Read Online A Time to Love by Barbara Cameron - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Barbara Cameron
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since she'd been there, but now perhaps she was feeling she could leave Jenny alone.
The day passed slowly, as days always do when you look forward to something so much. Jenny helped her grandmother bake bread, took a nap, read, did some more of the dreaded exercises, and was ready an hour before she was to be picked up.
She told herself she was worse than a teenage girl with her first date. Only this wasn't a date with Matthew, but one with his family.
Matthew brought the buggy, as promised. They passed Hannah on the way, going in the opposite direction. Hannah waved at them and while Matthew lifted his hand, Jenny saw him frown as his sister passed.
Then Jenny saw the children peering out the window, looking for them, and she smiled.
"They've been talking about you all day," he told her, helping her from the buggy. "They did some of the cooking, with Hannah's help. Don't worry—it's good."
"I'm sure it is," she assured him as they went inside.
Joshua took Jenny's coat and hung it on the peg by the door. Then he seated her the same way he had before—as an honored guest, with manners Jenny didn't think she'd ever seen a child exhibit out in the Englisch world.
"We made suppwer," Annie spoke up.
" Aenti Hannah helped us," Mary reminded her.
Matthew watched as Mary took a pan of biscuits from the oven and set it carefully on the stove. He smiled and nodded approvingly. Using a spatula, she transferred the biscuits to a woven basket lined with a cloth napkin and placed it on the table. Once his children were seated, Matthew brought the heavy cast-iron pot to the table.
"It's a simple meal," he said to Jenny as he took his seat.
"The best kind," she told him, smiling, and bent her head as he said grace.
Joshua ladled out the stew—big chunks of beef, potatoes, carrots, parsnips, and onions—into white crockery bowls as biscuits were passed around. The stew was the perfect meal on a cold winter day, warm and comforting.
Even better was the warmth of this family meal, even if this was a borrowed family. Jenny looked around the table as the children ate hungrily. They hadn't spent the day inside zoned out on sugary snacks in front of the boob tube. Some Englisch children might complain about a day of chores, but these children just considered that a part of their day, their world. They enjoyed being useful doing things for their home.
Now came more questions about the places Jenny had visited. All this was more exotic to them than to Englisch children who could turn on the television and see the world. Mary spoke up, asking Jenny about books. Matthew said that of his three children, Mary loved books the most, although Annie had loved them since she was a toddler—even after they convinced her the pages weren't for eating.
Jenny's motor skills had steadily improved since her hospitalization but required complete attention. Concentrating on Joshua, telling her about his horse, Jenny felt her spoon slipping from her grasp. Grabbing it just made things worse—it hit the edge of the bowl, splattering gravy, then fell to the wooden floor with a clatter.
Little Annie is managing better than I am, thought Jenny, her face flaming. But Matthew simply picked up the spoon, set it in the sink, and brought another for her. Mary used her napkin to mop up the gravy. Joshua continued his story without missing a beat, while Annie sent her a sunny smile.
Dessert was a cobbler made with peaches canned last summer. Annie helped scoop ice cream on top. Jenny wasn't sure if the cobbler was still warm from the oven or if the amount of time Annie took making sure she did it just right caused the ice cream to melt so much. But they all laughed together.
After dinner, no one rushed from the table, leaving a parent with dirty dishes. Jenny was told she was a guest, and as such she was to sit and enjoy her tea. Each child had an assigned task, and before long the kitchen was sparkling clean again. She found herself drawing out the time
The day passed slowly, as days always do when you look forward to something so much. Jenny helped her grandmother bake bread, took a nap, read, did some more of the dreaded exercises, and was ready an hour before she was to be picked up.
She told herself she was worse than a teenage girl with her first date. Only this wasn't a date with Matthew, but one with his family.
Matthew brought the buggy, as promised. They passed Hannah on the way, going in the opposite direction. Hannah waved at them and while Matthew lifted his hand, Jenny saw him frown as his sister passed.
Then Jenny saw the children peering out the window, looking for them, and she smiled.
"They've been talking about you all day," he told her, helping her from the buggy. "They did some of the cooking, with Hannah's help. Don't worry—it's good."
"I'm sure it is," she assured him as they went inside.
Joshua took Jenny's coat and hung it on the peg by the door. Then he seated her the same way he had before—as an honored guest, with manners Jenny didn't think she'd ever seen a child exhibit out in the Englisch world.
"We made suppwer," Annie spoke up.
" Aenti Hannah helped us," Mary reminded her.
Matthew watched as Mary took a pan of biscuits from the oven and set it carefully on the stove. He smiled and nodded approvingly. Using a spatula, she transferred the biscuits to a woven basket lined with a cloth napkin and placed it on the table. Once his children were seated, Matthew brought the heavy cast-iron pot to the table.
"It's a simple meal," he said to Jenny as he took his seat.
"The best kind," she told him, smiling, and bent her head as he said grace.
Joshua ladled out the stew—big chunks of beef, potatoes, carrots, parsnips, and onions—into white crockery bowls as biscuits were passed around. The stew was the perfect meal on a cold winter day, warm and comforting.
Even better was the warmth of this family meal, even if this was a borrowed family. Jenny looked around the table as the children ate hungrily. They hadn't spent the day inside zoned out on sugary snacks in front of the boob tube. Some Englisch children might complain about a day of chores, but these children just considered that a part of their day, their world. They enjoyed being useful doing things for their home.
Now came more questions about the places Jenny had visited. All this was more exotic to them than to Englisch children who could turn on the television and see the world. Mary spoke up, asking Jenny about books. Matthew said that of his three children, Mary loved books the most, although Annie had loved them since she was a toddler—even after they convinced her the pages weren't for eating.
Jenny's motor skills had steadily improved since her hospitalization but required complete attention. Concentrating on Joshua, telling her about his horse, Jenny felt her spoon slipping from her grasp. Grabbing it just made things worse—it hit the edge of the bowl, splattering gravy, then fell to the wooden floor with a clatter.
Little Annie is managing better than I am, thought Jenny, her face flaming. But Matthew simply picked up the spoon, set it in the sink, and brought another for her. Mary used her napkin to mop up the gravy. Joshua continued his story without missing a beat, while Annie sent her a sunny smile.
Dessert was a cobbler made with peaches canned last summer. Annie helped scoop ice cream on top. Jenny wasn't sure if the cobbler was still warm from the oven or if the amount of time Annie took making sure she did it just right caused the ice cream to melt so much. But they all laughed together.
After dinner, no one rushed from the table, leaving a parent with dirty dishes. Jenny was told she was a guest, and as such she was to sit and enjoy her tea. Each child had an assigned task, and before long the kitchen was sparkling clean again. She found herself drawing out the time
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