the decisions that he’d made recently, but she didn’t wallow in despair or hold onto grudges. She adapted and made the best of her circumstances. Through it all, she remained poised and lovely.
He couldn’t deny that he enjoyed spending time with her, not only conversing in the evenings, but also at meals and, tonight, walking along the beach. She was talkative and lively and fun to be with. Like when she’d challenged him to a race. She’d been adorable, smiling at him over her shoulder like she had. At that moment, she could have asked him for the world, and he would have given it to her. It was a good thing she hadn’t known his thoughts.
“I’m glad that you made up to each other.” Mom picked up her book from the night table. “I could tell you were having a good time together on the beach.”
“You and Dad are nosy.”
Mom laughed. “What do you expect? We’re just excited for you.”
He wanted to tell her that they needed to stop butting into his relationship with Victoria. They were making his job a hundred times harder.
Mom reached for his hand and patted it. “You’ll have to excuse our exuberance. The son who told us he’d never get married is madly in love with his bride.”
Madly in love? He almost choked at the declaration. Mom was reading much more into their relationship than was there. Wasn’t she?
“At least you worked through your little spat,” she continued. “Your dad always said that a couple can never stay angry for long when they’re kissing.”
Tom supposed he’d have to be careful not to show any irritation toward Victoria for the duration of their visit, especially around Dad, or he’d make them kiss again. The problem was, Victoria was bound to get mad at him again if he didn’t find a way for her to have more clothes.
“She’s upset that I won’t agree to hire a seamstress.” Once the admission was out, Tom wasn’t sure if he should have said anything.
Mom looked up at him thoughtfully. “Ruth left behind several dresses that no longer fit after birthing her children. They would be too big for Victoria, but I’d be happy to help her take them in.”
He doubted Victoria would accept hand-me-downs from his sister. But it was better than exposing her to one more person who might recognize her or her family name.
For a moment, the breeze coming in the open window rattled the string of shells mom had hung from the curtain rod. The sound took him back to his childhood, to the memories of walking along the beach with her, collecting shells of all shapes and sizes, seeing the beauty in every detail, even in the tiniest horseshoe crab. That life now seemed like it belonged to a different person altogether.
“You know, I’ve never stopped praying for you since Ike died,” Mom said as though she could sense his reflective mood.
Her words made him stiffen. Didn’t she remember he didn’t like talking about anything that had happened in the past? He’d left home plenty of times during previous visits at the slightest mention of Ike.
“I’ve prayed for you every day,” she said, her smile waning and tears pooling in her eyes.
“I know, and I appreciate it.” No matter where he’d gone in the world, he’d always known that somewhere Mom was lifting him up to God. It was something he hadn’t been able to do for himself since the day he’d recovered consciousness and saw the stumps at the ends of her legs where her feet had been amputated.
“God is finally answering my prayers.” Mom’s voice wobbled. “With Victoria.”
Tom didn’t have the heart to tell her she was wrong. Victoria wasn’t God’s answer, not by any stretch of the imagination. He simply squeezed her arm and said goodnight.
Thankfully, she didn’t say anything more.
He followed his mom’s instructions on where to locate Ruth’s old clothes in the attic. After rummaging around, he found them in a crate and made his way back down the ladder. Before entering the bedroom, he drew in a fortifying breath. He needed to be at his strongest, because just the thought of being near Victoria again was enough to send his pulse sluicing like river water through a paddle wheel.
As he entered and latched the door behind him, he clutched the knob, praying that might anchor him and keep him from crossing to her and sweeping her into his arms.