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Avery gathered the sheets from the main closet upstairs and turned to find Emily right behind her. The woman was a ninja and barely made a noise of any kind. This may be due to the fact she looked to weigh about eighty pounds and was so slight that her wrists, neck, and cheekbones protruded. She had obviously not been fed enough, and from the vacant sad look she always had on her face had lived a tough life to date.
Avery had been struck by Emily’s pallid coloring, with her blonde hair always neatly braided down the back and the fair skin of her face free of makeup showing only a slight tinge of the sun. Her sky-blue eyes would have made her gorgeous if not for the offputtingly sad look radiating from them. She did not talk or engage with people easily, which was a bit hard at first, but Avery was working diligently to turn that around.
Avery was determined to help things get better for this woman. She chatted with her and guided her as they worked and waited patiently for some break in disposition. Emily, in response to this attention, asked good questions, worked hard at her tasks, and never questioned Avery’s authority. The perfect employee some would say, and yet it just made Avery sad when she was around.
“If you want to take the sheets and lay them out in the bedrooms, I will go down and put a load of laundry in,” she said lightly.
Emily nodded and moved down the hall.
It had been six days since her arrival, and Avery counted each moment waiting patiently for a sign that they were making a difference.
With a basket of warm bedding in hand, she climbed the stairs once again. It was easiest to fold laundry upstairs to restock the bathrooms and closets nearest the rooms.
Placing the basket down by the closet, she jumped with the sound of glass breaking.
Spinning on her heels, she made her way into the room, to see Emily trying to pick up the glass shards by hand.
“Oh no, we can get a dustpan,” she said, to which Emily turned eyes her direction and cowered a bit more.
Avery wanted to reach out and hug the scared woman.
“It’s a vase; I promise it will be okay. I have broken my share of things,” she said with a smile.
“I’m sorry,” Emily said.
Avery shrugged. “Stuff happens, especially with as much moving in and out of these rooms as we do. Can you grab the broom and dustpan from the hallway, and I’ll see what might be salvageable with the flowers?”
Emily stood slowly looking at her face the entire time; she appeared to be waiting for something. When she was full height and started to move away, Avery saw her stay a distance apart from her and watch until she was to the door.
Avery wanted to get her hands on the woman’s father; she would give him a talking to about his behaviors. This lady was so scared of someone being mean. She lived in constant fear, which was evident in every move she made. No one should be subjected to that, and even worse that it was a family member!
Emily was back in a minute, and at once set to work picking up glass. When the scene was set right again, she turned to put everything in the trash, stopping mid-stride, “thank you,” she whispered before moving forward.
The tiny flutter of Avery’s heart was all the encouragement she needed. She was going to be able to help, no wonder all these people here at Living River did this for a living. The feeling of helping and giving back was wonderful, she thought, taking off with a much lighter step to finish tasks.
She and Emily worked in tandem all morning when Marissa finally interrupted at lunch; it was to bring Jayne by to say hello.
“She wanted to see her momma,” Marissa said, walking into the sitting room they were dusting.
“She did, didn’t she?” Avery teased. Marissa had a way of finding Jayne at daycare and lugging her around during the day from time to time. She had asked Avery if it was okay, and of course, Avery agreed. The more people loving on and cherishing her daughter, the better.
As Jayne reached out her arms to her mother, she found Emily’s face with her eyes. She cocked her little head to the side as if sizing up the new person and reached one of her slobbery hands her direction.
Emily looked at the baby, and tears filled her eyes, catching Avery off guard. She bounced Jayne lightly but allowed the interaction to continue, waiting to see where it went.
“Hi,” Emily said, reaching a hand out to Jayne, who took it with gusto and wrapped her chubby digits around it.
She gurgled and chattered as she was prone to do.
Emily just looked at her with big, wonder-filled eyes.
“My sister,” she said, furtively glancing at Avery and then back at the baby. “she was this size when she,” Emily started rocking back and forth. “She got really sick, and Papa couldn’t fix her. Mama was so sad,” Emily said, swiping at her eyes.
Avery felt the information pierce her heart. “I’m so sorry, Emily, that must have been really hard for you.”
Emily glanced at her with the oddest look, and the tears filled and fell from her eyes. “She was so beautiful and happy.” She said, still rocking back and forth. “Papa was so angry when she died, but I couldn’t make her better. I tried, but I couldn’t.”
Avery did not even know how to react to that but knew she needed to say something. “Sometimes things just happen, and no matter how much we want them to turn out different,” she shook her head, thinking of her husband. “My husband died just last year,” she said as tears filled her eyes. “I wish he would have come back to me, but God had other plans. I have faith though I will get to see him again, and there was nothing any of us could have done to keep him here.”
Emily looked at her, “I tried really hard. Momma died of a broken heart, Papa said, and it was my fault.”
Avery inhaled; she knew deep in her soul this moment was important for Emily to share. She offered a small prayer that she finds the right words and exhaled slowly.
“Emily, sometimes people die, and we don’t know why. It makes us so sad that we cannot say and do the things we should to deal with the pain. Your Papa was probably super sad about your sister and momma and did not know what to do with that sadness. I am sorry he was mean to you, but you sound like you were a good daughter who tried to make him happy. I have watched you work so very hard. I bet you did that back on your farm too, but all the while, your Papa struggled to find a way to handle all that grief.”
Emily took in the words, and the small nod told Avery she had made a case.
“Would you like to hold Jayne?”
Emily looked at her and shook her head.
“Okay, well, she loves new people, so if you decide you need a baby hug,” she is here.
“I’m glad I’m here,” Emily said after a minute catching Avery off guard. “I’m going to go finish up the vacuuming.”
She turned and was gone in a moment. Avery heard a movement behind her and turned slightly to see Marissa standing there.
“You did good,” she said, with a reassuring nod.
“I hope so,” Avery said and squeezed her daughter tight. “I really hope so.”
