick, held a touch of unruly curl where it brushed the back of his collar.

His face, unlike his hair, was all chiseled angles and planes, from his broad forehead to his high cheekbones. That, coupled with a straight, no-nonsense nose, gave him a look of harshness. Until she noticed his eyes. Soft sky-blue eyes that crinkled at the corners when he smiled as he was smiling now at the sight of Rachel’s pink bow mouth opened in a wide yawn.

“Looks like someone is ready to try out her new bed.” He stepped back as Amber came to take Rachel from Katie.

“I know her mother could use some rest,” Amber stated with a stern glance in Katie’s direction.

Katie nodded in agreement, but she didn’t want to sleep. “If I close my eyes for a few minutes, that’s all I need.”

“You’re going to need much more than that,” Nettie declared, placing the quilt-lined basket on a kitchen chair beside Katie’s bed.

Amber laid the baby on the table and unwrapped her enough to listen to her heart and lungs with a stethoscope. Katie couldn’t close her eyes until she knew all was well. After finishing her examination, Amber rewrapped the baby tightly and laid her in the basket. “Everything looks good, but I’ll be back to check on her tomorrow, and you, too, Mommy. I’ll also draw a little blood from her heel tomorrow. The state requires certain tests on all newborns. You’ll get the results in a few weeks. I can tell you’re tired, Katie. We’ll talk about it tomorrow.”

Katie scooted down under the covers and rolled to her side so that she could see her daughter. “Will she be warm enough?”

“She’ll be fine. We’ll keep the stove going all night,” Nettie promised.

“She’s so sweet. I can’t believe how much I love her already.” Sleep pulled Katie’s eyelids lower. She fought it, afraid if she slept she would wake and find it all had been a dream.

The murmur of voices reached her. She heard her name mentioned and struggled to understand what was being said.

“I’m worried about Katie.” It was Amber talking.

“Why?” came Elam’s deep voice.

Opening her eyes, Katie saw that everyone had gone into the living room. She strained to hear them.

Amber said, “It’s clear she hasn’t been eating well for some time. Plus, her blood loss was heavier than I like to see. Physically, she’s very run-down.”

“Do you think she should go to the hospital?” Elam asked. Katie heard the worry behind his words.

He was concerned about her. She smiled at the thought. It had been a long time since anyone had worried about her. As hard as she tried, she couldn’t keep her eyes open any longer.

Concerned for his unexpected guest’s health, Elam glanced from the kitchen door to the nurse standing beside his mother.

Amber shook her head. “I don’t think she needs to go to the hospital, but I do think she should take it easy for a few days. She needs good hearty food, lots of rest and plenty of fluids. I understand she was on her way to her brother’s home?”

“Jah,” Nettie said. “When she realized he wasn’t here, she said she was going to the bus station.”

Amber scowled and crossed her arms. “She shouldn’t travel for a while. Not for at least a week, maybe two. If having her here is an inconvenience, I can try to make other arrangements in town until her family can send someone for her.”

Elam could see his mother struggling to hold back her opinion. He was the man of the house. It would have to be his decision.

At least that was the way it was supposed to work, but he had learned a valuable lesson about women from his father. His dat used to say, “Women get their way by one means or another, son. Make a woman mad only if you’re willing to eat burnt bread until she decides otherwise. The man who tells you he’s in charge in his own house will lie about other things, too.”

His father had been wise about so many things and yet so foolish in the end.

Elam’s mother might want Katie to remain with them, but Elam was hesitant about the idea. The last thing he needed was to stir up trouble in his new church district. Katie wasn’t a member of his family. She had turned her back on her Amish upbringing. Her presence might even prompt unwanted gossip. His family had endured enough of that.

“I certainly wouldn’t mind having another woman in the house.” It seemed his mother couldn’t be silent for long.

This wasn’t a discussion he wanted to have in front of an outsider. He said, “Nothing can be done tonight. We’ll talk it over with Katie in the morning.”

The faint smile that played across Nettie’s lips told him she’d already made up her mind. “The woman needs help. It’s our Christian duty to care for her and that precious baby.”

Mustering a stern tone, he said, “You don’t fool me, Mamm. I saw how excited you were to tell me it was a little girl. The way you came running out to the barn, I thought the house must be on fire. You’re just happy to have a new baby in the house. I’ve heard you telling your friends that you’re hoping Mary’s next one is a girl.”

