Free Like a Bee to Honey by Jennifer Beckstrand Page A

bouncing the baby with increased desperation. The baby’s fussing would soon become screaming again.
    Josiah shook the bottle, and little drops of formula flew all over the kitchen. Rose did not even comment on it. Neither did he. He simply wiped a spot of formula from his cheek and handed her the bottle. Rose sat down in the chair next to the sofa, cradled Arie in her arms, and pressed the bottle to Arie’s lips. Arie clamped her gums together and arched her back as if Rose were trying to feed her a sprig of asparagus. Rose pulled the bottle away, and Arie started screaming.
    Who knew such a little baby could make such a loud noise?
    Rose stuck the nipple into Arie’s open mouth, and Arie coughed and choked and screamed all the louder. Okay. Not a gute idea to trick a baby. Rose tried again. Arie would have none of it. She was hungry but wouldn’t eat.
    Josiah knelt beside her chair. Aaron immediately jumped on his back. “Do you want me to hold the bottle?”
    â€œOkay. We can try it.”
    Josiah growled like a bear, picked up giggling Aaron, and deposited him on the sofa before coming back to Rose and taking the bottle. Rose cradled Arie while Josiah tried to press the bottle into her mouth. Arie cried as if her heart would break.
    â€œI’m sorry,” Josiah said. “I don’t know what to do.”
    Rose took the bottle from Josiah and stood up. She bounced up and down while cradling Arie in one arm. With the other hand, she tried again to feed Arie. Arie smacked her lips and opened her mouth. Rose kept bouncing with one arm clinging to Arie for dear life. Arie decided she liked being fed while standing. She clamped down and started sucking.
    Josiah cocked an eyebrow. “That is one determined baby.”
    Rose smiled at him. “If she’s happy, I’m happy.”
    â€œMe too.”
    While Rose bounced around the room and fed Arie, Josiah changed Aaron’s diaper, cleaned up the ribbon of toilet paper, and led his nephews in gathering up the wet towels and putting down dry ones in their place. Once the floor was somewhat dry, the three of them played grizzly bear. Josiah made very realistic bear noises and tickled them until they begged him to stop and then begged him to do it again. Rose couldn’t help but think of her own fater . Had he ever thrown her up in the air like that when she was little? Had he ever tickled her or read her bedtime stories? She had no memory of his loving her the way Josiah clearly loved his nephews.
    It was just another way Gotte punished her for her selfishness. Her parents were lost to her in more ways than one.
    Rose thought her arm might fall off, but she kept a determined grip on the baby while she ate. After a few minutes, Arie’s eyes started to droop. Rose carefully and smoothly sat down in the chair but tried to pretend she was still standing. Arie didn’t seem to notice a difference. Rose relaxed against the back of the chair while Arie finished her bottle and fell asleep.
    Rose shifted Arie so the baby was snuggled against her chest and patted her back until she got a burp. She stood and looked at Josiah. “I’ll put her down,” she whispered and pointed up the stairs.
    Josiah nodded, looked at the boys, and pressed his finger to his lips to tell them they needed to be quiet. Alvin immediately began singing a loud song, but Arie didn’t even flinch. With two older brothers, she had probably learned how to sleep through anything.
    Rose found the crib upstairs and tucked a light blanket around Arie’s chin. There was nothing more precious than a sleeping baby, especially with two busy toddlers downstairs. She massaged her arm while she gazed out the window. It would get dark soon. A tendril of anxiety crawled up her spine at the thought of taking the buggy out on the dark roads. She should leave before it was too late.
    But there were still two hungry children and one very unsure uncle downstairs.