“I know. I’m just being silly,” I said. “It’s just that every setback reminds me of what we’ve lost, and that we’re not quite back to being a normal family yet.”
Gus put her hand on mine. “It will come, Molly. Just be patient. You’ve got Daniel and you have us too. And we’re going to give Liam the best birthday ever soon. You’ll see.”
I felt tears coming to my eyes again. Really I was turning into a dreadfully weepy woman these days. I blinked them away and gave Gus a bright smile. “Right. Let’s finish that list of things I’ll be needing.”
Sid and Gus then disappeared back to their own house, only to return with an amazing assortment of sundry dishes, knives and forks, kitchen utensils, and dishcloths.
“I really don’t need all this,” I said, eyeing items that I could hardly identify—a garlic press, a French coffeemaker, and some kind of slicing machine. “And I couldn’t deprive you of so much.”
“We hardly ever use these things, Molly,” Gus said when I tried to protest. “It will be good to give them the light of day.”
“And you’ll need a bedside lamp,” Sid said, as she came down from the second floor. “We could bring down the one in the guest room. I’ll go and get it.”
She went to the front door, then stopped and called out, “There’s someone at our door, Gus.”
“Can I help you?” she called out. We then heard her say, “Mrs. Hamilton. I hadn’t expected to see you again so soon.”
The tall, severe-looking woman spun around at the sound of Sid’s voice coming from across the street. “Oh, Miss Goldfarb. You startled me. I’m so sorry to disturb you.”
“We were just helping Molly move back into her newly renovated house,” Sid said.
“I’ve obviously come at an inconvenient time.” Mrs. Hamilton turned to leave. “It was a foolish impulse on my part to call without an invitation. Please excuse me.”
Sid went over to her. “Not at all. We were about to stop for a cup of coffee or tea. Won’t you join us?”
“No, it wouldn’t be right when you’re obviously so busy.” She sounded flustered, and I was surprised. At last night’s meeting she had seemed like a woman who is always in command of herself.
“But we insist, don’t we, Gus?” Sid took Mrs. Hamilton’s arm and steered her toward their front door. “Come along, Molly. You’ve been working too hard and need a break too, and Liam should be waking up from his nap by now.”
We followed her back across the alley, and Mrs. Hamilton was shown into the conservatory while Sid put on a kettle. I went to retrieve Liam and brought him down to join us. Mrs. Hamilton made a great fuss of him.
“Enjoy him while he’s this age, Mrs. Sullivan,” she said. “Soon it will be ripped trousers and skinned knees and all kinds of trouble, I promise you. I find myself wishing that I’d had girls. So much easier.”
“I took care of three young brothers, so I know a bit about little boys and what I’m in for,” I said.
“And where are your brothers now? Still in Ireland?”
“Two of them are dead, I’m afraid. The youngest is still in Ireland.” I turned away, not wanting her to see my expression at the mention of this painful subject.
“It seems we all have our personal crosses to bear, doesn’t it?” she said. “Life was not meant to be easy.”
“Coffee, Earl Grey, or Japanese tea?” Sid poked her head through the doorway.
Life is easy for them, I thought, and then I remembered that life had not been so easy this summer. Mrs. Hamilton was right. We all have our personal crosses to bear.
When the tea tray was brought in, Sid and Gus handed around cups and then seated themselves facing us. Liam was given his favorite kind of hard gingersnap and lay back on my knee, sucking it contentedly.
“So what brings you back again so soon, Mrs. Hamilton?” Gus asked. “Did you perhaps want to reminisce over old times at Vassar when there weren’t so many strangers present?”
Mrs. Hamilton shook her head. “Nothing like that, Miss Walcott, although recalling old times is always pleasant. I came to ask you a favor. I tried to pluck up the courage to talk about it last night, but the moment never seemed right.” She paused and looked from one face to the next. I don’t think any of us had an idea what might be coming next. Mrs. Hamilton had appeared to me to be the kind of woman who is completely in command of her life and not prone to asking favors. “It’s my niece, you see. Young Mabel Hamilton.”