His mother raised one finger toward the ceiling. “Gott has given me five fine grandsons. I’m not complaining. I pray only that my daughters have more healthy children. If one or two should be girls—that is Gotte wille, too, and fine with me. Just as it was Gotte wille that Katie and her baby came to us.”

Her logic was something Elam couldn’t argue with. He turned to the nurse. “She can stay here until her family comes to fetch her if that is what she wants. She can write to Malachi in the morning and tell him that she’s here.”

Amber looked relieved. “Wonderful. That’s settled, then.”

For Malachi’s sake and for Katie’s, Elam prayed that she was prepared to mend her ways and come back to the Amish. If she was sincere about returning, the church members would welcome her back with open arms.

Amber gathered up her bag. “I’ll come by late tomorrow afternoon to check on both of my patients. I’m going to leave some powdered infant formula with you in case the nursing doesn’t go well, but I’m sure you won’t need it. Please don’t hesitate to send for me if you think something is wrong. Mrs. Sutter, I’m sure you know what to look for.”

“Thank you for coming, Miss Bradley.”

“Thank you for calling me.”

Elam hesitated, then said, “About your bill.”

She waved his concern aside. “Katie and I have already discussed it.”

After she left, a calm settled over the house. Nettie tried to hide a yawn, but Elam saw it. The clock on the wall said it was nearly two in the morning. At least it was the off Sunday and they would not have to travel to services in the morning. “Go to bed, Mamm.”

“No, I’m going to sleep here in my chair in case Katie or the baby needs me.”

He knew better than to argue with her. “I’ll get a quilt and a pillow from your room.”

“Thank you, Elam. You are a good son.”

A few minutes later he returned with the bedding and handed it to her. As she settled herself in her favorite brown wingback chair, he moved a footstool in front of it and helped her prop up her feet, then tucked the blanket under them. She sighed heavily and set her glasses on the small, oval reading table beside her.

When he was sure she was comfortable, he quietly walked back into the kitchen. Before heading upstairs to his room, he checked the fire in the stove. It had died down to glowing red coals. The wood box beside it was almost empty. The women must have used most of it keeping the room warm for Katie’s delivery. Glancing toward the bed in the corner, he watched Katie sleeping huddled beneath a blue-and-green patterned quilt.

She looked so small and alone.

Only she wasn’t alone. Her baby slept on a chair beside the bed in one of his baskets. And what of the child’s father? Katie had said he didn’t care about them, but what man would not care that he had such a beautiful daughter? There was a lot Elam didn’t know about his surprise guest, but answers would have to wait until morning.

Quietly slipping into his coat, he eased the door open and went out to fetch more wood. He paused on the front steps to admire the view. A three-quarter moon sent its bright light across the farmyard, making the trees and buildings cast sharp black shadows over the snow. High in the night sky, the stars twinkled as if in competition with the sparkling landscape.

Elam shook his head. He was being fanciful again. It was a habit he tried hard to break. Still, it had to be good for a man to stop and admire the handiwork of God. Why else did he have eyes to see and ears to hear?

Elam’s breath rose in the air in frosty puffs as he loaded his arms with wood and returned to the house. He managed to open the door with one hand, but it banged shut behind him. He froze, hoping he hadn’t disturbed his guests or his mother. When no one moved, he blew out the breath he’d been holding and began unloading his burden as quietly as he could.

After adding a few of his logs to the stove, he stoked up the blaze and closed the firebox door. He had taken a half-dozen steps toward the stairs and the bed that was calling to him when the baby started to fuss. He spun around.

Katie stirred but didn’t open her eyes. He could hear his mother’s not-so-soft snoring in the other room. The baby quieted.

He took a step back and grimaced as the floorboard creaked. Immediately, the baby started her soft fussing again. Elam waited, but neither of the women woke. The baby’s cries weren’t loud. Maybe she was just lonely in a strange new place.

He crossed the room. Squatting beside the basket, he rocked it gently. The moonlight spilling in through the kitchen window showed him a tiny face with bright eyes wide open.

“Shh,” he whispered as he rocked her. Rachel showed no inclination to go back to sleep. Her attempts to catch her tight fists in her mouth amused him. What a cute little pumpkin she was. Another of God’s wonders.

