Emma's Secret: A Novel

nurse; she’ll even cook up dinner if we ask nice enough. The three of us, we’ve been through hell and back together. Why not die together too?”
    Jack shook his head. “Who said anything about dying?”
    He’d already had that conversation with Dottie earlier. He wasn’t going anywhere. He had his little girl to take care of.
    “Then let us help you make sure you live long enough for her.”
    Jack hadn’t realized he’d spoken aloud.
    “Just think about it.”
    Jack grunted. He’d already made his decision.
    He pointed to a small rocking horse on the floor.
    “Stain is on the top shelf. Go with the dark stuff. If you’re sticking around, you might as well make yourself useful.”

CHAPTER TWELVE
    C hristmas Eve
    We’re snowed in. The tractor is broken, and Jack hasn’t been able to keep the lane clear during the heavy snowfall today. Thank goodness we don’t go anywhere for Christmas anymore.
    Our front yard is decorated with lumpy snowmen and tiny snow angels. Jack convinced me to put my knitting aside—I had just finished a dress for Emmie—and dragged me outside. We taught Emmie how to make snow angels and then Jack insisted on rolling mounds of snow together to make a snowman family. I swear my bones refuse to get warm now despite the blazing fire in front of me.
    In the months that Emmie has been with us, I’ve seen a change that warms my heart. She’s accepted us completely as her new family and rarely cries out at night for her mommy anymore. I still catch the moments when I know she’s thinking of the life she used to have, and I wonder what I could have done differently, but there’s no going back. No changing the past. What’s done is done, and I can’t let it eat me up.
    She is Mary’s daughter. I know she is. I have moments of doubt—that is common, I think. I never knew about Emmie until the day I saw her. So much from that day is a blur. There are so many things I question and wish I could remember, but one thing I know for sure is that I love this little girl more than anything.
    This is her first Christmas with us, and I think it will be wonderful.
    Jack loves all the cookies and squares that have filled the kitchen. Emmie is a natural baker and a good helper. I think she’ll like the matching aprons I made for her and me to wear while we are baking. Our freezer is full of containers of baked items for Jack to donate to the local churches. He was supposed to have done that today, but with the snowfall warning for the county, I’m glad he didn’t. The cookies can wait.
    This is the first Christmas in a long time when I’m actually looking forward to the day. Our tree is up and decorated, the lights are strung, and the giggles of a young child remind me of the days when Mary was a little girl.
    The only thing more perfect would be for Mary to be here as well. But there’s a snowman outside with her name on it, so that will have to do, as Jack says.

    Brewster’s Bakery was packed. All the tables and chairs were full of people sipping cappuccinos and eating the shop’s famous homemade pastries. Laurie spotted two seats left at the far counter and sidestepped through the packed house. Megan followed after her, but not before stopping to look at the plated desserts in the cooling case. There were two pieces of Jan’s homemade coconut cream pie left.
    Luckily, Jan was behind the counter and saw her looking at the pies. She pulled the pie plate out of the case and held it up. Jan’s petite frame made it seem like she never touched a single dessert in the store, but Megan knew otherwise and often wished for her metabolism. Regardless, it was Jan’s sweet tooth that made this shop what it was.
    “Two pieces, please. I’d be in the doghouse if Peter knew I had a piece of your pie and didn’t bring him one.” She smiled, knowing Peter often teased that he should have married Jan when he had the chance back in third grade when she’d kissed him on a dare. Jan’s husband, Charlie, would blush and stutter in mock protest, while Jan herself would laugh and punch Peter in the arm, claiming he never had a chance compared to Charlie.
    Jan shook her head. “Sorry, sugar, but someone already claimed these.” She set the pie plate on the counter and slid the slices onto individual plates. She then reached below her and pulled out a shaker, with which she dusted a fine coating of chocolate powder on top of the pies.
    Megan groaned. She’d been looking forward to having a piece