But eventually, he had excused himself so he could go tend the cows. Layla’s face dropped considerably when it was time for Mark to leave, as even though she knew he had work to do and would presumably have to go to it eventually, she had really enjoyed spending time with him this morning. She wanted this connection they were forming to continue. She did her best to pull her mouth out of the pout and to perk up her eyebrows.
“If I don’t milk them, who will?” Mark said when he stood up from the table. A comment about his hired ranch hands to help with that sort of labor was on the tip of her tongue, but not wanting to spoil his good mood, she kept it to herself.
Both Layla and Heath had enjoyed the church service, and even though it ran a little long, neither of them minded. The minister let the choir sing two extra songs at the end, which pleased Heath very much. He bounced happily in her arms throughout both songs, and at times, he would babble as if he were trying to sing with the choir. Layla was grateful to the minister for extending the service because she was not looking forward to their next errand. Though she wanted to check on her father and ensure he was recuperating, she also dreaded seeing him in such a state.
No one had said anything to Layla about her father’s behavior at the fair, but she could tell many of the congregants thought of the spectacle when they saw her. Their eyes widened, and some of the women whispered behind their hands to others standing beside them. Layla felt self-conscious when the ladies did this, but she only tilted her chin up obstinately, thinking that it would be best for her to ignore their whispers.
During the service, the minister preached a sermon on the importance of honoring one’s parents. Layla’s cheeks reddened when he recited the verses from Ephesians chapter six. The pastor spoke in a booming tone, “‘Children, obey your parents because you belong to the Lord, for this is the right thing to do. ‘Honor your father and mother.’ This is the first commandment with a promise: If you honor your father and mother, ‘Things will go well for you, and you will have a long life on the earth.’” Even though he did not look directly at Layla as he read those lines, she felt they had been hand-picked for her benefit. If she continued to do right by her father, no matter how difficult or how humiliating it might feel sometimes, things would go well.
When Layla joined the queue to leave the church, she held her head high and did her best to straighten her posture. It was a challenge, as she was carrying Heath in the sling, but she stood as tall as possible, summoning all her courage.
They didn’t have to travel far to get to the general store. The doorbell jingled as they entered, and Layla’s eyes took a moment to adjust to the dimly lit environment. As the day was cloudier than they were used to, the sunlight that generally poured through the windows at the front of the store was absent.
“Eliza!” Layla called out, and Heath made a sound that mimicked her.
“Over here,” Eliza replied. She was squatting, picking up a few oranges that rolled from the crate onto the floor but stood to greet Layla. She was wearing her usual plum-colored dress that Layla always thought was becoming on her. Eliza’s brown curly hair was pinned up into a complicated twist.
“Good morning, Layla and Mr. Heath. If it isn’t two of my very favorite people,” Eliza said pleasantly, and her cheeks glowed pink.
“Good morning, Eliza,” Layla replied, waiting as Heath gurgled his response. “I like your hair today.”
“Do you?” Eliza asked, a hand fluttering up to touch the style near the nape of her neck. “I wasn’t sure about the whole thing. I told myself I could either keep right on complaining about my curly hair, or I could do something about it, so I decided to do something about it. I figure that each day this week, I’m going to try and style my hair a new way. I’ve been looking in the papers,” she nodded over her shoulder at the handful of newspapers scattered on the countertop near the mints and other hard candies, “trying to find a style that would be both easy to manage and resilient. I don’t want to be one of those ladies who have to stop and fix their hair every few minutes. That wouldn’t do while I’m working here in the store.”
“Uh-huh,” Layla responded. Her mind was so preoccupied with thoughts of her father that she wasn’t entirely engaged in this conversation with Eliza. She stretched her neck, her eyes traveling toward the back of the store. Then, she shrugged heavily and looked back at Eliza. “Well, it looks very nice, and I applaud you for trying something new.”
“Thank you,” Eliza said, smiling from ear to ear. “Now, what brings you two to the store this morning? Were you looking to pick up some fresh bread? Mr. Johnson’s son hasn’t arrived with any loaves this morning, and I don’t know that he will. Since the town had that fair yesterday, I think most people were able to buy their goods there.”