Glancing once more at Katie’s pale face, he picked the baby up. She immediately quieted. He crossed the room and sat down at the table. “Let’s let your mama sleep a bit longer.”

He disapproved of the choices this little one’s mother had made, but none of that disapproval spilled over onto this new life. Settling her into the crook of his arm, he marveled at how tiny she was and yet how complete. The cares and worries of his day slipped away. A softness nestled itself around his heart. What would it be like to hold a child of his own? Would he ever know? Rachel yawned and he smiled at her.

“Ah, I was right. You just wanted someone to cuddle you. I know a thing or two about wee ones. You’re not the first babe I’ve held.”

Babies certainly weren’t new to him. He’d rocked nephews aplenty. He raised her slightly to make her more comfortable.

“My sisters think nothing of plopping a babe in my arms so they’re free to help Mamm with canning or gardening, but I know what they’re up to,” he whispered to the cute baby he held.

“They think if I’m reminded how wonderful children are I’ll start going to the Sunday night singings again and court a wife of my own. They don’t see that I’m not ready for that.”

He wasn’t sure he would ever be ready to trust his heart to someone again. If that time did come, it would only be with a woman he was certain shared his love of God and his Plain faith.

“Once burned, twice shy, as the English say,” he confided to his tiny listener.

He waited for the anger to surface but it didn’t. For the first time in over a year he was able to think about his broken engagement without bitterness. Maybe the sweet-smelling babe in his arms had brought with her a measure of God’s peace for him. To her, life was new and good and shouldn’t be tainted with the sins of the past.

He began to sing a soft lullaby in his native tongue. Rachel stared back at him intently for a few minutes, but she eventually grew discontent with his voice and the fingers she couldn’t quite get in her mouth. Her little fussing noises became a full-fledged cry.

“I guess I can’t fix what ails you after all. I reckon I’ll have to wake your mother.”

“I’m awake.” Katie’s low voice came from the bed.

He looked over to find her watching him with dark eyes as beautiful and intense as her daughter’s. How long had she been listening to him?

Chapter Four

Katie met Elam’s gaze across the room. Moonlight streaming through the windows cut long rectangles of light across the plank floor. It gave her enough light to see the way Elam held her daughter. With confidence, caring and gentleness. Would Matt have done the same? Somehow, she didn’t think so.

Her boyfriend’s charm had evaporated quickly, once the novelty of having an Amish girlfriend wore off. When he found himself stuck with a “stupid Amish bumpkin” who couldn’t use a microwave and didn’t know how to work a cell phone, he reverted to his true nature. The harder Katie tried to make him happy, the more resentful he became. The harder she tried to prove her love, the louder he complained that she was smothering him. Looking back, it seemed that their relationship had been doomed from the start.

Her elderly landlady back in Columbus once said, “Honey, that man’s a case of bad judgment. Dump him before he dumps you.”

Katie hadn’t wanted to believe Mrs. Pearlman, but it turned out she knew what she was talking about.

Elam spoke as he rose to his feet, yanking Katie’s attention back to the present. “I was trying to get Rachel to go back to sleep without waking you.”

“The song you were singing, what’s it called?”

“You don’t know In der Stillen Einsamkeit?” He sounded genuinely surprised.

“No.”

“I thought every Amish child had heard it. My mother sang it to all of us and still sings it to her grandchildren.”

“There wasn’t a lot of singing in my house. I don’t remember my mother ever singing. I have very few clear memories of my family. My father died before I was born in some kind of farm accident. I do remember my brother Hans playing with me. He was always laughing. He gave me a doll that I loved, and he gave me piggyback rides. I remember someone scolding him to be careful. I think it was my mother.”

“What happened to your family?”

“Everyone except Malachi and I died in a fire when I was four.”

“I’m sorry.”

Katie shrugged off his sympathy. “It was a long time ago.”

Rachel gave another lusty cry. Elam said, “I think she’s telling me I make a poor substitute for her mother.”

Katie shifted into a sitting position in the bed and held out her arms. When Elam laid her daughter in her embrace, she said, “I’m afraid she’s going to think I’m a poor substitute for a mother when she gets to know me.”

“My sisters all worried that they wouldn’t make good mothers, but they learned. You will, too.”

“I hope you’re right.” He sounded so matter-of-fact. Like it was a done deal. She wanted to believe him, but she had made such a mess of her life up to this point.

