Her Christmas Wish. Kathryn Springer

is, those two guys out there throwing pillows at the television screen are the blessings. All I know is somewhere out there, a young mother had a lot of love in her heart.”

      Since Eli’s mother had died, Leah knew she was referring to Ben’s birth mother. Or was she? There was a thread of something in the older woman’s voice that made Leah uncomfortable.

      Suddenly hungry to know more about Olivia, Leah dared to ask some of the questions she’d had since she’d moved in with Ben and Olivia. Questions she couldn’t ask Ben. “Were Ben and his wife unable to have children, too?”

      Peggy shook her head. “As far as I know, they hadn’t been married long enough to start thinking about children. Julia was a nurse at the hospital and she was in the delivery room when Olivia was born. The couple who were supposed to adopt Olivia had just found out they were pregnant and didn’t know if they could handle two children so close in age. They decided not to, but in the meantime Julia and Ben had prayed about it and knew they wanted her.” Peggy’s smile was soft. “It worked out the way it was meant to.”

      “You’re doing great,” the nurse told her. “It won’t be long now.”

      “It hurts.” Leah panted the words and felt the young woman’s hand squeeze hers reassuringly, saw the compassion in her dark blue eyes.

      “I’ll stay here with you.”

      And she had stayed. Through the next two hours of labor and afterward. It was the blue-eyed nurse who had brought Leah’s baby girl to her, wrapped in a soft pink blanket. So Leah could say goodbye. Then, she’d wrapped her arms around Leah when she’d started to cry.

      The nurse had been Julia Cavanaugh.

      Tears burned Leah’s eyes. Tears she was unable to hide from Ben’s mother. Her mouth fell open and her eyes widened. “I’m sorry, my dear. You must be a sensitive soul! I know I am. Ty teases me because I even cry during TV commercials.”

      Leah was rescued from a response by the pint-sized seven-year-old who suddenly careened around the corner.

      “Aunt Rachel needs Leah,” she said. “And Grammy, Daddy said to tell you he’s got the chess board set up.”

      “That’s my cue.” Peggy brushed a stray curl off Olivia’s cheek. “Every year your dad tries to beat me at chess.”

      “He said this is going to be the day he wins,” Olivia whispered.

      “He can try.” Peggy gave them both a mischievous wink.

      Leah stepped into the hall but was still having a difficult time breathing normally again. She felt a soft touch on her arm and forced a smile, assuming it was Olivia. It wasn’t. It was Peggy.

      “I’m really glad you’re here, Leah.”