Epilogue
Sixteen months later
Ella lay still for a moment as one of the babies made a sound.
She hoped Samuel—her son—would quiet on his own and not wake Hope.
When his sounds grew louder, she crept out of bed and picked him up from his cradle.
His sister’s cradle was right beside his.
The babies had been sleeping through the night better, and she’d hoped these early morning feedings were over, but Samuel had other plans.
She moved to the rocking chair David had lovingly crafted for her as soon as they’d realized she was expecting. She put the baby to her breast, and her mind started to go over what she must do before her friends came to visit her.
She needed to put blankets by the fire, so they would be warm for whoever needed them.
She’d fix a pot of coffee, as well as a pot of tea, so everyone would have something hot to drink.
She’d prepare a quiet corner—not just for herself.
She’d found all of her friends used it from time to time when they needed to get away from the constant chatter.
It was two hours later that her friends were set to arrive.
Both babies had been fed, but when she went to put Hope into her cradle, the baby spit up all over her clean apron.
And as she put Hope down, she could smell Samuel, and she sighed, knowing she needed to change him, and the cabin would smell when her friends arrived.
Lula was the first to come in, and Ella opened her mouth to apologize for the chaos, but she closed it. There was no reason for her to apologize for the babies doing what all babies did.
When Ella put Samuel down, she looked at the cabin again. The blankets by the fire were already unfolded. She hadn’t gotten the last of the baby clothes put away, and they were all over. Lula had already taken Hope from her cradle and was talking to her in an excited voice.
Belle stood in front of the stove warming her hands, while Maggie put the baked goods Myrtle had brought onto the table.
The cabin was crowded, noisy, and imperfect. But the room didn’t feel too small this time. She realized the room was full because her life was full. These people filled her with joy and friendship. Her life is better with them in it.
After everyone left, David and Ella sat together, each of them holding one of the twins.
David looked at Ella. “You’re thinking very hard.”
“There’s too much to count now. I can’t keep everything perfect, but it already is perfect. Does that make sense?”
He nodded and smiled. “Some things are not meant to be counted.”
She pondered that for a moment. “But most things are.”
He chuckled. “Things are certainly neater since you came along.”
“I used to think home was a place where everything stayed where it belonged.” She looked at the twins, the messy cabin, and David’s tired face. “I think I was wrong.”
“What is it now?”
“This.”
“Then I’m glad we made this little cabin a home.”
Ella stood and put Samuel in his cradle before coming back and retrieving Hope. Each of the babies had shoved their entire fists into their mouths and they sucked at them, even in sleep.
She noticed David’s hand resting on Hope’s cradle. Glancing at the window, she saw the snow was letting up. It was almost spring. The winter had been long, but the cabin was warm, and the ledger was closed for once.
The cabin was no longer quiet, not truly. But Ella had learned that peace and quiet were not always the same thing. And that was all right.