As she watched Josiah repairing the wood-stove, she nearly wondered aloud. What the hell was she doing? Why come back here? She had no good answer for that; or, more accurately, the answer didn’t seem enough. This baby. Josie was once almost her father-in-law, but she had walked out on his son and this baby was no relation. Why would she expect his embrace? Yet, that had been what he gave her. Immediately. She had known he would. He should not give her this love so freely, she thought. Jimmy had loved her and still she had left with no warning, only a note that explained nothing. I love you. She had written it on the bottom of the hospital bill that came in the mail the week before.

*Proof that I at least thought about novella writing this weekend. An excerpt from Deciduous