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“WE'VE BEEN SPEAKING on the telephone and through letters for several weeks now.”
Uncle Will kept his gaze on Thomas as he answered Faith’s question, and she watched her uncle as he spoke, hoping that if she didn’t look at her cousin, she wouldn’t grow more worried about his behavior.
They weren’t children anymore, and his reaction seemed so immature.
“I think it will be exciting, and who knows, Thomas, you might become friends with him.”
Thomas ducked his head and stared at the floor, but she knew he was thinking on her words, and she prayed that he would accept them as a sort of peace offering.
But she hadn’t done anything wrong, so she wasn’t sure why she felt like she should be the one to turn his mood so he could see this in a positive light.
“We don’t know him, Faith, so how can you even say that?”
He didn’t look at her as he answered, so she stepped closer, close enough to poke him in the shoulder. When he finally slid his gaze to her, frowning, she smiled at him, a little exasperated.
“You’re right, we don’t know him, so how can you say that you won’t like him.”
“Regardless,” Uncle Will cleared his throat before Thomas could contradict her. “Nico will be joining us the day after tomorrow, and if the two of you choose to be here, I would be pleased.”
Faith leaned into Thomas, but he remained silent.
“But if you do come, I expect you to be polite. Remember, he and his family are clients, and regardless of whether or not you feel friendly towards him, you will be respectful.”
Thomas would never be anything but respectful, Faith was certain, but her uncle had an edge to his voice that she didn’t recognize.
Did he understand why her cousin was being so difficult?
“Now, shall we get to work?”
Without waiting for an answer, Uncle Will walked in front of them and out of the room, and just as Faith opened her mouth to tell Thomas they should follow him, her cousin reached out and took her hand in his, and the two of them stepped silently into the hall towards the study, where they spent the rest of the day as they usually did, side by side, shuffling papers and plans, pointing and considering, as their uncle took notes and created more plans at his drafting table, their small breaks punctuated by the delivery of lemonade and sandwiches by Aunt Catherine.
Evie was, presumably, tucked into a corner somewhere in the house, absorbed in her book.
“Do you want to tell me what’s wrong?”
Faith had spent plenty of time in Thomas’ company, some of it silent, but always companionable. Now, as they headed towards her home in the opposite direction of his, she felt a distance between them that had never existed before. Her hand tucked in his elbow, as always, but there was a void that began to weigh on her heart.
How could he feel so strongly about someone he had never met?
“Let’s not speak of it, Faith. Just know that I’m looking out for you, that’s all.”
Of course he was looking out for her; he always did.
But it still didn’t make sense.
She moved a little closer as she stepped forward, feeling him match her pace.
“Do you want to go over to the beach, get our feet wet a bit?”
Her mother always said Faith was like a fish, her desire to spend as much time in the ocean as she could get away with greater than anyone else she had ever known. It was true; if she had a few moments to wade beyond the sand, she would do it, and if she could race in, her navy blue bathing dress covering her pale skin so she wouldn’t burn in the hot sun, it took a lot of convincing to get her to come back out.
“Not very ladylike, allowing everyone to see your bare feet like that. Girls these days,” her grandmother chastised, even as she smiled at Faith’s antics.
Maybe she was getting too old to swim so freely, she considered, not liking the idea at all.
“What about you? What are you thinking of that is making you frown like that?”
Thomas changed the subject, but Faith knew it was her fault for letting her mind wander and giving him the opportunity.
He hadn’t even answered her second question, although he didn’t really have to.
“Do you think I’m too old to keep swimming so much?”
When he dropped his arm and put it around her waist, she sighed in relief, feeling the tension she must have been carrying all day release like a loosening knot.
“I think you’ll be splashing about in the waves on Bailey’s Beach for decades to come, and if anyone tells you that you shouldn’t, I’ll have words with them myself.”
His earlier firm tone was now teasing, and before she could reply, he huffed out a little breath and continued.
“Unless, of course, that someone is our grandmother.”
Faith couldn’t help the burst of laughter that bubbled up inside her, and as the two of them walked on, taking their time to enjoy each other’s company, she was sure that her prayers had been answered, and that God had inspired her to say what was needed to ease her cousin’s mind.
