Audra said he must’ve left town the day he got the news.” Elise swiped at her tears. “My aunt blames herself. No one’s to blame but him. And me.” She met Callie’s eyes. “He said I was pretty and he loved me.”
“You are pretty.” Callie pulled a handkerchief from her sleeve and handed it to Elise.
She blew her nose. “I’m not using his sweet talk as an excuse for breaking God’s commandment. Papa wasn’t much for praise. Gaston’s words…were so different from what I was used to hearing from Papa. I believed every thing he said.”
The baby’s father wasn’t an answer, but would Elise’s dad relent and allow Elise to return home? “Can the rift between you and your father be mended?”
Fresh tears filled Elise’s eyes. “Papa doesn’t love me. How could he love me and say the things he’s said to me? Mama says he’s hurt and he’ll get over it.” Her lower lip trembled. “When?”
God gives His forgiveness quickly, at the speed of lightning. But mankind often took longer. “Have you asked your parents to forgive you?”
“More times than I can count. Mama’s forgiven me, but I’ve disappointed her.” She gave a strangled laugh. “I’ve disappointed myself. But Papa…”
“Give him time. Once the baby is here, he’ll come around.”
Elise fingered the yellow blanket in her lap. “I’ve asked God to pardon me, but I don’t feel forgiven.”
A lump formed in Callie’s throat. She understood. Too well. Hadn’t she asked for forgiveness for her part in bringing about Martin’s death? Yet as much as she knew Scripture, as easily as she could quote the Psalm—“As far as the east is from the west, so far hath He removed our transgressions from us”—sometimes she didn’t feel absolved. “The Bible makes it clear we’re free from sin when we repent. But sometimes it’s hard to feel pardoned. Perhaps clemency seems too easy, like we got off scot-free.”
Elise snorted. “Memories are longer than Methuselah’s beard. From what I’ve seen, folks expect forgiveness for their mistakes but aren’t quick to offer it. I don’t mind so much for myself, but I won’t be able to bear it if anyone looked down on my baby,” she said, her hand hovered over the movement of a little foot or hand.
How could anyone begrudge a kind word to an innocent child? Callie tilted up Elise’s chin. “When things look dark and you and I can’t see what lies ahead, we’ll have to rely on God to light the way. Will you try that with me? One step at a time?”
Elise offered a wobbly smile and nodded. “This unmarried forgiven expectant mother is on the march.”
Grinning, Callie glanced at the clock. “We’d better get on the march. We’re due to see Doc Wellman in less than an hour. After our appointment, we’ll stop at the Mercantile.” She pulled the money Sarah gave her from her pocket. “Your mother wants you to use this to buy things for your baby. She cares about you and your child.”
“I know she does, but she won’t go against her wedding vows and defy Papa.”
“Those vows are important.”
Vows. Callie had taken them and from that first week wondered—
She refused to finish the thought. Even if Martin had never matured, even if she’d had to carry the load for both of them her entire life, even if sometimes that load wearied her, she’d always be grateful for the baby she carried.
She forced her thoughts back to Elise. “Even if your father never changes his mind, you’ll have a home here with me.”
Elise burrowed into Callie’s open arms. “What would I do without you?”
“We’re in this together. We’ll be fine,” Callie spoke softly against Elise’s copper curls, “if we seek God’s guidance at the start of each new day.”
Elise straightened and met Callie’s eyes, the misery in their depths banged against Callie’s heart. “If I’d done that last summer, I…I wouldn’t be in this mess. I’m a fool for falling for a footloose
“You are pretty.” Callie pulled a handkerchief from her sleeve and handed it to Elise.
She blew her nose. “I’m not using his sweet talk as an excuse for breaking God’s commandment. Papa wasn’t much for praise. Gaston’s words…were so different from what I was used to hearing from Papa. I believed every thing he said.”
The baby’s father wasn’t an answer, but would Elise’s dad relent and allow Elise to return home? “Can the rift between you and your father be mended?”
Fresh tears filled Elise’s eyes. “Papa doesn’t love me. How could he love me and say the things he’s said to me? Mama says he’s hurt and he’ll get over it.” Her lower lip trembled. “When?”
God gives His forgiveness quickly, at the speed of lightning. But mankind often took longer. “Have you asked your parents to forgive you?”
“More times than I can count. Mama’s forgiven me, but I’ve disappointed her.” She gave a strangled laugh. “I’ve disappointed myself. But Papa…”
“Give him time. Once the baby is here, he’ll come around.”
Elise fingered the yellow blanket in her lap. “I’ve asked God to pardon me, but I don’t feel forgiven.”
A lump formed in Callie’s throat. She understood. Too well. Hadn’t she asked for forgiveness for her part in bringing about Martin’s death? Yet as much as she knew Scripture, as easily as she could quote the Psalm—“As far as the east is from the west, so far hath He removed our transgressions from us”—sometimes she didn’t feel absolved. “The Bible makes it clear we’re free from sin when we repent. But sometimes it’s hard to feel pardoned. Perhaps clemency seems too easy, like we got off scot-free.”
Elise snorted. “Memories are longer than Methuselah’s beard. From what I’ve seen, folks expect forgiveness for their mistakes but aren’t quick to offer it. I don’t mind so much for myself, but I won’t be able to bear it if anyone looked down on my baby,” she said, her hand hovered over the movement of a little foot or hand.
How could anyone begrudge a kind word to an innocent child? Callie tilted up Elise’s chin. “When things look dark and you and I can’t see what lies ahead, we’ll have to rely on God to light the way. Will you try that with me? One step at a time?”
Elise offered a wobbly smile and nodded. “This unmarried forgiven expectant mother is on the march.”
Grinning, Callie glanced at the clock. “We’d better get on the march. We’re due to see Doc Wellman in less than an hour. After our appointment, we’ll stop at the Mercantile.” She pulled the money Sarah gave her from her pocket. “Your mother wants you to use this to buy things for your baby. She cares about you and your child.”
“I know she does, but she won’t go against her wedding vows and defy Papa.”
“Those vows are important.”
Vows. Callie had taken them and from that first week wondered—
She refused to finish the thought. Even if Martin had never matured, even if she’d had to carry the load for both of them her entire life, even if sometimes that load wearied her, she’d always be grateful for the baby she carried.
She forced her thoughts back to Elise. “Even if your father never changes his mind, you’ll have a home here with me.”
Elise burrowed into Callie’s open arms. “What would I do without you?”
“We’re in this together. We’ll be fine,” Callie spoke softly against Elise’s copper curls, “if we seek God’s guidance at the start of each new day.”
Elise straightened and met Callie’s eyes, the misery in their depths banged against Callie’s heart. “If I’d done that last summer, I…I wouldn’t be in this mess. I’m a fool for falling for a footloose
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