Read Online A Baby for Easter by Noelle Adams - Free Book Online Page A

bag that was already packed with the baby’s supplies.
    “Is he all right, do you think?”
    Alice had been about to leave, but she stopped at the
unexpected question. “What?”
    “Micah? Do you think he’s doing all right?”
    “I…I think so.”
    “I’m just worried about him, and he won’t talk to me.”
    Understanding where the questioning was coming from now,
Alice shifted Cara’s bag onto her other shoulder. “I think he’s doing okay.
It’s been hard for him, of course. But he’s handling it pretty well. A lot of
men would have cracked under the pressure.”
    “I know. We’re so proud of him. And we’re so happy about our
granddaughter. But I think maybe he thinks we’re…we’re ashamed. Because of the
way she happened.”
    “I’m sure he doesn’t—” Alice broke off the words, since she
wasn’t sure they were even true.
    “I think maybe he does, so he’s been kind of distant lately.
We’re not ashamed. You know we’re not ashamed, right?”
    “Of course, I know that. You’ve been wonderful.”
    “Can you see if you can make sure Micah knows? Of course, we
were worried when he was…when he wasn’t living what he believes. But we were so
happy when he came back to his faith and to us, really. We’re so proud of him.
Me and his dad, both. He won’t believe me when I tell him, but I want him to
really know that. Can you try to make sure he knows?”
    Alice was feeling emotional and rattled and confused. “I’ll
try. I don’t know if he’ll believe me either, but I can try.”
    “Of course, he’ll believe you. I’m so happy he has Cara now.
I really think she’s going to be good for him. Help him live out the man he
already is. And now that he has you again, I can really sleep at night.”
    “Oh.” Alice gulped, even more rattled than before. Her
cheeks flushed hot. “He doesn’t have m—I just babysit for Cara.”
    Nora laughed and leaned over to kiss her cheek. “Of course,
you do, dear. We’re so glad you do.”
    Alice had no idea what that meant or why Nora looked so
pleased. She was afraid that Micah’s mother was laboring under a very false
assumption about her relationship with Micah.
    But there was nothing to do about that now. She just said a
quick goodbye, grabbed the carrier and bag, and headed for her car.
    It made the same funny noise on the way home, and she
started to mentally count up the money in her bank account to see when she’d be
able to afford to get her car worked on.
    She got her church paycheck and her first paycheck from
Micah next week, so she should be fine then. Surely, her car would hold out
that long.
    Her musings were interrupted by squalling from Cara, who was
evidently still in the fussy mood she’d been in all day.
    She cried off and on while Alice prepared the chicken
casserole. Micah had been working today, and he had a deacon’s meeting at the
church at six, but that should only last an hour, so he’d be home a little
after seven.
    The casserole would be ready right around then. Then there
would be plenty of leftovers for the next day or two. It wasn’t like she was
trying to impress Micah or anything. It just would have been silly for Alice to
cook for herself and not make enough for him too. He evidently didn’t cook at
all, so otherwise he’d live on fast food and protein bars.
    Cara’s mood continued to deteriorate.
    Alice tried everything as the casserole cooked. She fed her.
Changed her. Played with her. Rocked her in the big recliner. Talked to her.
Even sang to her—which unfortunately only made her scream louder.
    Seven came and went, and no Micah appeared. In a lull in the
histrionics, Alice took the casserole out of the oven and cleaned up the
kitchen. But, at seven thirty, Micah still hadn’t shown up.
    Since she was starving, she ate some herself, while Cara
gurgled unhappily.
    Alice was exhausted and frustrated and kind of disappointed,
so she felt like gurgling unhappily herself.
    When she’d eaten, she