The idea took shape in Leah’s mind. “You are—you’re brilliant. ‘If you want to belong, you have to join.’ The orphans don’t belong in town. They’re someone else’s unwanted children. So they have to join the community—by contributing. If they can be seen as assets . . .”

Rita Sue’s hazel eyes glimmered in the spring sunshine. “No, you’re the brilliant one. Keep going. What are you thinking?”

“Something for the war effort. Maybe they could collect scrap, plant victory gardens, sell war bonds.”

“I like it. Let’s talk tomorrow morning.”

Luella and Sally finished herding, and the Bellamy and Paxton clans walked up Washington.

Mrs. Paxton fell in beside Leah. “I like that Mrs. Sheridan. She hopes you can volunteer at the library again.”

Leah’s heart strained in that direction. But even good babies couldn’t spend an entire morning in a library, and Rita Sue was busy with her own home and volunteer duties. “Maybe I could find another mother to trade babysitting with.”

“That’s the spirit.” Mrs. Paxton stroked her corsage. “I’ve always loved Mother’s Day.”

“This is the first one I’ve enjoyed.” And she’d enjoyed it twofold—for being a mother and for having one. Mrs. Paxton had become dear to her over the past three weeks.

“Ah, mija.” Mrs. Paxton squeezed Leah’s arm. “Do you remember your mother?”

“A bit. I was four when my parents died. I remember they read to me and sang to me, and we spoke English and Greek. And I remember they loved the three of us girls so much.”

“You have sisters? I didn’t know that. Where do they live?”

“I don’t know. They were babies. Twins. The Jones family adopted me, but not them. Then they left me in Des Moines. All my life I’ve wanted to find my sisters. I just found out we came from Chicago, but I can’t do anything with that information.”

“Why not?”

Helen moved her arms, dragging the blanket up over her face. She fussed, and Leah tucked the blanket down. “You sound like Clay. He keeps telling me to go to Chicago.”

“Then go.”

Leah laughed. “Diapers to wash, nursing, baby baths—I can’t imagine traveling with a baby, staying at a hotel. Not to mention the expense. Besides, there must be dozens of orphanages in the Chicago area. I wouldn’t know where to begin.”

“That would be difficult.” Mrs. Paxton squinted one eye in the way she did when she was thinking.

Did Clay do that too? Leah couldn’t remember. It’d been so long since she’d seen him, and her heart folded in.

Back at the Bellamy property, Leah returned to her little house with her mother-in-law.