A Test of Faith by Karen Ball Read Free Book Online Page A

“That’s right. We’re going to have a tea party. You and me and your new doll. With special cups and sandwiches like when I was little.”
    “Do we
have
to drink tea?”
    Anne recognized the emotion choking her now. Frustration had an all-too-familiar flavor. “You’ll like it.”
    “Can I have milk and honey in it?”
    She sighed. “Yes, of course. It’s all set. All you have to do is get dressed.”
    Faith set the doll down and slid from the bed, going to pick up her jeans from the floor.
    “No, honey.” Anne went to Faith’s closet and lifted out the dress she’d put in there last night. A dress that matched the one the doll wore. She’d shopped for hours to find it. “This is a dress-up party. Here.” She held out the dress, watching for the awe to fill Faith’s features at the elegant garment.
    Faith’s nose crinkled as though she caught a whiff of some dead, rotted creature, and she looked up at her mother. Before her daughter could voice the objection Anne saw building, she knelt in front of Faith and held the dress up against her.
    “You’ll look like a princess, honey.”
    The “princess” glared down at the offending garment. “Don’t wanna be a princess. Wanna be a tiger catcher.”
    Dread sat on Anne’s chest, weighing it down, making it hard to breathe.
I was wrong. Oh, Lord, I was wrong…
    But she couldn’t stop now. Surely, once they were sitting at the table having their tea, Faith would see what a special event this was. “Try it, okay? It’s really going to be fun.”
    She did her best to keep her tone light, but even she could hear the hurt resonating behind the words. Faith shrugged and took the dress. Before she could change her mind, Anne helped her daughter slip out of her pajamas and into the foldsof the dress. New socks and patent leather shoes followed.
    It took all of Anne’s patience, but she managed to ignore Faith’s squirming and complaining as she dressed her daughter and brushed out her hair. A velvet ribbon in Faith’s hair was the crowning glory.
    Anne stood back and studied her little girl. Faith did, indeed, look like a princess. “Okay, now you wait here, honey, while I go get the camera!”
    Faith didn’t say anything, stubbed the black toe of her shoe into the carpet. Minutes later, Anne gave a deep sigh. Faith was beautiful. Dressed this way, with her glossy auburn hair cascading down her back, she was a vision suited to the cover of any magazine.
    Or she would be, if not for her expression. The scowl creasing Faith’s features was far more suited to a Most Wanted poster than to the cover of a magazine.
    Unless, of course, it was a horror magazine.
    “Please, Faith. One smile?”
    “I wanna go outside and play.”
    “But we’re almost ready for our t—”
    “Wanna go outside, Mommy. Please?”
    “Faith.”
    “Pleeeeaaaasssssse?”
    Anne surrendered.
If you can’t fight ’em…
“Okay, Faith. Give me one smile. A
nice
one—” she hurried to add, knowing her child’s propensity to ruin any picture with crossed eyes and a tongue hanging out of a goofy grin—“and you can go outside until the party is ready to start.”
    With that, Faith’s scowl melted into a smile that was the very image of innocent beauty. Anne snapped the shot, breathing another sigh as her daughter bounded toward the door.
    “Be careful of your dress, honey. You promise?”
    Faith turned wide eyes back to her mother, giving one solemn nod.
    A smile twitched at Anne’s mouth. “Cross your heart?”
    Faith’s eyes sparkled. She loved the cross-my-heart rhyme—though her version was a bit different than most.
    “Cross my heart ‘n’ hope to fly, stick a dweeble in my eye.”
    Anne held her laughter captive. Leave it to her little girl to rewrite an ages-old pledge. But Faith meant the words sincerely, and Anne didn’t want her daughter to think she was making fun of her. “Okay, honey. Have fun.”
    In a heartbeat, the little girl scampered out of the room,