Roy sighed and looked up at her. "I need to prove to myself that I can do this, Mom," he said softly. "It's not about anyone else. It's something I need to do for me."
His mom hugged him tightly and held him for a moment before pulling away.
"I know you can do this," she said encouragingly, "but don't forget that you don't have to do everything alone, Roy. You will always have us here if you ever need help or support. I'll pray for you."
"Thank you." Roy smiled, feeling a warmth in his heart from his mother's words of encouragement and reassurance.
"Your brothers might be busy, but they're never too busy for you. It sounds like a big project."
"It is, and it's up to me to make sure it gets done right and on time. I asked for his, and I won't let anyone down."
"It's okay," she said softly. "No matter how much you try to handle by yourself, you can never do it all alone. I'm not saying you won't be able to do this alone, but your brothers do love helping out at the orchard as much as you do."
"Thanks, Mom."
"Just promise me that if you can't handle it, you'll ask for help, whether your brothers or someone else, okay?"
"I will," he promised.
He hugged her and finished loading up the dishes with her help. Then, he and his brothers left to return to the orchards to get into their trucks and go their separate ways.
Roy knew that no matter what happened, he could trust in the knowledge that he wasn't alone, even if it felt like it sometimes, and that he had people who were willing to help if he ever could bring himself to ask. Maybe it was because he was the oldest of four brothers, but Roy had always felt the need and drive to be the best, to do the most, and all of that.
But this was so important to not only Roy but everyone at the orchard, and Roy couldn't stop thinking about the toolshed. It clearly needed to be torn down and rebuilt. The other buildings should all be checked to make sure they were structurally sound, and if they weren't...
The project was bigger than Roy initially thought, but he still didn't want to ask his brothers for help.
Maybe he should, though. Pride came before a fall, right?
Maybe there was another way, one where he wouldn't impose on his brothers but still get the work done before Easter. Hiring someone to take a walk through the orchard shouldn’t be too much, and then he could decide from there what would be the best course of action.
Yes, that might be the best way to go about things.
That night, Roy slept soundly, and when he woke, he had a smile on his face. Somehow, he just knew that everything was going to be just perfect, and he had God to thank for that. God was already giving him peace of mind, and that alone was an answer to Roy’s prayers.
ChapterFour
Beverly eyed her phone. Her mom's name lit up the screen, and Beverly sighed, blasted a fake smile on her face, and answered the call.
"Hi, Mom."
"Hi, honey. I'll be home soon."
Home. Shooting Star Canyon. Beverly used to love living here, but she had never realized just how lonesome it could be. Her mom would return to the canyon as much as she could, but the life of a traveling nurse isn't an easy one. It was some of the reason why Beverly had clung to her father so much.
Her mom had been able to come home for an entire week after her husband passed, and she had taken the reins as far as all of the funeral arrangements. Beverly had wanted to give the eulogy, but she hadn't been able to. She had cried so many tears, and she still missed her father. She always would, but now, she realized she missed her mom in a way she hadn't ever before.
Naturally, each time her mom would visit and then leave again, it hurt. Beverly had understood, but now... now Beverly found herself wishing her mom would just work at the hospital here in the canyon.
Not that she would mention that to her mom. Her mom loved her job. Why would Beverly take that away from her? Besides, Beverly was twenty-four. She wasn't a teenager. She could get by.
"Home again?" Beverly asked.
"Yes."
"For how long?" Beverly turned her heart to stone. She wasn't about to get her hopes up.
"I had to finish the last two weeks at the job in Maine, but now... I thought I would just come home for a while. I... There's money from the life insurance, and... I..."