LOST AND FOUND HUSBAND

by Sheri WhiteFeather

  “Maybe you should quit your job.” At least that would eliminate the hours she spent on her feet at the diner.

  “Seriously? You’re going overboard.”

  “I just want you to take care of yourself.”

  “I promise I will, okay? I’ll take a long maternity leave when the time gets closer.”

  “You’re not even out of your first trimester yet. That’s going to take forever.”

  “The baby will be here soon enough.” She removed the chicken from the oven. “In fact, it wouldn’t hurt to bandy about some names.”

  “Other than Sweet Bean?”

  “Yup.”

  He helped her set the table, and she put the food down.

  “What do you think?” she asked, as they sat across from each other.

  “Everything looks delicious.” She’d even made a refreshing gelatin dessert that he was eager to try.

  “Thanks, but I was talking about the names.”

  His thoughts drifted to a custom from his culture. “In the old Cherokee way, a boy is referred to as a bow and a girl is a sifter.”

  “Like a bow from a bow and arrow and a sifter that sifts flour?”

  He nodded. “Males are associated with being hunters and providers and females are associated with nourishing the family and giving life. There’s even a Cherokee incantation for childbirth that relates to the bow and sifter tradition.”

  “What is the incantation supposed to do?”

  “Make the birth easier.”

  She smiled. “Then maybe you should start saying it instead of worrying about me.”

  “It’s not something the father does. It’s part of a ritual done by the medicine person or midwife delivering the baby. I don’t know the exact words, but it encourages the little boy or girl, the bow or sifter, to hurry and come out.”

  “A quick birth would be nice.”

  “A quicker pregnancy would be nice, too.”

  She smiled again. “It takes as long as it takes, Eric. You need to be more patient.”

  “I’m trying. I swear I am.” But he feared the months ahead of them were going to seem like a lifetime.

  She cut into her chicken. “I asked you this before, but I’m just wondering how you feel now. Do you want to know ahead of time if we’re having a boy or girl? Do you want to find out on my next ultrasound? Or wait until it’s born?”

  “I think I’d like to know ahead of time. Then we can start a list of names, and you can decorate the nursery accordingly, too.”

  “I was planning on doing zoo animals for the nursery, if that’s okay with you. I figured it would work either way, for a boy or a girl.”

  “Then we’ll go with zoo animals and see what shows up on the ultrasound later.”

  “Or doesn’t show up. If it’s a girl, you don’t see anything. But sometimes they can’t tell at all, if the baby is in a position where those parts are hidden.”

  “I hope we can tell.”

  “Me, too.” She tasted her food. “Maybe we should explain bows and sifters to the ultrasound technician. So instead of saying it’s a boy or a girl, they can say it’s a bow or a sifter to the expectant parents.”

  “That would be funny, wouldn’t it?”

  She nodded, and they both smiled. Then she asked, “Are you going to help with the nursery?”

  “Do you want me to help?”

  “Of course. I totally want you to be involved.”

  He thought about how he could make himself useful, other than putting the crib together. “I can paint pictures of the animals directly on the wall.”

  She leaned forward in her seat. “That’s a great idea. Way better than using stencils or borders.”

  “The Cherokee symbolism of each animal could be used, too. For example, I can paint ‘introspection’ next to the bear, and ‘dreaming’ beside the lizard. We can pick and choose what animals to use based on their spiritual totems.”

  “I love that.” Apparently she loved it so much, she nearly knocked over her water. But she caught the glass before it spilled.

  “Good save, Dana.”

  “Thanks.” She sat back and readjusted her napkin on her lap. “How involved with Kaley were you when she was a baby?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Did you get up and feed her in the middle of the night? Did you change diapers? Or did Corrine do most of those things?”

  “We shared responsibility.” He wrinkled his nose. “Although I would have been more than happy to pass the dirty-diaper buck.”

  She laughed. “Seriously? Who wouldn’t? But if you did it for Kaley, then you’re going to do it for Sweet Bean, too.”

  “Yes, but just remember how much younger I was back then.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean? That your gag reflexes have gotten more pronounced?” She rolled her eyes at his lame excuse. “You’re not too old to wipe a baby’s bottom, Eric.”

  “Listen to you, the authority. How many diapers have you changed?”

  “Well, none actually. But—”

  “None? As in zip? Zero? Nada?” He wasn’t going to let her talk her way out of this one. “Didn’t you ever babysit or anything?”

  “I babysat plenty. Just not kids who weren’t potty trained.”

  “Oh, this is rich. I’ll be teaching you how to do everything.”

  “Really, smarty? You’re going to teach me to breast-feed? That I’d like to see.”

  “At least I know how to bottle feed.”

  “That’s not the same thing.”

  “It will be if you use a pump or whatever it is that breast-feeding mothers do. Then I’ll be bottle feeding like I used to, and teaching you how to do it, too.”

  She kept the silly banter going. “I’ll already know how to do it by then.”

  “Because I would have showed you.” He mock pounded his chest. “The gorilla king of dads.”

