Interview for a Wife by Ruth Ann Nordin

Chapter Two

Seven-year-old Amber and four-year-old Vernon came running over to Bill as soon as he and Deanne arrived at his aunt and uncle’s house.

“You’re early,” Amber said as she and Vernon hugged him. “Is it time to go home?”

“No, not yet.” Bill gestured to Deanne who stood nearby with the travel bag in hand. “Do you remember what I said about looking for a wife to help me out at the store?”

Vernon shook his head, but Amber nodded.

Bill chuckled and told Deanne, “Vernon’s young. He doesn’t remember everything I tell him.” His gaze went to the boy. “The woman I’m going to marry will not only help me with the store, but she’ll help me take care of you two as well. She’s going to be your new mother. Her name is Deanne, but I want you to call her ‘Ma’.”

Amber indicated she would do as he wished, but Vernon just stared at Deanne as if he’d never seen a woman before.

Deanne offered a smile that indicated she wasn’t sure what she should say to them.

“I know it’s going to take everyone time to adjust to all of this,” Bill said. “We’ll just take things one day at a time.” Turning his attention to his children, he added, “She’ll stay here tonight with Uncle Henry and Aunt Marsha. Then she’ll return to Omaha to pack so she can come here to be with us permanently.”

Amber opened her mouth to respond, but Aunt Marsha opened the front door and called out, “What are you doing here so early, Bill?”

“I found a woman to marry,” he replied. “Deanne Grayson came all the way from Omaha to answer my ad. She’s exactly what I’ve been looking for. I thought you might let her stay here for the night.”

“I won’t be any trouble,” Deanne told her. “I have a ticket to return to Omaha tomorrow.”

“Oh, I know you won’t be any trouble,” his aunt said. “Henry and I will be happy to have you as our guest. I’ll take that travel bag for you. You can have our daughter’s bedroom.”

Bill caught the worried expression on Deanne’s face and assured her, “Stephanie doesn’t live here anymore. She lives in Grand Island with her husband.”

The answer seemed to satisfy her since he saw her relax. She handed the travel bag to his aunt.

“I better get back to work,” Bill said. “I have a lot of receipts to go through, but I should be here for dinner on time.”

His aunt gave him a nod. “That sounds good, Bill. We’ll have dinner when you get here.” She gestured for the children to go into the house then started telling Deanne about the menu she had planned for the evening.

Deanne gave him a quick glance before she went into the house with his aunt and children. Maybe he should have kept her at the store longer. The poor woman must feel all alone out here where she was far from any family and friends.

She might have had a husband before and she might be surprisingly gifted at arithmetic, but this new life was bound to take her time to get used to. All he could do was be there to help her as much as the wheelchair allowed. With a sigh, he turned the wheelchair around and headed back to the general store.

***

Deanne tried not to be self-conscious as Amber and Vernon stared at her, but it became more and more difficult as the afternoon wore on. No matter what she did or what room she was in, they just watched her. The only time they said anything was when Marsha asked them a question. Had Marsha not been with her, Deanne might have bolted out of the house after the first hour passed.

She had no idea that children were so curious. But she’d rather go through a million afternoons of awkwardness than return to Kentucky. She’d endured far worse than this.

She took another glance at the children who sat across from her at the table while she cut the vegetables for the salad Marsha was making.

“Are you going to be a good ma?” Amber asked her.

Deanne blinked in surprise. It was the first time Amber spoke directly to her. She offered the girl what she hoped was a reassuring smile. “I’m going to be the best ma for you and your brother than I can be.”

Amber’s eyebrows furrowed. “Does that mean you’ll be good?”

She thought the answer was obvious, but perhaps it wasn’t to a young child. “Yes, I will be good.”

“Have you been a ma before?”

“No, I’m sorry to say I haven’t.”

Amber looked over at her brother who just kept his eyes focused on Deanne. Deanne couldn’t be sure, but she didn’t think the boy had blinked in over a minute.

“The ma I used to have was good,” Amber said.

“I’m sure she was,” Deanne replied.

“Vernon doesn’t remember her. He was a baby when she died.”

“I’m sorry.”

Vernon finally blinked, but he still kept his attention on Deanne.

Forcing aside her unease, Deanne picked up a carrot and cut it. “No child should lose their mother.”

“She was wearing a green dress the day she died,” Amber said. “Pa took me to the hospital to see her. I don’t remember anything else from that day. But I remember her singing to me.”

“I bet she was a nice person.”

“She was. I miss her.”

Deanne thought over how she should reply, and after a moment, she settled for saying, “I don’t intend to replace her. I know I’ll never be the mother she was. All I can promise is that I will think of you and your brother as my own children.”

“If you haven’t been a ma before, how do you know how to treat children?”

The girl didn’t come up with questions that were easy to answer. She wondered if Bill had any idea how smart his daughter was.

Fortunately, Marsha said, “Women have a natural mothering instinct about them, Amber. You have no need to worry about your new ma. She’ll be nice to you and your brother.”

The answer seemed to satisfy the girl since she nodded in approval. Then, to Deanne’s surprise, she asked Marsha, “Does that mean I’ll be a good ma?”

Marsha smiled. “You’re already a good sister. That mothering instinct is already right in here.” She tapped the girl’s heart. “It’s not how long someone has been a mother that matters. What matters is what’s in her heart. Your pa wouldn’t have picked someone who wouldn’t be good to you and your brother.” She turned her kind gaze to Deanne. “If you have any questions about Amber or Vernon, don’t hesitate to ask. I’ve known them since the day they were born.”

“Was Ma happy when we were born?” Amber asked her.

“She was very happy. Your pa was, too,” Marsha replied.

Deanne had no doubt about that. She recalled the tenderness in Bill’s voice when he spoke about his children. She was sure he was just as concerned that he could give them a good mother as he was about finding a qualified person to help him manage the store. What was it about her he saw that prompted him to pick her when he could have picked someone else? Surely, she couldn’t be the only woman who could do basic arithmetic in her head.

“My husband will come home with Bill in about an hour,” Marsha told Deanne. “He’ll take them home after dinner.”

Deanne’s eyebrows furrowed. “Bill doesn’t live in town?”

“He lives a few miles outside of town,” Marsha said. “He wants to move into town, but he can’t get anyone to buy the small farm he currently lives on. His first wife inherited it from her parents. They came out here on a wagon train. All of her other relatives are back East. None of them want to live out here.”

Deanne had heard of wagon trains but couldn’t imagine ever traveling so far on foot. “Her parents must have been brave people.”

“It’s not as dangerous on the wagon trains as some would have you believe, but trains are a more efficient way to go from one place to another,” Marsha said.

“I’m glad for them,” Deanne replied.

“Are trains fun to ride?” Amber asked her.

“I wouldn’t say they’re fun,” Deanne began, “but they are affordable and faster than going on a horse or on foot.”

“Until we have a better way of transportation, people will keep using them,” Marsha told the girl. “Now, why don’t you take your brother out to the backyard to play while your ma and I finish making dinner?”

“Alright.” Amber took her brother by the hand and led him out the door that led to the yard.

Marsha chuckled. “Every child stares at a stranger, and once they’re done staring, they ask questions. They’re just curious.”

Deanne’s face warmed. Had the woman noticed how apprehensive she felt around Amber and Vernon? She smiled, hoping she hadn’t given away her unease. “I’m sure I’ll get used to being a mother soon enough.”

“You will.” Marsha patted her shoulder. “It’ll come to you. You’ll be surprised at how fast you’ll adjust to motherhood.”

Deanne could only hope the woman was right.