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It was deja vu when Nina got out of her car in front of Miss Jeffries’ place. Rowan waited on the porch with a big smile.
“It’s like we’re twelve again.” Her friend ran down to hug her tightly and Nina was instantly on the verge of tears. To cover it, she said, “Tell me there are pancakes.”
Leaning back, Rowan winked. “Brioche with dark chocolate and almonds.”
“Lead the fucking way. I’mstarving.”
They walked toward the porch, their arms around each other’s waists, when adorable twin girls ran out on the porchscreaminglaughter.
Right behind them, James followed on all fours, snuffing and neighing. He had a stuffed unicorn horn on his head and was clearly having a blast.
Spotting Nina, he bounced to his feet and ripped the horn off his head. Clearing his throat, James said, “Nina.”
Her eyes followed the girls as they ran across the yard to a swing set. They climbed on and started singing together.
Every part of her in chaos, she asked carefully, “Whose children are those?” She felt on the verge of fainting.
Rowan answered, “That’s Ava and Emma. Miss Jeffries is taking care of them.”
Dropping her arm from around Rowan, Nina took an unconscious step toward the sisters before stopping herself. “They’re...orphans?”
“Uh, they were abandoned.” There was a pause and Rowan added, “Hey. Are you okay?”
Shaking herself from her confusion, her irrational longing, Nina masked her turmoil with a well-practiced smile. “What…? Oh, yes. I’m fine. Jet lagged, probably. You were going to feed me.” Walking up on the porch, Nina smiled brightly at James. “Hello, Mr. Statton. Lookin’ good as usual.” Then she passed him to enter the house and yelled, “Miss Jeffries! I’ve come to eat all your food.” There was tinkling laughter from Miss Jeffries’ bedroom on the first floor. Turning to Rowan, she said quietly, “I’ll eat in a bit. I think I’ll sit with her for a little while.”
“She’d love that, Nina. I’ll go for a run.”
“You’re still running pregnant?”
“More common than you might think. Go spend time with Miss Jeffries and I’ll see you later.”
Walking through the rooms that had been updated and renovated, Nina fought to control her reaction to children she didn’t know. Her smile was bright as she tapped on Miss Jeffries’ bedroom door.
“I hear you fell ass over teakettle…”
Laughing, her surrogate mother murmured, “Nina, there’s a reason they didn’t name me Grace.”
Sitting on the edge of the bed, Nina took her hand and leaned forward to kiss her cheek. “How do you feel?”
“Old. Sore. Frustrated as all get out.” She shook her head and Nina was shocked to see tears in her eyes. “If I can’t help girls in trouble, I got no use at all, honey. No use. Rowan brought people I’m supposed to manage. I-I…”
Then she was crying softly and Nina gathered her close. “Listen to me, Miss Jeffries,” she murmured at her ear, “you’renotuseless. You couldneverbe useless. You’ve saved so many people, one girl at a time, one meal or habit or stern talking to at a time. You saved me. You and Rowan kept me alive. If I hadn’t ended up here, I’d be strung out or dead. That’s the truth. You need to remember what you’ve done - not what you’ve yet to do. I’ll stay here with you for a little while so you don’t forget.”
The woman held her arm. “You’d do that, Nina?”
“Yeah.” She cleared her throat and stared at the pattern of the quilt that had covered Miss Jeffries’ bed as long as Nina could remember. “I-I lost...I lost a baby last year.”
The old woman’s frail hands showed surprising strength as she gripped Nina’s. “Oh, honey...no. I’m so sorry.”
She didn’t know why she said it but once it was out, Nina knew she had to keep going. “I didn’t even know...until it was happening. It seems so strange to grieve what I never wanted, never would have planned on. To have a hole inside for something s-so small but...I hurt.” She wiped her face and laughed. “Can you even imagine me as a mother? Responsible for the safety of another human being? I’m a train wreck.”
“Nina, that you go through your life without seein’ how amazin’ you are just breaks my heart. You and Rowan took such good care of the younger girls. Always patient, always smilin’. It was after y’all left that I realized how heavily I’d leaned on you both durin’ your years with me.”
Lifting her hand, she placed her cool palm on Nina’s cheek. “You’d be agoodmother, Nina. You’d kill to protect your child. As you once killed to protectotherpeople’s children. You’re so much more than you see but...maybe your young man can help with that.”
Nina’s eyes widened.
