Raising Rain by Debbie Fuller Thomas

Author:Debbie Fuller Thomas
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Moody Publishers

January 12, 1971

“Where have you been?” Bebe demanded over Rain’s angry cries as Jude came in, chilling the house with a blast of cold air. Rain had turned a bright shade of red from crying and her tiny hands were clenched into fists. “She’s been screaming for an hour,” Bebe shouted, bouncing the infant in an attempt to quiet her. “We’re completely out of formula.”

“Aw, sweet baby,” Jude said, cooing and smiling, and shrugging out of her coat. She scooped Rain from Bebe’s arms and handed Bebe a grocery sack, saying, “Here.” Jude cuddled the baby and rubbed her nose against Rain’s cheek. The fretful baby quieted to a whimper at her mother’s voice and rooted toward Jude’s face, but immediately gained a second wind.

Bebe took the sack into the kitchen and prepared the formula while Rain cried, and Jude sang to her. When Bebe finally had the bottle of formula ready, Rain hungrily gulped it, alternately hiccupping and sucking.

“Where were you, Jude?” Bebe asked again. “If you knew we were out of formula, there’s no excuse for coming back so late.”

“I had a little errand to run,” she said, rubbing Rain’s tiny fingers that grasped her large one. “Something big. And I know I was a bad mother, but you’ll understand when you hear about it.”

“So what was more important than a hungry baby? Mare and Toni are gone, and I couldn’t very well push the stroller down to Julio’s in the dark with Rain screaming the whole way.”

“Can’t tell you.” Her green eyes flashed and she grinned. “You’ll hear soon enough.”

“I hope it was worth it to poor Rain.” Bebe huffed and went to her room. She wanted to slam the door, but it might have disturbed the baby, so she put on her Abbey Road album and plopped down on her bed with her economics book. The class syllabus said they were having a quiz the next day, and she had lost an hour of study trying to soothe Rain. As she began reviewing her notes, she heard a commotion outside in the streets. A fire truck raced by, rattling the windows, startling Rain into crying again.

Bebe went out to the front room and found Jude standing by the picture window rocking side-to-side with Rain contentedly draining her bottle. Jude’s attention was not on the baby, but what was happening outside. Students ran past and turned the corner at San Rey, but Jude watched, detached, as though she was not surprised or alarmed, or even curious.

Bebe grabbed her coat and slid her arms into it. “What’s going on?” she asked, flipping her long hair out of her collar. Something between excitement and fear flickered in Jude’s face before she turned her back to the window, rubbing her cheek against Rain’s head.

“Don’t know. Maybe somebody pulled the fire alarm,” Jude said casually.

Bebe went out into the street and headed toward the Commons with a group of students that grew like a spreading stain onto the campus. Bebe caught up with Kevin from her biology class.

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