“Ma, is it time for everyone to come yet?”

Emily didn’t think she would ever get used to the delightful sound of Matt talking. His voice was just so cute and so full of wonder. He was still the same Matt that used to write on the chalk board but she saw so much more of his personality now that the words tumbled out.

“Not quite, dear,” she said as she sat at the kitchen table with her cup of tea. “Everyone will be here by supper time though, and it will be here before we know it. There’s lots to do.”

“At church, we read about a supper party,” he said and she quivered her eyebrow.

“Did you?” she asked.

“Yes, Jesus and his disciples all had supper together,” Matt said. Emily smiled at his innocence. She knew that Neve did a wonderful job teaching Sunday school, and she thought it was amazing how the children absorbed the bible stories in an age appropriate way.

“That’s right, he did,” she said as she heard Joseph come down the stairs. It was usually a toss up in which one of them was awake first. Sometimes, Joseph woke and had Matt outside doing chores before the day was even fully lit. Sometimes, Emily and Matt woke up and cooked breakfast together so that it was hot and waiting for him. Emily enjoyed how they shared the labor of the ranch, and how Joseph always made her feel like she was working just as hard, whether it was indoors or outdoors.

“Good morning, Pa,” Matt said and Joseph ruffled his hair as he came in.

“Morning, son,” He came over and kissed Emily on the cheek as well, leaning his head into her for half a moment. “How did you sleep?”

“Well,” Emily said. “And you?”

“Like a log,” Joseph said, smiling. “And I dreamed of logs as well. Lots of them to chop today.”

“Can I help?” Matt asked.

If it were anyone else, Emily would have said no. Working with an axe was dangerous and she would be worried that such a small child wouldn’t know exactly how to handle it. However, Matt wasn’t just any child. Ranching was in his blood and animals were his soul. Although he hadn’t spoken much about his family, Emily knew enough to know he had worked outside since he could walk. He was used to being around it, as he had proven when he was silent. His voice was just further testament to skills much older than his years.

“I’m sure we can arrange that,” Joseph said. “But does Ma need any help with breakfast first?”

“It’s all ready,” Emily said. “I was just waiting for you.”

“Well, I’m sorry I kept you waiting, Ma’am,” he said and she blushed. There was something about the way he said such things that made her blush every time. Despite the fact that a year had gone by, she remained as in love with him as she had been on their wedding day. If she was honest, she had fallen in love with him long before that, but it had taken so long to admit it to herself.

Now, sitting in the kitchen, eating breakfast and talking about the upcoming day, she couldn’t imagine that she could be happier in her entire life.

“Welcome, Welcome!” Emily threw open the door, her white apron stretched over her expectant belly as she greeted her friends. Chelsey, Nathan, and the Winthrops had been invited for supper the day before, and Emily had been counting the hours until they arrived. “My goodness, you didn’t have to bring anything except yourselves.”

“Emily, you always work so hard for us,” Neve said, as she handed her a tray of cookies. “It’s the least I could do.”

“And how many times did you host me for supper when I knew almost no one in town?” Emily said as she hugged her friend. “I am happy to do it. Come in, come in.”

“I brought freshly made buns,” Chelsey said, as she came in behind the Winthrops. In her arms, she carried her newborn baby girl, with perfect blue eyes and wisps of blonde hair. Emily had to resist the urge to sweep the adorable child up and cover her with kisses. Chelsey had announced she was with child shortly after her wedding to Nathan a year ago and Emily had prayed God would bless her the same way, so their children would grow together. “Although your buns are always so much tastier.”

Nathan handed over the basket of bread and Emily took a deep satisfying breath as she greeted Chelsey and the baby with a one armed hug.

“I’m sure these will be delightful,” Emily replied as Joseph came down the stairs. “Look, our friends have truly filled our table.”

“Your presence is enough,” Joseph said, as he shook hands with the men. “But my goodness, does this all look delicious? Thank you for coming.”

“I feel as if it’s been ages since we’ve seen each other,” Chelsey said. “I know it was just at church, but it feels days away.”

“It was five days ago,” Emily said, as she led everyone into the kitchen. She had laid everything out in advance and done her best to choose the prettiest largest flowers from the garden. The table was practically groaning under the weight of all the food, and her stomach growled in anticipation. Since falling pregnant, she discovered that she had an appetite for so many different things, which only expanded her cooking repertoire. Joseph had teased her that it must be a girl she was carrying, curious and adventurous and strong like her. She put a hand to her belly as she sat down, smiling. She would be delighted with any child, so long as they were healthy and had Joseph’s dark eyes. “But I suppose since we saw each other every day leading up to the baby’s christening, it does seem like it was longer.”

“Thank you again for all your help with that,” Chelsey said. “I don’t think I could have managed it on my own.”

