Chapter 12

 

Bright moonlight shone through the filmy curtains, casting its milky glow across the small room. Frankie dared to glance at the clothes draped across the trunk, the skirt and blouse that belonged to Missy. The woman had fussed through a whole trunk of things before she found them, insisting Frankie wear them in place of her soaked work clothes.

Frankie sighed and snuggled deeper under the quilt. For the first time in five years she felt like a young woman. Anyone seeing her tonight would have known she was not Charlie’s brother. The thought sent a streak of guilt through her, but after all these years it was getting easier to ignore. And she had almost felt pretty, despite having to wear the old work boots. She breathed in deep. Missy had told her to keep the riding skirt and blouse, but after wearing them to church tomorrow, she would send them home with Seth on Monday. Missy would need them again after her new baby was born.

Charlie, fast asleep beside her, stirred and turned. With Mrs. Hamilton gone to visit her sister until Monday, Frankie had insisted he share the room with her. She would have a real rest, not having to get up every few hours and go out to the hallway to check on him.

Everything is almost perfect, right now, Lord. And I want to apologize for not talking to You much for the past year or so. It’s just. . .just that it seemed things were going so bad. Kind of like they did before, back when Charlie was born and everybody kept telling me how it was Your will for those things to happen. I guess I thought that if I didn’t bother with You, maybe You wouldn’t bother with me. But this afternoon. . .what you did for Charlie and little Isaac was more than I deserved. I want to do my best to live the way You want me to. I know I’ve never been real good at following directions, but, please, just show me how to do whatever it is that You want.