Easter was Ruth's favorite holiday. No other day dawned as hopeful to her mind. It reminded people that Jesus had conquered the grave and that death was swallowed up.

"Jesus is risen!" the pastor shouted, the same 90 some year old pastor the church had always had but his eyes sparkled like a youth. He seemed to have found a new fervor along with his congregation.

The church was now as red hot and spirit-driven as it had once been lukewarm and ritualistic and it was a joy to Ruth to worship there. The work God had sent her to accomplish here had been completed.

When Easter Monday arrived, Ruth and Kid were readying their wagon to go.

Everything was ready except for the stubborn colt that refused to budge despite Kid's light tugs on the rope lassoed around her neck. He was seriously considering leaving her here. "I think she must be part mule."

"Let me try," Ruth said.

He didn't see how she could do any better. Grace was still skittish around people and that's all there was to it, but he backed up so she could give it a whirl. It wasn't but a few seconds before Grace was following her toward the wagon like a puppy. She took a swipe at Ruth's hand with her tongue and then Ruth quickly tied her rope tightly to the back of the wagon.

He could only shake his head in pure befuddlement. Animals seemed to take a liking to her easy enough but this was ridiculous. "How did you do that?"

She grinned and held up the hand the colt had just licked. "I cheated. I had sugar on my palm."

He grinned back. "And here I thought your powers as a miracle worker were greater than I knew."

"Nope. I'm just an ordinary Christian."

Kid's family all came out to see them off. They didn't say much and hugs weren't passed around. His family wasn't the hugging kind, but the fact they were there at the wagon to see him go meant a lot. His mother told him to write and Millie said she would miss him. His father nodded a goodbye. Jed actually looked a little sorry to see him go and shook his hand. "Take care."

"You too," he returned.

Kid didn't comment as they rode away.

"They love you," she said, knowing full well what was on his mind. She put the finished quilt across their legs as a chill wind was blowing on the otherwise warm spring day. "These stitches in the bottom corner say love. The cotton inside that your father grew and gave say love. Your sister's smile and your brother's handshake say love. Words are nice but actions say love too."

He thanked her with a kiss on the top of her head. Her words had helped him.

The past month had been disappointing in some ways. He'd expected things to return to the way they were before and now he knew they never would, but he also realized that maybe that was okay. Maybe they weren't supposed to. He knew the forgiveness was real and that the love and ties of family were still there. That was what was important.

His heart was less heavy this time as they passed the graveyard and he allowed himself to remember a good memory.

"Kenneth!" 8 year old Ben called.

"Quiet," said 11 year old Kid, hiding behind some large bushes.

"What are you doing?" he asked more quietly as he ducked down beside him.

"Watching Jed court a girl."

"Is that the right thing to do?" Ben asked, ever Kid's conscience.

It was easier to get mad when someone just told you what was right or wrong. The questions just annoyed him. "It ain't hurting nobody."

Ben couldn't deny he wasn't interested in the world of courtship, so he didn't protest overmuch.

Jed and his girl were just holding hands and talking as they sat on the bank of the stream.

"Don't seem very interesting," Ben said at last.

"No, but it is Jed we're talking about."

5 year old Millie had snuck up behind them and asked, "Are we playing hide and seek?"

Both boys about jumped out of their skins. "We're doing something secret. Now go away," Kid said.

She smiled a partly toothless smile. "I like keeping secrets."

"Then whisper. That's the first rule to keeping a secret." Kid shook his head, giving up. "At least get down here, so he can't see you."

He thought they did a good job of keeping quiet after that, but Jed's sharp eyes narrowed in on the 3 spying children. He said something to the girl beside him, but Kid didn't wait to find out what it was.

"Run!" Kid shouted, knowing what was coming next. He took the lead with Ben on his heels and Millie trailing by about a foot behind.

Although the laughter from all 3 proved they didn't really fear being caught, they made it to the house just in time as Jed was closing in.

Eleanor had a waiting lunch. Her expression didn't reveal much as they stumbled in out of breath and slamming the door behind them.

"I'm going to—" Jed started to declare but then broke off when he saw their mother.

"Sounds and looks like you 4 have been working up an appetite. Wash your hands."

Wallace came in and looked ready to yell at them for their dirty clothes, the result of their hiding place, but then he smiled in a rare display of good humor. "I suppose kids have to be kids sometimes. Get your old clothes on after lunch. It's picking time."

Kid groaned on the inside. Picking time meant sore fingers and aching muscles. Then he brightened. It also meant singing together to help pass the time. He did like that. There was nothing quite like singing with your family.

sss

"How I wish I had gone back just once. Now it's too late," Kid said, the lines in his face becoming even deeper as he grew more morose.

