Chapter Thirty
Eliza sat on the floorof the Archers’ sitting room with Katie, the Archer children, and Lydia, a quarter of an hour into what was likely to be a very long game of Duck, Duck, Goose. Ever since playing it at acéilíweeks earlier, both Lydia and little Sean wanted to play nothing else. Eliza and Katie had put them off all day with the promise of a game once the girls were home from school.
“Why do we have to play this every day, Mama?” Ivy asked, flopping around dramatically while still remaining in her spot in the circle. They usually played this game out of doors, but the weather was a bit too cold for comfort that day.
“The little ones enjoy it,” Katie answered, as calm as ever. “I’m full certain Emma played many games with you when you were younger that she’d’ve rather not.”
“Scads of them,” Emma said as she walked around the outside of the circle. She set her hand on Katie’s head. “Duck.” Then Sean’s. “Duck.”
Lydia bounced, watching her approach.
Emma paused and, with intentionally slow movement, moved her hand toward Lydia’s head. She pulled her eyes wide. Lydia giggled.
“Goose.”
For just a moment, Lydia didn’t remember what to do.
Eliza helped her to her feet. “Goose. Go.”
Lydia ran after Emma, her steps awkward and teetering but her face split in a broad grin. Good sport that she was, Emma made a show of running but didn’t move very fast at all. One of Lydia’s feet bumped into the other, and she toppled into a heap on the wood floor. Before anyone in the circle could react, Lydia was scooped up and set on her feet by Joseph Archer.
“Pompah!” Ivy was on her feet with all the speed of a young and limber child. She ran to her father and threw her arms around his legs. “Pompah!”
Emma rushed to him as well, her more subdued but equally sincere greeting characteristically different from her sister’s. Little Sean didn’t arrive quite as quickly, but neither did he hesitate. Joseph picked him up and held his son in one arm.
Katie stood a few paces off, watching her family. Joseph met her gaze. No one seeing them in that moment could ever doubt how deeply they loved each other.
“My Katie,” he said softly.
She closed the gap between them and was immediately enfolded in her husband’s embrace, their children pulled close as well.
Eliza took hold of Lydia’s hand and slipped from the room. The menfolk hadn’t been expected to return for another day or two. Their early arrival was, no doubt, a pleasant surprise for Joseph’s family.
She paused in the dining room a moment, her thoughts on those long-ago days when she had greetings such as that to look forward to; first, in her childhood family, then Terrence during their brief marriage. The regret and strain between them hadn’t made their marriage a miserable one. She missed the days when things had been good and happy between them. She missed having someone to greet, and someone to greet her. She missed having a family to come home to.
Lydia’s hand sat softly in hers, easing the sadness.
