Mary Holder - Second Chance Mom

She was everything a man could want in a wife. Sweet and gentle, intelligent and caring. And there was a kindness about her that was as genuine as she was. Yes, she had a past but so did he, and Jared had no doubt that her past had molded her into the woman she was as much as his had molded him.

Jared ate dinner, glancing at Caroline now and again and listening as Annie and his parents kept the conversation going. Even Luke listened intently to what was being said and every now and then he would ask Annie a question. Caroline preferred to eat her dinner in silence.

He remembered how wary she had been of everyone when Sara and James had first brought her home. The changes had been achingly slow, but each one had been celebrated.

Patience and love had brought Caroline through the nightmares and out of the darkness into the sunshine where little girls belonged.

Jared recalled the first time she had hugged him voluntarily. Up until that day she had always tensed when someone—anyone—hugged her.

Luke had been so different. He had thrived in the attention from a loving family. He was an affectionate child at heart and would warm to anyone.

And Toby, well, Jared loved them all, but the baby had taught him a lot about what it took to be a parent, even a fill-in guardian.

Annie would work at developing a relationship with Caroline…it was just her nature. He could tell Luke had already befriended her the way they talked about adventures they had yet to have.

But he wanted to see her with Toby. He was so young and confused by the sudden loss of his parents. There was something about Annie that told him she would be a good mother.

He wondered how much of that shy little girl still lived within Annie. Did she remember the times when his mother had taken out homemade pies and casseroles to her house, trying to make sure she had something in her belly before bedtime?

Jared remembered. He remembered going out to that dingy old house with his mother, seeing the sad little girl sitting on the broken porch steps in grubby clothes and shoes that were falling apart. He remembered walking into this house and seeing her sitting with Sara, the two of them pouring over a book or some project. He remembered with a smile the day his mother had bought her a brand-new dress to wear to a mentor meeting with Sara.

The tears welling in her eyes didn’t start to fall until she saw the brand-new shoes to go with it. It was a credit to her that she had survived and become the person sitting here with his family now.

Mick said something funny and they all laughed. Jared found he liked the sound of her laughter. In fact he hadn’t yet found anything he didn’t like about Annie.

These children were relying on him to do what was best for them all. He felt it very strongly that Annie would fit in here.

He had prayed over his decision to take a wife for reasons other than love. He had prayed and he had found a peace with his decision to go ahead with his plan. He knew of marriages that were based on nothing but passion or, worse still, monetary gain. How could a marriage based on friendship and family be wrong?

Jared knew in his heart that Sara would approve.

“You got quiet all of a sudden, son.”

He was dragged back to the present in time to see that Annie and his mother had cleared the table. All except his plate.

“Just thinking, Dad.”

Annie almost dropped the plate in her hands when a fussing noise came from the other room. Eve dried her hands and left the kitchen.

Annie took a deep breath and she heard the woman come back in. “You finally get to meet the youngest member of Sara’s brood.”

Time had never stood still for her. Not when her mother had screamed in anger and sent her to bed hungry. Not even when the welfare people had come and put her into temporary foster care until her mother dried out. But now time stopped.

She had counted every day since his birth. Standing there in the Campbell kitchen, her heart hammering like a runaway freight train, she stared into the beautiful face of the little boy who had changed her life.

Annie couldn’t help the smile that touched her lips. The beating of her heart was no longer a thundering cadence.

His hair was a deep brown and he was dressed much like his brother and sister, in blue jeans and a T-shirt. He wore socks but not shoes. Annie reached out and took one of his little hands in hers, wiggling it gently. “Hello, Toby.”

For all intents and purposes this child was a stranger to her. Yet she had carried him inside her. She had given him life. But it was Sara and James who had shaped him into the little boy he was. Toby eventually giggled and in shyness pulled his hand back.

Eve put him on the floor and on wobbly legs he ran to his grandfather. Mick picked him up and set him on his knee.

“I swear, this boy gets bigger every day. He’ll keep you on your toes this weekend, Annie.”

She returned to helping Eve clear dishes, unable to stop from stealing glances at Toby now and then. “I’m looking forward to it.”

“Grandma, may I be excused?”

Eve kissed the top of Caroline’s head, ignoring the cool tone of her voice. “Of course, dear. You and Luke can go watch television if you like.”

The girl slid off the chair, pushing it in. “Are you coming, Toby?”

Instantly the boy wriggled down off his grandpa’s knee and chased after his siblings as they disappeared into the living room.

In less than a minute, Annie heard the distinctive introduction for one of the more popular cartoon channels.

“I’m sorry about Caroline.”

“Jared, it’s okay. We both knew she was going to have a tough time with this.”

Mick sat back in his chair and sipped his coffee. “We really appreciate what you’re offering to do, Annie.”

“I appreciate the chance Jared is giving me to have a family to care for and a place to belong.”

“It must have been very lonely for you in the city,” said Eve, coming to sit beside her husband, her eyes as soft as her smile. “I often wondered about you.”

Annie couldn’t remember a time when she hadn’t been lonely. Even with Chris in her life she had felt alone—deep inside where nobody ever saw. “I learned a lot about inner strength and I learned to rely on my faith.”

“Would you like to come to church on Sunday? Jared always brings the children.”

Annie nodded. “I’d like that very much.”

The older woman smiled back. “I think it’s time for some homemade peach pie.”

The rest of the evening was enjoyable for Jared. He talked with his dad about crops while Annie helped his mother. In the back of his mind, worries persisted about Caroline but he hoped her fears could be worked through with time and love.

Annie fit in well here. His parents liked her, that was plain to see. Jared could imagine her back at the homestead, working in the kitchen, helping the children with their baths and homework.

He could imagine coming home every evening to the aroma of a home-cooked meal, without having to come in from the fields and throw something together.

His mother often came over and surprised him with something in the oven, and it usually lasted a few days but he had tried to be self-sufficient to a point.

When family services had started reviewing Caroline and Luke’s placement, Jared had prayed for help. God had worked through Lewis and had found him Annie. He knew a lot of women these days wanted careers outside the home and if that made them happy he had no problem with it.

But it made him smile to think there were still some women out there who wanted to take care of a family. He knew some men dismissed it as an easy job. Jared had never made that mistake. Watching his mother raise two children, keep the house running smoothly and pay the bills while making ends meet had taught him about love and family.