Page 121 - The Last Gift

hole to crawl in and hide. Jacob just patted
Emily on the head. “Well, you come up and visit
us sometimes in our too pretty house, won’t
you?”

Emily nodded enthusiastically. Jacob stood
and stiffly asked, “Rachel, could I have a word
with Mother? Alone?”

Rachel led Emily by the hand into the
kitchen. She didn’t mean to listen in on Jacob’s
conversation with his mother, but the walls of the
old house were thin and held no secrets.

“Mother,” Jacob said. “We would like to
have you come up for Christmas.”

“What about Rachel?” Mother Davis asked.
“She can get by without you for a day.”
“You know very well that is not what I
meant. You have Anna and your family, but

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