The Unlikely Wife. Debra Ullrick

all about.

       “Nice to meet y’all.”

       “Nice to meet you, too,” Emily said. Her sister repeated it.

       “Okay, girls. Why don’t you go back to working on your quilts now.”

       As the girls headed into the living room, Katherine asked, “Can I get you something to drink?”

       “No, ma’am. But thank you anyway.”

       “Very well. Let’s head to the living room where we can get comfortable.”

       Selina followed Katherine and sat down in one of the chairs.

       “Don’t mind the mess. I’m keeping the girls occupied by teaching them how to quilt.”

       Selina looked down at the girls sitting on the floor and the squares of material between them.

       “I’ve never made a quilt before. Always wanted to learn, though.”

       “How come you didn’t?” Rosie asked.

       “My ma took sick when I was a youngin, and she died when I was ten, so I never got a chance.”

       “We’ll teach you.” Emily looked up at her grandma. “Won’t we, Grandmother?”

       “We sure will.” Katherine smiled at Selina.

       “Really? You’d do that?”

       “Sure will. In fact,” Katherine rose, “I’ll be right back.” She left the room.

       “Are you making quilts for your beds?” Selina asked the girls.

       “No, we’re making them for our dollies,” Rosie, the bubbly one of the two answered.

       “What color you gonna make them?”

       “Mine’s going to be pink and yellow.” Rosie puffed out her little chest.

       “I’m making mine in two different shades of blue.” Emily picked up the squares and showed them to Selina.

       “Blue is my favorite color.” Selina ran her fingers over the dark and light blue squares.

       “I could make mine blue, too.” The sad look on Rosie’s face made Selina wonder what that was all about until she realized she’d made a big to-do over blue and Rosie’s was pink.

       Selina placed herself in a circle on the floor with them and looked at Rosie. “Rosie, I like pink and yellow right fine, too. Purple, orange, red—you name it and I like it. So don’t you be changin’ your mind ’cause someone else likes somethin’ different. You just be yourself because the good Lord made you just the way you are. Perfect and just right.”

       With a big smile Rosie picked up the pink and yellow squares and got right back to work on her quilt.

       Sitting with the girls, watching their faces, settled a longing deep inside her to have children of her own.

       Katherine came into the room, carrying tied stacks of squared material. Selina leaped up and took part of them from her.

       Her mother-in-law set her stack down. “Here you go, Selina. Take your pick of colors.”

       “Thank you kindly, Katherine.”