Katie blushed furiously and disappeared again.
"And who diapered him?" Tess asked.
Savannah chewed on her lower lip. "I?I did. But if you want, I can do it a?"
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"You did a perfect job. Thank you."
Blood rushed to Savannah's milky white cheeks. "I gotta go." Turning quickly, she raced out of the room, with Katie fast on her heels.
Jack stared at Tess with an inscrutable expression. She couldn't tell if he was pleased or angry. Time stretched out, turned thick and uneasy. She wanted to speak, but couldn't think of what to say. The fiasco of the finger pointing had proved to Tess what an emotional minefield this family was. A person could say the wrong thing
and get her head blown off.
The silence made Tess distinctly uncomfortable. She'd spent years?a lifetime?living in aching silence. It was something she'd never do again.
"Jack, I?"
"Don't worry, I'm leaving." He spun on his heels and barreled for the door.
It slammed shut just as Tess said, "?think we should
talk."
She stared at the door for a while, feeling strangely betrayed. Then, with a resigned sigh, she melted deeper into the pillows and closed her eyes. The unfamiliar scents of weathered wood, hand-washed cotton, and burning oil wreathed her senses. Sounds reached her ears and made her smile; soft, quiet noises that most people probably wouldn't notice. Creaking, settling boards, wind tapping against the windowpane, Caleb's steady breathing. To Tess, deaf since the age of seven, these sounds were a glorious explosion. A gift from God.
"Okay, Carol," she said quietly. "I'm here. I accept that. But what the hell am I supposed to do?"
There was no answer; she hadn't expected one. As usual, Tess was on her own.
She rocked Caleb gently back and forth until he fell
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asleep, then she peeled back the covers and started to get out of bed.
Pain stopped her cold, reminding her forcibly that her body had just given birth. Slowing considerably, she shuffled toward the cradle and gingerly put the sleeping baby to bed.
Straightening, she pressed a fist to her aching back and turned around. The mirror winked at her, drew her. She moved cautiously toward the looking glass, feeling very much like Alice.
What she saw made her breath catch. Silky, cornsilk-blond hair wreathed an exquisite Grace Kelly face. Huge, liquid-soft brown eyes peered questioningly back at her.
She shook her head in amazement, mesmerized by the way the light caught and tangled in her long, golden hair. "Whew, when God gives you a second chance, He means it," she said in a smooth southern drawl.
Hobbling back to the bed, she snuggled under the heavy quilt. For the first time in her life, she went to sleep thinking she was beautiful.
Chapter Four
A loud crash woke Tess.
Groggy, disoriented, she wedged her elbows behind her and struggled to get up. It took her a minute to remember where she was. When she was. She shot a quick glance at the cradle. Caleb was sleeping peacefully.
Relieved, she surveyed the room through bleary eyes. Nothing seemed to be different or disturbed?although she couldn't be sure. Pale moonlight came through the silvered windowpane, but otherwise the room was dark and still.
She shoved the quilt back and sat up. At the movement, pain wrenched her abdomen, shot down her thighs. It took all her strength of will not to flop back into the pillows like a dead fish.
She squeezed her eyes shut, concentrating on each breath until the blazing hurt ebbed into a dull, manageable ache. Then she swung her stockinged feet over the edge of her bed. Cool evening air skipped along her flesh, bringing a flurry of goose bumps. Shivering, she limped slowly toward the door.