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The Satterfields were good friends with Pastor Marshall and his wife, Wanda, as well as the McDiarmids and Stephanie’s parents. No doubt she’d heard plenty from that contingent.

“Things did move very quickly,” Stephanie admitted. “But when you know, you know, right?” She raised her eyebrows at Harper.

Harper grinned. “Ain’t that the truth. And you’ve got that adorable little boy to love as well as his daddy… his uncle…”

“We’re adopting Jamie. And we’ll also make sure he knows about Wally and Ashley as he gets older.”

Loretta whisked a lace handkerchief out of nowhere and dabbed her eyes. “That’s just the sweetest thing.”

“Oh, Stephanie. What a blessing you and Tate are to Jamie.”

“And to each other.” Stephanie’s hand touched her belly then lifted quickly.

Not quickly enough. Harper’s delicately plucked eyebrows lifted. “Is there something you’d like to tell us?”

A telltale flush flooded Stephanie’s face. There’d be no denial strong enough now. “Maybe.” She looked down. “We’re expecting, but we haven’t told anyone yet, so please don’t spread the news.”

Loretta’s hand rested across her heart. “You have my word.”

“Mine, too.” Harper rose from the padded bench, her full gown swishing, and reached for Stephanie.

Stephanie hugged her back, careful not to wrinkle either of their dresses. “I’m so happy I could cry. Actually, I do cry. All the time.”

Loretta hugged them both. “It’s those hormones, sugar. They’ll get you every time. Babies are a blessing, but they don’t fix what’s broken. So many people think they will.”

Wow, Mom and Wanda Smith and Melanie McDiarmid had definitely gotten to Loretta Satterfield, although Stephanie would like to think the narrative had changed after Tate’s trip to Chicago and Mom’s surgery. The results had come back benign, and they’d all breathed again.

And maybe the uncertainty of life had served as impetus to start their family — no, add to it — sooner rather than later.

Stephanie looked between her best friend and her mother. “You know I spent most of my life super insecure. I won’t go into all the reasons, but…”

Loretta squeezed her. “Poor thing.”

“No, not at all. I allowed myself to feel like a victim, even though by most standards, my life was very good. My self-worth came from what I believed others thought about me.”

“Your husband can’t fix that.”

Stephanie shook her head. “I figured that out not long after Tate and I were married.” She wasn’t going to explain the Chicago debacle to Loretta if the older woman hadn’t heard about it. “In Deuteronomy, when Moses is passing the leadership of the Israelites over to Joshua, he says, ‘be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.’ Anyway, that’s where my security lies now. Not in myself, not in my relationships — even with Tate — but in God. Everyone else has the ability to disappoint me, but not God.”

“Oh, sugar.” Loretta squeezed her. “You’ve found the answer.”

“I have. Oh, the old doubts will likely still rear their heads every now and then, but I know my only hope is in Jesus.”

Loretta began to sing the old hymn. “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame but wholly lean on Jesus' name. On Christ the solid rock I stand; all other ground is sinking sand…”

Stephanie and Harper joined in the refrain softly. “All other ground is sinking sand.”

And wasn’t that the cry of her heart, now?

“I’ll check if your daddy is ready, sugar.” Loretta dabbed at her eyes again and headed for the door.

Harper hugged Stephanie. “No regrets?”

“Not a single one. I promise.”

“I’m so glad.”

* * *