“My mother will help as long as you’re here. If you let her.”

“I’m not sure I could stop her. She’s something of a force of nature.”

Chuckling softly, he nodded. “Jah, that is a good description of Mamm.”

As their eyes met, Katie experienced a strange thrill, a sizzling connection with Elam that both surprised and delighted her. Rachel quieted. Elam’s expression changed. The amusement left his gaze, replaced by an odd intensity that sent heat rushing to Katie’s cheeks.

Since the baby had quieted, Katie simply held and admired her. Stroking one of her daughter’s sweetly curved brows, Katie said, “This wasn’t the way I planned for you to come into the world.”

Elam folded his arms. “Our best laid plans often come to naught.”

“My landlady used to say, ‘Man plans, God laughs.’” Katie tried to imitate her friend’s broad Yiddish accent.

“She sounds like a wise woman.”

Katie nodded sadly. “She was a very wise woman.”

If Mrs. Pearlman had lived, Katie wouldn’t be in this mess. Her kind landlady would have taken her in until she found a job. God had once again taken away the person who truly cared about her, leaving Katie where she had always been. Alone, unwanted, belonging nowhere.

She glanced up at Elam as he towered over her bed. “Your mother reminds me of my friend. She had the same kind eyes.”

When he didn’t say anything, Katie sighed. “I know what you’re thinking.”

Frowning slightly, he asked, “And what would that be?”

“You’re thinking I didn’t plan very well at all.”

He crossed his arms and looked at the floor. “I didn’t say that.”

“No, you didn’t, but it’s the truth. I kept thinking that Matt would come back for me. For us.”

“How long ago did he leave you?”

“Three months. After that I got a part-time job working for our landlady, but she died and the place was sold. I waited for him to come back until my rent ran out. I only had enough money left to buy a bus ticket here.”

“Your husband should not have left you.”

It was her turn to look away. The shame she’d tried so hard to ignore left a bitter taste in her mouth. “Matt Carson wasn’t my husband.”

“Ah.” It was all Elam said, but to her ears that one syllable carried a wealth of condemnation and pity.

After a long moment, he said, “You should know that Grace Zimmerman mentioned Matt was a friend of her grandson when I went there to use the phone. She said she would have her grandson try and contact Matt. Perhaps he will come for you when he finds out you are here.”

Rachel began to fuss again. Katie bounced her gently. “Matt had plenty of time to come for us when we were in the city. I don’t expect he will come now. We won’t be a burden to you or your family any longer than necessary.”

“We will not turn you out. That is not our way. The Bible commands us to help those in need.”

“I’m grateful for all you’ve done, but I’ll go on to my brother as soon as possible.”

Nettie appeared in the living room doorway rubbing her neck. “There’s no need to speak of traveling yet. The nurse says you’re to rest. You can write to Malachi and tell him your situation, but you will stay here for a few days. Or more if you need it.”

Katie bit her lip. Writing her brother would not be enough. She had to go to Malachi in person. He’d made that abundantly clear the day she left with Matt. His angry words still echoed inside her head.

“You ungrateful harlot, you’ve brought shame on me since the day you were born. You’ll not last six months out in the English world. When you come to your senses you’ll be back. But know this. You are dead to me until I see you kneeling in front of me and begging my forgiveness.”

At the time, she felt only relief at getting away from her brother’s strict control. In the months that followed, when it became clear that running away with Matt had been a bad decision, Katie came to realize that she did still care about her brother and she was sorry for the way she’d left.

Matt laughed at her and called her spineless when she decided to try and mend things with her only sibling. She had written several long letters of apology, but each one came back unopened. After two months, she gave up trying. When Matt left she didn’t bother writing to her brother. She knew he meant what he’d said.

Rachel started crying again. Nettie waved a hand to send Elam on his way. “We’ll talk about this tomorrow. Right now this little one is hungry and she doesn’t want to wait any longer.”

Elam bid her good-night, then turned away and headed for the stairs leading to the upper story.

Katie was sorry their quiet talk had ended. She would have enjoyed spending more time with him.

As soon as the thought occurred, she chided herself for such feelings. The last thing she needed was to complicate her life with another man. She appreciated Elam’s kindness, but she wouldn’t mistake those feelings for anything more.