  She made a goofy face. “Nice try, but times have changed, pop. You’re probably going to have to learn some of this stuff over again.”

  No doubt, which he thought was downright scary. He liked the idea of her breast-feeding, though. He thought it sounded warm and gentle.

  Dana asked, “When Kaley was offered to you, did you know that she was going to be a girl?”

  “Not at first. But later we did.”

  “What made you decide on her name?”

  “I wanted to name the baby after my mom, with something that was similar but not the same. My mother’s name was Kaleen. So Corrine suggested Kaley.”

  After a pause, Dana asked, “Where is she buried, Eric?”

  The question threw him off track. They’d gone from names to burial plots? “Mom was cremated and scattered in the mountains. Dad was, too. It was what they wanted.”

  “I was talking about Corrine.”

  “Why do you want to know where she is?”

  “Because I want to visit her sometime.”

  “You don’t need to do that.”

  “I’m not asking to go with you. I would never intrude on your solitude like that. I just want to go on my own.”

  “What for?”

  “To bring her flowers from my new garden.”

  “What new garden?”

  “The one I’m going to plant in the backyard, with your approval, of course. You wouldn’t mind if I created a garden, would you?”

  “You can plant as many flowers as you want. But I’d rather not have you go to Corrine’s grave.” He wasn’t ready to share that part of his life with her. It didn’t matter that Dana was talking about going by herself. To him, it still seemed like an invasion of his privacy. “I’d prefer to keep things as they are.”

  She seemed disappointed, but sh
e didn’t push it beyond his limits. She merely said, “Maybe you’ll feel differently later. Maybe you’ll change your mind.”

  “Maybe.” But for now, he just couldn’t agree to it.

  After they finished the food on their plates, she asked, “Are you ready for dessert?”

  “Yes, please.” He appreciated that she’d made a nice treat to go along with their meal, but mostly he was relieved that she’d changed the subject.

  “Do you want whipped cream on yours?”

  “That sounds good.”

  She studied him for a moment. Then she said, “I need to get it.” She went into the kitchen and returned with the canned kind. “This is my favorite. It’s always so fun to use. See. Now watch.” She served him a generous helping of the colorful gelatin mold and decorated it with a smiley face made of the frothy topping.

  He looked at her artwork and laughed. She decorated hers with the same design, except with dotted eyelashes and fuller lips, implying that hers was a girl.

  Eric laughed again. “You certainly know your way around that stuff.”

  “You have no idea.” She shot some straight into her mouth.

  He shook his head. Dana was always doing something wonderfully weird. “I used to do that when I was a kid. But I used to get in trouble for it. That and drinking milk from the carton. That used to drive my mom nuts.”

  “My mom used to correct me all the time, too. But it didn’t help.” She grinned and offered him the can. “Want to misbehave now? No one will scold you for it.”

  “No, thanks. I’ll stick to what’s in my bowl.” He delved into the dessert and ate several spoonfuls, smearing the face.

  “I put that on there because I wanted to make you laugh. You were frowning before I went into the kitchen to get the whipped cream and you were still scowling when I came back.”

  He cocked his head. “I was?”

  She nodded. “You frown when you’re not even aware of it.”

  If he’d been frowning, it was a subconscious reaction leftover from their graveyard discussion. “I didn’t mean to seem as if I was mad.”

  “I didn’t think you were mad. You’re just guarded.”

  Guarded was an accurate word to describe him. That was definitely how he felt. “I’m sorry, Dana.”

  “No need to apologize. But I think we need to redo that.” She refreshed his dessert with another happy face, replacing the one he’d smeared.

  He shooed her hand away, but he did it playfully. He couldn’t help but be amused. “If you keep doing that every time I take a bite, I’ll make a pig of myself and end up with a stomachache.”

  “Then you better smile more, Eric.”

  “And you better quit being such a pest.” For good measure, he zeroed in on a kiss, cupping the back of her head and capturing her lips. She moaned and returned his affection eagerly.

  So eagerly, she climbed onto his lap, and he forgot about gelatin molds or whipped cream happy faces or anything except the sweetly intoxicating taste of his wife.

  * * *

  Three weeks later, Eric awakened on a Saturday morning, without Dana by his side. She was probably in the bathroom, retching her brains out. The twelve-week mark had passed, but her morning sickness hadn’t improved. Eric frowned. Maybe her doctor could give her something for it. Maybe next time he should go with her to the appointment.

  In some ways he was becoming accustomed to having her as his wife, and in other ways he remained unsettled. His emotions were all over the board. Dana moved at such a different pace than he did. When she wasn’t sick, she was bursting with energy, spinning around him like a sparkly little dust devil. Sometimes she just plain wore him out. Yet being around her was exciting, too.

  In search of Dana, he got out of bed and checked the bathroom. Upon finding it empty, he went into the kitchen to see if she was there. Nope. Kitchen was empty, too.

  Eric started a pot of coffee, wondering where she was. She was never up and about at this time of day, not with how nauseous she always was.

  While he waited for the coffee to brew, he poured a glass of orange juice. He also opened the curtain on the kitchen window, then spotted Dana in the backyard, digging in the dirt. Was she planting her flower garden? Now? First thing in the morning?

