One morning in early May, as she made her way to the water pump, Addie on her hip and the boys playing nearby, she prayed for strength and peace. Positioning the watering can under the pump, she reached for the handle.
“Aunt Ella!”
She straightened and searched for Isaiah. He waved. Ella made her way to the blanket where the boys had scattered their playthings. “Yes?”
“Jonah wants you to play with us.”
Ella smiled. Watering the garden could wait. “What do you want to play?”
“Dunno.”
“Why don’t we all lay on our backs and see what shapes the clouds are making?”
Interest gleamed in Isaiah’s eyes. “Okay.”
Jonah echoed the enthusiasm. Ella set Addie down beside her, then lay down. The boys quickly copied her. “All right, what do we see?”
“Twain!” Jonah exclaimed, pointing up.
“Very good, Jonah. What about you, Isaiah?”
“I see a dog.”
Addie babbled and crawled onto Ella’s stomach.
Isaiah bolted up with a sharp gasp. “Addie, you can’t sit on Aunt Ella’s tummy. You’ll squish the baby.”
Ella blinked. “What baby?”
“The one Uncle Cody gave you.”
She put a hand on her stomach. “I don’t have a baby.” At least not that she knew of. It was possible. The thought sent warmth through her veins.
Isaiah huffed, planting his hands on his hips. “Aunt Cassie said Uncle Travis gave her their baby. Why hasn’t Uncle Cody given you one?”
She coughed. “Isaiah, these things take time.” An idea came to mind, one she hoped would help him understand. “Do you remember when we planted seeds in this garden?”
He nodded.
“Did the vegetables start growing right away?”
“No.”
“That’s what it’s like with a baby. A seed has to be planted in my tummy before one can start growing. It has to be the right time too. If we planted seeds in the garden during the winter, they wouldn’t grow. It’s the same for a baby. The right conditions have to be there before it can be planted.”
He tilted his head. “Do you have to water the baby and give it lots of sun and make sure no weeds choke it?”
She laughed. “Not exactly. But I will have to drink lots of water and eat good food so the baby can grow.”
Isaiah sighed, plopping onto the blanket. “Does this mean I have to be patient?”
“I’m afraid so.”
The boy wrinkled his nose. “I’m not good at being patient.”
Ella chuckled, running a hand through his soft hair. “You’ll manage.”
He fell silent. Various emotions ran across his young face. Jonah asked her about a cloud, so Ella turned her attention to her middle child. She darted occasional looks at Isaiah. He remained in deep thought. Jonah eventually started playing peek-a-boo with Addie. Ella’s lips turned up in a smile as she watched, their sweet innocence a balm to her heart.
