Page 12 of Her Summer Hope

When he didn’t come, she got worried. He might be difficult and somewhat closed off from her, but he always came when she called. He liked stirring the pasta or bringing her ingredients.

She checked the stove, turning the burner down to simmer before leaving.

“Ellie, can you help Jack read while I check on Em and find James?”

Ellie nodded importantly while Jackson melted down into his chair and disappeared under the table. She ducked under a moment later and then she heard Jackson’s voice as he began reading.

Emmie was awake and happy to see her when she went into her room. She grinned at the baby, who gave her a large toothless smile that lifted her spirits. She changed her dirty diaper and then laid her back down with a rattle to look at while she went to find James.

The house was large. There were five bedrooms and three bathrooms. She kept Emmie in her room even though she had a nursery because it was easier for the night feedings. The boys shared a room, Ellie had her own, and they all shared a bathroom. The last bedroom was a guest room with an attached bath.

She briefly considered taking on a tenant to help bring in more cash, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it. It was dangerous to bring strangers into the house with the children, and she didn’t know if she could trust someone enough to leave them here alone while she worked.

So, the room sat empty.

Now, she checked it for signs of James after finding the boys’ messy room empty. It looked like a bomb had gone off, followed by a tornado, and she was going to have to make sure they picked up as much as they could before bed.

She waded through the old and broken cars, scattered blankets, and landmine legos on her way to check their closet. The door was wedged open by the pillow fort one of them had built inside, but when she checked it, it was empty.

After she’d checked everywhere, she began to panic and went to pick Emmie up while she grabbed her phone. “Ellie, have you seen James?”

She struggled to contain the fear in her voice.

“He was going into your room the last time I saw him,” she said, poking her head out from under the table.

Madison rushed into her room, discounting the space under her bed immediately. It was full of stuff. She checked her bathroom and then her closet, feeling the flutterings of fear crowding her thoughts.

It was in the closet that she finally found him.

Relief flooded her as she watched the small boy breathe deeply as he curled up on the floor under Rob’s clothes. She laid Em back in her crib for a moment and went inside the closet.

She wanted to cry looking at her small boy who felt abandoned by his father and refused her comfort. Her heart ached for him and she wished there was something she could do to ease his pain.

She bundled him up and he sleepily laid his head on her shoulder. His slim weight was familiar in her arms and she did cry then when she realized how long it had been since she had held him like this.

He'd been a toddler.

She cried silently, not daring to wake him up just yet, and savored the contact as long as she could. Eventually, Em started to lose patience with cooing and started to fuss.

James woke up groggily and looked at her before wanting to be put down.

“Mommy? Is it time to eat?” he asked with childish disregard for her emotions. He poked his finger at Em’s fist through the bars. He smiled as the baby latched on to his finger with her tiny hand.

He was a very rough and boisterous boy, but he’d never been anything but gentle with baby Em. He’d taken it upon himself to watch out for her, much as Ellie watched out for him and Jack.

It was a little moment that warmed her heart and pushed away some of the pain.

It was enough to allow her to function until bedtime when she could cry in relative solitude with Emmie offering her comfort in the form of her new baby smiles.

∞∞∞

“I found this at the market,” Helen said. “It was just put on the bulletin board there this morning and Mr. Holcombe tipped me off after I complimented his butt.”

Madison took the advertisement and frowned. “I can’t do this!” she said, staring at the old woman in dismay.

“Why not? It’s respectable work and they pay weekly!” she said, tapping the paper and putting her hands on her hips.

“But they want an experienced cook, with an education, and…and references!” Madison said. “And what would I do with the children?”

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