She was pregnant, I thought. I could see the light in her eyes. And for Alice, being pregnant meant that she would be allowed to move in with her husband, David.

“You’re pregnant?”

Alice pulled up, blinking. “What makes you say that?”

“Just a guess. You look like the sun.” She was a redhead and reminded me of women who might have modeled back in the days when we had at least some magazines to read and approved television to watch.

A daring smile revealed Alice’s perfect teeth. “I think I might be!”

“You’re late?”

“Three days.” She whispered it like a great secret. I couldn’t help but be a little jealous, not of her pregnancy as much as for her affection for David. Why couldn’t they have found someone young and handsome for me, like Samuel, who was twenty-three and single? Not that I was drawn to Samuel, but at least he was my age and we might figure life out together with our child.

“You’re not thrilled for me?” Alice asked.

“I am.” I forced a smile. My stomach was still in knots from the previous day, but I was happy for her. “Very much so. But you can’t know after only three days.”

“Of course not. I’m going to the clinic this afternoon.” Her eyes darted over my shoulder. “David is over the moon.”

“I’m sure he is.” I took her hand, getting over my selfishness. “I hope it’s true. I really do.”

“Me too.” She blushed. “It is true, I can feel it. It’s as though the whole world has shifted. A woman was made to live with a man, don’t you think?”

A squeal sounded behind me before I could answer, and I turned to see little Bart from the Hansen family rushing up to us.

“Miss Grace, Miss Grace!” The four-year-old boy collided with me, wrapping his arms around my legs.

“Well hello, Bart!” I grabbed him under his arms and swung him up to my hip, Alice momentarily forgotten. “My, aren’t you getting big,” I said, poking his side.

He threw his head back, giggling.

“Soon you’ll be tall enough to reach the moon and go on wild adventures with me.”

“Mommy says adventures aren’t good.”

“Then we’ll just laugh in joy as we fly around the moon with our animal friends and look at the beautiful world God made. And maybe eat strawberry ice cream, because maybe the moon is made out of ice cream.”

“What’s ice cream?”

“A sweet dessert that is cold and tastes like a little bit of heaven on earth. But you have to grow another inch first. Deal?”

He grinned wide. “Deal!”

“Don’t tell a soul,” Alice said to me over her shoulder, hurrying for the Chapel.

“My lips are sealed.”