Faith was left alone. She slept. She read a book Mary brought her. She even practiced her Cherokee, but she was bored. Accustomed to being busy, the enforced idleness was a trial. Faith felt herself becoming short-tempered, irritable.
“Faith?”
She opened her eyes. Joy stood in the doorway clutching her slate and primer. “Miss Sarah said I could come see you.”
Faith smiled and patted the place beside her in the bed.
Joy scrambled up. “I missed you, Faith.”
“I’ve missed you, too, sprite.” Reese’s pet name for Joy slipped out.
“Are you sick?” Joy’s large gray eyes were worried. Frown lines wrinkled her forehead.
Faith pulled her closer and hugged her. “Not really. I’m just a little tired.” She took a deep breath, searching for the right words. “You see, Joy, in a few months I’m going to have a baby. I have to stay in bed for a while. And rest.”
“Before you have a baby?”
“Uh huh.” Faith nodded.
“Will you have a little girl baby?”
“I don’t know,” Faith confided. “I’d like that, but Reese wants a little boy.”
“Weese is having a baby, too?” Joy was confused, upset at the prospect of being displaced.
“It will be my baby and Reese’s.”
“Will I still be your little girl?”
A sheen of tears sparkled in Faith’s eyes. “You’ll always be my little girl.”
“Weese’s too?” Joy asked.
“Of course.” Faith nodded. “Reese will always love you.”
“Will he love your baby as much as me?”
Faith smoothed the wisps of blond hair off Joy’s forehead, then traced the worry lines with her fingertip. “Yes, he will.” She looked at Joy. “Reese will love the baby just as much as he loves you, but that doesn’t mean he’ll love you any less. Do you understand that, sweetie. He’ll love both of you.”
“Will he buy the baby a pony like Brutus?”
“No.” Faith had to hide her smile at Joy’s noticeable relief. “I promise you Reese won’t buy the baby a pony for a long time. And it won’t ever be a pony like Brutus.”
“Cross your heart?”
Faith traced her fingers over her heart.
“Good.” Joy beamed up at her sister, her confidence in Reese’s affection fully restored. She pulled her slate onto her lap. “You want me to draw you a picture?”
“That would be nice.”
“Okay.” Joy bent her head over her task.
“What will you draw for me?” Faith asked.
“A picture of Brutus.”
Faith smiled. What else?