Aunt Polly smiled. “You’re welcome.”
After Travis’s first bite of bacon, Aunt Polly sat in front of him, drawing his attention. He paused, his brows arched high.
“Is everything all right?” he asked, reaching for his coffee. This was unusual; Aunt Polly rarely paused in her morning routine, always eager to get the children up and ready.
Travis forced hot liquid down his throat. He winced for a moment, the burn spreading across his tongue, then pushed the cup away.That should be enough to get through the day.A burnt tongue was better than slacking off from exhaustion. He couldn’t let grief—or even coffee—stop him from providing for his family. He looked up at Aunt Polly, her fingers tapping on the table
“Travis, we need to talk . . . There is news.”
“What is it?”
Aunt Polly dug into her apron pocket and pulled out a letter. She handed it to Travis. He carefully examined it, quickly noticing the return address. It came from as far as Charlotte, North Carolina—a place he never dreamed to go near.
A southern state.
“After all these months, we finally get a reply, hm,” Travis said flatly, taking a large gulp of coffee, only to regret it immediately as the scorching liquid burned his tongue again. He broke the wax seal, shaking his head with a grunt.
Travis leaned back, ready to be entertained by a prank. No one in town knew Aunt Polly had talked him into placing anadvertisement in a newspaper, one that went far east, up north, and apparently down South. A woman had penned the letter—he could tell by the careful, neat script.
Dear Sir,
My name is Josephine Callahan, and I am replying to your post regarding a mail-order bride. I confess, I am just as uncomfortable writing this as you probably are reading. However, I felt compelled to answer anyway, given your current situation and my desire to help in your time of need. Since I have never tried this before, I thought it would be wise to introduce myself.
I grew up in Asheville, North Carolina, and I am temporarily residing with my great aunt in Charlotte. I’m afraid I do not have much experience caring for children except growing up with my younger sister, Susannah, who was three years younger than me.
Despite my experience being low, I must add that I know what it is like to lose a mother. If you do not want to consider me as the answer to your posting, I understand. Your family will remain in my prayers.
Sincerely,
Josephine Callahan
Travis read the letter twice. He rubbed his chin, processing the information. He wasn’t keen on marrying again, but Aunt Polly convinced him to put away his selfishness and think about the children. After four months of waiting, there hadn’t been a response. Travis personally didn’t blame the women. Who would want to move out to the wild country and marry a man with four children?
Travis specifically requested to mention only a mother instead of a wife. Having a wife was his last priority; he experiencedenough love to last him a lifetime, and if he married again, it would be nothing more than a professional arrangement. The only woman who would ever have a chokehold on his heart was Sophie, whether she was dead or alive.
“What does it say?” Aunt Polly asked.
Travis tossed her the letter then leaned back in his chair. “Read it for yourself.”
Aunt Polly held the letter closer, her eyes narrowing. It didn’t take her long to finish. “She sounds like a wonderful woman, humble to respond and respectful to mention her intentions. Will you propose?”
Travis huffed, folding his arms over his chest. “This doesn’t feel right. How can I bring a stranger into my own home to raisemychildren?”
Aunt Polly put down the letter. “And how many women are in the valley, lining up to marry you with those four children to raise?”
“Miss Callahan doesn’t have experience raising children.”
Aunt Polly smiled and shrugged. “At least she’s honest. If it makes you comfortable, I can stay around until she has the hang of things.”
Think about your children, Travis kept telling himself. His face flushed with heat, shame washing over him. The very thought seemed like a betrayal towards Sophie, as if pondering the potential marriage somehow tarnished her memory.
“I just . . .” Travis stuttered, raking his hand through his hair. “It was one thing sending out an advertisement, but now the day has come . . . It’s even harder thinking about another woman running this house . . . Sophie’s house.”
“I know it’s hard. I often think about what I would have done if I were in your shoes twenty years ago. It makes me realize how lucky the twins were . . .”
Travis’s stomach sank. “I’m sorry, Aunt Polly, I didn’t think about—”
She patted Travis’s hand. “Don’t ya worry about silly ‘ole me. The past is in the past now. It’s those children’s future you should worry about.” She stood slowly, letting out a soft sigh. “Now let me get them young’uns ready. They’ll get lazier if they sleep an extra minute.”
