Francine Rivers - Her Daughter’s Dream

“It’s probably true, Mitch,” Mom said quietly. “Dad will do better if Dawn is here. But she has two more weeks of school. I’m not leaving her now.”

“That’ll be fine.” Granny smiled, relieved. She hugged Dawn against her side. “We’ll have all summer together.”

“One month, Mom. Not the whole summer.”

“What about the county fair?”

Mom turned to Dawn. She held her gaze for the first time in months. “One month or the whole summer, Dawn?”

Mitch interrupted. “Your little brother or sister is expected the middle of July. Remember?”

“I…” Dawn looked from Mom to Granny and then at Mitch. “Um…” She felt pulled and torn. “I…” She wanted to cry. No matter what she decided, someone would be hurt and upset.

“One month,” Mitch decided. He smiled at Granny. “I’ll miss her too much. She can come home the end of June and stay until the baby comes. Then she can make up her mind about the rest of the summer. Is that agreeable to everyone?” He looked to Mom to answer. She nodded.

Granny harrumphed. “I guess I don’t have anything to say about it.”

Papa spoke from the doorway. “I think you’ve had too much say already.”

Dawn enjoyed her time with Granny and Papa, but was ready to go home by the end of June. Mitch drove down to get her. Her friends had been calling. When she asked how Mom was doing, he said, “Bursting at the seams.”

She settled in again and spent hours on the telephone with Torie and Tiffany. She swam every day. She rode double on Torie’s horse. Mom vetoed any idea of having one of her own. “I just can’t imagine you mucking out a stable…”

“Dawn!” Mitch awakened her in the middle of the night. “Baby’s coming. Up and at it, sugar. I’ve already called Tiff’s folks. They’re expecting us.” He dropped her off on the way to the hospital, Mom huffing and puffing and saying they’d better hurry.

Two days later, Tiffany’s mom brought her home. Dawn charged into the house, dumped her duffel bag. “I’m home! Where are you?”

Mitch appeared at the master room door, finger to his lips. Mom sat in a new rocking chair by the windows, holding the most adorable creature Dawn had ever seen.

“May Flower Dawn, meet your brother, Christopher Charles Hastings.” Dawn had never seen that look on her mother’s face. She was enraptured, in love, her lips curved in a soft smile. She held the baby so close, as though he were the most precious human on the planet.

Mitch put his hands on Dawn’s shoulders. “So? What do you think of your baby brother?”

She looked at the baby again, her mouth wobbling. “He’s so cute.” She stepped forward. “Can I hold him?”

Mom seemed slightly alarmed at the idea. “Not yet. In a few days. We’ll see.” She studied Dawn’s face and looked relieved. Gazing down again, she ran a tender finger along the baby’s smooth cheek. “I think your sister likes you.” His tiny mouth worked.

“Uh-oh.” Mitch laughed. “He’s hungry again.” He ushered Dawn out of the room so her mother could nurse the baby.

Dawn decided not to go back to Paxtown. She wanted to stay in Alexander Valley with Mom, Mitch, and her new baby brother. Christopher fascinated her. He had the cutest little ears, and he was so soft. She loved when he grasped her finger, holding on tight. Mitch let her hold him once, but Mom took him back after a few minutes.

Once, she snuck into the master bedroom to watch him sleeping in his crib. She touched his hand and watched him start, his fingers opening wide, then closing on her thumb. Leaning down, she kissed his forehead. He even smelled good.

Granny and Papa came at the end of August. Mom didn’t hand Christopher over to Granny, not even for a minute. She did let Papa hold him once. When Mom placed Christopher in his arms, Dawn watched his face soften.

Mom smiled. “I need to step out for a few minutes. Are you going to be okay alone with him?” He nodded, gaze fixed on his grandson.

Tears ran down his face as he cupped Christopher’s head and leaned down to kiss him. “You look just like Charlie…”

Granny and Papa came up for Thanksgiving and stayed four days. Mom didn’t relax until they left. Mitch invited them back for Christmas. Mom invited Oma, too, but she said Aunt Cloe had already insisted she come to Hollywood. Dawn overheard Mom talking to Mitch in the kitchen. “Something’s wrong, but she won’t say what.”

Over Christmas Eve dinner, Papa announced he’d put in for retirement. He figured it was about time. He didn’t want to have another heart attack. Besides, the law was now working against police officers. Arrest a criminal and the courts would let him loose.

“We’ve been thinking about moving,” Granny said.

“Moving?” Dawn gaped. “But you love Paxtown!”

“Well, of course we do, but we love our family more. We only get to see you a couple of times a year.”

That wasn’t true. They came to visit for every holiday, and Dawn spent time with them every time she had a school break.

Mom set her knife and fork down. “What about Oma?”

“We invited her to come with us.” Granny sawed at a tender slice of turkey like it was shoe leather. “She said no.”

Papa put his hand on Granny’s wrist. “I told you not to bring it up, Hildie.” He faced Mom. “We haven’t made a final decision yet. We wanted to ask if it would be all right with you if we moved closer.”

Dawn couldn’t bear the look on Granny’s face. “That’d be great, Mom! Wouldn’t it?” Say something! Mom opened her mouth, but no words came.

Mitch spoke. “It’d be great to have you two closer. You’re the last set of parents I have.”

“Thanks, Mitch,” Papa said. Granny relaxed a little. Papa glanced at her, his face softening. Then he looked at Mom. “We’ve missed you more than you know, Carolyn.”

Mom winced. Dawn jumped in again to break the tension. “You could live right next door!”

Papa laughed. “Sorry, honey. We can’t afford this neighborhood.”

Granny’s shoulders relaxed. “Healdsburg seems like a nice little town.”

Christopher started to fuss in his high chair. Mom got up quickly and released him, lifting him in her arms and holding him closer while Papa talked.

“I was thinking of something a little farther out. We don’t want to park ourselves on your front doorstep.”

Mitch poured more sparkling cider. “Stay with us while you’re looking. We have plenty of room.”

When Dawn came into the kitchen the next morning, she found her mother sitting at the table, rubbing her forehead while she talked on the telephone. “I’d feel better if you were coming, too.” When she saw Dawn, she got up and took the portable phone into the family room. “We have plenty of room. You could live with us. Mitch would… Why not? Why would she care?”

Dawn knew Mom was talking to Oma. Pouring herself a bowl of cereal, she lingered and listened.

“Just think about it, Oma. Please?” Mom pleaded.

Dawn knew her mother loved Oma, but she didn’t know why. Granny stayed away from her, so Dawn did too.

Dear Rosie,

My daughter doesn’t know how to let go. She has decided to sell the big house and property (including my cottage) and move to Sonoma County. She would like it if she could live right next door to May Flower Dawn, though I think Trip will put his foot down over that. I’m not sure what I will do. I had hoped to live here for the rest of my life. I should have seen this coming when Trip put in for retirement.

I’m not sure where I will live now. Hildemara said I can come with them, but doing so might make it look like I approve. She doesn’t consider how this will affect Carolyn’s budding relationship with Dawn. In truth, I think Hildemara is a little jealous, though she would never admit it.