Neither of her parents seemed concerned about the new development at Uncle Will’s, but she didn’t exactly tell them everything that evening.
She especially didn’t tell them about Thomas’ reaction to the upcoming addition to their work group, perhaps because he had left her smiling at her doorstep, allowing her to kiss him on the cheek before he turned away to walk alone back to the home he shared with Aunt Sarah and Uncle Sam.
What would he tell them?
“I wish he would stay for a bit.”
Johnny whined as if he was nine instead of nearly nineteen.
“Maybe if you offered him some cake . . .”
She gave him a playful push and he pretended to stumble, his smile an exact replica of their father’s.
“He can’t be bribed with sweets like you can.”
“Well,” their mother interjected, hustling them both into the dining room. “Speaking of sweets and Johnny’s affection for them, your father and I do have a delicious surprise waiting in here.”
Faith felt an itch on the bottom of her feet, which had been tucked into tight shoes all day and were aching for the coolness of the ocean’s waves, but she suspected whatever her parents had in mind was more important right now.
“Happy birthday!”
A three tiered cake with dark chocolate frosting rested on the table, with small china plates decorated with bands of gold at each of the four place settings.
“Strawberries! My favorite!”
Johnny grabbed their mother by the waist as she laughed, not the least bit surprised by his antics. The frosting on the cake was dotted with fresh strawberries, a sweet touch that may have been suggested by their cook, Rachel, who had been with their family since before their parents had wed and knew Faith and Johnny as well as any family member did.
“Take it easy, there.”
Their father appeared, his smile bright as he saw both of his children as well as his wife, who was held aloft in Johnny’s arms. Ruby used to tease Johnny for being short and wiry, but over the past couple of years, he had grown taller than any of them, including the adults, and could pick up Faith and their mother easily.
Faith felt the worries over Thomas and the new project fade into the back of her mind as she enjoyed an early celebration of her brother’s birthday, which was the next day.
“I’m sorry we have so much going on at First Steps tomorrow, but you’re old enough to understand. Besides, you’ll get a lot of attention from everyone as the birthday boy.”
Johnny laughed. He was so easygoing, but as Faith was just beginning to realize, he as well as she had no true worries in their lives, not now or ever before. It was easy for them to be carefree and happy, trusting and accepting.
“He doesn’t need any more attention than he already gets!”
She pushed him a little and he laughed, setting their mother down gently as their father waited with open arms for her.
“You might be right about that,” Johnny teased, “but it isn’t as if you don’t get plenty of your own, Princess.”
The two of them rushed to their chairs, one on each long side of the table, as their parents settled at either end. Lately, their grandparents had taken to eating earlier in the day, and heading to their bedrooms soon after, so the four of them ate together, which was sometimes a more quiet affair than it had been without the two of them, and at other times, like now, a more rowdy one.
Johnny leaned over the table and grabbed a strawberry from the cake, popping it into his mouth before anyone could protest.
“Do we have more of these?”
His words were garbled with his mouth full of the sweet fruit, and Faith nudged him into his seat before she sat on her own.
“We’ll have to ask Rachel, but I believe we have plenty. You know how your grandfather loves them. Why do you ask?”
Their father took a long cake knife into his hands and tackled the top layer of cake, slicing it evenly into four chunks as he answered. Faith watched Johnny as he chewed quickly, as if he couldn’t wait for more.
“I was thinking that we could bring some to the shelter tomorrow. It could be my birthday present to everyone who is there. Oh, I know, we could get some ice cream, too. It’s been so hot lately, and everyone loves ice cream, don’t they?”
Thomas didn’t like ice cream, or at least, he didn’t love it like Johnny and her other cousins did.
Faith shook her head against more thoughts of Thomas. Whatever was going through his mind, she would get to the bottom of it when they spoke next, and there was no point in letting the issue creep into her thoughts.
“You aren’t the first to come up with that idea, actually,” their mother smiled as she spoke. “There was a time when we ate more strawberry ice cream than anyone should, without getting a bellyache.”
Their father turned away from the cake, glancing at her, and it was moments like these when Faith felt as if there was nothing more incredible than the love her parents shared. She couldn’t even imagine finding someone to love, who loved her like this, ever in her life.
