Free Nila's Hope by Kathleen Friesen Page B

her at the tree, her hands cradling two more multi-colored balls. “They are lovely, aren’t they? See how they reflect the lights? The glass is hand-blown, molded by fire and care. I like to think of them as a picture of God’s work in us. He molds us with love through the heat of trials so we can illuminate the world with His light.”
    “My poetic wife,” Dave said with an indulgent smile. He knelt to place two balls on the lower branches.
    Nila said nothing as she picked up two more ornaments, but she tucked Lydia’s words into her heart. Before long the boxes were empty and the tree full.
    The three stepped back, Dave with his arm around Lydia, and Nila with her hands clasped in reverence.
    “It’s so beautiful.” Nila turned and faced the couple. “Thank you for letting me do this—and for sharing your stories about the different ornaments. Together they create a monument to life and love.”
    Lydia beamed. “Well said, dear one. And thank you.”
    “For what?”
    “For being here, letting us love you, and being God’s blessing to us.”
    “Oh.”
    Nila’s heart felt as if it might burst. She turned her head, blinked fast, and swallowed hard. Was real love always so overwhelming?
    Later that afternoon, as Nila sprawled on the couch downstairs watching one of her favourite home makeover shows, the doorbell rang.
    Dave’s heavy footsteps thumped across the floor, and then she heard a hearty greeting. A minute later his booming voice called, “Nila, you’ve got company.”
    She ran her fingers through her hair and dashed up the stairs.
    She stopped short, and her brow puckered. “Hi, Will. Is everything OK?”
    His smile reassured her. “Sure. I just thought I’d come over and fill you in on today’s progress instead of phoning. I missed you.” His cheeks turned red. “I mean…yeah.”
    Warmth flooded her face, and her mouth lifted into a smile. “Oh, that’s nice. So how did it go?”
    Dave had disappeared, so Nila led the way to the living room where she perched on her favourite rocker.
    Will sank onto the couch, still looking ill at ease.
    “What time did the roads open?” Nila prompted.
    “Almost ten. I phoned everyone as soon as I got the word, and we showed up at the house at the same time. Got pretty crazy for a while. I felt more like a one-armed traffic cop in a six-lane intersection than a carpenter. Mostly I stayed out of their way.”
    “So is everything done?” Nila’s disappointment lowered her voice.
    He shook his head. “No, but the countertops are in, the plumbing and electrical are done, and I got the backsplash on the walls.” His eyes sparkled. “I can’t wait to show it to you. You’re going to love it.”
    “So just the grouting is left?”
    Will nodded. “That and the cleanup. I figure if we get the grout done first thing tomorrow, we should be able to seal it before leaving.”
    “Oh. I was afraid…” One involuntary day off and she’d worried that he’d rather work without her. She nibbled her lip and breathed in a shaky, relieved breath.
    He still looked uncomfortable, though. Why?
    “What about your truck?”
    Will shook his head. “It’ll be in the shop for a while. I’m using Daniel’s. I called and told them about the accident, and once he got Mom calmed down, he said to use his truck.”
    Nila could imagine Melody’s reaction. Her in-laws and Daniel’s first wife had been killed years ago on that same highway, in similar weather conditions.
    “Your poor mom. Good thing she’s got Daniel now.”
    “Yeah.” Will’s eyes lit up again. “I almost forgot to tell you. Blake phoned.”
    Nila leaned forward. “And?”
    “Their baby girl was born at 4:22 yesterday afternoon, healthy, but pretty tiny. She’s barely five pounds. He said they’re staying at Claire’s sister’s place in the city for a few days so Claire doesn’t have to deal with the stairs and mess at home.”
    Nila pictured a tiny baby girl in the new nursery. A deep