the door and welcomed Colton in with a hug. “Hey, big guy. How did your afternoon go?” This question was directed partly toward her three-year-old son, and partly his caregiver, Mandy, who was now passing over one-year-old Cameron.
“Good,” Colton said even as he made a beeline for the play area Hope had set up for kids in the shop. He stopped, hands snapping to a position behind his back. “Can I play?”
With the daycare Mandy operated out of the room she rented from Hope directly above the quilt shop, Colton didn’t need to spend that much time in the actual store. Which meant the shop toys were a special treat.
Hope grinned. “Sure, kiddo. Your Auntie Becky will be here soon, so you get extra play time today.”
Colton was gone in a flash.
Cameron tugged on Hope’s ears to get her attention.
“Just a minute, sweetie,” Hope said as she grinned at Mandy. “You got the rest of them off early?”
“You know how it is on early dismissal day. Most moms give up and grab the little ones before even heading to school.” Mandy tilted her chin toward Cameron. “That one only had about half an hour to nap, so apologies if he’s cranky.”
“Not a problem. Have a good evening.”
While it wasn’t exactly what her sisters-in-law were doing, Hope and Matt had discussed it a lot. The quilt store was more than just a way to make money—it was something Hope had dreamed about for years. And while raising a family was also a dream, she and Matt were finding a way to make both dreams work.
When Mandy had rented the apartment upstairs from Hope and then asked for permission to do some childcare, it’d been a perfect solution. And if it occasionally sounded as if there was a herd of elephants running around above them, no one in the quilt shop minded. Most of them were moms or grandmas, and the noise just brought amusement.
Colton and Cameron were around other children the few days of the week that Hope and Matt’s work schedule overlapped. A few more days right now since Becky was no longer able to fill in gaps in the schedule.
Hope paused in front of the quilt she’d temporarily hung in the shop. It wasn’t the Six Pack family quilt—the one that Matt had sweet-talked his brothers into helping him sew. That one had been shown off a few times over the years and was well known in the community, considering Matt had attached her engagement ring to it.
No, this quilt was the one that had taken her forever to design. She had finally figured out how to incorporate everything she wanted. Staring up at it, her smile widened into a grin.
It wasn’t a pattern anyone else would ever want to imitate, but for her and Matt, the snowflakes falling against an icy-cold Alberta sky were a reminder of where they started. Below the flakes, a clawfoot bathtub—Hope snickered—was surrounded by reflective pieces of fabric that made the edges glitter like a mirror.
Quilts said a lot to the people who knew how to read them, but this one was readable only to her and Matt. A sweet, intimate reminder of important moments in becoming who they were to each other.
The warning bell at the front door rang, and she turned to see Becky come in, baby seat cradled in front of her. Arabella’s thin baby cry trembled on the air.
Hope hurried to help. “Trevor drop you off?”
“Uncle Mark did. We had a late lunch, but he’s headed back to work. Will you be able to take me home later?”
“Of course.”
It was comfortable and easy, spending time together. Becky had worked in the shop until Arabella had arrived. Hope had missed seeing the other woman the past couple of months.
Becky pulled her crying baby out of the car seat, sheer joy on her face. “Sweet princess. Yes, I know, you’ve been very patient.”
Arabella cried again, the sound bringing Colt running to see what was wrong as Becky unwrapped her little girl then put her into position to nurse. Colt rested a hand on Becky’s arm before very carefully touching the back of Arabella’s head. “Baby ’ella’s hungry.”
“Very hungry,” Becky agreed. “Hello, Colt. Did you have a good time at preschool today?”
“Yup.” He glanced at Hope. “I’m hungry too.”
Cameron wiggled in Hope’s arms. “Hu’gry too,” her other son agreed.
“Snack time it is.”
She’d barely gotten her boys settled when the door rang again, and she shot to her feet.