me.”
Joy’s nose wrinkled up and Luke watched as her mysterious little brain processed the information. Sometimes he would just sit and watch as she discovered a new fact about the world and marvel at the capacity of a human being to grow and adapt. She gave him hope that good things existed in this world. Now he prayed she would be spared from learning the lesson of death much too soon. He still hadn’t figured out a way to explain her mother’s death to her. She knew she didn’t have a mommy because her mommy was in Heaven, but she didn’t remember Samantha, and that made it easier. For now.
“Is it church day? Is Uncle Gabe here too?”
“Uncle Gabe is sleeping right now, munchkin.”
“But I’m awake, and I want to play with him.” She threw her blankets aside and plopped down off her grandmother’s lap. “Wake him up, Daddy. He won’t mind.” Joy hugged her stuffed clown fish to her. “Me and Hero want to fly to Uncle Gabe.”
“He can’t wake up right now, Joy.” Luke’s voice turned gruff. “You remember when we went to the park last Saturday?”
“You bought me a red balloon.” Her expression brightened.
“And remember when you slid down the slide?”
Her lips turned down and trembled. She lifted her elbow and pointed to the faint cut that had almost healed. “I hurt myself.”
Luke nodded. “Well, something like that happened to Uncle Gabe, so he’s with the doctor who’s fixing him.”
Joy placed her small hands on either side of Luke’s face and leaned forward to whisper in his ear. “Will he get a shot?”
“He might. He has a big hurt, Joy.”
“You’ll kiss it and make it better?”
Joy’s words held such conviction that Luke wrapped his arms around her and buried his face in her hair, inhaling the fresh scent of baby shampoo. “I love you, baby.”
Her lips pursed against his cheek, and she blew a butterfly kiss then squirmed in his arms. “Let me go, Daddy. You’re squishing me.”
“Sorry, munchkin.” Reluctantly Luke released his daughter.
In little bunny slippers, she explored her new surroundings. She padded over to her uncles and one by one patted them on the cheek when they lifted her up. Luke’s heart warmed. He didn’t know what he’d done to deserve Joy in his life, but he thanked God every day for her.
Then Joy’s attention shifted to Jasmine’s hair. The little girl’s eyes widened in obvious awe. She stretched out a tentative hand toward the long, blond braid brushing Jasmine’s thigh.
“Are you Rap…Rap…” Joy glanced over her shoulder at her grandmother. “What’s the name of the princess with the long hair?”
“Rapunzel?” Anna’s voice was soft and laced with a smile.
Joy leaned closer to Jasmine. “Did you have to cut your hair when you escaped?” she whispered, her voice conspiratorial.
Jasmine’s panicked gaze flew to Luke’s, but his daughter refused to be ignored. She stroked the shimmers of blond bound by the braid. “Were you scared when you ran away from the wicked witch?”
Confusion painted Jasmine’s face. “What witch?”
“The one who stole you from your mommy and daddy,” Joy said as if the answer was obvious.
A shaft of pain flashed in Jasmine’s eyes, and Luke winced. He knew very little about her childhood, but it couldn’t have been easy since she’d wiped away not only her name, but her entire identity. For all he knew she had escaped from a wicked witch. “Joy, don’t bother Jasmine. She’s sad right now.”
Joy’s eyes widened with alarm. “Are you going to cry? Do you need your mommy and daddy?”
Luke could see Jasmine struggling to maintain composure, her hands clenched in her lap. “I don’t have a mommy and daddy, Joy.”
“Who tucks you in at night?”
Luke stepped forward to pull Joy away, but his daughter’s wrinkled forehead made him pause. He could tell she was working some problem out in her unique three-year-old mind.
She looked down at Hero and then up at
Joy’s nose wrinkled up and Luke watched as her mysterious little brain processed the information. Sometimes he would just sit and watch as she discovered a new fact about the world and marvel at the capacity of a human being to grow and adapt. She gave him hope that good things existed in this world. Now he prayed she would be spared from learning the lesson of death much too soon. He still hadn’t figured out a way to explain her mother’s death to her. She knew she didn’t have a mommy because her mommy was in Heaven, but she didn’t remember Samantha, and that made it easier. For now.
“Is it church day? Is Uncle Gabe here too?”
“Uncle Gabe is sleeping right now, munchkin.”
“But I’m awake, and I want to play with him.” She threw her blankets aside and plopped down off her grandmother’s lap. “Wake him up, Daddy. He won’t mind.” Joy hugged her stuffed clown fish to her. “Me and Hero want to fly to Uncle Gabe.”
“He can’t wake up right now, Joy.” Luke’s voice turned gruff. “You remember when we went to the park last Saturday?”
“You bought me a red balloon.” Her expression brightened.
“And remember when you slid down the slide?”
Her lips turned down and trembled. She lifted her elbow and pointed to the faint cut that had almost healed. “I hurt myself.”
Luke nodded. “Well, something like that happened to Uncle Gabe, so he’s with the doctor who’s fixing him.”
Joy placed her small hands on either side of Luke’s face and leaned forward to whisper in his ear. “Will he get a shot?”
“He might. He has a big hurt, Joy.”
“You’ll kiss it and make it better?”
Joy’s words held such conviction that Luke wrapped his arms around her and buried his face in her hair, inhaling the fresh scent of baby shampoo. “I love you, baby.”
Her lips pursed against his cheek, and she blew a butterfly kiss then squirmed in his arms. “Let me go, Daddy. You’re squishing me.”
“Sorry, munchkin.” Reluctantly Luke released his daughter.
In little bunny slippers, she explored her new surroundings. She padded over to her uncles and one by one patted them on the cheek when they lifted her up. Luke’s heart warmed. He didn’t know what he’d done to deserve Joy in his life, but he thanked God every day for her.
Then Joy’s attention shifted to Jasmine’s hair. The little girl’s eyes widened in obvious awe. She stretched out a tentative hand toward the long, blond braid brushing Jasmine’s thigh.
“Are you Rap…Rap…” Joy glanced over her shoulder at her grandmother. “What’s the name of the princess with the long hair?”
“Rapunzel?” Anna’s voice was soft and laced with a smile.
Joy leaned closer to Jasmine. “Did you have to cut your hair when you escaped?” she whispered, her voice conspiratorial.
Jasmine’s panicked gaze flew to Luke’s, but his daughter refused to be ignored. She stroked the shimmers of blond bound by the braid. “Were you scared when you ran away from the wicked witch?”
Confusion painted Jasmine’s face. “What witch?”
“The one who stole you from your mommy and daddy,” Joy said as if the answer was obvious.
A shaft of pain flashed in Jasmine’s eyes, and Luke winced. He knew very little about her childhood, but it couldn’t have been easy since she’d wiped away not only her name, but her entire identity. For all he knew she had escaped from a wicked witch. “Joy, don’t bother Jasmine. She’s sad right now.”
Joy’s eyes widened with alarm. “Are you going to cry? Do you need your mommy and daddy?”
Luke could see Jasmine struggling to maintain composure, her hands clenched in her lap. “I don’t have a mommy and daddy, Joy.”
“Who tucks you in at night?”
Luke stepped forward to pull Joy away, but his daughter’s wrinkled forehead made him pause. He could tell she was working some problem out in her unique three-year-old mind.
She looked down at Hero and then up at
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