Read Online Sister's Choice by Emilie Richards - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Emilie Richards
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it to a long list of things I have to do. Rein in my feelings. Concentrate on being logical.” This time the smile was surer. “Rent a straitjacket.”
Elisa squeezed her hand. “You might also consider letting go a little. Worrying never heads off a crisis, and it doesn’t prepare you for one.”
The sound of an engine halted their conversation. In a moment, Jamie’s van came into sight, and in a few more, the girls were spilling out of it.
“Here they come,” Kendra said, rising to greet her nieces.
“We have salmon and rice and lettuce that came right out of a field!” Hannah ran up the steps to give Kendra a huge hug, then made way for Alison’s smaller arms.
“And shortcake!” Alison shouted.
Kendra hugged them back, then stood to introduce her sister and the girls to Elisa.
“I am so glad I get to meet you at last,” Elisa told Jamie. “I’m not around as much as I would like, but if you ever need anything, please call our house. If I’m at the hospital, Sam will help.”
“I’ve heard so much about you. I feel like we’re already friends.”
Elisa rummaged through a fabric bag and pulled out two small gaily wrapped gifts, and handed one to each girl. “And for you, a welcome to Toms Brook.”
Hannah thanked Elisa politely, as Alison forgot and tore into her gift. It was a small doll dressed in Guatemalan clothing. Hannah had received one, too, dressed in a different color.
“They are worry dolls,” Elisa explained. “If you have something that is worrying you, you tell it to your doll, and then you put her under your pillow or right beside it. While you are sleeping, she will think of a way to help you. And if you aren’t worried, then she will be glad just to play with you.” Her gaze flicked to Kendra’s, and she smiled.
“I like it!” Alison held hers up high.
“Maybe she will help us find friends,” Hannah said.
“Hannah’s concerned she’s not going to meet anyone her age until she goes to school in the fall,” Jamie explained. “So far, we haven’t had much luck.”
Elisa closed up her bag and slung it over her shoulder. “Our church will have a vacation bible school at the end of July. It’s nondenominational. Some of the children from La Casa will be coming, too.”
“La Casa Amarilla’s a community center the church sponsors,” Kendra said. “That would be a good way for the girls to make acquaintances.”
“I will ask Sam if he knows anyone the girls can play with in the meantime. So many are in and out of town this time of year, but maybe we can find you some friends,” Elisa promised Hannah.
“Then I can save my worry doll for something else.”
Elisa extended her hand to Jamie. “I have to go. Sam has a meeting tonight, so we need to have an early dinner. Make sure Kendra gives you our phone number.”
On her way to get the rest of the groceries, Jamie walked Elisa to her car. Kendra stood with an arm around each of her nieces and knew that the next time she saw Elisa, she was probably going to be the recipient of a worry doll herself, maybe even a set.
And it would be up to her to learn how to let them do their job.
While Kendra listened to a blow-by-blow description of everything the girls had done that day, Jamie retrieved two more bags to bring up to the house. She had hoped to have things ready by the time Kendra and Isaac arrived. Now she felt a sliver of annoyance. Kendra had arrived earlier than expected, with a guest in tow for Jamie to meet, and of course she hadn’t even been home. She felt as if she’d failed some odd sort of test, as if she had proved once again that she couldn’t be trusted to be on time or live up to her end of a bargain.
Of course ninety-nine percent of what she was feeling was probably caused by the hormones zinging through her system. But she was bigger than progesterone. Better than estrogen. More than chemicals. She told herself to shake this off, and by the time she got back to the house,
Elisa squeezed her hand. “You might also consider letting go a little. Worrying never heads off a crisis, and it doesn’t prepare you for one.”
The sound of an engine halted their conversation. In a moment, Jamie’s van came into sight, and in a few more, the girls were spilling out of it.
“Here they come,” Kendra said, rising to greet her nieces.
“We have salmon and rice and lettuce that came right out of a field!” Hannah ran up the steps to give Kendra a huge hug, then made way for Alison’s smaller arms.
“And shortcake!” Alison shouted.
Kendra hugged them back, then stood to introduce her sister and the girls to Elisa.
“I am so glad I get to meet you at last,” Elisa told Jamie. “I’m not around as much as I would like, but if you ever need anything, please call our house. If I’m at the hospital, Sam will help.”
“I’ve heard so much about you. I feel like we’re already friends.”
Elisa rummaged through a fabric bag and pulled out two small gaily wrapped gifts, and handed one to each girl. “And for you, a welcome to Toms Brook.”
Hannah thanked Elisa politely, as Alison forgot and tore into her gift. It was a small doll dressed in Guatemalan clothing. Hannah had received one, too, dressed in a different color.
“They are worry dolls,” Elisa explained. “If you have something that is worrying you, you tell it to your doll, and then you put her under your pillow or right beside it. While you are sleeping, she will think of a way to help you. And if you aren’t worried, then she will be glad just to play with you.” Her gaze flicked to Kendra’s, and she smiled.
“I like it!” Alison held hers up high.
“Maybe she will help us find friends,” Hannah said.
“Hannah’s concerned she’s not going to meet anyone her age until she goes to school in the fall,” Jamie explained. “So far, we haven’t had much luck.”
Elisa closed up her bag and slung it over her shoulder. “Our church will have a vacation bible school at the end of July. It’s nondenominational. Some of the children from La Casa will be coming, too.”
“La Casa Amarilla’s a community center the church sponsors,” Kendra said. “That would be a good way for the girls to make acquaintances.”
“I will ask Sam if he knows anyone the girls can play with in the meantime. So many are in and out of town this time of year, but maybe we can find you some friends,” Elisa promised Hannah.
“Then I can save my worry doll for something else.”
Elisa extended her hand to Jamie. “I have to go. Sam has a meeting tonight, so we need to have an early dinner. Make sure Kendra gives you our phone number.”
On her way to get the rest of the groceries, Jamie walked Elisa to her car. Kendra stood with an arm around each of her nieces and knew that the next time she saw Elisa, she was probably going to be the recipient of a worry doll herself, maybe even a set.
And it would be up to her to learn how to let them do their job.
While Kendra listened to a blow-by-blow description of everything the girls had done that day, Jamie retrieved two more bags to bring up to the house. She had hoped to have things ready by the time Kendra and Isaac arrived. Now she felt a sliver of annoyance. Kendra had arrived earlier than expected, with a guest in tow for Jamie to meet, and of course she hadn’t even been home. She felt as if she’d failed some odd sort of test, as if she had proved once again that she couldn’t be trusted to be on time or live up to her end of a bargain.
Of course ninety-nine percent of what she was feeling was probably caused by the hormones zinging through her system. But she was bigger than progesterone. Better than estrogen. More than chemicals. She told herself to shake this off, and by the time she got back to the house,
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