Page 103 - The Last Gift

word to his mother that he had been the one to
purchase the family farm. What would Rachel
have thought if she had known that, in some
ways, Jacob was so close, even though he was so
far away? She thought about him every day, and,
at times, even talked to Mother Davis about him.
But Mother Davis never broke her promise to
Jacob and never revealed where he was.

The next few years were hard. Rachel
continued working her job as a checker at the
grocery store, which paid minimum wage with no
benefits. As she gained weight with Emily, her
feet hurt from standing all day. She tried to keep
her emotions in check, fearing she’d be fired if
she didn’t. But, at night, all alone, she cried.
Many times it was while she was sitting on Pine
Ridge. She didn’t miss Matthew at all, but she

98