The question was asked so tenderly that Cathy couldn’t muster her usual offended response. Besides, if she wanted their help, it would come at the cost of her privacy.
“He was born with spina bifida.” She kept her voice even. “There were some other abnormalities of his hips, as well.”
Miz Callie made a small sound of distress. “He’s had surgery, has he?”
“Several times.” She had to swallow before she could keep going, remembering how painful those times had been. And how brave Jamie was. “He’s in good shape now, in comparison. The last specialist he saw seemed to think one more surgery might be all it takes for him to walk.”
“That’s good news, surely.” Miz Callie gave her a cautious sideways glance. “The father isn’t a part of his life?”
“He walked out when Jamie was a few weeks old.” She hated the sound of the bitterness in her voice. “Grandpa said he wasn’t the type to hang around, and he was right.”
“Not a thing I’d be glad to be right about,” Miz Callie observed.
It took a moment for that to register. But Miz Callie had hit the nail on the head. Grandpa had been perversely pleased to be proved right. She didn’t like thinking that.
“You have to understand,” she said hurriedly. “I let him and my grandmother down when I quit school to marry. My education was their dream.”
“It’s always dangerous to have specific dreams for your children and grandchildren. Life so often takes them in another direction. I find I have to count on the good Lord to get them to the place where they belong.”
Cathy found she was looking at Jamie, tracing the line of his cheeks, the feathery hair around his ears. “It’s hard not to want specific things for our children.”
“Hard, land, yes. We always want to be in control, don’t we? I keep reminding myself that God knows better than I do what’s good for them.”
“I’m afraid I haven’t been able to do that.” Her prayers were more in the nature of storming Heaven for answers.
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