rest for a couple of hours before the family returns.”
Garth nodded, grateful for Katie’s kindness and insight. Ever since they were young, she’d had the ability to read his moods, sometimes before he was even aware of them. Their mum said it was their special twin connection. Perhaps that was true, but it also came from the deep bond that had developed since they were children. “Thank you, Katie. We are tired from our travels.”
He ran his hand along his bristly chin. It would be good to rest and clean up before he saw Mum and the rest of the family and stepped into his roles as son, brother, and uncle.
As he and Katie climbed the stairs, memories of their life in London and the events that had taken them to Canada ran through his mind. They were only fourteen when their mother had become ill and had been taken to the hospital. He and Katie had tried to manage on their own and care for their sister Grace, but they were so hungry, he’d stolen a loaf of bread one day and been caught by a policeman. After that, they were taken to a children’s home and eventually sent to Canada. He’d lost touch with Katie for a time, but the Lord orchestrated events, and they found each other one Sunday at church.
Their older sister, Laura, followed them to Canada and searched for them with the help of Andrew Frasier, who was now her husband. Katie had been found and freed from her indentured contract. She returned to England with Laura and Andrew, but Eli Gilchrest, Garth’s employer, had refused to free him from his contract.
He clenched his jaw as he thought of his hard-hearted employer. Laura and Andrew had taken the matter before three judges, but in the end, Garth had been required to stay in Canada and finish his contract as a laborer at the Gilchrest farm and sawmill. Those events and the ones that followed had altered the course of his life forever.
He pulled in a steadying breath. Leaving the past behind, including his harrowing experiences in the war, and reuniting with his family might not be as simple as he’d imagined. He glanced at Katie, thankful for the chance to see her first and reestablish their special connection. But apprehension rippled through him. What would his family say when he told them of his plans to return to Canada?
* * *
Later that afternoon, Garth took a seat next to his mum on the library sofa. Rob and the rest of the family were gathered around them, seated on comfortable chairs. A wave of emotion tightened Garth’s throat. What a gift to all be together. Only Dad and Grace were missing from the family circle. The addition of Rob was a comfort, and once again he thanked the Lord for such a faithful friend.
Laura sat across from him, next to Andrew, looking happy and contented in her roles as wife, mother, and mistress of the manor. A few fine lines around her eyes were the only changes he noted in her delicate features.
Andrew and Laura’s three children occupied a small table near the end of the sofa, eating scones while the adults carried on their conversation.
Eight-year-old Andy was a near-perfect reflection of his father with light-brown hair and a winsome smile. The shape of five-year-old Matthew’s nose and his large blue eyes made him look very much like his mother. Three-year-old Lillian’s honey-blond curls reminded him of his sister Grace.
He turned to Laura. “Is there any news in the search for Grace?”
Laura’s face clouded, and she shook her head. “We haven’t heard anything from our contacts in Canada for several months.”
Andrew laid his hand over Laura’s. “Now that the war is over, we hope it will be easier to send and receive mail from Canada. That should help us renew the search.”
Garth nodded. The Germans sunk several ships crossing the Atlantic, and the letters those ships carried had gone down with them. That made every letter he’d received from Emma a treasure. Now that the danger from German U-boats had passed, all the mail should get through. So why hadn’t he heard from her?
Mum searched his face, and her eyes misted. “Oh, Garth, I can’t believe you’re really here with us.”
Garth sent her a grateful smile. “I’ve dreamed of this reunion for a long time.”
“And so have we.” Mum squeezed his hand.
Surviving the war and reuniting with his family was a miracle. So many