It would have to be a meeting graced by God himself, and nothing less.
“You speak truth, as always, and if I remember correctly, there were waffles involved, too.”
“Even better!” Johnny interrupted, as if he was completely oblivious to this moment shared between their parents. Faith wanted to slap his arm, but he wouldn’t understand why if she did.
Instead, she kept smiling and shook her head.
Again.
“We couldn’t have a waffle party without inviting your aunts and uncles, or we would be in trouble.”
Their father placed each piece of cake on a perfectly polished plate, and Faith and her brother took them, not wasting any time tasting the delicious creation once their parents had their own.
“I’ll be over once I help Uncle Will with a few more adjustments on the hospital plans. I think they’ll be very happy with the renovations, and it should create a more open plan with better ventilation for the patients, along with easier access for the staff.”
Once Faith had taken two large bites and leaned back in her chair, she shared her plans for the next day, so they would know that they could expect her help with the event at the shelter.
Once a month, First Steps hosted a giveaway for anyone needing clothing or food to take home with them, although in truth anyone who showed up at the door would be able to get what they needed, no matter when. This way, though, everyone knew to come on a given day when others in the community were there to offer support and goods, and the local doctor would be available to see to anyone with concerns.
There was always a surplus of donated food, clothing, and household items, and while the event didn’t draw as much of a crowd now as it did during the colder months, it was still widely attended and had even become a sort of social event for those like the Davenports who were on the giving end.
“Maria Covington told me that she and her maid were bringing some of her old gowns, which of course, aren’t the most practical items. But she’s never visited First Steps before, so it will be a chance for her to become more acquainted with what we offer and how she might truly contribute.”
Faith had encountered her neighbor, who used to play on the beach with her and Johnny but now was much too refined for such games, while on the Cliff Walk earlier that week, taking a short stroll on her own before the day had grown too hot.
Many girls her age were above anything than searching for a husband nowadays, and it made her wonder if her parents were worried about her lack of interest in that subject.
“That is good to hear, Faith. I know sometimes it’s easy to forget that others aren’t as privileged as we are, and Maria would benefit from this knowledge.”
Her mother licked a glob of frosting from her lips, smiling at Faith afterwards for a moment before narrowing her eyes just enough for Faith to notice.
“Is there something troubling you?”
Neither of her parents were in the habit of prying, but they were also very perceptive. Of course, she didn’t want to lie to them, so she didn’t.
She just didn’t tell them everything that was on her mind.
Johnny stood up and started to slice the next layer of cake as she looked down at her own half-eaten slice before answering her mother.
“Not exactly. Just a new project Uncle Will is taking on, and I’ve been thinking about it since he told us today.”
Her brother held up the cake knife, balancing a small piece with his fork as he looked at her.
“No, thank you,” she declined, and as he dropped it onto his mother’s plate instead, she saw that both of her parents were watching her now, as if they had tuned into some note of disquiet in her voice.
She would have to dispel any worries they had right now.
“A restaurant, which is new as well, since we’ve never worked on one before. I don’t think Uncle Will has, ever, so it should be an adventure.”
Johnny sat down, a large triangle of cake now filling his small plate. He ignored it, turning to her instead.
“And what does Thomas think of it?”
Yes, it would be strange for her to leave out any mention of Thomas, she knew. There was little she did that didn’t involve her cousin, and she spoke of him with her family more than anyone else.
“You know how he is, always a little worried about new things. But I’m sure we’ll enjoy working on it, and learn quite a bit.”
She and Thomas had indulged their interest in architecture for several years now, but neither of them were sure that they were interested in pursuing it as a career.
“He’s always been the most serious of you all, and not without reason,” her mother said, her voice quiet. “Has he told you much about his life before he came to be with us, Faith?”
If Thomas spoke to anyone about his past, it would be Faith, and they all knew it. But he hadn’t, and Faith knew that asking would make him more reluctant to do so. Feeding her curiosity wasn’t worth the price of losing Thomas’ trust, or the comfort they shared in each other’s company.
“No, and I imagine it would be painful for him to talk about it. I’ve always wondered, though . . .”
She allowed her words to trail off, looking from her mother to her father. Her brother turned his focus to them, too, as her father raised an eyebrow.
“Yes?”