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.
************
Doris opened the door to Joshua and smiled.
"Oh, what a nice surprise!" she said. "Come on in. I'll fix you a cup of coffee and I have some fresh cookies too... Come on back to the kitchen." she told him.
Joshua followed and watched Doris as she limped down the hall. Her back was hunched forward and she looked like she was in pain as she walked.
"Doris, you're limping." he said
"Oh, I know. This ol' hip likes to give me trouble in this cold weather." she told him.
"Doris its spring, nearly summer out."
"Oh, this hip doesn't seem to know that.... I try telling it. My back to..." she laughed, "But they both seem to think that I don't know the seasons when they are changing." She stood at the table. "Well, sit down. Let me get you that coffee and a cookie or two." she laughed and slapped his shoulder when he sat down. "I'm so glad you've dropped by. How's Payton and the children?"
"They are all good. Trying to get her garden in. I'm working on the crops now. But I needed some more seed so I had to make a trip to town."
"I'm surprised you got away with out little Tommy tagging along." she said as she placed a plate heaped full of cookies on the table and handed him a hot mug. She took the seat across from him.
"Oh, I left him in charge of milking the cow, feeding the chickens and goat." he told her. "he's old enough to take on some chores. Gives him a sense of accomplishment too."
"Right, right." she said shaking her head.
"I've dropped by with something on my mind today, Doris." he said clearing his throat.
"Oh. Well, speak up. I hope there's not a problem but I'll help you any way I can."
"Well, I've come to ask you a question."
"Me? Well, come on with it. Don't dance around it." she told him.
"Payton and I are building a new house. you know that..."
"Yes."
"And our cabin is going to be empty. It needs a few updates but is still in very good condition and we were wondering if you would like to come out to the farm and live with us. You can stay in the cabin and have your own house. But if you want to take meals with us you can. I just thought....."
"Oh, Praise be to God!" she said raising her hands up in the air. "Praise be to God. He has answered my prayers!"
"What?"
"Oh, Joshua," she said grasping his hand from across the table. "I have prayed that God would let me know where I belong. Last week, Nick told me that a new preacher was found. He and his family will be here in a month. I just have felt so lost. When Patrick was alive.... Well, I knew where I fit in. I was the preacher's wife. I had a purpose. People came to me for all sorts of things and I didn't mind one bit. Now though... Now I just seem to be the poor old widow... I don't like it. People are always looking at me with sad eyes and asking if they can help me." she looked at him and smiled "Don't get me wrong. I am happy that so many want to help me but it seems that they forgot that they once came to me for help instead of offering it to me..." she clicked her tongue. "Oh, I don't know. Call me having a pity party I don't know." she looked around the house. "This house has been home for so long but it just seems so big and lonely without my Patrick here to help fill it up. And no one will come over and eat with me anymore, they've all got this silly notion in their minds that I can't afford to feed them. I try and tell them that God has blessed my garden the same as every year before..."
"Doris you know we're in a drought..."
"Oh, I know that, Joshua. I'm not stupid!" she grumbled. "I don't care I just haven't felt like I belonged here. I prayed God would help me know what I needed to do. If I was needed somewhere he would let me know... And here you are at my door, telling me you want me to come live on your farm."
Joshua suddenly turned pale. "Oh, Doris you don't think... Payton..." He found it hard to breathe, "The baby.... you don't think she'll...."
"OH no, honey!" Doris said quickly, "I just think she's going to have her hands full with four little ones. I know Tommy will start school soon..."
"It's going to be another two years. We've decided to wait till he's seven to send him."
"Very good. very good." she said bobbing her head up and down. "But she'll have her plate full with the new house and all the children. I think she's going to need an extra set of hands around..." She looked down at her own hands. "Even if they are a set of old, wrinkled, crippled looking hands."
Joshua took her hands in his, "They are some of the most beautiful hands I've ever seen!"
They both laughed. Doris had tears in her eyes as she stood and walked around the table. She took him in her arms.
"Me and you, Joshua.... God knew I needed a son to mother and you needed some mothering! How wonderful that he put us together." She held him close.
Joshua felt tears prick his eyes. "Doris you'll never understand how much you mean to me..."
"Oh, but I do! You mean that much to me to. Blood isn't what makes a family and you know that all to well, son."
Joshua found he couldn't speak so instead he listened to Doris as she went back to her seat and started making a list of things to do before she could move out to the farm. His farm.
Joshua hugged her before he left.
"As soon as we are settled in the house and I make the adjustments to the cabin you are welcome to come when you want."
"I hope it all comes together before the baby comes. I would like to be close after she gives birth. That's when she'll need someone the most."
Joshua sighed, a weight lifting off his chest. "Payton was scared you wouldn't want to leave this nice home you have here..."
Doris placed a hand on her hip, "Son, when you get as old as me you realize that these fleshly things are nice but having someone who loves you close by is worth so much more."
*******
Payton now stood on the porch of the cabin looking over to her new, grand home. It was beautiful and she couldn't imagine how amazing it would look when Joshua finished it. He told her he planned on painting the whole outside white. He had plans to put a little garden in the front yard and one in the back. Joshua said he saw a house once that had only flowers planted inside the front yard. He said it was beautiful and dreamed of having that one day for his wife. He said it was before he and Eliza were even courting. So it wasn't a plan he had made for her. Just to assure Payton it was something he just wanted. Payton had laughed wondering where he would find seeds for all these wonderful flowers he wanted to surround their house.
She was so excited. Joshua had told her he planned on moving their beds and table and chairs and her rocker over today. Malissia and James were going to come over after lunch and and would help. Then he and James would go to town and fetch Doris and all of her belongings. Payton was both excited to see her friend Malissia again and to have Doris only a few yards away from her. Especially with her baby so close to coming. She rubbed her back and then her belly. She had been having back aches for a week now and she knew that was a sign that her time was close.
She started toward the house with an arm load of quilts. Tommy came running toward her, followed by Hannah.
"What can we get momma?" Tommy asked. He had taken to calling her momma instead of Ma. She wasn't sure if she liked it or not.
"You can both grab a pan, each. I set them on the table, but please try and be quiet. Your brother is still sleeping and I don't want him up yet. I'm going to check on these dumplings cooking on the stove at the new house."
She smiled as she said it. Joshua had bought her a brand new cooking stove and it was quite the dandy. It had four burners and even a nice size oven. It wasn't a pot bellied stove like she was used to. Also, come winter they would each have their own fireplaces to keep them warm. She was so excited to have her own bedroom to share with Joshua. There was a connecting door but only for Nate and the new baby. When Nate got older he would move to a room with Tommy and depending on weather this baby was a boy or girl it would eventually make its way to a room with either the boys or Hannah. For now though, Tommy and Hannah would continue to share a bed. They didn't have enough beds for each room yet.
Hannah was sure that God was going to send her a sister. She had been praying for a sister since the day they told her that God was going to give them a new baby. Tommy hoped for another brother. He thought they needed several more brothers in the family. Joshua agreed that another boy would be nice to help on the farm later. Yet weather it be a girl or boy he would just be happy with either one as long as it was healthy and so was Payton. He was ready for it to all be done with, or so he thought...