Isabel looked absently out the window as she stirred the flour gravy, flavored with sausage drippings, for the mashed potatoes that would go with the steaks sizzling in the cast iron skillet on the wood stove.
Her face was flushed from the heat, and a few tendrils of her hair had escaped her bun. She smiled as she thought about how much her life had changed since she had come here. Her fingers had lost the thick calluses that had covered them from constantly sewing. For the first time in her life, she was finally able to relax, knowing that she had a safe place to live and raise Timmy.
As the sun started to set, she briefly wondered where Theodore was and when he would come in. He had been eating dinner with her every night since they finally figured out which of Abigail’s remedies worked for Timmy’s painful gums.
She smiled as she thought about how she’d woken up the next morning. Theodore had lifted her legs onto the couch and covered her with a blanket.
That’s progress, right? That shows that he’s not completely indifferent to me.
They both had been so relieved when Timmy’s top front teeth had finally broken through, and her normal happy baby was himself again.
Suddenly, she realized that something weird was going on. She hadn’t heard Timmy making any sounds for a few minutes. Quickly, she snatched the gravy and steaks off the stove and rushed over to the blanket where she had left him. Timmy was gone.
Her heart pounded, and her breath caught in her throat.
Where could he go? He’s learned to scoot across the floor. Has he somehow made it outside?
Panicked, Isabel rushed to the front door and threw it open. She opened her mouth, ready to call for Theodore, when relief rushed through her, so intense, it made her knees buckle.
Theodore sat in the rocking chair, holding Timmy on his lap. “I wasn’t much older than you, but I knew I had to get that horse broken, or I would be in a heap of trouble. I led that huge beast to the pond. He did not like that and did not want to get his feet wet. We tussled for a bit, with me holding onto the reins as he jerked his head and tried to run. I dug my heels in, though, and finally managed to get him into the pond. I swear, that water was plum up to my neck. I hopped on his back and held on. He tried bucking me off a few times, but then, he settled down. A horse finds it very difficult to buck in the water. A few more sessions in the pond, and that horse was as gentle as he could be—at least with me.”
Timmy grinned and gurgled at Theodore, grabbing his beard.
Isabel let out a slow, silent sigh and smiled at the picture in front of her. Theodore might not want to be a husband, but he was certainly a great father.
She tried to hang back, but Theodore saw her. He stood up and handed Timmy to her.
“You really need to be more careful. I came home and saw Timmy was awake and trying to crawl toward the fireplace, so I took him outside. How could you not notice that I came in and took the baby?” Theodore’s voice was stern, and Isabel felt a prickle of tears behind her eyes.
Guilt washed over her. She had been so wrapped up in cooking dinner that she hadn’t checked on him for a couple of minutes.
I could have lost him.
“You’re right. Oh, my goodness, he could have been hurt, or anyone could have come in and taken the baby. How could I be so irresponsible?” She cuddled the baby against her chest and kissed his cheek. “I’m so sorry, baby. Mama’s so sorry.”
Timmy laughed and pulled at her nose.
Isabel looked at Theodore and said, “I’m sorry. Thank you for grabbing him. Dinner’s ready.”
He nodded, acknowledging her apology.
They went inside, and Isabel put Timmy in the high chair Theodore had made for the baby. Isabel smiled. Theodore was acting like he truly loved Timmy. Not only had he made a crib and high chair, but he had also carved a couple of simple wooden toys for him.
Theodore watched her as she carefully fed Timmy tiny bites of mashed potatoes and mashed beans in between taking mouthfuls of her own dinner. Timmy stared at her as she cut a piece of her steak and put it in her mouth. He licked his lips as though he wanted a bite, too.
“He knows he’s missing out on the best part of the meal, although all of it is good.”
Isabel glanced at him, surprised at the compliment. It was the first one he had given her. She didn’t verbally acknowledge it, worried he might realize that he did say something complimentary. Instead, she flashed a smile.
“He’s got a long way to go yet for that. I’m afraid his four front teeth aren’t adequate enough to chew steak, even if it is tender and I give him tiny pieces. Poor Timmy will have to wait until more teeth come in and he learns the concept of chewing.”
Theodore groaned. “More teething. Oh, boy. I can’t wait.”
Isabel giggled. Timmy, seeing his mom laugh, joined in, which made Theodore chuckle as well.
After a brief silence of eating, Theodore looked at the baby. “You said in your letter that he was abandoned. What happened? How did you find him?”
“I was staying at a boarding house. I had just got home from my sewing job, and he was in a basket on the steps. He couldn’t have been more than a couple of hours old. Shocked, I looked around for anyone who might have left him, but there wasn’t anyone. I even went onto the streets and stopped people, asking if they knew who he belonged to. No one had any idea.”
She paused as she remembered how terrified she felt and how she had felt something for the baby as soon as she saw him.
“I took him into the boarding house, and thankfully, the landlady was a dream. She had some bottles that her daughter had left behind so I could feed him. She also had some nappies and clothes. She told me he would probably end up at the orphanage since the nuns weren’t taking in any more kids. She described the place, and it broke my heart.”
“He obviously didn’t end up at the orphanage,” Theodore said.
“No. I took him to the sheriff’s office the next day. He said there was no way to find out the parents if they abandoned him. The sheriff thought that his mother might have been one of the soiled doves who lived at a brothel down the road. He said the baby would have to go to the orphanage.”
Theodore took another bite of steak and washed it down with a large drink of water, waiting for her to continue her story.
“I walked to the orphanage and saw some of the kids outside working in the raggedy garden. They looked like they hadn’t eaten in a week. There was no way I could leave this sweet boy there. I took him back to the boarding house with me.”
Isabel paused, gave Timmy another bite of potatoes, and took a sip of water.
“My landlady was great and helped out as much as she could. My boss at the sewing shop was also gracious. She let me take Timmy to work with me and allowed me to take extra work home. It wasn’t enough to take care of us, though.”
“That’s when you decided to answer my advertisement for a mail-order bride.”
Isabel nodded. “Honestly, I didn’t know what else to do. I figured that, at the very least, Timmy would have a safe place to live and enough food to eat.”
Theodore was quiet for a few minutes as though he was thinking over her story. He eventually smiled and looked at her. “That is very admirable. Not many women would have sacrificed herself to take care of a child that wasn’t even hers.”
“Thank you,” Isabel said softly.
Her heart fluttered at the compliment.
His face reddened a little, and he stood up. “Thanks for dinner,” he grumbled and left, the door shutting hard behind him.
Isabel sat back in her chair, watching him leave. She was very curious about him.
I really don’t understand him. One minute, he is hard as nails, and the next, he’s playing with the baby, smiling at him and telling him stories. One minute, he’s gruff with me, and the next, he’s actually decent. He is incredibly confusing.
She finished eating and feeding Timmy, her mind on Theodore. He was so emotionally distant, and anytime he started to bend a little bit, he caught himself and threw back on his hard exterior.
Yet it’s very obvious that he has a lot to give. He’s a very good man.
Timmy gurgled, laughed, and grunted. A few minutes later, a terrible smell wafted into the air, making Isabel gag.
She picked up the baby to change him. “You’re a very lucky boy. I think you will grow up with a daddy who loves you very much.”
Now only if there might be something between us. Another thought quickly replaced this one. Don’t push your luck. Things are starting to get better, and life is good.
Still, the woman inside of her didn’t want to settle for a distant relationship with a virtual stranger. She longed for a real marriage and love.