“I’ll have a swing on the front porch by the end of next week.” Ryder led the way down the hall to show them the nursery and their bedroom. “Emily says we have to have a swing in case the baby has colic. She’s been researching all kinds of things.”
A porch swing had always been at the top of Jancy’s wish list when her dad went looking for a place. Rental property seldom had anything special like that, so she’d never gotten one. Someday—she promised herself—she would have a swing and at least two children.
Nettie settled into a lawn chair. “My baby gift will be a good sturdy rocking chair. You can’t swing a baby in December. Poor little thing will catch pneumonia. Pass me one of those chocolate-covered doughnuts.”
Ryder handed Nettie a paper napkin and opened the box to give Nettie first choice. “Right there at the end of the box. Emily’s been craving chocolate ones, too, and thank you for the offer of a rocking chair.”
“Did these come from Andy’s?” Nettie asked.
“Yes, they did. You said that he brought some to the hospital and you liked them.” Emily poured lemonade into red plastic cups for everyone. “Can you believe that I’m a hostess in my own house for all y’all? When we get back from the honeymoon, we’ll have real glasses and plates when y’all come over.”
Lemonade and doughnuts might not constitute a party in some people’s eyes, but Jancy thought it was the best one she’d ever been to.
The world spun around Vicky too fast as she headed down the hallway toward the bathroom. Holding on to the vanity and staring at herself in the mirror, she held back the tears. She wanted to throw a two-year-old’s tantrum or smash her hand into the mirror to destroy the image staring back at her. From the time the doctor laid that precious baby girl in her arms, she’d had a plan for Emily’s life. In no way did it involve living in Pick in a trailer house. She had to accept it because she couldn’t change it—but dear God, if she could, she would. She’d put on a happy face for Emily, but all she wanted to do was cry.
She pasted on a grin and stepped out into the hallway to find Jancy sitting on the floor, her back against the wall and her knees drawn up under her chin. She eased down beside her and stretched out her legs.
“You waitin’ on the bathroom?” she asked.
Jancy shook her head. “Came to see about you. You looked like you were about to cry when you asked if the plumbin’ was workin’.”
“I’m fine,” Vicky whispered.
“You can fool Emily, because she wants you to be okay with all this, but not me.” Jancy took Vicky’s hand in hers and squeezed. “You’re doin’ a fine job of coverin’ up what’s inside.”
“I hope so. I want this to be a happy time for her, but Jancy, I had such big plans for her,” Vicky’s voice broke.
“When you read a good book and reach the end, how do you feel?” Jancy asked.
“What’s that got to do with right now? Are you trying to take my mind off my disappointment?” Vicky couldn’t begin to understand where that question came from.
“Just answer it. The end. Now tell me, if there was one more chapter, what would you want?”
“To know that the hero and heroine would live happy ever after and that all the other characters would support them.” Her eyes grew wide.
“Now you’ve got it. This is not the end. There’s at least one more chapter. Support them and pretty soon, all that disappointment will disappear. In less than a year, you’ll wonder why you ever felt the way you do today.” Jancy smiled. “Emily is a lucky woman.”
Emily wasn’t a woman. She was still a girl. Just yesterday she’d taken her first steps with wispy blonde hair finding its way out of her two-inch braids. How could she have grown up so fast?
Jancy squeezed her hand and then let go. “It’s a lot like the steps you go through when you lose someone. First there’s denial, then shock and then anger. After that is acceptance, and then you move forward. This, too, shall pass.”
“I am so mad that I’d like to kick something or shoot Ryder for getting my daughter pregnant. I wish you or someone would make this pass faster,” Vicky said.
“It takes two to make a baby, Vicky. Emily’s halo might not be as tarnished as mine, but it definitely got a few dings. I am here for you if you need to talk,” Jancy said.
“Talk about what?” Emily sat down on the floor with them. “Ryder and Shane have gone outside with Nettie. They’re trying to decide whether to put the deck on the front or the back of the trailer.”
“We need to talk about what kind of wedding dress you want,” Jancy said quickly. “If you want a long one, we’ll have to rent a length of carpet. You can’t have a train draggin’ on the gravel parking lot.”
Bless Jancy’s heart for such quick thinking, but Vicky had always envisioned her daughter with a train that went halfway down the center aisle at the church.
“Mama, can I wear Granny’s wedding dress? It’ll fit me, I know it will. I’ve always loved that portrait collar. And I’d like to wear the pearls that she and you both wore.”
“But we were going shopping for a fancy dress,” Vicky sputtered.
Emily slung an arm around her mother. “You can pick out the veil, but nothing over my face. And you and Nettie and all four of my bridesmaids need dresses. Plus, we need to figure out how big my bouquet of roses needs to be.”
“Roses?” Vicky managed a weak smile.
“Red, like you carried. Can I borrow your wedding ring to tie into the bouquet for good luck?”
“Who’s going to walk you down the aisle . . . I mean, across the parking lot?”
Emily hugged her tightly. “You are, Mama.”
If that didn’t melt Vicky’s anger, nothing ever would. Jancy could feel the tension turning into sweet love right there in the narrow hallway.
“I don’t have to wear a tux, do I?” Vicky smiled.
Emily giggled. “I’m thinking that something in red would be nice.”
“The same color as the glaze on top of the strawberry tarts?” Jancy asked.
“Yes! Now let’s go outside. I can’t believe those guys did all the cleaning for us. Ryder said it was because I didn’t need to inhale fumes. He’s so protective of me and the baby.” Emily got up and offered her hand to Vicky.
Jancy followed them into the living room and out to the backyard, where Nettie, Shane, and Ryder were pointing and talking. It was a perfect spot for a deck, right off the kitchen door, overlooking nothing but a wooded area. She could picture sitting on a swing and watching the sun set every evening.
Shane slipped an arm around her and drew her close to his side. “This is all pretty awesome, huh? I didn’t get to spend as m-much time w-with you as I w-wanted this past few days, but I had to help Ryder get it all cleaned and aired out for Emily. Do you think that she w-was surprised?”
Jancy nodded. “Definitely, and very happy.”