“No,” Layla shook her head. “We’re not looking for any goods this morning, I’m afraid.”
“I see,” Eliza said knowingly, gesturing toward a chair that was situated conveniently behind the counter. “Have a seat, Layla. You can take Heath out of that sling, and we can talk for a minute.” As Layla did so, Eliza continued, “Do you want me to get you something to drink? Or how about a tasty nibble? Those oranges I was picking up earlier looked good, and I thought they smelled delicious, too. Don’t you always think the way an orange smells is downright irresistible? The tanginess and sweetness intermingled. I’m thinking about getting one for myself. Do you want one?”
“No, thank you,” Layla murmured. “I’m really just here to check on my father. I must admit that I’m a little surprised to see you here this morning.”
Eliza selected two oranges from the crate, one larger and one smaller, and peeled the smaller one. “Do you mind if I give Heath some of this?” Eliza asked.
“That would be fine. He loves all kinds of fruit,” Layla stated, looking at Heath affectionately. He was sitting on the floor, near her feet. He had pulled one of the newspapers from the counter when she lowered him and was flapping the pages back and forth.
Eliza crouched next to the baby and explained the fruit she was handing over. Heath grabbed the piece of orange and popped it into his mouth. His lips smacked as the juices burst.
“Thank you,” Layla said. Brushing her fingertips through Heath’s hair, she let them trail through his bouncy curls. She marveled at this beautiful boy. He was so different from the babe she had first encountered weeks before. Nowadays, he rarely fussed and spent hours playing happily. She thanked God for this miraculous boy and that she got to spend her days caring for him.
“It’s my pleasure,” Eliza answered as she leaned against the side of the countertop, peeling her orange. “The thing is, Layla,” Eliza said as she worked on the spots where the rind was sticking. “I’m here because I knew you would be here. I know we haven’t known each other long, but I have come to think of you as my friend.”
“I consider you a friend, too,” Layla said and smiled at Eliza. She had spent so much of her early life caring for her father and mother that Layla had spared little time to make friends of her own. While she was always comfortable with customers who came into the store, there was something to be said for making a friend with someone her own age.
“I’m glad to hear it. A person can never have too many friends, or at least that’s what I always say.” Eliza took a bite of her orange, chewing the piece slowly as she appeared to be considering what she wanted to say next. “Anyway, I’m going to cut right to the point. I didn’t see what happened at the fair yesterday. Jack and I were in the livestock barns, checking out the pigs when it occurred. When we came out, people were talking about the situation, and it broke my heart.”
A slight whimper escaped Layla as she hurt all over again, remembering her father’s behavior from the previous day.
“I’m sorry, Layla. I don’t want to make you gloomy. I just want you to understand that I think very highly of you and your father. Not only was I upset on your behalf, but I was disappointed in your father. I’ve worked for him for only a short time, but in that interval, I’ve come to respect Emmett Fitzpatrick. It breaks my heart to see him suffering and succumbing to the temptation of drinking to the point of excess. It’s a shame, really.” Eliza shook her head and took another bite of her orange.
Layla was warmed by Eliza’s devotion to her family. Reflexively, Layla’s head tipped to the side. It seemed most loyal for Eliza to behave in such a manner. Eliza could have easily been embarrassed by her association with Emmett, or she could have worried that he was not a capable employer. Layla was grateful to her new friend for sticking by them and for continuing to come to work. “So … why are you here then today?”
“Right,” Eliza said and made an exasperated face like she couldn’t believe she’d forgotten to answer the question—again. “I’m here because I care about you and your father. I know that yesterday was not a pretty sight, and I thought that if there was any way I could ease the burden for you, I’d give it a try.”
The tears gathering in the corners of Layla’s blue eyes cascaded down her cheeks, and she brushed them away with her fingertips. “I appreciate that, Eliza. I thank you for being here. Would you mind watching Heath for a moment, so I can go upstairs and check on my father now?”
“Of course not,” Eliza replied with ease. “That’s why I’m here.”
