Page 6 (1/2)

Author: Robyn Carr

Devon hadn’t had a typical childhood, but it had been a safe and happy one Devon’s hbor, Mary Mary inant and alone And since Mary was a day care provider working out of her home, it only followed that after Devon was born, Mary watched her while Rhonda worked And Rhonda na happen

And so did indeed happen Poor Rhonda was struck by a drunk driver as she waited at the bus stop on her way ho Devon had been only nine months old

Devon knew Aunt Mary was not her real aunt, was not her mother’s older sister What she didn’t knoas that Mary waited tensely for years for some distant, unknown fa to that will and birth certificate with a ht try to take the little girl away

Mary was old enough to be Devon’s grandhborhood, at their church and in Devon’s schools She was kind, nurturing, energetic and helpful, and Devon’s friends had always loved her--especially the pizza parties and sleepovers Mary was a great volunteer and she took responsibility as any parent would, participating in field trips and fund-raising, and when Devon was a cheerleader or on a teaame or meet Never

Mary had always told Devon she had pluck And that she was tough She was a survivor She said the sa the chairls volleyball tea toone "I just won’t e Devon had wailed

And Mary had said, "Girl, you will rise above this, and fast You’re strong Do you have any idea how many times people have to start over and make a new path? For myself, I can’t count the number of times! I buried two husbands before you were born! Lost the first in Vietnahtbut Miss Devon!" And then she would laugh and laugh "The Lord blesses me ork and new ideas every day of rown up with a devoted parent and a house full of small children ere picked up by their parents by five With the help of scholarships and part-tiree in early childhood education and had begun work on her Master’s when Mary first fell ill Very ill That’s when Devon had said, "I don’t have enough pluck for this I’"

"You are if you want to be," Mary had said Not long after her hospitalization and subsequent death ca period when there was no work, not enough money for rent and the constant worry about how she would h the next day She constantly re person--how does this happen? She needed a miracle

What do you need, sister? Tell me Maybe I can help

Why wouldn’t she love Jacob? Why wouldn’t she take to his Fellowship? She’d grown up helping to tend other peoples’ children and all she’d ever really wanted was a family of her own Perhaps this was an unusual family by normal standards, but at least she felt safe and invulnerable And she fell for Jacob, as did everyone else--he was not only sweet and kind but also co Powerful Charish to keep all of theht she needed

Little Mercy was quickening inside her by the time she’d been in The Fellowship for a few months That hen she realized that Jacob was not in love with her--he was in love with everyone--or so he claimed On reflection, Devon realized that Jacob was incapable of loving anyone but himself As far as Devon knew, all six children in the faically his and theirhis affection Devon’s heart was broken and she was suddenly disillusioned Who would hold her up and conant? The only people she had were her sisters in the family

There was Charlotte, who used to act out the children’s stories, hter Lorna could bake like a demon and throw a softball like a pro Priscilla, who they called Pilly, was prickly except on days following one of her visits with Jacob and for that the others teased her mercilessly Reese was the oldest of theh no one had elected her boss, she took on that role all the tirateful or petulant enough to reduce her to tears But Reese played an important role in the family--she was the one to deliver their children; she was a doula and a nurse Mariah was the youngest, shyest, an innocent twenty years old, and all of them tried to shelter her from Jacoband failed And finally there was Laine, who hadn’t been with theh at theled, played games, sat up late with ice cream or popcorn and told stories, cried for their lost lives, raved in happy deliriuht each other for comfort

She missed them so Even the ones she didn’t like so er in the family--it was a faer wasno independence, no identity, no clear choices; no view of the outside world And then there were the ularly, the men who tended and ht, that it wasn’t justas they were safe and happy they see a blind eye to the reality

And then Jacob began to change He seemed toangry, desperate and paranoid Now that she’d read the online accounts of the investigation, it seeed as the feds encroached and threatened his authority, turning him into a frantic and anxiousproved to be so much more difficult He must have been afraid people who left The Fellowship would sell hi ti, trying to think of what she’d do, how she’dup in that co braid But she didn’t want her to grow up hungry and afraid, either

And now here she was, back at the beginning, living with a grandparent-type figure taking care of her in a cohborhood

She poured herself a cup of coffee in Rawley’s kitchen Rawley and Mercy sat at the kitchen table together, coloring on large sheets of paper he’d brought ho

"You don’t knohat that is? That’s a boat! I have to take you to town pretty soon, to the marina and show you the boats Those fishermen catch all the fish and crab we eat"

"How do they catch dem?"

"One of these days I’ll show you," he told her "And what’s that?" he asked, pointing to a scribbled picture