  He went to the sliding glass door, pulled back the blinds and headed outside. As he got closer, he noticed that both cats were hanging out with her. The tabbies picked through the soil she’d unearthed, making muddy paw prints in the areas she’d dampened with the hose.

  When Eric walked over to her, she glanced up and cupped a gloved hand over her brow, creating a sunshield.

  “Guess what?” she said. “This is the first morning I woke up without feeling sick.”

  “So you went to the nursery and bought a bunch of plants?”

  “I figured it was time to create the garden.” She smiled, her eyes as blue as the sky. “My way of celebrating.” She stood up and dusted off her jeans. “Your juice looks good.” She removed her gloves and stuffed them in her back pocket. “May I have a sip?”

  He held out the glass. He hadn’t even realized that he’d brought it outside with him.

  She drank some and passed it back. “Aren’t you happy for me? No more nausea.”

  He was extremely happy that she was well. But the garden looked like a major undertaking. “I still wish you would take it easy, Dana.”

  “Are you kidding? I feel like a million bucks.” She made a quick spin to showcase her health. With a deliberate grin, she pointed out what she planned to do. “I’m going to fill this planter with perennials. And over there, I’m going to dig up the grass and replace it with a row of mazelike hedges. And that spot in the corner is reserved for a cozy bench and a quaint little walkway, with stepping stones and fluffy foliage.” She turned toward the patio. “I was thinking of adding more potted plants, too.”

  “I can’t let you do all of that by yourself.” She wasn’t planting a garden. She was landscaping the whole dang yard. “I’ll do the heavy labor.”

  She clapped her hands together. “You’re going to help me? Oh, that’s wonderful. With the two of us, we could complete it this weekend.”

  “The entire project?”

  She nodded, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. “Maybe we could get a mini fountain, too. A smaller version of Tinkle. I really miss him.”

  And he missed the order that used to be his life. But he didn’t miss the loneliness. With Dana, he was never lonely. She was a constant companion, always delving into some sort of mind-spinning mischief.

  He said, “We’re not going to be able to get all of it done this weekend.”

  “How long do you think it will take?”

  “Between an old guy like me and a pregnant lady like you, two, maybe three weekends.”

  She laughed at his description of them. “The important part is enjoying ourselves.” She snagged his juice and drank the last of it. “Come on, old guy, let’s get started on that fun.”

  “I’m still in my pajamas.”

  She gave him the once over. “Sweatpants and a wrinkled T-shirt? That’s perfect garden attire. All you need is a pair of work gloves.”

  “I’ve got some in the garage.”

  “Then go get them. Time’s a wasting.”

  “I think I liked you better when you were throwing up every morning.”

  She laughed again. Beautiful chaos. “Snap to, Eric.”

  He shifted his stance. Moving quickly was going to require coffee, but thankfully it was already made. Still, there was the matter of food. “What about breakfast? I need to eat.”

  “So go grab something and hurry back.”

  He grumbled on his way to the fridge. She was henpecking him already. But as he slapped a sandwich together, he smiled.


  He was looking forward to pleasing her and making the yard as wonderful as he could.

  * * *

  The project took two and a half weekends, and when it was complete, they stood in amazement and admired it.

  “It’s everything I imagined,” she said.

  Eric agreed. It was definitely her vision: the profusion of color, the soft, inviting warmth, the water trickling from the fountain, the little cove and walkway.

  She took his hand and led him to the bench, where they sat and gazed at it from another angle.

  “I could sit here forever,” she said.

  “I really like this spot, too.”

  She leaned forward and kissed him. Her mouth tasted like caramel and peppermint. She’d been eating candy for most of the day. He deepened the kiss and put his hand on her tummy. She was nearly four months along now, and she had a tiny pooch. Not enough to look pregnant, but Eric knew what her body had been like before Sweet Bean had made the scene.

  After the kiss ended, she rested her head on his shoulder.

  “Are you tired?” he asked.

  “A little. But I’m content, too.”

  So was he. He gazed at the plants and frowned. Not so content that he’d stopped going to Corrine’s grave. And not so content that he was willing to share her resting place with Dana. Luckily, she hadn’t brought it up again. But he suspected that it was still on her mind, especially since her intent had been to bring Corrine flowers from this very garden.

  “You’re going to be off for summer break soon,” she said.

  “One of the perks of being a teacher. And Ryan and Victoria’s wedding is coming up.” He thought about the event they would be attending. “You’re going to love their farmhouse. Ryan’s veterinary practice is on the property, and he has chickens, a horse and a miniature cow.”

  “I’m anxious to see it.”

  “We’ll be staying there during the wedding, so you’ll have plenty of time to get acquainted with it. In fact, they asked if you and Kaley and I would stay a bit longer and housesit for them while they’re on their honeymoon.”

  “Really? So we’ll get to feed the chickens and the cow and the horse?”

  He nodded. “They also have two dogs. But Kaley will probably be in charge of them. They follow her around like lovesick puppies.”