about to mention it to her mom. Her mom would waste no time in telling
her dad, who would take it down to the garage himself. “It was just an example
of how pitiful I am.”
“You aren’t pitiful. You’re having a hard time right now,
but it’s not because of anything you did wrong. Things will turn around. They
always do.”
“Yeah, but they usually turn around for the worse.” She
started slicing the tomatoes her mom had set out for a salad with dinner later
that night.
“What does that mean?” Her mom heaved herself to her feet
and limped over to finish up her lettuce.
“Nothing. I’m just tired of thinking I’m going to get
something good out of life, only to have it snatched away from me.”
She knew she shouldn’t have said that when her mom peered at
her anxiously.
“Don’t worry about it, mom. I’m just in a glum mood today.
I’m tired.” She was tired. It felt like she worked every minute of the day, and
she still had very little to show for it.
“I know you are. You work too hard. But you know that God
usually has something better planned to give us.”
Alice released a long breath. “Yeah.” Her tone wasn’t
exactly gracious, but she did try not to sound too impatient.
“He does.”
“I know. I know that. I just wish, for once, I would want
what he decides to give me.”
Her mom didn’t reply. She just reached over and put a hand
on her back.
The supportive gesture, for some reason, made Alice’s
shoulders shake with emotion.
“Oh, sweetie,” her mom said, pulling her into a hug. “I’m so
sorry. But are you sure this is a good idea? It’s already messing up your
emotions. He’s always done that to you.”
“I’m fine. I really am. I’m just tired.” She smiled as she
pulled away from her mother, wiping away her tears with her fingers. “It’s not
Micah’s fault. He needs me right now. So does Cara. And I need…I need to be
needed.”
“Okay.” Her mom didn’t look convinced. “Just please be
careful.”
“Micah isn’t going to do anything to hurt me. He’s a good
man. You know how much he’s changed in the last year.”
“I know he has. I’m not saying he’d ever do anything on
purpose. But men…men sometimes take what we give them, just because it’s
offered, without giving anything back in return.”
***
Alice had pulled herself together again
when she drove over to Micah’s parents’ house to pick up Cara.
She liked the Duncans, and she was glad they were willing to
help out when neither she nor Micah could watch Cara. But she didn’t feel like
socializing this afternoon, so she hoped she wouldn’t get trapped there for a
long chat.
As soon as she greeted Nora Duncan, her eyes flew across the
room to where Cara was sleeping. She went over immediately, having to resist
the urge to pick the baby up and cuddle her greedily after being away from her
all day.
“She’s been kind of fussy today,” Nora said, coming over to
stand beside her. “She finally went down about an hour ago.”
“Thanks for watching her.”
“Of course. Any time. It’s our pleasure.”
As if she’d heard Alice’s voice, Cara started stirring then
and her blue eyes squinted open. “Hey, there,” Alice said with a smile,
reaching down to pick her up, now that she was allowed. “Did we wake you up?”
Cara squirmed grumpily and grabbed a fistful of Alice’s
hair.
“Ouch. You can’t have my hair.” She reached down to pick up
a soft toy. “Here. Have this. Your grandma and granddad gave it to you.”
Cara contented herself with the yellow dog and flapped it
around to vent her displeasure.
Nora chuckled. “She doesn’t seem to be in a better mood now
than she was earlier.”
“You don’t think she’s sick or anything, do you?”
“Not that I could tell. Just grouchy.”
“Okay. I better get her back. Thanks again.”
“Any time. Tell Micah we said ‘hi.’”
“Sure.” Alice snapped Cara into her carrier and reached down
for the
her dad, who would take it down to the garage himself. “It was just an example
of how pitiful I am.”
“You aren’t pitiful. You’re having a hard time right now,
but it’s not because of anything you did wrong. Things will turn around. They
always do.”
“Yeah, but they usually turn around for the worse.” She
started slicing the tomatoes her mom had set out for a salad with dinner later
that night.
“What does that mean?” Her mom heaved herself to her feet
and limped over to finish up her lettuce.
“Nothing. I’m just tired of thinking I’m going to get
something good out of life, only to have it snatched away from me.”
She knew she shouldn’t have said that when her mom peered at
her anxiously.
“Don’t worry about it, mom. I’m just in a glum mood today.
I’m tired.” She was tired. It felt like she worked every minute of the day, and
she still had very little to show for it.
“I know you are. You work too hard. But you know that God
usually has something better planned to give us.”
Alice released a long breath. “Yeah.” Her tone wasn’t
exactly gracious, but she did try not to sound too impatient.
“He does.”
“I know. I know that. I just wish, for once, I would want
what he decides to give me.”
Her mom didn’t reply. She just reached over and put a hand
on her back.
The supportive gesture, for some reason, made Alice’s
shoulders shake with emotion.
“Oh, sweetie,” her mom said, pulling her into a hug. “I’m so
sorry. But are you sure this is a good idea? It’s already messing up your
emotions. He’s always done that to you.”
“I’m fine. I really am. I’m just tired.” She smiled as she
pulled away from her mother, wiping away her tears with her fingers. “It’s not
Micah’s fault. He needs me right now. So does Cara. And I need…I need to be
needed.”
“Okay.” Her mom didn’t look convinced. “Just please be
careful.”
“Micah isn’t going to do anything to hurt me. He’s a good
man. You know how much he’s changed in the last year.”
“I know he has. I’m not saying he’d ever do anything on
purpose. But men…men sometimes take what we give them, just because it’s
offered, without giving anything back in return.”
***
Alice had pulled herself together again
when she drove over to Micah’s parents’ house to pick up Cara.
She liked the Duncans, and she was glad they were willing to
help out when neither she nor Micah could watch Cara. But she didn’t feel like
socializing this afternoon, so she hoped she wouldn’t get trapped there for a
long chat.
As soon as she greeted Nora Duncan, her eyes flew across the
room to where Cara was sleeping. She went over immediately, having to resist
the urge to pick the baby up and cuddle her greedily after being away from her
all day.
“She’s been kind of fussy today,” Nora said, coming over to
stand beside her. “She finally went down about an hour ago.”
“Thanks for watching her.”
“Of course. Any time. It’s our pleasure.”
As if she’d heard Alice’s voice, Cara started stirring then
and her blue eyes squinted open. “Hey, there,” Alice said with a smile,
reaching down to pick her up, now that she was allowed. “Did we wake you up?”
Cara squirmed grumpily and grabbed a fistful of Alice’s
hair.
“Ouch. You can’t have my hair.” She reached down to pick up
a soft toy. “Here. Have this. Your grandma and granddad gave it to you.”
Cara contented herself with the yellow dog and flapped it
around to vent her displeasure.
Nora chuckled. “She doesn’t seem to be in a better mood now
than she was earlier.”
“You don’t think she’s sick or anything, do you?”
“Not that I could tell. Just grouchy.”
“Okay. I better get her back. Thanks again.”
“Any time. Tell Micah we said ‘hi.’”
“Sure.” Alice snapped Cara into her carrier and reached down
for the
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