"It's never too late. This life ain't the end and there won't be any unforgiveness there. You believe that, don't you?"

He nodded. "It's a hard wait though. It would have been so much nicer to have settled it on this earth."

"I think it's settled as far as your family's concerned. They're seeing things from heaven's view now and I think they've long given you their forgiveness maybe even before they went on to their reward, but praying soothes the soul like nothing else can because God can sooth like nobody else can."

She got out of her rocker and down on her knees. He got down on his knees with her.

"You want to pray?" Ruth asked.

"You're better at it than me."

"That ain't so. God ain't looking for fancy words just the right heart, but I will." She bowed her head and he followed suit.

"Lord, we ask for Your peace and Your forgiveness. We know we're worthy of hellfire, but You saved us from that through Your redeeming blood. We're missing our families tonight. Remind us that You are a father to the fatherless and that we are made complete in You. And if You will, let our families know that we're sorry for the ways that we failed them. In Your Son's Blessed Name we pray, amen."

Kid was soothed by the prayer and he felt God's blessing on him from it. He was the Great Comforter. As Ruth often reminded people when she was helping them to find healing, sometimes the only reason they didn't have something was because they didn't ask.

Kid got to his feet, but Ruth wasn't so quick to get up. He offered her his hands and helped her up with her laughing. "I might need to find me a new prayer position. I think the Lord understands my knees don't quite want to cooperate anymore."

"You ever hear anything from the family you got left?" Kid asked as they sat back down.

"I got a nephew, Danny, who manages to get a letter to me now and then to inform me of things there. I send him letters too occasionally. I remember him very well. He was a darling little boy, but I doubt he remembers me very much. I left when he was about 3. I think though since both parents his parents are gone and I'm the only living sibling, he feels like he's staying connected to his mother in a way. My friend Mark's still alive last I heard or my brother-in-law I should say. He and my sister, Anna, were married almost 40 years."

"I'm the only living sibling in my family too. I can't imagine being married to somebody that long. It must've been pretty hard to lose her."

"I'm sure. She had a fiancé I never met a Samuel something or other. Such a tragedy when he shot himself right before their wedding. I'm glad she got another chance at happiness."

"Did all your siblings marry?" Kid asked.

"Oh, yes. I got me a gaggle of nieces and nephews. The McKenzie clan is quite large."

"I think I got me a few, but I don't know much about them. All I know is from this." He pulled out the yellowed, crinkly letter he carried in his Bible, a link to the past and family he'd left behind. He read it out loud to her. He'd read it so many times, he didn't have to look at the words.

"I don't know if this letter will reach you, but the way you move, you're bound to go through St. Louis sometime and the post office there has promised to try and get it to you if you do. I'm praying it gets to you.

Daddy died yesterday. Momma died the week before after a long illness. Daddy just didn't seem to have the will to live with out her anymore. He deeply regretted not getting to see you again or at least get a message from or to you, although we're all well aware that you're alive and legendary. He wanted you to know that he loved you even after everything with Ben. Jed's doing fine. He's marrying a widow lady with 2 children and he's already showing what a great father he's going to be. I'm married now with a child of my own.

I guess the most important news I can share with you is that I found Jesus some years back. A lady came through with a revival. It wasn't like anything I'd ever seen. She was so joyful, I wanted that joy too. She was healing people's bodies too or rather the Lord was. I knew right then that God did care about us and our lives right now. I got Daddy to come one night, which was rather hard as he didn't approve of a woman preacher, but he renewed his faith and Daddy was a softer man in his last days. I wish you could have known him then. I'll never forget the lady. She traveled all alone which I thought was so brave and inspiring, but she didn't consider herself to be any of that, she was simply answering God's call." He looked up at her, realizing for the first time how the description matched his wife.

"Well, what do you know?" Ruth said. "Ain't too many women revivalists and faith healers around, especially in them days, and I did take my revival through Arkansas in the early days before it became a state. I've met so many I can't recall her, but I must have met your family after all."

"What a small world," he said his voice full of wonder. Then he continued reading.

"Jed has become less angry as well after meeting his bride-to-be. She's leading him back to the ways of God. I hope you know Jesus too. I mean really know Him and I hope that you will come visit us, but if you never do, know that I pray for you daily. Your loving sister, Millie.'"

"What a nice letter," Ruth said.

"I should have gone, but I was a coward."

She got up and went over to him. "The bravest thing you can do is let go of your regrets. I wish I could've gone back home too, but I never had the money. God blessed me with you though in this late season of my life and I'm so grateful."

He took her hands. "I'm happy we have each other too."

"And one day the family circle will be complete again, bigger than ever, and unbroken."

He smiled, thinking that was the perfect way to put it. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her down next to him. For now, enjoying the present and the family they had in each other.

The End