In This Wood by Megan Payne

Author:Megan Payne
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: family, juvenile, christian fiction, middle grade, sibling rivalry, woodworking, estranged parents
Publisher: Sunlight Books

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We headed to the back entryway, a little wood-paneled room to dump off hats and coats when coming in from the hilly yard behind our house. Aisha used the room for just that, dumping off all the clothes she should have discarded in the front entryway.

"Missed you," she said in a muffled voice while tossing off a thick, heavy scarf. She shook out her long, long hair. "Did not miss the snow."

I laughed. "So, what have you been doing?"

"Wondering when my father would come and see Uncle Jeremy again. Why wait all year? They are best friends." Her dark eyes flickered with real confusion, but it seemed only funny to me, her lack of understanding.

I leaned back on my hands as Aisha sat down beside me on the wooden floor. "Oh, I don’t know, Aisha. You only live half a country away." And we did spend the last Christmas in New Zealand.

"So?" She pulled her silky black hair back off her shoulders with her hands. "It's not so far. Only two days journey here."

I shook my head. "In your world, you still make treks. In my world, two hours is far away."

Aisha shrugged. "In your world, you also take time to make all your furniture. So you help Uncle Jeremy now?" she prodded.

I nodded but said nothing. I wasn’t much of a help, more a learner. But I loved to learn.

"Do you know what they do together in there?"

"No. Why would I?"

"Because you work in there? You could find out."

I thought about that. I didn’t really know. Whenever Dad and Uncle Treyen headed out to the workshop, I usually considered that private time. But I did work there now. Maybe I wouldn’t be turned away.

I hopped up and headed for the shop. When I opened the door, they looked up, but they didn’t send me out.

"You’re making this yourself?" Uncle Treyen held up the box for Angelina.

I shook my head and pointed at Dad. "He’s teaching me."

Uncle Treyen nodded.

Dad waved him over to his workbench and reached up on the shelf behind it. My gaze followed his hands. He was pulling down the music box, that beautiful, mysterious box that he had yet to deliver or send.

Uncle Treyen examined it closely. He nodded. "This is good," he said quietly and brushed his fingers against the forest trees on top. "Reminds me of home."

Dad nodded.

Uncle Treyen looked up. They seemed to be talking together with their eyes.

I looked back and forth between the two of them. My eyes stopped moving on Dad. He was studying the music box lightly. "Who’s it for?" I finally asked. I had been wanting to ask for forever.

Both men were looking at me now. Uncle Treyen raised his eyebrows at me, then looked back over at my dad.

"So, you haven’t brought her in on the business aspect too much yet, have you?"

Dad shook his head. "But this isn’t business." He reached up and put the music box back on the shelf.

Uncle Treyen and I exchanged looks. Something mysterious was going on with that box.

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