The rest of that year passed quickly. Max grew to be a cheerful, active toddler who was always getting into things, and by the following summer, he was saying many words and even a few short sentences. Elizabet planted a small garden in her front yard, where she grew bell peppers, tomatoes, and cucumbers. She spent many long, happy hours watering her crop and pulling weeds while Max and Heidi played nearby.
One evening, a stray cat appeared on the road in front of the Brimmer home, and like a shot out of a cannon, Heidi was after it. Elizabeth scooped Max up and ran after her, screaming her name, but it was all for naught, as both animals were soon out of sight.
Dejected, Elizabeth turned to walk back home. She was about halfway there when she heard the beep of a horn and turned to see her husband grinning at her from behind the wheel of his car. She saw that Heidi's nose was pressed against the window of the passenger's side.
"I thought you might want a ride home," Paul said as he came to a stop.
"Thank you!" Elizabeth exclaimed as she pulled the door open and eased herself and her son into the front seat. "Where'd you find her?"
"A couple of streets over. She ran up to me barking and wagging her tail."
"So I guess she never caught that cat, then."
Paul laughed. "Is that what she was after?"
When they got home, Elizabeth sat out the delicious salad and spaghetti she'd made. "This is superb," Paul said in between mouthfuls.
The following morning was beautiful and sunny. "Not a cloud in the sky," Elizabeth remarked as she kissed her husband good-bye.
After lunch it became very windy, and it soon grew dark as Elizabeth heard the rain pelt against the windows.
"Mommy!" cried Max. Elizabeth scooped him up into her arms and soothed him. At the same time, she looked out the window and saw the unmistakable funnel shape of a tornado.
"Oh my God!" she screamed. Frightened out of her wits, she ducked under the table, where she clutched her small son tightly. "Oh, Paul! Where are you?" she cried.
Time seemed to stand still as she sat there, crying and praying. Max fell asleep, and eventually Elizabeth realized that all had become quiet and still. She heard the sound of the door opening and closing, followed by the sound of approaching footsteps, and the next thing she knew, Paul's arms were around her, holding her tight.
"Thank God!" he breathed.
Elizabeth felt herself relax into his embrace. "I was so s-scared!" she cried as she clung to him.
"I know you were, sweetheart." He kissed her face as he stroked her hair. "There, there. It's all over with now, and everything's fine."
Max stirred in his sleep. "Daddy." Paul took his son into his arms and carried him into the nursery, where he stood by the crib rubbing the little boy's back until he was sound asleep once more.
Elizabeth crept up behind him. "Where were you?" she asked.
"Trapped in the sawmill with the others," Paul told her. "By the time Ben decided to close for the day, it was too late to head home, so we all had to wait it out. All the way over here, I was so afraid the tornado had gotten you. I can't begin to tell you how relieved I was to see that the house was still standing."
Elizabeth embraced him from behind. "I was so afraid I'd never see you again!"
"So was I." Paul's voice was husky with emotion as he took his wife's hand and led her into the bedroom, where they began to undress one another without saying a word, their breathing becoming heavier as desire flooded through them both.
The following morning, Elizabeth awakened in her husband's arms to the sound of dead silence. A moment later, she heard her son's soft voice as he played in his crib.
She moved to get up, but Paul stopped her. "I'll get him."
He pulled on his pants and padded into the nursery, returning several minutes later with their son. "Mama!" Max crowed, waving to his mother.
"Come here, big boy." Elizabeth reached for her son and took him into her arms, and Paul sat beside them on the bed. Elizabeth rested her head on his shoulder, and his fingers caressed her back in soft circles.
"Mm, that feels so nice!" she murmured.
"Well, I guess we may as well see what it looks like out there," Paul sighed after awhile.
"Not before breakfast." Elizabeth's voice was firm as she went into the kitchen and cooked a tall stack of pancakes.
"Delicious!" Paul exclaimed as he gobbled them down. "I don't know about you, but I was famished!"
"I was too scared to be hungry," Elizabeth replied as she cut Max's pancakes up so that he could feed himself with his fingers. "You were hungry, weren't you?" she cooed as he grabbed a piece of pancake and stuffed it into his mouth.
"He's like his father; he knows good cooking when he tastes it." Paul winked at his wife, who smiled and blushed.
When they'd finished eating, they dressed and walked outside to survey the damage. Limbs from trees were strewn all around, and Elizabeth saw a sight that made her sob.
"Oh, my poor persimmon tree!" she gasped as she went to it. When she saw that it had been completely uprooted, she began to cry.
Paul went to her and embraced her. "At least the blueberry bushes are intact."
"I wonder how much damage the rest of my family suffered," she commented.
"It'll probably be a couple of days before the roads are cleared." Paul's voice was grim.
"I know," Elizabeth sighed. She rested her head on her husband's shoulder, and they just stood there for awhile, watching Max toddle around.
