the door. “Look at that, Miss Janie”—he pointed toward her bedroom window—“the squirrels are happy that the storm has passed. They’re playing chase through the tree limbs.”
“I’m glad it’s over, too, but don’t expect me to climb trees.” She held up her arms for him to pick her up.
He scooped her up like a baby and gently laid her on the bed. “Please don’t try to shimmy up a tree. It would make us feel bad that we couldn’t go with you.”
Teresa covered her with a throw, and Kayla removed her slippers.
“Honey, where I’m going, you all three can go, if your hearts are right with the Lord.” She closed her eyes and was instantly asleep.
Teresa had tears in her eyes as she left the room. Kayla headed toward the kitchen, and Noah got busy returning the kitchen chairs to where they belonged. Teresa picked up all the blankets and carried them back up to the linen closet. When she turned around to go get the pillows, Noah was bringing them to her.
“Seeing her in her right mind, even for a little while, was sure nice.” He stepped around her and laid the pillows on a shelf. “We might not get many of those moments.”
“I don’t want to think about that right now.” Teresa wiped the tears away with the back of her hand.
Noah turned around and pulled a white hanky from his hip pocket. He gently took her hand from her face and dried her wet cheeks. Then he bent slightly and brushed a kiss across each eyelid. “Then we won’t think about it. We’ll just treasure what time we have with her.”
Teresa laid her head on his broad chest, and he wrapped his arms around her. The steady beat of his heart assured her that Noah Jackson was a good man, one she could always depend on.
Chapter Fourteen
Teresa could hardly believe her eyes that Friday when she looked at the calendar on the kitchen wall. Surely the month of August couldn’t be only two days away from gone. How on earth had the month gotten away from her so fast?
“Good morning.” Kayla stared at the coffeepot. “Why haven’t you got the coffee started?”
“Just got here. Do you realize I’ve been here only a few days shy of a month?” Teresa asked.
With a few deft movements, Kayla had coffee going. “And I’ve been here about three weeks. I was thinking of that last night when I went to sleep. Noah told us that the doctor said Miss Janie might make it six weeks, and if he’s right, then we don’t have a lot of time left. When I first got here, I figured the days would drag by, but just like that”—she snapped her fingers—“they’re gone. What are you going to do when she’s . . . ?” Kayla teared up. “I can’t say the word, but you know what I mean? Do you think she’ll even know us at the end?”
“When is the big class reunion? I saw a poster in town, but I forgot when it is.” Noah entered the room and headed straight to the coffeepot. “I bet you can’t wait to see how much all those kids you graduated with have changed.”
“This year it’s on Saturday after the homecoming football game, which is always on the first Friday in September. It used to be at the end of August, but there was a conflict in the school schedule,” Teresa said as she reached for one of the cups and carried it to the table.
“I’m still pretty nervous about going by myself. One of y’all could be nice and go as my plus-one. I’d hate to give Prissy Wilson a black eye and not have anyone witness why I did it,” Kayla said.
“Would that be Priscilla Wilson?” Noah asked.
“Yep.” Teresa answered for Kayla. “She was the prettiest, most popular girl in high school, and she never let anyone forget it.”
“I guess you haven’t read the paper from a couple of days ago, have you?” Noah carried his coffee with him and left the room.
“Did she die?” Teresa called out.
“Nope.” Noah returned with a newspaper in his hand and laid it on the table between them. “Third page, halfway down. She must have a lot of pull over in Sulphur Springs not to be on the front page. This is a pretty big story. I’m surprised y’all didn’t see it. I read it to Miss Janie, and she got a chuckle out of it. She was having