The Reason For Grace (Sequel to A Reason To Stay)

Chapter 13

Payton's due date was only four weeks away and less if the child decided to come early. Which was very possible, this being her fourth baby.  She and Joshua were both getting nervous as the weeks and months passed. She knew it wouldn't be long and after the complications she had with Nate she was a little scared of the same thing happening again. She didn't dare tell Joshua about her fears. He had enough to deal with.

The house was almost finished. The inside was ready for them to move in but the outside still was not finished. The crops were all in and Joshua was carrying water to the fields twice a day. They were in a drought, which seemed almost unreal after the flooding they had during the winter months. Despite that they were dealing with a drought and no one was more aware than the men who were trying to farm. Now Joshua was thankful for all of the rain God had sent them during the winter. All those who had not been flooded out were thankful for the winter rains. Those who had lost homes and crops though were finding the flooding and the drought both very hard.

Payton had been taking things over to the new house all day. She wasn't allowed to carry heavy objects and was threatened within an inch of her life if Joshua caught her toting anything heaver than a pan or clothing to the new home. The children loved helping too. She would send them over with a spoon and fork or their own dinner plate. She hoped she would have everything moved by the end of the day. 

She and Joshua had talked it over and decided to ask Doris if she would like to move to their cabin. Joshua was going to put a pump in the kitchen and she would bring her own cook stove and furniture. Payton had really been surprised when Doris had said yes. When Joshua had brought it up to her three months earlier she told him she doubted Doris would want to leave her nice home in town to move to the cabin and country with the two of them. 

She recalled the conversation...

"I wondered if you mind someone else moving into the cabin now that we won't be staying here any longer?" Joshua said over supper one night.

Payton held her spoon in mid air, "What do you mean? Who... Joshua this is your cabin and your land. Whomever you choose to let stay here is up to you..."

"No Payton. This is our cabin and our land. And you should get a say so in someone becoming such a close neighbor. Besides you would be the one who will be affected by this so much. She'll want to garden with you and can with you, I'm sure..." he was smiling now.

"She?" Payton said bewildered.

"Yes she."

"Who, Joshua?"

"I was thinking we could ask Doris if she wanted to move out here with us.She is so lonely and has no one. I think of her as a mother and hate seeing her all alone in town. Don't get me wrong the congregation is good to her as is the town folks but she just.... she has no family and we don't.... well, I don't either. Doris was my family when I didn't have any. I have a family now and Doris doesn't. I want to do the same for her..."

"Oh Joshua, that's a wonderful gesture but I don't want you to get your feelings hurt if she says no. She has such a lovely home in town. It has so many conviences that this cabin doesn't. She might not want to leave."

"But do you care?" He asked.

"Oh, I would love having her here so close. It would give me someone to talk to and someone who could help me with the garden and canning and she could help me with these quilts I've started and never finished..... Oh," she said catching her breath, " I wouldn't want to ask to  much of her. I don't want her to think we would be bringing her out here only to help me with my work load." Payton said almost to herself.

"I'll be going to town tomorrow. I'll ask her then." he said.

Payton hoped that she would agree but wouldn't let herself think on it to much. She was afraid she would get her hopes up only for Joshua to come home with news that Doris had said no thank you.