All Waiting Is Long by Barbara J. Taylor

Author:Barbara J. Taylor
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: ebook, book
Publisher: Akashic Books
Published: 2016-05-10T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter nineteen

SITTING AT THE KITCHEN TABLE, Tommy waited for the coffee to percolate. He’d known Violet all her life, and in that time, he’d only ever seen her drink tea, but now, as he looked forward to their first breakfast together as man and wife, he doubted himself. Did she like coffee? He couldn’t say for sure. Just in case, he’d made a full pot, knowing his mother would have something to say if a drop of it went to waste. “Times are tight,” she’d scold. Well, he’d drink the whole damn pot before he’d let her say her piece, this morning of all mornings. And in front of his new bride, no less. Just let his mother try.

Tommy went to the stove with one of the cups and saucers that had been laid out. His mother always set the breakfast table the night before, and glancing back, he noticed the four place settings for the first time. Guilt replaced the annoyance he’d managed to conjure. She’d wanted Violet and Daisy to feel at home.

What’s got into me? He poured his coffee, shuffled across the room, and propped open the back door. The earthy smell of night lingered in the predawn air, refreshing his stale lungs. Sunday. His body couldn’t tell the difference between a day of rest and one of labor. Although he couldn’t see the Morgans’ kitchen from where he stood, he knew that Owen, as sick as he was, would also be awake. Like the constant trickle of water on stone, routine eventually cut a groove into a man.

Fortunately, Tommy had come to appreciate the solitude before the day broke on Sunday mornings. It gave him time to sort his own thoughts before folks tried to fill his head with theirs. Church in a few hours—that was the most immediate worry. It would be Violet’s first time back at regular service since she’d come home with Daisy. Please, Lord. Let her get through this day without a fuss. She never lets on, but just the same, I know it would mean the world to her.

He closed his eyes, remembering how right she felt in his arms when she’d finally fallen asleep. After he’d unraveled the secret of Daisy, they’d talked for a considerable part of the night. He understood why she’d claimed the child, though he felt her actions had far exceeded the limits of sacrifice. And while he admired her decision, he also despised it, but he couldn’t explain why; not fully. Perhaps he hated to see her paying for someone else’s sin.

The matter had been resolved, so why did he still feel out of sorts? Tommy stood shivering at the door. Last night’s chilled air had carried into morning. The day would warm up, but with October almost half over, he knew to appreciate the last of the temperate weather. Soon enough, the cold would have its way.

“You’ll catch your death.” Violet cinched the corded belt on her gray wool robe, covering the cotton gown underneath.

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