“How old is the baby, then?”
Gary had to do a quick calculation in his head. “I believe she’s over a month but not two months.”
“So say six weeks?” The young mother took a pair of glasses off the top of her head and put them on.
Embarrassed. “Yes, say six weeks.”
She scanned the shelves. “These should fit,” she said, and took a package off the shelf. “They’d fit my daughter, but I use cloth diapers.”
Gary took three more of the same packages. “Um, would you mind showing me what clothes . . .” He consulted his list, “Onesies, I see they’re called, would be likely to fit?”
“Those are right over there. It’s hot right now, though. You might want to get her something cooler, like this, too,” she said, leading him to a circular rack, rifling through some outfits and lifting out a hung-up pink sun suit. “Do you need other supplies, like baby wipes and shampoo? Does the mother have anything?”
“Uh. I don’t really know. Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to get a few things.”
“Well, you probably want some cream in case there’s any diaper rash. They sell a layette kit. Maybe that’s your best bet. See that display over there?” The woman’s baby was starting to fuss now. He watched how she soothed her.
“I’ll get the kit, good idea. Thank you so much for your help, and God bless you,” he said, so she’d know she could be done with helping him.
Gary did buy the layette kit, onesies, two receiving blankets, a baby bathtub, a couple of rattles, Baby’s First Book, and two of the cooler outfits the woman had suggested. It would all go to Rosalina. It was her baby, but he could help, he figured. It was what God wanted.
* * *
“Gary! You said a day. Why have you brought supplies for a month?” His mother was already going nuts and all he’d brought in was the formula and bottles. Ha. And she accused him of being over-the-top.
“Calm down, Mom. Jesus wants us to suffer the little children, remember? And this stuff is for Aunt CarolSue and you to use for a day or two until I find the mother and help her see God’s will. Then I’ll give it all to her, to help her. Okay?”
Aunt CarolSue came in behind him then, carrying a load from the van. “Sister! Wait till you see. I peeked in the bag of clothes and Gary got Gracie the cutest two sun suits. Frilly pink, and a yellow one with duckies.”
“Great, Merry Sunshine. That’s helpful. Do you see the amount of stuff he’s got? For two days? Do you see what’s going on here? I hope we can’t get arrested for this. Gus will—”
“Mom,” Gary interrupted then, although he’d been raised not to do that. “Absolutely forget calling Gus. This is a confidential church matter, between me and a person in need. Churches are protected sanctuaries.” He was relieved he’d thought of that just then.
His mother was taken aback, at least a little. “Two days maximum, son. Gus makes a social call here . . . occasionally.”
“I know. So? He takes you out to dinner,” Gary said. “If you can’t manage to wait a day or two, just meet him outside when he picks you up.”
His aunt CarolSue didn’t say anything, just put down the bag of clothes and went out to get another load. She was different from his mother and the other farm women around here, that was for sure—her streaky blond hair short around her face like something the wind blew, but it was a lucky wind. She wore matching clothes, nice ones, and nail polish, but she was the one to take his side. He didn’t have time to ponder that. Gary did not want to see his mother’s face when she got a load of the baby bathtub, so he went out after his aunt.
CarolSue
Ha! I thought, as I went back to the van and found, of all things, a full layette kit and a baby bathtub in the back. So Gary thinks Gus is taking his mother out to dinner occasionally. Well, the napping is none of his business, but this could be interesting. Could be amusing to stay here until he finds Gracie’s mother. Knowing Louisa, he’d better hop to it.
All I said to Gary was, “How old is she? I forgot to ask you before.”
“Six weeks.”
“Do you have a lead on her mother?”
“Please don’t say anything to Mom, please . . . ?”
I leaned on the van, grateful that this time he’d had the sense to park in the shade of one of the big old maples, though the air still felt sauna-like. Straight to his eyes, I said, “I won’t.”
“Not a one. But if you’ll watch the baby, I’ll go get on it right now.”
“I’ll handle things here. She seems healthy, and I know that now people feed babies when they’re hungry, not on a schedule, so that’s what we’ll do.”
He gave me a hug. I felt how hot he was, worry and upset seeping through his skin. “It’ll be okay, Gary, you can do this,” I said. “I know it’s important to you.”
“I didn’t do right by Cody,” he said, his eyes filling. “I carry that.”
I wasn’t sure what this had to do with Cody, but I said, “Gary, honey, we all do the best we can with what we know at the time. We can’t go back. Do the best you can now. It’s all we can do. Be brave and honest and do the best you can. Forgive yourself the rest.” I admit, I had no idea if this was the right thing to say.
He hugged me again and said, “I don’t know if I can. Okay, gotta go now. Thank you, Aunt CarolSue. I love you.”
“I love you too, honey. Call us later. I’m sure you’ll find Gracie’s mother.”
“It’s what God wants,” he said. But then he added, “It has to be.”
Puzzling over that one, I followed the stone path from the drive to the front door, carrying the layette kit and the bathtub. Louisa had opened another bag and found more baby things, including two rattles and a book. Predictably, when she saw me with the full layette kit and bathtub, she didn’t exactly stay calm.
“How about we have some special tea, Sister?” I suggested.
“I’ll make it,” she said. “Your version is anemic.”
“Yours masks the taste of the tea.”
“Exactly the point. What is Gary thinking bringing all this sh—”
“Language, Sister.”
“Mom is dead. Beth is the hen who is offended by language because she channels Mom, I swear, but Beth’s outside, hunting bugs, as any fool can plainly see. Marvelle doesn’t care, and Jessie doesn’t know the difference. Rosie, well, everyone knows goats swear like soldiers, so if Rosie was here she’d appreciate it, but she’s eating the weeds by the barn.” Louisa ranted on while she put the kettle on and got out the Wild Turkey, tea bags, and a jar of honey. “Yes, Marvelle, if you’re good, you get a bit too,” she added. “None of which has anything to do with Gary bringing all this shit here like the baby will be here for a month, not one day.”
“Or two days.” I slipped that in. Jessie thumped her tail at that, which I took as support. Pretty soon I’d be dragging the chickens in to bolster my arguments. I winked at Jessie, who appreciates my sense of humor.
“That’s the maximum.”
“I agree,” I said to mollify her. “We can’t be doing anything crazy, but you know, Gary is trying to do a good thing, Sister.”
“Isn’t he always. Let’s get this tea before she wakes up. And where are we going to put all this stuff? I wasn’t about to say anything to Gary, but what if Gus drops by? Gary would be furious, but Gus would have found out on his