There was a light rap on the door, and Will looked over to see Lance standing in the doorway.
“Everything okay?” he asked as he walked toward the bed.
“Everything’s fine, babe,” Jessa assured him. “Are you going to let me go downstairs for a little while?”
“Only if you promise to sit on the lounge chair and not move,” Lance replied.
Will pressed his hands against the bed as he got to his feet. “I have a feeling she’d agree to just about anything to get downstairs.”
“I’d carry her if I weren't so worried about dropping her,” Lance said as he held out his hand to help Jessa into a sitting position. “Need to use the bathroom before we go?”
Slowly sliding off the bed, Jessa said, “Yes, please.”
“On that note, I’m going to join the others. See you in afew.” As he left Jessa and Lance, Will felt a pang of loss. Not so much grief for Delia, but just a kind of longing for the closeness of a relationship like his sister and brother-in-law shared. He and Delia hadn’t quite reached that point before her death. They’d still been getting used to being married when she’d gotten pregnant, and the months following that had been terribly difficult for them both. Delia’s resentment had grown as had his frustration and guilt. It had not been an environment conducive to nurturing closeness.
The kitchen was empty when he got downstairs, so he went out to the back porch and found the family gathered there.
“Lance and Jessa will be right down,” Will said when Laurel saw him.
Once they’d arrived, and Jessa was settled in her chair, Lance said a prayer for their meal, and they dug in.
Isabella stuck to Amy like glue through dinner. Anyone watching Will might have assumed he was watching Amy even though he was actually looking at Isabella. It was just that where one was, so was the other. Afterwards, she finally broke away to go play with her cousins. Keeping an eye on her as she brushed aside her cousin’s offer of help on the swings, Will realized that her personality had made it easy for him to distance himself. From very young, she’d been an independent little girl. He’d lost count of how many times a day he’d hearI do it. And in later years that morphed intoI can do it, orI don’t need help. In talking with his mom and with Delia’s, it was clear that she had been destined to be a stubborn little thing. Apparently both he and Delia had manifest similar traits as children.
His gaze went to Amy where she sat chatting with Violet, her blonde curls falling across her shoulders.It was because of her presence that he had truly seen his failings as a father, and even though it had been a painful realization, he was grateful for it. He closed his eyes and leaned his head against the back of the chair. Jessa’s words echoed in his mind.She’s not responsible for the circumstances of her birth.No, ifanyone was, it was him. Will knew he needed to make changes, particularly now because heartache was coming for his little girl. When the summer ended, so would Amy’s time in Collingsworth. Isabella was not going to want her to leave.
Someone kicked his foot. “You asleep?”
Opening his eyes, he saw Laurel sitting on the chair next to his. “Nope.” He straightened in his seat. “Not yet anyway.”
“Isabella should sleep well tonight. She had a ton of fun at the waterpark.”
“Thanks so much for taking her.” Will once again sought her out and saw the little girl climbing the stairs to the playhouse. “She actually seems to always sleep really well. I think it’s because she doesn’t stop much during the day. I’d love some of her energy.”
Laurel laughed. “I think we’d all like a little of our kids’ energy. I’m convinced that they are actually energy thieves. If they touch me, they take some of my energy and add it to their already boundless supply.”
“I honestly don’t know how you keep up with all of them. I can barely keep up with one.”
“She’s sure taken with Amy,” Laurel commented, her voice low. “During our time at the waterpark I heard an awful lot about her.”
“Yes, she has decided that the sun rises and sets on Amy.”
“Are you worried about that?”
“Not in the short term. I’m glad she’s enjoying spending time with Amy. In the long term, however...” Will shrugged. “I’m not looking forward to when Amy leaves. I know it’s going to devastate Isabella.” He looked at Laurel. “Do you think I should keep her from spending too much time with Amy in order to prevent that outcome?”
Laurel frowned. “I think that might make things worse. At the very least, she’ll make your life miserable.”
“One way or the other, I’ll be dealing with one veryunhappy little girl.” Will sighed. “Short of convincing Amy to move here, it’s the end result.”
Laurel smiled. “You could always try.”
“Not sure she wants to live here. It sounds like she’s quite happy with her life in Texas.”
“Given enough incentive, she might be willing to consider it,” Laurel commented.
“Money? Somehow she doesn’t strike me as someone who makes decisions based on money.”
“Money. Or love.”
