The Healing Quilt (26 page)

She smiled in return. “Thanks, Jan. If I keep sticking myself with this needle, I may turn the whole project over to you.”

He shook his head. “Naw, you’re doin’ just fine.”

Emma moved over to stand beside Erika. “How are things going with you? Are you getting the feel for quilting?”

Erika shrugged. “I guess so. It seems easy enough.”

“Not for me,” Mike said. “I’m all thumbs. Some people think baiting a hook is hard, but that’s nothin’ compared to quilting.”

“It just takes practice,” Emma said. She gave Erika’s shoulders a tender squeeze. “What you’ve done so far looks very nice. I think you have a knack for quilting.”

Erika looked over her shoulder at Emma, and the faintest smile crossed her lips. “Thanks.”

At least that’s a step in the right direction
, Emma thought as she moved back to the head of the table.
Now if we could just help Noreen and B.J. resolve their differences, I’d feel a lot better about things today
.

A
t eleven o’clock, Emma suggested that everyone stop quilting and she served a snack of orange slices, fresh strawberries, and banana bread. That was fine with Jennifer. Her back was beginning to ache from sitting so long, and it made her uncomfortable to witness the undercurrent going on between B.J. and Noreen. Every time B.J. asked Emma a question or needed help with his stitching, Noreen said something derogatory.

That poor man
, Jennifer thought as she bit into a juicy strawberry.
I wonder if he and Noreen can work out their differences. Everyone makes mistakes. Besides, it doesn’t sound like B.J. knew anything about the consequences of his actions years ago
.

Walking around for a bit to get the kinks out of her legs and back, Jennifer looked around the tidy room that Emma kept. A battery-operated clock on one wall, a quilted wall hanging on another—and then there were the sewing machines, lined up in a row along the windowed wall, with the table they’d all been sitting around in the center of the room. There was no clutter, for everything in the room seemed to have a purpose.

Jennifer pressed on the small of her back, and it relieved the pain somewhat. She was definitely ready for this baby to be born.

Her thoughts shifted as she looked at the clock on the far wall. She could hardly wait to get home today to talk to Randy and find out how things went at the restaurant. She was almost afraid to ask, but oh, how she hoped he’d gotten that job.

“If everyone is finished with their refreshments you can continue working on your quilting projects,” Emma instructed her students.

“I’m finished and ready to get back to work.” Noreen pushed away from the table. “But let me help you carry the empty plates to the kitchen.”

Emma’s first thought was to tell Noreen that she could manage the dishes on her own, but thinking this would be a good opportunity to speak with her about B.J., she changed her mind. “Thank you, Noreen. I appreciate that.”

“I can carry some dishes, too,” Kim spoke up.

“That’s alright,” Emma said with a shake of her head. “I appreciate your offer to help, but there aren’t many dishes, so I think Noreen and I can manage just fine.”

“Oh, okay.” Kim sat back down, and Emma and Noreen gathered up the dishes and left the room.

When they entered the kitchen, Emma told Noreen that she could put the dishes in the sink. “I’ll wash them later this afternoon.”

“How do you deal with not having a dishwasher?” Noreen asked, looking around the room.

Emma laughed. “I can’t miss what I’ve never had. Why, I’ve been washing dishes by hand since I was a young girl. When my sister, Rachel, and I were too short to reach the sink, we had stools to stand on.”

Noreen grimaced. “Before I got married, I used to wash dishes by hand, too, but it was definitely not my favorite thing to do.”

“I guess we all have chores we’d rather not do.”

Noreen gave a nod. “I suppose I should go back and get busy on my wall hanging. I don’t want to get behind.”

When Noreen started for the door, Emma quickly said, “Before you go, there’s something I’d like to say.”

“What’s that, Emma?” Noreen asked, turning to face her.

Emma moistened her lips with the tip of her tongue, hoping her words would be well-received. “I don’t mean to interfere, and I’m not trying to stick my nose in where it doesn’t belong, but I wanted you to know that should you need to talk about your situation with B.J., I’m here to listen.”

Lowering her gaze to the floor, Noreen quietly said, “I’ll keep that in mind.” Then she hurried into the next room.

Emma stayed in the kitchen a few moments longer, offering a prayer on Noreen’s behalf. She obviously didn’t want to discuss the situation, so Emma would just keep praying.

“You’re doin’ a great job with that,” Jan said, leaning over Kim’s shoulder.

She smiled up at him. “Thanks. The stitching is a little tedious, but it’s fun to be creative like this.”

