Loving Eliza

Since I wasn’t able to post yesterday, I doubled up today.  This is the end of the book.  I just wanted to toss out the reminder that I’m shutting this blog down very soon.

*******************************************************************

Chapter Twenty-Four

In late August, Jane sat next to Eliza, John, Brian, and Charlotte in church while Jeremy gave his sermon.  She caught the glimmer of pride in Eliza’s eyes and reached out to squeeze Eliza’s hand.  Even though Jeremy assumed his pastoral responsibilities a month ago, Eliza often commented that she couldn’t believe her son was a preacher.  And as Eliza glanced at Jane with tears in her eyes, Jane smiled, glad that mother and son had been reunited.

The movement in her belly brought Jane’s attention to the impending birth of her child.  She rubbed her stomach and reminded herself in as little two weeks, she might be holding a little girl or a boy.

Lucy returned to the pew with a sleeping baby boy.  Jane caught the peaceful expression on Michael’s face and thought that for someone born two and a half weeks ago, he seemed surprisingly big.  If it was up to her, newborns would stay smaller longer.  She anticipated holding her own child and knew the time would be too brief before the child grew too big to cuddle anymore.  Jane turned her attention back to Jeremy who was giving a sermon.

“Sometimes,” Jeremy concluded, “we might not understand why God gives us a trial in our lives.  Maybe we’ll eventually see His plan.  Maybe we won’t.  All He asks is for us to trust Him.  He will work all things for good.  Now, I ask you to bow your head in prayer.”

After the prayer ended, Jane joined Jeremy who did his usual round of greeting people.  “That was a lovely sermon,” she told him.

“It’s one I wanted to give a long time ago but couldn’t bring myself to do.  Sometimes it’s hard to feel the blessings in a trial when we’re going through it.” Smiling, he glanced at her stomach and added, “I’m very blessed.”

“Just wait until the baby is crying in the middle of the night,” she teased, recalling how tired Lucy that morning.

“I don’t mind lending a helping hand, and you know my mother loves spending time with her grandchildren.”

“Yes, and it’s nice that Brian and Lucy’s children will be able to play with ours.  I think our children are lucky.”

“I won’t argue that one.”

Addy and Frank came up to them, and Frank shook Jeremy’s hand while Addy gave her a hug.  “I bet you’re ready to give birth,” Addy said in a low voice so the men wouldn’t overhear.

“I am, to be honest.  I can hardly move without waddling, and I swear, I have to roll out of bed these days,” Jane said.

“At least you don’t have heartburn,” Lucy commented as she came over to them.  “I had to spend my last month sleeping while I sat up in bed.  That’s not the most comfortable feeling in the world, but I will say it was worth it.” She looked at her baby and grinned.

“Can I hold him?” Jane asked.

“Of course, you can.” Lucy placed Michael in Jane’s arms.  “It’s good practice for you.”

Jane stared in awe at her nephew and thought about Hank and Irene.  She recalled seeing them when they were this little, and for a moment, she wished she could see them but reminded herself that next summer, her brother said he and Susie would bring the children for a visit.  The relationship she had with her brother and Susie wasn’t as close as what she shared with Rebecca, but they had at least started on the path and maybe one day, they’d be good friends.

Addy said something that made Lucy laugh, and Jane’s attention shifted back to them.  “What did I miss?” Jane asked.

Addy chuckled and said, “I was just saying that poor Eliza’s going to have her hands full with grandchildren.  She’ll want to dote on all of them, and I imagine they’ll be fighting over who gets her attention.”

“That’s because Eliza’s easy to like,” Lucy replied.  “People, no matter what the age, are attracted to her.”

“It’s her gift,” Jane added.  “She’s a lot like my sister.”

They glanced at Eliza who was holding Charlotte while she talked to a few people.  Jane didn’t know how Eliza did it, but the people seemed captivated by what she was saying.

“Yes, she definitely has a gift,” Addy said.  “The rest of us will have to be content in the shadows.”

“At least there’s good company in the shadows,” Jane replied with a laugh.  She stroked Michael’s cheek.  “He’s so adorable.”

“Yours will be, too.  I don’t know of any babies who aren’t adorable,” Addy said, ruffling Michael’s thin blond hair.

“It makes up for all the messes they make,” Lucy joked.

Jane glanced at Jeremy who was talking to a couple whose children surrounded them, and if she guessed right, the man was Old Willy and the woman Daphne.  The older children in the group looked bored, so Daphne told them they could go outside and play.  As the eager kids hurried out of the church, Eliza expertly dodged them while she carried Charlotte over to Lucy.

“Daphne and Old Willy are expecting another little one early next year,” Eliza said, chuckling.  “I remember when Willy was all by himself, sad because his house was empty since his wife had passed on and his children were out of the house.  Well, he’s got his hands full now.  The poor man probably wishes for some quiet.”

Addy giggled.  “Considering all the grandchildren he’ll have, I doubt he’ll ever get it.”

“Oh, he’s got a soft heart,” Lucy said.  “I’m sure he manages just fine, as long as he stuffs his ears with something.”

The women laughed.

“What is funny?” Charlotte asked.

