Gloriana wondered if she’d ever know that feeling. She wanted children of her own very much. She had helped care for her siblings and now Sally, but it wasn’t the same. There was no doubt a difference. Wasn’t there? Or was it that when you loved someone, it didn’t matter?

Sally drifted off to sleep. Gloriana wiped the baby’s mouth and burped her, relishing the fresh scent of her hair. Mrs. Sedgwick had bathed her, no doubt. Gloriana wrapped Sally up and placed her in the cradle. For a moment all she could do was gaze down in wonder. No, she didn’t think it mattered. Love was love. She would give her life for this child. Nothing was stronger than that.

She made her way to the living room and found the boys hard at work.

“I’m glad you’ve rejoined us. I was just describing to JT some of the Christmas ornaments I grew up with and how I like yours much better.”

“Well, they are definitely nothing fancy.” Gloriana picked up one that had been made from a tree branch sawed crosswise to make little wooden discs. Her father had cut one for each family member, drilled a small hole in the top, and Mama had strung it with red ribbon. Then each member of the family had decorated their piece of wood with something special that would remind everyone else of them. This ornament had belonged to Tabby, who had made several small bows with excess ribbon because she liked to wear bows in her hair. Mama had even helped her cut a curl of her hair and tie it with ribbon to paste on the ornament. Her hair had been just as blond as that of Gloriana and the boys.

Aaron was always going fishing, so his ornament had a fishing hook and a coiled piece of fishing line attached to a small twig pole. Mama had decorated one with little pieces of material and a needle and thread, and Papa had used six smooth stones in a circle to represent the members of his family. Then over these he had glued a twig cross to show that all were under the protection of God, because even though he didn’t see a need for God in his life, he knew it would please his wife. Mama had helped JT make his by carving and inking an etching of a dog. That had been the year JT had nagged everyone for a dog, but their father told him no. Not until he could prove himself to be responsible enough to care for such a creature.

Last of all was Gloriana’s piece. She picked up the ornament and smiled. She had laughed that all she wanted for Christmas was time to read a book uninterrupted. On the ornament was her own rendition of several books. She’d made the pages out of newspaper, then covered them with starched cloth for the covers. On these she carefully penned the names of tomes she had received but never had time to read. She still had those books safely tucked in her hope chest.