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

Chapter 22

It was three weeks later and Grace still had a touch of colic. Her colic was much better but Payton refused to take her away from the house; Insisting that a new place with new people wouldn't be good for her. She had sent Doris home on the Monday after the Sunday argument between herself and Joshua. Doris still came over with offers of help but Payton refused to let another woman do her chores at all now. She was worn to the bone and loosing weight. She stayed up late into the night and got up well before day light. She had stretched herself so thin with keeping house, cooking, spending time with the children and caring for Grace. She did not make time for Joshua. He had hurt her feelings on that Sunday afternoon and she was not going to ever let him have a chance to say she wasn't pulling her weight again.

It was a new Monday and Payton was washing windows. Hannah was at her side helping. Chatting away. Nate was toddling around the living room, Grace was on her belly on a pallet of blankets in the floor. She still couldn't raise her head while laying on her belly. She grunted a lot and her legs and arms were just rolls of fat. She still held her tongue outside of her mouth most of the time but her eyes did focus on things now. It took her a while to focus on one particular thing but she would focus and Payton thought she might be trying to smile at them at times. Mainly it was at Hannah but the little girl spent hours holding the baby and talking to her. She would lie in the floor next to her and show her toys. It was very sweet.

Tommy had taken to staying close to Joshua and he was showing him the ins and outs of farming. Tommy had even pulled the plow once. It wasn't but a foot but he was so proud of himself that no one could bring themselves to say anything. They all just cheered him on. Doris continued to come over but mostly to visit. She offered her help but Payton refused it. So instead Doris would spend time playing with Nate or holding Grace or listening to Hannah's stories. Payton was thankful for the help with the children but she was very careful not to ask for help. Doris always put on a pot of tea or coffee when she came over and would pour Payton a cup. "Sit down and have a cup with me." she would say and now Payton had come to depend on her "tea time" with Doris. It was the only time she sat down and didn't try to DO anything. Well, except nurse Grace sometimes.

Today was one of those days. Grace was starting to get fussy on the floor. She had learned to turn her head on the blankets but not enough to not bury her face in the blankets. She would get mad and start snoring and crying before it turned into a full scream Payton would try to get to her and turn her head back to the side. She always patted her bottom and sang softly to her. It seemed to calm her. Payton looked up from doing this once to see Doris making her way into the sitting room. "Hello, Doris." Payton said with a smile.

She and Doris had become friends since Payton no longer felt threatened by her. But, as she and Doris became closer and enjoyed one anther's company; she and her husband were drifting farther and farther apart. Payton didn't speak to him unless he spoke to her. She would inform him if Grace had accomplished something new or one of the children asked her to fill him in on a story from their day but otherwise she didn't speak to him. He tried. He would tell her about the fields and plants. He talked about the weather and the children. Animals and church. Their friends in town and even inquired if she was going to send a letter to her family anytime soon. To which she replied, "I don't really have time to pen a letter, Joshua. I stay quite busy and besides I have nothing to write about. If something happens or if I find spare time, which I doubt I will, I'll try to pen a letter to them. Let them know we are safe. Will that be okay?"

Joshua would get angry when she spoke to him like this. Usually he would quit eating and leave the table. Payton would be alone with her children and she didn't mind it one bit, either.

Today Doris had put on a pot of tea. "I had nothing to do this morning so I made some short bread. I brought it over. Just out of the oven...." she said with a smile.