“You’ll understand when you’re a mother,” Lucy replied, brushing Charlotte’s curls from her eyes.

“Will you be coming over for lunch?” Eliza asked them.  “I put a roast in the oven.  I used Lucy’s recipe, so it should be edible.”

“We’d love to,” Jane replied, knowing Jeremy would accept the invitation if he was there.

“Brian and I will come,” Lucy added.

“Frank and I can’t this time,” Addy said.  “We’re going to work on rearranging some things in the store.”

“Do you want to hold Michael?” Jane asked Eliza when she noticed the way Eliza smiled at him.

“I’d love to,” Eliza replied, taking him in her arms and cooing to him.  “Lucy, I hope you don’t mind if show him to Charity and Bethany.  They haven’t seen him yet, and they asked about him when I came to town last week.”

Lucy nodded her consent, so Eliza headed over to her friends.

Jane watched Eliza so she could remember who Charity and Bethany were.  It was still taking time to connect the names with the faces.  Jeremy didn’t have that problem, something she envied just a little bit but figured it was a good thing he didn’t since it was his job to know who people were.  She glanced at him again and caught him smiling in her direction as John and Brian approached with a couple of John’s brothers—more names she didn’t know yet.  But at least she knew they were John’s brothers.  And at least she didn’t have to stand around and wonder what to do after the service anymore.  As Lucy and Addy continued to chat, she turned her attention back to him, glad she found a group of friends she could be comfortable with.  Though a part of her missed Rebecca and Edith, she was happy.  Just as Jeremy had said in the sermon, God had worked things out for good—not only for him, but for her as well.

***

That Christmas, Jane bundled her three-month-old daughter, Rebecca, in a thick blanket and held her in her arms.  No one was more surprised than she was when Rebecca was born with a hair full of red hair.  It was the exact same shade as Eliza’s hair, and Jane thought it was nice to see that part of Eliza in her child.

“Are you ready?” Jeremy asked as he came out of the bedroom, adjusting his tie.

“Yes.  Becky’s been changed and fed, so she’s ready.”

He walked over to them and kissed Jane.  “She’s not tired at all, is she?”

Jane chuckled as Becky’s eyes shifted from Jeremy to her.  “No, but that’s a good thing.  Your mother will want to talk to her, I’m sure.”

“Yes, I’m sure, too.” As he went to the closet to get his coat, he said, “I see you have a letter on the table over here to send to Edith.  Didn’t she just write to you?”

“She did, but I like to answer right away or I’ll forget.”

“How is she doing?”

“Good.  Her son is sitting now, and Wilbur got a slight pay raise.”

He slipped his coat on and buttoned it before he grabbed his hat.  “That is good.” With a sigh, he added, “They say it takes longer for a woman to get ready, but I proved them wrong, didn’t I?”

She chuckled as she headed for the door.  “To be fair, you stayed up with Becky so I could sleep.  You are allowed to take longer to get ready this morning.”

He opened the door and followed her outside.  “So Charity has a Christmas get-together every year?”

“That’s what your mother says.” Jane held Becky closer to protect her from the brisk wind.  “She says that Charity goes all out for it, too.  Apparently, it was one of the things Charity loved most about being back east.”

They strolled down the road and passed the church that was on the corner of the main street.  As a squirrel ran by them, Jeremy nudged her in the arm.  “There goes one of your squirrels.”

“It’s not my squirrel.”

“Every time I see a squirrel, I think of you and how you enjoy watching it run from tree to tree.”

Another squirrel chased the one that darted in front of them before, and she giggled.  “Well, they are cute, aren’t they?  I can’t help but enjoy how they play together.” They turned down another road, and she saw the people gathered in front of Charity’s home.  “Oh my, when Eliza said everyone in town came to this party, she wasn’t kidding.”

“It can’t be everyone…I think.”

Amused, she made eye contact with him.  “I hope we don’t get lost in that house.  It’s sure to be a maze of people.”

“I have no worries about that.  I could find you anywhere.  You’re a part of me.”

When they were two houses away from Charity’s, Eliza bounded down the porch steps from where she was talking to a few people and hurried toward them.  “It’s nice to see you, three,” she said as she hugged Jane, careful to not squeeze too tight.  “How is my granddaughter treating you?  Is she sleeping through the night yet?”

“Not yet,” Jane replied as she placed Becky in Eliza’s arms.  “Thankfully, I have Jeremy to help.”

“Nice to know my boy is doing right by his wife,” Eliza teased, glancing in Jeremy’s direction.

“I can’t say my motives are entirely selfless,” he replied.  “When Jane’s rested enough, she makes cake.”

With a sigh, Eliza told Jane, “Just like a man.  Always thinking with his stomach.  Well, you’ll be happy to know that Charity has some cake for dessert.”

His eyes sparkled.  “Then it’s going to be a good afternoon.”

“What did I say?” Eliza told Jane.  “With their stomachs.  Come along.  We need to get my little angel here into the house where it’s nice and warm.”

Jane smiled at Jeremy, noting the joy in his eyes as they joined Eliza and went to the house to enjoy the day with each other and with their friends.