“Will the baby be my sister?”
Johnnie also watched me closely, questions in his eyes.
“No.”
“Perhaps that’s the lesson we should teach today,” Father chuckled. “I’m always in favor of teaching children what they want to know when they’re curious. We can talk about family trees.”
I took a seat at the table and sighed. “IfI had a baby, he or she would be your nephew or niece.”
Hazel frowned. “Why?”
“Because I am your sister, not your mother.”
“And what would the baby be to Johnnie?” she asked.
“Johnnie is Sam’s nephew, so if we had a baby, it would be Johnnie’s cousin.” I took his slate and drew a family tree. I lifted it for them. “Do you see?”
Johnnie nodded, but I could see that there were more questions in his eyes.
“And what is Johnnie to me?” Hazel asked with a frown. “Are we on the same family tree?”
“Well ...” I wasn’t sure how to explain, since I knew how much they cared about each other. But honesty was the best course of action, so I said, “You and Johnnie aren’t related by blood, so you don’t share a family tree. But not all families are biologically related. Some families are chosen, whether through marriage or adoption or simply through love.”
Hazel grinned at Johnnie and took his hand in hers. “I choose you through love. You can be my brother. Would you like that?”
He blinked at her for a moment and opened his mouth, but then closed it again.
“You can talk, Johnnie,” Hazel said. “Whatever you want to say. Just say it.”
It was as if something shifted inside him. Hazel had given him permission to speak again.
“Yes,” he said, his raspy little voice breaking the silence that had enveloped him for years.
“Yes?” Hazel asked, jumping off her chair to stand in front of him. “You want to be my brother?”
“Yes!” Johnnie said, this time laughing as she bounced on her toes.
Hazel almost pushed him off his stool with the force of her hug. “You talked, Johnnie! You talked!”
Johnnie’s giggle sounded like music, bringing tears to my eyes.
“Well, boy oh boy,” Father said with a chuckle. “Would you look at that.”
When Hazel pulled back, it was my turn. I lifted Johnnie off his stool and held him. He wrapped his arms around my neck and pressed his face close to mine.
“I love you,” he whispered to me.
Tears fell freely from my eyes as I squeezed him back. “I love you, too, sweetheart.”
The back door opened, and Sam appeared.
Relief made me weak at the sight of him, healthy and whole.
“What’s going on here?” Sam asked, confusion on his brow.
“Johnnie has a surprise.” I set the boy down, and he grinned up at Sam.
“Hazel is my sister,” he said, his voice hoarse but beautiful.
