Mary Ellen watched him with those same wide eyes, both curious and uncertain.
For a moment, silence hung with the weight of what had happened the day before, with the echoes of past promises and their current unsteady truce.
Finally, Naomi spoke, her voice steady, belying the tension displayed in the way she clung to their daughter. "You made it."
Eric cleared his throat, struggling to find his own voice. "Nothing could have stopped me."
Mary Ellen wriggled in her mother's arms. Was there recognition on her face? Or just the natural curiosity of a child toward a stranger? He could only hope those eyes would eventually light with pleasure when she saw him.
"Come sit." Naomi motioned toward the half-circle of chairs gathered around the hearth, where a small fire burned, the flames low.
He wanted to go straight to Naomi and Mary Ellen, but he should do as she wished. He had to start today off on a better track than yesterday.
So he stepped toward the chairs, and Naomi followed, settling into the rocker. He took the straight-backed seat beside her.
Two Stones and Heidi talked with Jericho and Dinah on the opposite side of the room, near a large table.
Eric kept his attention on the woman and child beside him, turning his chair a little so he could face them. "Hello.” He focused on his daughter. “Do you remember me from yesterday?" As he spoke, memory slipped in of the crying he'd heard in the background after Jericho split up the fight. Mary Ellen was more likely to recall that debacle than the moments the two of them had shared when he'd first met her on the hillside.
The girl looked up at Naomi, and a few sounds babbled from her mouth, but no words he could decipher.
Naomi might have made sense of them though, for a gentle smile curved her mouth as she looked at the girl. "This is your papa." She pointed to Eric.
Eric's breath stalled. Had Mary EllensaidPapa? Surely he would have caught those sounds. Maybe Naomi was simply instructing.
Eric reached into his pocket and pulled out the doll, then held it up. "I brought you something. A friend." He'd had no idea what his daughter would look like, so he'd selected this wooden girl with hair made of yarn the color of cornsilk, closer to the dark blonde of Naomi's than the black-ish brown of the other figurines in the store. Maybe he could somehow replace the yellow yarn with something red and curly. He'd have to think about what that might be.
Interest flicked in Mary Ellen's eyes, and for a fleeting moment, a glimmer of warmth shone in Naomi's gaze as well. The tension in the air seemed to lessen a little.
The girl extended a tentative finger to touch the toy, brushing the yellow yarn hair. She drew back, her brows gathering.
What could he do to help her accept it? He'd never had a sister—no siblings at all. His cousin Harvey was the closest thing to a brother, but Eric had no experiencewith young girls.
Eric pitched his voice high and wiggled the doll as though she were speaking. "Hello. I'm looking for a friend. Will you be my friend?"
Mary Ellen curled into Naomi's shoulder, her hands coming up into fists to cover the smile that slipped out. They didn't hide the light in her eyes, though, so he pressed on in that same girlish tone. "I like your curly hair. It's so pretty and red. What's your name?"
Mary Ellen's smile broadened, and she shifted one of her fists away from her mouth. "Me-me."
His heart leaped at the sound of that sweet voice. That was how she'd said her name yesterday too.
He continued speaking through the doll. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Me-me. I don't have a name. Can you help me choose one? What can my name be?"
Mary Ellen's gaze lifted to him with uncertainty, as though considering whether it was him speaking or the doll. Then she extended her hand to touch the hair again. Or maybe to take the toy?
The pudgy hand paused before reaching the doll.
Eric spoke quieter so he didn't startle her, still using the high-pitched voice. "Will you hold me? I'd like to be your friend."
That seemed to be what Mary Ellen needed, for she grabbed the doll and craddled her against her shoulder, then wiggled her upper body in a rocking motion. She started babbling to the toy.
He smiled, watching his daughter make a new friend. She would be so much fun once she opened up to him. What a special daughter he had—remarkable inside and out.
His gaze slipped up to Naomi. She was watching Mary Ellen, which gave him a moment to study her.Shewas the main reason their daughter was so perfect. Not only did the girl possess part of her mother’s nature and abilities, but Naomi hadnurtured her all these months, teaching and encouraging her. And yes, protecting her.
Their daughter had grown into such a wonderful child mostly because of Naomi.
And maybe also with help from these other people. He owed them all a debt of gratitude. And he could start repaying them with athank you.