“We were delighted to help,” Neve said as Matt came to give her a hug. “Weren’t we, Matt? We enjoyed decorating the church with all the flowers from the garden.”

“Can we do it again?” Matt asked, as he took his place at the table. Everyone laughed at that as Emily began to ladle the hot stew into the bowls she had set out.

“It might be a year or two,” Nathan said, his eyes twinkling. “But I’m sure we would be happy to have you help when the time comes.”

“Well, actually,” Neve cleared her throat. “There might be an opportunity to decorate again…quite soon.”

Everyone turned to her, and Emily’s breath caught in her throat.

“Are you…?”

“Yes,” Neve said. “The reverend and I are expecting a child in the winter.”

“Oh my goodness!” Emily cried. “Congratulations! How exciting, I’m so happy for you! “

“How wonderful!” Chelsey said and the kitchen turned into a hubbub of happy noise. Everyone was talking at once, congratulating Neve and the reverend, sharing stories and dipping into the delicious stew in front of them.

In between, Joseph found Emily’s hand and squeezed it.

“I love you,” he whispered, low and in her ear. “I just thought you should know.”

“I love you too,” she said, leaning her head on his shoulder. “This is turning into the most perfect night.”

“Indeed it is,” he said, placing a hand on her stomach. “And when our little one comes, she will have so many friends to play with and grow old with.”

“I hope that she stays forever,” Emily said, with a smile. “Maybe she and Matt can raise their own families here on the ranch and take it over for us when we are old and grey.”

“It would be the biggest blessing to grow old and grey with you,” he said softly. “Sitting on the porch, watching our grandchildren play.”

She squeezed his hand again and smiled, looking up at him with the same beautiful eyes he had fallen in love with all those years ago.

“God has truly blessed us,” she told him. “And to think that it all started in such a tragedy.”

“On Crow land, they say that the sage blows in any way it wants,” Joseph said. “And that one small bunch can flow through the whole land if you light it right. I think God’s love is the same way. We don’t know what His plans are, but He’s always there, always flowing through everything, in the biggest and smallest ways.”

“I think He is in the sage too,” Emily said. “In the flowers, in the rivers, everywhere.”

“He is,” Joseph agreed. “And he brought us together, from so far apart.”

“We just followed the wind,” Emily teased him. She had never felt so content in her whole life; so at peace, and she knew that she had God to thank.

God, she thought softly. And Daniel. Amen. 

If the rest of her life was like tonight, cozy, and surrounded by love and hope, then she knew she would be able to endure anything that came.

That night, as they headed to bed, Emily tucked her knees up against her chest, waiting for Joseph to finish getting ready.

“You know in church when the Reverend was saying that everything is God’s plan?” she asked. He turned to her, his long dark hair hanging down his bare back.

“Yes,” he said. “I’ve been thinking about that sermon too.”

“I just…” she took a deep breath. “I know that Daniel is in heaven now, but he is going so soon…I find it hard to accept.”

“Well, humans also have free will,” he said, as he came to sit beside her. “And so while God can control everything, he doesn’t. We make our own choices and trust that he will guide us when we ask.”

“There’s been a lot of things since moving here that I have struggled with,” she said. “I know it can’t be God’s plan to have Matt orphaned so young…and yet, when I look at where we are now, a happy family, the three of us complimenting each other perfectly…”

“Soon to be four…” he said with a smile.

She placed a hand on her expectant belly. The baby would be here in just weeks, and she couldn’t wait.

“Yes, soon to be four,” she said. “And I think…I can’t understand the reasons for the pain, but it feels so right. God has us all in mind, and I am prepared to trust him for whatever happens next.”

Joseph squeezed her hand, leaning in to kiss her cheek as he often did.

“I didn’t believe that I would ever be happy again,” he said. “And when I thought that I was almost content, working for Daniel and building this place, it all fell apart again. But here and now, this is where I’m supposed to be. On the edge of Crow land, on the edge of town, where the sky meets the sage. I finally have found where I belong.”

She nuzzled into him, her body starting to relax.

“I love you,” she whispered, as he nipped out the candle by the bed. Darkness enveloped the room, and it instantly became cozier.

“I love you too,” he said and wrapped his arms around her. They settled into bed, and she felt sleep start to take her. Her mind drifted back to the first day in the ranch house, alone with Matt, struggling with grief and having no idea what she was going to do. Somehow, they had made it all right. They had paid the debt, they had saved the ranch, they had made Matt officially theirs and they had found each other. If that wasn’t God’s hand, she didn’t know what that was. But in addition to that, it felt like Daniel, helping God put everything in place to take care of her, like she had always taken care of him.

Goodnight, little brother, she thought as she drifted off to sleep. Thank you for everything.