Piper, Once & Again by Caroline E. Zani

Author:Caroline E. Zani [Zani, Caroline E.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: BluA
ISBN: 9781942545118
Publisher: Wyatt-MacKenzie
Published: 2016-07-10T23:00:00+00:00

AS THE MONTHS PASSED and her belly swelled, Piper felt more and more content and settled into her life with Vander. With the harvest of wheat, squash, onions, garlic, and corn having been put up in the lofts and the surplus sold in the village of their youth, and with winter quickly approaching, they were finally able to spend more time together getting ready for the arrival of their first child. Piper calculated that they would officially be parents by the middle of April. Her father visited more often now, knowing that his daughter was happy and content and that Vander was the husband he had promised to be.

On one visit during late autumn, Piper’s father came to help Vander build a cradle for his first grandchild. As he stepped through the door for the first time in over a month, he looked at Piper with pure love and admiration. She looked at him sheepishly, but when she saw the expression on his face, she hurried into his open arms. She drew a deep breath and smelled the wood shavings that seemed to always be a part of her father.

“I missed you so much, Père. Next time you come here, please make sure Marek comes with you.”

He looked down at his only daughter and smiled. “I can’t believe you are going to be a mother soon. Your mother would …” His voice caught in his throat but then he continued. “A father couldn’t be more proud.” He looked at Vander and nodded his silent approval.

“Hello, Père,” Vander said and quickly came to shake his hand. Piper stepped back and looked at the two men her heart adored. She didn’t think she could feel safer or more loved than she did with her father and husband standing there in her house. She imagined the only thing better would be to have her mother and Marek here with them.

Her father spoke up. “How did your harvest look, Vander?”

“Very strong, and, God willing, next year will be as good.”

His father-in-law nodded. “Yes, God willing and only if.” He clapped Vander on the back. “Let’s get to work. Your child will need a place to sleep soon.” And with that they walked out toward the barn.

Piper watched through the small window near her hearth as they stepped through the gate into the stable yard, and her breath caught in her throat as her father scooped up one of the barn kittens and nuzzled it. She couldn’t remember her father ever seeming happy since her mother had passed from this life. She was glad to see him smile, relax, and be excited about his grandchild. She turned back to the vegetables she had been washing and cutting for the stew they would have for their evening meal. She carefully finished cutting the potatoes, carrots, and leeks, and tossed them into the cast iron pot on her stove top. To it, she added the large pieces of salted beef her father had brought from the market and a little black pepper.

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