Perfect Peace Read Online Free Page A

least Gus’ll be happy.”
    A yellow-breasted chat appeared on a branch outside the bedroom window. Emma Jean studied its color and smirked. She loved that shade of yellow. She had foreseen it in dresses and matching hair barrettes adorning her little girl, and now she couldn’t relinquish the image. Of course a boy
could
wear yellow, but most didn’t. What father, including Gus, would allow it? And who would call him beautiful? That’s why Emma Jean needed a girl. She needed someone others would deem beautiful, someone around the house who would care as much as she did about dainty, frivolous things.
    “Emma Jean?”
    Someone who wanted her and thought she was the greatest mother in the whole wide world. Someone who
needed
her like her sisters had needed their mother, Mae Helen, years ago. Someone who justified why she, Emma Jean, hadn’t murdered Mae Helen back when she had the nerve. Yes, she needed a girl. She had to have one. And if God thought He was going to deny her, Emma Jean resolved, He had another thing coming.
    “Yes! Yes! Of course!” She burst into triumphant laughter. Her dismay lifted like fog on a cold, cloudy morning.
    “Emma Jean? Are you all right? What is it?”
    Emma Jean unveiled the baby, caressing its limbs, hands, and feet. “Hi, honey,” she whispered. “You finally made it, huh? You just as pretty as you can be.”
    “Emma Jean? What are you talkin’ about?”
    “I prayed for you a long time ago, and now you’re here.”
    Henrietta’s mouth twitched. “Emma Jean? You all right?”
    The mother blinked tears of joy. “I’m just fine, Henrietta Worthy. Just fine!” She stroked the baby’s head gently.
    “Well, I’ma go on out and tell the menfolks—”
    “You ain’t gon’ tell ’em nothin’,” Emma Jean said. “Nothin’ but what I tell you.”
    Henrietta turned, confused. “Excuse me?”
    “You gon’ tell ’em they got a new baby sister. That’s what you gon’ tell ’em. And she’s just as cute as she can be!” Emma Jean smiled.
    “What?” Henrietta said, approaching the bed. “What did you say?” Her eyes narrowed to small, oval slits.
    “That’s right! This is my baby girl! She’s jes’ as pretty as she can be! You said so yourself!”
    “What chu talkin’ ’bout, Emma Jean?”
    “This here’s my baby girl,” Emma Jean repeated. “At least now she is.”
    “That ain’t no girl! I know you wanted one and all, but—”
    “And now I got one!”
    Henrietta glanced frantically from Emma Jean, to the ceiling, to each of the four walls, and back to Emma Jean. “What?”
    “You heard me. I said, this is my baby girl. And that’s all there is to it.”
    “I don’t understand what you sayin’, Emma Jean Peace.” Henrietta stood with arms akimbo.
    “Oh, sure you do. It ain’t deep.”
    “It must be deep ’cause I ain’t gettin’ it.”
    Emma Jean wrapped the child again and cleared her throat. “This is my
daughter
,” she stressed, peering into Henrietta’s bulged eyes. “And don’t look at me like I’m crazy.”
    Henrietta blinked repeatedly. “You is crazy! You must be done lost yo’ mind, Emma Jean. That baby ain’t no girl!”
    “I know what it is, but it’s gon’ be a girl. From now on.”
    Henrietta’s mouth fell open.
    “You ain’t got nothin’ to worry about. This is all my doin’. I just need you to keep yo’ mouth shut. That’s all.”
    “Keep my mouth shut?” Henrietta shouted. “Is you plumb crazy, Emma Jean Peace?”
    “Shh! Like I said, you ain’t got nothin’ to explain to nobody. Just let my business be my business.”
    “You can’t be serious! What kinda mother would do this to a child?”
    Emma Jean looked away. “Just let me handle this my own way, okay? And anyway, a child gon’ believe whatever you tell it. As long as she thinks she’s a girl, that’s what she’ll be. So that’s what she is now.”
    Henrietta clasped her mouth in horror. “Emma Jean, don’t do this! You can’t