After that, all Katie’s attention was taken up trying to satisfy her daughter’s hungry demands. Later, as Katie fell asleep again, she dreamed about Elam rocking her baby in his arms and singing a soft lullaby. In her dream, the sound of his voice soothed her spirit and brought with it a quiet peacefulness.

For most of the next two days all Katie did was doze and feed the baby. Nettie took over the job of nursemaid, in addition to running her household, without missing a beat and with undisguised gentle joy. At her insistence, Katie was allowed to rest, drink plenty of hearty chicken soup, nurse her baby and nothing else.

Elam had moved a folding screen into the kitchen and placed it in front of her bed to give her and the baby some privacy, then he vanished for most of the day to do his chores and work in his woodshop.

Katie saw so little of him that she began to wonder if he was deliberately trying to avoid spending time with her. When he was in the house, she felt none of the closeness they’d shared the night Rachel was born. She began to think she’d simply imagined the connection they had shared.

The midwife returned as promised to check on Katie and the baby. Amber came bearing a gift of disposable diapers, several blankets and baby gowns which she insisted were donations made by the community for just such an occasion. While Rachel scored glowing marks and was pronounced as healthy as a horse, Amber wasn’t quite as pleased with Katie’s progress.

“At least another day of bed rest is in order. If your color and your blood pressure aren’t better by tomorrow, I may send you to the hospital after all.”

“I promise I will take it easy,” Katie assured Amber. It was an easy promise to keep. Deep fatigue pulled at her limbs and made even the simplest task, like changing diapers, into an exhausting exercise.

“Mrs. Sutter will tell me if you aren’t.” Amber glanced at Nettie, who stood at the foot of the bed with her arms folded and a look of kindly determination on her face.

Amber was on her way out the door when another car pulled into the drive. She said, “Looks like you have more company. Don’t overdo it.”

“I’m sure they aren’t here to see me.”

Looking out the door, Nettie said, “I believe that is Mrs. Zimmerman talking to Elam.”

Katie sat up as hope surged in her heart. Had Mrs. Zimmerman been able to contact Matt? Was he on his way here? “Is she coming in?”

“No. It looks like she’s leaving, but Elam is coming to the house.”

Unwilling to let hope die, Katie threaded her fingers together and held on tight. As soon as Elam walked in and she saw his face, her last tiny reservoir of hope faded into nothingness. “He’s not going to come, is he?”

Elam shook his head. “Mrs. Zimmerman’s grandson says the family has gone abroad. He sent a computer message to Matt, but he hasn’t answered.”

Katie nodded. “I think I’d like to rest now.”

She slipped down under the covers and turned her back on the people standing beside her bed.

From her place inside her small alcove in the corner of the kitchen, Katie could hear Nettie and her son speaking in hushed tones, and the sounds of housework taking place, but she was simply too tired to care what they were saying.

Her beautiful daughter was her whole world now. Rachel was all that mattered.

It was the smell of cinnamon bread baking that woke Katie on the morning of the third day. She opened her eyes to the sight of bright morning light pouring in through the kitchen windows. Someone, Nettie perhaps, had moved the screen aside. Warm and comfortable beneath the quilts, Katie rested, feeling secure and safe for the first time in weeks. She knew it was an illusion, but one she desperately wanted to hold on to.

Nettie was busy pulling a pan of steaming hot bread from the oven with the corner of her apron. The mouth-watering smell was enough to make Katie’s empty stomach sit up and take notice with a loud rumble. Nettie glanced her way and began to chuckle. “I reckon that means you feel goot enough to have a bite to eat.”

“If it tastes as good as it smells, I may wolf down the whole loaf.”

“You’ll have to fight Elam for it. This is his favorite.”

Katie sat up and swung her bare feet to the cool plank floor. As she did, the room dipped and swirled, causing her to shut her eyes and clutch the side of the mattress.

“Are you all right?”

Katie opened her eyes to find Nettie watching her with deep concern. “Just a touch of dizziness. It’s gone now.”

“You sit right there until I get a cup of hot coffee into you. I don’t want you fainting when you stand up.”

Katie took several deep breaths and waited for the room to stop spinning. When everything settled into place, she looked down at her daughter sleeping quietly in her basket. The sight brought a thrill of delight to Katie’s heart. This was her child, her gift. Matt had been wrong when he said a baby would only be a burden.