“I know what you mean,” he agreed. “When I took Emma’s quilting class, on the advice of my probation officer, I think some of the other students thought it was kinda weird to see a big guy like me with a needle and thread in his hands.”

“You were on probation?” Erika jumped into the conversation.

Jan gave a nod.

“What’d you do?”

“Got busted for a DUI. Do you know what that means, Erika?”

She rolled her eyes. “Of course I do. I may be disabled, but I’m not stupid.”

“Never said you were.” Jan grunted. “You’re too sensitive about bein’ in that wheelchair, if you ask me.”

“Well, I didn’t ask,” she shot back.

Emma quickly stepped forward and said, “We only have a few minutes left today, so if anyone has a question, now is a good time to ask.”

Erika lifted her hand.

“What’s your question?” Emma asked.

“What are we supposed to do with our wall hangings after they’re done?”

“Whatever you like.” Emma smiled. “I’m sure most of you will want to keep yours, but of course, if you want to give the finished project to someone as a gift, that’s perfectly fine, too.”

“I might give mine to the hospital where my dad works,” Erika said. “I think it would look nice hanging in the waiting room inside the children’s wing. That’s why I’m including a smiley face in the center of my wall hanging.”

“That’s an excellent idea,” Lamar spoke up. “Don’t you think so, Emma?”

Emma nodded. It was good to see Erika coming out of her shell. And the fact that she wanted to give her wall hanging away was a good indication that she was thinking beyond her own struggles.

“Erika, now that you know how to sew, maybe you could make some other things the children at the hospital could enjoy,” Emma said.

Erika tipped her head. “Like what?”

“What about some cloth dolls?” Jennifer suggested. “I’ll bet any of the little girl patients would like to have a doll to play with and cuddle.”

“That’s a good idea. What do you think about that, Erika?” Emma questioned.

Erika shrugged. “I’ll give it some thought.”

Well, at least she didn’t say no
, Emma thought.

When Emma announced that class was over for the day, Noreen gathered up her things and skirted out the door. B.J. felt a sense of panic. He needed to talk to Noreen and try to find out more about his son. He felt sure she was hiding something.

Mumbling a quick good-bye to Emma and Lamar, B.J. rushed out the door. Seeing that Noreen was already at her car and about to get in, he hollered, “Please, wait, Noreen! I need to speak with you.”

Ignoring him, she jerked the car door open, but she dropped her purse and half of the belongings fell out. She bent to pick it up, throwing the contents back in, giving B.J. time to step up to her car.

“Here, you forgot this,” B.J. said, bending down to get the tube of lipstick that had rolled slightly under her car.

“I saw it.” Noreen grabbed the tube when he handed it to her and threw it in her purse. B.J. noticed how she wouldn’t even look at him, even though they were hunkered down, face-to-face.

“What are you afraid of, Noreen?” he asked. “Why won’t you tell me more about Judy’s death and the child you said was adopted?”

As Noreen rose to her feet, the turban on her head caught on the edge of the car door and ripped right off. “Oh no!” she gasped, as her midnight-black tresses tumbled out. “Now look what you made me do!”

B.J. bent to pick up the turban that had fallen on the ground. If he hadn’t been so concerned about getting answers from her about Judy and their child, he might have laughed, seeing Noreen standing there like that. Laughing at her was the last thing he wanted to do, however. She was already mad enough at him. No wonder she’d worn the turban to the last two quilt classes. Apparently she’d dyed her hair black and didn’t want any of the quilting students to see it. Well, he couldn’t blame her for that. It looked terrible!

“Give me that!” Noreen snatched the turban out of B.J.’s hands, hopped into her car, and slammed the door. Then she started her engine and peeled out of the driveway in a spray of gravel. B.J.’s shoulders slumped. At this rate he would never get the answers he sought.

As Jennifer headed for home, she thought about everything that had happened during the quilt class. If it hadn’t been for the tension between Noreen and B.J., she would have enjoyed herself, for she found quilting to be a stress reliever.

After I finish the wall hanging, I’ll get started on a quilt for the baby
, she decided.
And when Randy gets a job and there’s more money coming in, maybe I can make a queen-sized quilt for our bed
.

Jennifer turned on the radio and hummed along to a couple of her favorite tunes. It made the drive less boring. Her ankles were a little swollen from sitting so long this morning, so she decided to get some things done at home and move around more this afternoon.

When she finally pulled into her driveway, she was relieved to see Randy’s truck. Anxious to hear about his job interview, Jennifer climbed out of the car and stepped onto the front porch. “Now, what is this?” she murmured, picking up a small box lying near the door. It had a picture of a crib mobile inside on it.
I wonder where that came from
.