Читать книгу The Book of Harlan - Bernice L. McFadden - Страница 18

Chapter 11

Spring swept into Georgia, gartered in green, yellow, and blush.

In honor of her arrival, Maconites began sprucing up their homes: replacing roof shingles, stripping away dreary weather-beaten paint from shutters and porches, recoating them with light, bright colors.

New bonnets filled the display window of the millinery shop, colorful spring frocks crammed boutique racks. Flowers sprang from garden beds, lush leaves exploded from the tiny brown nubs of tree limbs. The days stretched and warmed and the cobalt winter sky paled to a powder blue.

“Mama, we gonna leave next week!”

Louisa had suspected as much and invited the bright-eyed couple into the drawing room to voice her concern. “I think it would be best to leave the baby here with us,” she said. “Just until you all get settled.”

Emma went rigid. “You don’t think I . . . we . . . can take care of Harlan on our own?”

Louisa shook her head. “That’s not at all what I’m saying, Emma. You and Sam are wonderful parents. I just think it would be easier on everyone if Harlan remained in a stable environment.”

Emma chewed on her bottom lip as she contemplated this.

Louisa presented cream-colored palms. “Just until you’re settled,” she repeated.

Upstairs, Harlan started to wail in that languid way of his. With Louisa’s words twirling in her mind, Emma rose from the sofa and started toward the staircase.

As it stood, they would be staying with Sam’s uncle, Daniel; sleeping on a Murphy bed in a room that was as tiny as an outhouse, or so Sam had told her. Where would she put a crib? And Daniel was an old bachelor, no doubt firmly set in his ways. How would he adjust to having a crying baby in his space? Maybe Louisa was right.

Halfway up the stairs, Emma paused, glanced at the polished wooden banister, and dropped the decision into her husband’s lap. Whatever Sam decides is okay with me, she thought to herself.

* * *

They left Macon on a bright May morning.

The entire family went to the train station to see them off. Emma and Sam clung to Harlan like a drowning couple to a life raft.

Harlan, belly full of milk and the tiniest bit of farina, slept straight through the shower of tears.

The next day, Louisa had Emma’s bedroom painted blue. She swapped out the pink and cream bedding for mint green and white. The dolls and dollhouse were replaced with a wooden rocking horse, softball, bat, and catcher’s mitt, and Harlan and his grandparents settled into life as if it had always been just them three.